While Wearing Heels: embroidery

Showing posts with label embroidery. Show all posts

Friday, February 28, 2014

All You Need Is...

In the immortal words of The Beatles, 'All you need is love'.

After having captured Grace's 5 year old handwritten 'love', which has been my VERY favorite embroidery project so far...

I was inspired to capture and preserve more 'love'.

So, I cut 6 inch squares, out of white cotton fabric, and I'm having those near and dear to Grace, write 'love' and sign their names.

When I've collected enough 'love', I'll either frame them OR turn them into a quilt for Grace.

The quilt will be titled, 'All you need is...' Grace is so blessed because she is loved by many and I never want her to forget it. If ever she needs a little extra love, I hope she'll find comfort wrapped in a warm quilt surrounded by the love of those near and dear to her.

Until then, I'll be busy collecting love and embroidering.

All while humming 'All you need is love'.

Nothing you can know that isn't known
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
It's easy

All you need is love

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Embroidered Initials Felt Heart Pin

The weather isn't conducive to the romantic gesture of carving initials onto the trunk of a tree so I decided to make do with carving them onto a piece of a felt. Of course, by carving, I mean embroidering.

First, I cut two pieces of hearts out of felt. With embroidery thread and needle, I embroidered initials onto the front of the heart. I sewed the front of the heart to the back of heart using a running stitch. Before I finished closing the heart completely, I stuffed it with some fiberfill.

Add a pin to the back of it and you have a romantic little brooch.

I think my handsome husband knows, he has the key to my heart initials carved into a tree trunk or not.

*Key to my heart tutorial found here.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Embroidered Felt Heart Tutorial

What better way to tell someone they have your heart than by giving it to them?

These easy to make embroidered felt hearts can be personalized to suit your Valentine.

Whether you want to give them the key to your heart, a sweet sentiment of XOXO or Cupid's arrow, the possibilities are endless.

To make your own embroidered felt hearts:

Cut two hearts out of felt. I used pinking shears to give the edges of my hearts more of a design flair. Embellish the front of the heart with a design of your choice. Embellish your design through embroidery or by adding buttons.

Secure the front of your heart to the back of your heart by doing a simple running stitch around the boarder.

Attach a pin to the back of your heart and it becomes a brooch.

Whether you get detailed in your embroidery...

or chose a simple design...

these embroidered felt hearts will have your Valentine mooning over them.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

How To Embroider Wood Tutorial

I used a power tool for the first time, completely unsupervised and I survived. All my fingers are intact.

What does one do, after they've used a power tool? Embroider something of course.

Ever wonder if wood could be embroidered? The answer is YES! And, I'm about to show you how.

First, you'll need some sort of wood to embroider (driftwood, barn wood, wood coasters). If you want to use slices of a log, like I've used, check out my wood coaster tutorial for full directions.

Next, lightly sketch out the shape you want to embroider in pencil. Once you have your shape drawn, again, in pencil, mark approximate location for the holes to be drilled.

Using the smallest bit on your power drill, begin to drill holes through the wood.
*Place a thick board beneath the piece of wood you are drilling.

Make sure the drill goes completely through the wood.

Once you have completed drilling your holes, you can start embroidering your wood.

Thread an average sewing needle with embroidery thread, knot the end of the embroidery thread.

Start embroidering.

Come up through the back of the wood (point a). Your knot should hold in the back of point (a) (if the knot comes through the front, simply make your knot larger). Bring your needle down through point (b), pulling the thread taunt as you go. Come back up through point (c), continuing to pull the thread taunt. Return the needle to point (b), going back down. Come back up at point (d) then go back down at point (c).

Continue until you have completed embroidering your shape.

Whatever shape that might be.

What more fun could you possible have using power tools and embroidery thread?

These would make great coasters, ornaments, home decor, art or the sweetest Valentines.

Of course, if you decide to use them as Valentines, make sure you include a card that says something like:

Wood you be my Valentine?

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Embroidered Favor Bags

Fall parties are in the air and a party is not complete without goodies. Why not set the tone for the festive goodies you plan on giving by putting them in a one of a kind favor bag.

Embroidery...it's not just fabric anymore. These embroidered favor bags are made out of brown paper bags.

To make your own embroidered favor bags go grab some brown paper bags. In pencil, draw out a design you like centered on the front of the paper bag. Thread embroidery floss into a needle and knot the end. Start embroidering with the needle inside of the bag.

As I was embroidering the intricate spiderweb design, I grew weary...weary of all the detail and surprised at how time consuming it was. So...

The second bag I embroidered had a more simple spiderweb design. Inside of using small dashes to complete the intricate spiderweb, the simpler web took only 27 straight stitches and took less than 12 minutes.

The embroidered bags, though cute, were missing something...a spider.

Folded the top of the paper bag over. Punch 2 holes in the top of the bag. String orange ribbon through the holes. Tie the ribbon and then secure a spider ring to the bottom of one side of the ribbon.

Intricate spiderweb...

or simple spiderweb...

these Halloween goodie bags definitely make a statement.

Brown paper packages tied up with ribbons and spiders. That's how that song goes, right?

Monday, July 29, 2013

Watercolor Embroidered Mason Jars

With mason jar crafts and creations all the rage, I how have finally succumb to the craze...in my own way, through embroidery.

These watercolor embroidered mason jars were inspired by Cresendoh, you can see the full tutorial at their site.

I took their tutorial and made a few minor changes. Where they stamped a mason jar onto fabric to act as a pattern, I hand drew my mason jar.

Into an embroidery hoop, I layered the following: my hand drawn mason jar fabric followed by a layer of batting and finally another layer of white fabric.

*Using a stem stitch, I embroidered the mason jar. I used dark brown embroidery thread for the jar, gray for the lid, red for the lab and dark brown for the word on the label. {These steps were not included in the tutorial by Cresendoh.}

When my embroidery was complete, I applied blue watercolor, using the technique described by Cresendoh.

After a few trials and errors, I decided to leave my mason jar untrimmed until I applied the watercolor and it fully dried. I feel like it left the edge of the mason jar and batting beneath cleaner.

When completely dry, I cut my mason jar out, cutting around the embroidered stem stitch I made outlining the mason jar.

I applied no fray to the edge of the 'grace' jar. No fray was not applied to the 'hope' jar and you can see, over time, some fraying did result.