Miriam Crafts With You

Just the thing for Spring Cleaning! (A New Look for The Housekeeping Apron)

2012-02-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

If you haven't guessed by looking at my website, I really love aprons! The Housekeeping Apron has been one of my best-sellers! My quilt shops seem to re-order it as often as Aunt Minnie's Button Apron or Vintage Aprons! There's something very efficient about this apron, though. When I am dashing through my house, picking things up, straightening, and cleaning, it's really handy to have a pocket this size to scoop up things and put them away! The trick, of course, is to remember to empty them while you are cleaning, but even if you start to hang up the apron and think, "Why is that thing so HEAVY?" you still have a chance to get those little odds and ends put in the right place.

Cleaning is an endless chore, but somehow, when you have a cute apron on, you feel a little more spunky and energetic! Yup! That's my secret! That, and a good dose of energetic music! So, break out the Spic and Span, the dusting rag, and The Housekeeping Apron, your favorite rock and roll music, and get that spring cleaning started!

2012-01-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Hey Valentine, You Are My Sweet Treat!

I decided that I needed to make something cheerful and pink--and what better thing than a paper valentine!

I started by taking pieces of scrapbook paper to cover a foam-core scrap (16" wide x 14" high).

Insert a little piece of wire, poking ends right into the middle of the foam.... and hot glue it to keep it in place!

Now, you can create some of the paper 'cocardes' which can be used to decorate this and many other things! I have one of the folding tables (Making Memories), which makes it easy to do. Cut a strip 1 1/4" x 12" using the handy cutter on the side, then use the bone folder to lightly press a line every 1/4".

Accordion pleat the strip of paper, then glue together to form a circle.

Flatten the circle, and hot glue to a piece of paper. Trim the paper under the circle, so it doesn't show.

Make another heart 7 1/2" high x 9" wide, using cardboard or form core, then cover with paper. Arrange heart, cocardes, and embellish with buttons (use hot glue to adhere).

Thread a ribbon through the hook to hang it..... do you love the old building I found, with the great walls? It was a dangerous episode, threading my way through nasty pieces of wood with nails sticking out, but the perfect color of wall is worth the risk!

Here are a few other Valentine ideas...

Just a few little fabric hearts....

And a bag to collect all those lost socks in your laundry room!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone!

More Creative Paper Ideas

2011-11-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

Maria has been at it again! This is a tribute to one of my six (yes, count them, SIX) grandchildren, Olive. Maria took a small divided shadow box and papered the back of the little cubby-holes, then added sweet little black and white pictures of Miss Olive, herself.

Cute, huh?

When my son's family came to see me a few weeks ago, we stopped at Tai Pan Trading, to look at their wonderful trees and ornaments. You can see what Jace liked best:

Back at Roberts, I had my friend Annie make some boxes for Christmas treats, and they were deceptively easy to make. The boxes were sprayed with Design Master's Glossy Wood Tone, then the paper was applied using Mod Podge. The one on the right was embellished by placing a paper snowflake on the box then spraying with 'snow.' It looked almost like powdered sugar on gingerbread! Yummm!

Last of all, here is another banner idea with chipboard and paper! Once again, Maria used the Cricut to cut out the letters from glittered red paper on a black background!

Such fun!

Skinny Little Stocking

2011-11-14T19:10:00.001-08:00

This little stocking is made using my Raggy Saggy Christmas Stocking pattern (check out www.fabricfolk.com for the pattern). The directions in the pattern indicate stitching lines on the stocking pattern shape, then cutting 1/2" away from the stitching for a seam allowance (which is then clipped and washed in your machine). This version utilizes the stitching lines for cutting lines, thereby making the stocking very skinny. This isn't the stocking to fill with CD's and other wide things, but it's great for candy and lady's shavers, and lipsticks and nail polish--and little bars of hand-made French soap, etc.

I stitched a little Christmas quilt to hang up this year... and I'm sorry, I don't have the pattern ready yet. It might be one of those things that appears for next year's new pattern line! I thought you might want a peek anyway!

