8.15.2008

Little Portrait Book

With this project you can make your own personal portrait book or scrapbook.

Supplies:


- Cheap notebook - one of the back-to-school 5¢ deals
- Scrapbook paper or Material - for accents
- Photos - for memories
- Scissors - for cutting notebook back
- Double-Sided Tape or Glue - for attaching paper and pictures
- Ribbon (optional) - to keep book closed with a bow
- Stapler (optional) - for stapling ribbon onto book

Directions:


1. Cut out the backside of the notebook (it looks like thin cardboard) off the notebook. This is a type of chipboard, and will be used as the binding of the little book.
2. Cut a piece 10" x 2" from the chipboard notebook back.
3. Fold it back and forth 2" at each fold, that way there are ten 2" square pages (front and back).
4. Scrapbook on each little page. If you wish, you can leave one of the outer-facing ends for the book's title.

Optional:

5. Cut a piece of ribbon that is long enough to wrap once around the book, and then tied in a pretty bow.
6. Staple ribbon down, on to one of the middle outer-folds. This will keep the ribbon in it's place, but is still adjustable.


For this little portrait book, I left off the ribbon, and only finished one side. My reason for this is that it will sit open on my dresser.


These are my parents when they were young. My daddy is sitting on a bookshelf, legs crossed, smiling for the camera. The picture on the right is Momma, posing sweetly for her kindergarten school photo.


In the next fold of my book are two photos. On the left is of my daddy's mother, and the other is of my momma's mother, my granny.


I plan on making another one that will reside next to this one on my dresser. It will have both of my parents when they were young (with different photos), but the second fold will be of their fathers.

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7.26.2008

Adventure Pouch

The Supplies ▼


The Outcome ▼



This little pouch is great for taking on adventures and expeditions! It is wonderful for holding pebbles, treasures, and even (strangely enough) bugs and toads. If you'd like to know how to make your own, click here to see my directions at The Backyard (you have to be logged in at HSB to view).

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6.4.2008

Whimsical Button Bouquet

Just so you know, I am writing weekly posts at the Backyard (you have to be logged in at HSB to view) on crafts called Stitched Little Pieces. Each Wednesday, there should be a post up at the Backyard with directions and photos of how to make crafts. For those of you who do not have a HomeschoolBlogger account, below is this week's craft.

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The Whimsical Button Bouquet is a sweet little decoration that turns a frown to a smile.

Supplies:


- Buttons (you'll probably want a variety)
- Pliers/Wire Cutters (for bending, twisting, and cutting the wire)
- Wire (doesn't matter what size, but I find the 20 gauge to work wonderfully)
- Salt Shaker (a spare one - rummage sells are great places to find extras)


Directions:


1. Cut a piece of wire 2-4 inches longer then the height of the salt shaker. Bend about an inch of the wire back, this will help the button go on easier. Push the longer side of the wire down through one of the holes in the button, making sure the front of the button is facing up.
2. As the button approaches the other end of the wire that is folded down, put that end through the opposite hole. Pull the button until it stops and looks like this.
3. Slightly twist the two wires to secure the button.
4. With the plier, grab both wires close to the button and begin to twist tightly.
5. After going around a few times, cut the excess wire with the wire cutters (be careful, the little piece of wire might go flying into the air, I advise cutting this inside a container).
6. Fold the little end that is left down, so that it finishes the spiral.


For Extra Beauty:


On the wire under the button flower, grab the wire with the pliers where a nice spiral is desired. Twist the wire around the pliers, loosely so that the pliers can be removed. Straighten up the wire a bit above and below the pretty little spiral so that the flower stands tall.

Once the button flower is finished, insert it into one of the holes on the shaker lid.


You can fill the shaker with as little or as many as you wish. If you had lots of the button flowers, you could put in a new bouquet every few days.

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5.20.2008

Baskets

We have been involved in 4-H for four years now. It has been a good experience, especially because it pushes us to get projects finished. Otherwise, we might get distracted or loose interest.

Every year we've made a basket - we take classes from a lady that doesn't live too far from us. The good thing about taking a class is that whenever you have a question or problem - she's right there at your aid. For the past three years, I've made up the pattern for the basket I'm making as I go. Usually it starts with an idea of what it will look like, and then it just comes together.

This year, I decided to make a picnic basket. I still have yet to decide whether or not there will be a wooden lid. I probably will end up having Daddy make me one, but wait until after the fair when things have calmed down around here.

All the reed we used was natural, it looks quite different before it is stained. Here's the base with a few rows finished.


The basket turned out quite large with a 12x18" base and sides 10" tall. While working on it, I wasn't sure how it would really turn out, but after it was stained with walnut, it seemed just right.


This is Maggie, our basket teacher, Me, and Breezy, each of us with our baskets in front of us. Maggie's is also a picnic basket, and Breezy's is a Baby Moses Basket.

My basket will go to good use on picnics, day trips, walks, and anything it's needed for. I'm quite glad I made it. We all had a good time making them, and look forward to making our next basket.