This is a close-up of one of the four main sections of the quilt!

Oh, I just love Christmas!!!

Christmas Projects with Scrapbook Paper!

2011-11-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

Maria Peregrina created this wondrous storyboard, with our new scrapbook paper.... and made this magnet board (paper glued onto pre-made magnet board). Beautiful, isn't it? Of course, Maria included some cards and holiday decorations, too!

Here are some other of Maria's creations:

The "NOEL" banner is wonderful, isn't it? And Maria used the Cricut electronic cutter to create the snowflakes! I asked her to make two banners--one used on the storyboard, and one for a tree which features all sorts of paper decorations.

Close-ups, of course:

The star was created from a tin star we had, covered with cotton batting, which I brushed with glue, and sprinkled chunky snow flakes from a jar.... the pleated cocarde was made from two 3" x 12" strips of paper, glued end-to-end, and pleated. The smaller cocarde is from one 1 1/2" x 12" strip, and a covered button is placed in the center. The sides of the star are covered with a pleated wired ribbon, glued to the front, then folded around to the back. You can also see a star (rusty tin base) covered with paper and a cocarde.

I made the paper doll by covering a wooden spoon with an image I drew and color-copied, and decoupaged. The clothing is scrapbook paper which is backed with cardstock. The wings are made from a wooden heart shape, covered with paper.

And a larger star, with the edges of the cocarde finished with Martha Stewart's wonderful edger.

Now, I remember I promised you a look at the paper snowflakes:

This paper snowflake is made from 1" strips of water-color paper (about 70 lb. paper). The strips are curled using one of the old wire curling tools. I hot-glued them together. The center is a series of five hearts, then more hearts at the intersections, and a lot of curly, meandering swirls on the outside.

Now, we'll escort you to the foyer next to the offices in back of the store:

Paper-covered topiaries (floral supply) in pots, with shredded crinkle taupe paper inside to cover the green form. Annie used the Cricut to make the stars on the wreath.

The little star at the top was gold--and I sprayed it cream to match the topiary!

And as a final tribute to paper, I'll give you a sneak peek at the gazebo (which you will see next time!):

I cannot tell a lie--I saw this on Pinterest! Isn't it awesome?????

The Happiest Season of All!

2011-11-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

The last week at Roberts Crafts has been a blur.... We had to tear down Halloween, get Christmas displays up--all in time for our open house which started today (November 7). We did get a lot done, but will have much more to do. All the stores are participating in a contest, and we have to have everything ready to be judged by mid-week. The whole crew has been amazing, and Annie, Maria, Tiger, and Wendy in particular! I feel like the conductor of a symphony orchestra, and have been so pleased with our brilliant soloist artists! I will show you a bit at a time, of course.

The fireplace is a "Foamcore" prop which I made last week. It looks pretty good, huh? I guarantee it would not do well with a real fire, though. The tree is decorated with the extra-wide lime ribbon, bouquets of lilies, hydrangeas, and calla lilies, adorned with a triple-ribbon bow. The boxes are painted (lids and bottoms) with Krylon red spray paint (easy!), then covered with scrapbook paper. The balls are strung together on narrow ribbon, then wired to the branches.

Tiger stitched the quilt together... Annie made the wreath from red yarn pom poms, with a Dior bow. The base is two wire bases, one large, one medium, wired together and wrapped with acetate ribbon. The rest is hot glue magic! The store had a very limited amount of Christmas ornaments this year, so we had to rely on our imagination and make almost everything.

When you enter the store, I envisioned the song "Winter Wonderland", and in particular the verse that reminds us of "In the meadow, we can build a snowman...." so I created two large snowmen out of tea-dyed muslin. The nose is wool felt, and they have button eyes and smiles....

I painted the old dark brown wheelbarrow with some light green paint, put an alpine tree in, with a berry garland wrapped around, then some 'snow.' I put some pieces of quilt batting on the branches (just tore it), added the spray snow in a can, the rest of the batting at the base over some scrunched-up paper for height; all sitting next to our wonderful fence (thanks to Annie), created from wooden pallets!