P.S. Tomorrow I will be changing my template. I'll go ahead and give you a hint at what it will look like. It has to do with matches and paper.

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4.26.2008

my homemade bag

Several days ago, I posted a close-up photo of the bag I recently made. Since I made up the pattern, there were a few hoops to go through to figure out some little details. It took me three days to make it - and they were quite busy days. The part that took the longest was quilting it together. Here are pictures of the mostly finished project. I still have to complete the quilting around the edges, hopefully I'll be able to do that soon.


This is of the bag, excluding the handles. I sewed five strips of material together, trying to keep the colors looking vintage. The white with red flower yoyos are made out of the same material as the inside.


Here is a peak of what the underside of the flap looks like, as well as the interior.


Before I quilted the outside and the inside together (with padding in between) I created a little pocket for the inside. I sewed two pieces of the interior material together (with the edges tucked in) and then sewed it down to the inside. The pocket is 8" x 5.5".


This is a close up of the edging and side. Both sides and the handle are all one piece, with a width of three inches.

Overall the bag was a joy to make, and I am very happy with the outcome. It's also nice to know that it's pleasing to the eye, I've had several complements about it. I originally made it for the homeschool convention, and I got it done just in time. If it would have taken a couple hours longer - it wouldn't have made it to the convention.

I hope you were inspired to work on a project of your own!

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4.17.2008

sewing

On Monday I bought the material. It was then washed and dried. On Tuesday I cut and began sewing it together. On Wednesday I sewed and sewed. Today, I finished it for the most part. Here's a close up of the bag.
 

More coming next week!

Blessings,

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1.14.2008

America the Beautiful

In September 2005 I was shopping at Hobby Lobby with my aunt Lou, Maggie, & Breezy. Auntie found a cross-stitch pattern of the USA in a clearance section. I didn't see the pattern until after we left the store, and when I did see it, I felt like it would be the perfect project for me to work on.

So we turned around and went back into the building, walked straight back to the area Lou had found her's. We searched and searched, but it seemed like we were just wasting our time, there just wasn't another pattern like it in sight.

At this point, you can probably imagine the distress I was feeling. Suddenly, one of my companions exclaimed, "I found it!" I was completely over-joyed. I took it up to the register, checked out, and headed home with a long and exciting project ahead of me.

Later that week I bought the material, and the embroidery floss I didn't already have. Right away I began to cross-stitch, starting in Minnesota. I'm not quite sure why I started there, probably because it has such a pretty shape. After I did all the state outlines, I continued on to do the water, icons, state names, and their capitals.

On April 15, 2006 I finished the last stitch. I spent a little over 350 hours working on this. Later that year, when the 4-H fair rolled around I entered it, and from there it went to the state fair, and did quite well.

In the bottom right corner I embroidered my name and the date of completion.

It now hangs on our living room wall. The frame is 36" x 24".

Here are a couple photos of the work in progress and the finished product.

*As you can tell, Alaska and Hawaii are very out of proportion, I just followed the pattern on those, so please excuse that*

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11.5.2007

The Quilt for a Lifetime

. . . made for my future home: A Yoyo Coverlet.

How to Make a YOYO:

   Use any size circle as your pattern (I use 4" diameter)

   Place the pattern on scrap fabric and cut out.

   Sew a running stitch around the edge, keeping the midde down,

       making it look like a cup.

   Draw closed, knot, and flatten.

   Ta-Dah!

In the Autumn of 2004, Momma, Breezy, and I made a yoyo wall hanging. It was made of 80 yoyos, and took us several weeks to finish. Once it was done and hanging up, we thought it was definitely worth the time and energy, but decided that we would not do it again.

But, I had the crazy lingering idea of making a queen sized quilt out of yoyos. I'm not sure what pushed me on, but I started the yoyos right after the 2006 4-H fair, so that I would have "plenty" of time to finish it in time to enter the next year.

Well, it took a long time. If you notice below, it took me over 400 hours to make it. Plus there was a lot of time put into the ironing and cutting of the material. You get the picture. The strange thing is I got it done in time. :) Just in time, the next day, I took it the the fairgrounds.

32 yoyos X 40 yoyos.

1280 yoyos all together.

Spent over 400 hours working on them.

Finished on June 11, 2007 @ 5:33 pm.

Technical name is Yoyo Coverlet, laid on a bed during the summer months.

I'm the kind of girlie that cuts material in mass amounts. Yep, that's me.

(If you notice, the blue lines are "Mark-B-Gone" a marker that's ink disappears when exposed to water. Just a little note, I wouldn't advize leaving this on much longer than 6 months, it becomes very difficult to remove. I learned that from experience.)

If you want a large project (I adore them) to work on in the "crafts" department, and you're up for callused fingers, carpal-tunnel, and lots of knowledge (books read aloud), then I believe you are ready to make a Yoyo quilt. :)

OH, AND I WAS JOKING ABOUT THE CARPAL-TUNNEL, BUT IT DOES FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE IT AT TIMES. :)

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