And the bench is painted with Napa Red (Americana Enamel paints)... the snow on the ground is butcher paper, crinkled up, then piled with some of the fake snow from a bag!

And that's all for now! We have several other vignettes that are underway, and will be part of the next chapter in our Christmas saga! Wait until you see the paper snowflakes!!!!

Autumn is Here!

2011-10-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year, even though it passes much too quickly! It's time to dig out sweaters and light jackets down here in the southern part of Utah. The days are still in the high 70's, and sunshine abounds, but those wonderful, crisp nights, and that great old harvest moon are sublime! This little sign announces to your neighborhood that you are ready for fall.... with that epic saying, "If I Only Had a Brain." I have designed two versions.... this wooden one, and a pillow made from Marcus Brothers' wonderful new plaid flannels!

As you can see, the pillow is nestled in a group of favorite fall things. The pumpkins and the pillow are all in one new pattern, and I will show you how to make the pumpkins in a couple of weeks! I still have to sew things for Quilt Market, for the Marcus Brothers booth, so after I ship all those things away to Houston, I will crank out the pattern!

And now, my friends and fellow Halloween fiends, here is my newest wooden word decoration. This is another special creation from Moosie's Woods, in Provo, Utah. Of course my favorite little Halloween critters are on parade!

Have a FRIGHTFUL day!!!!

Autumn Crafting

2011-08-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

In St. George, today our high was 103 degrees (the good news is that we have almost zero humidity)!!! Yes, that's a temperature that tends to make people feel a little lethargic! What better cure than to sit down and make something that reminds us of fall temperatures--brisk sweater weather! Of course, my favorite part of fall are the two big holidays. First, Halloween comes to give us some reasons to make caramel apples, to decorate our house with really cool and funny Halloween stuff, and get ready for that night of little scary creatures coming to visit us! Here is something to hang on your door to celebrate the festival of ghouls!

I found a pre-made wreath with orange metallic bells and berries, and black leaves. I wired it onto a base of grapevine--the kind with real twiggy, wild branches radiating outward, and then added a bow from three funky ribbons. One is a skinny wired orange ribbon, and of course the zebra stripe can certainly add to a Halloween look, and the third ribbon is a sheer black with shiny polka dots! Voila!!!

In addition, I found some pre-cut wooden letters. My favorite spells out "Wicked," but our store ran out of those, and I had to settle for "Boo." The wood words come from Moosie, in Provo, Utah.

Pictured with "Boo," I included a hat I made from poster board (painted), and some little Halloween blocks. These were really easy! They are 2" wide, and various dimensions, some 4" x 3", one larger one, all of which were painted (sides and back) with Americana Enamel paints (black), sanded lightly, and pre-cut scrapbook paper was glued onto the front using Mod Podge. Easy on the glue! The wetter you get the paper, the more likely it is to buckle. Here are some of Moosie's pumpkin shapes, using the same paint and paper technique. You can embellish with buttons, and other found items!

And a few more blocks. Note the cheesecloth draped over the candle holders for a haunted house look!

The ghost, candy corn and bat are little wooden shapes, painted and papered, to add dimension!

Now, here is a special little surprise, created by Maria Peregrina, a paper artist from St. George! The box is charming enough as it is, but just look inside!

Maria is available on Facebook! Make sure you let her know how fabulous this is! The whole thing is about 5" square, and she cut these amazing little trees and fences on her Cricut electronic cutter.

And here is a paper wreath, I made using rolled up pieces of scrapbook paper! A great addition to your crafting room!

Here is a Halloween dish towel. I am putting a collection together, of a 'Dishtowel of the Month' club. This is just a preview of the event that will start in December (for January's dishtowel)!

And the final creation is a wreath made from the simplest of materials: 6" squares of polyester batting (from Fairfield, of course), curling ribbon, a metal floral frame, and black and orange pompoms. It's the ultimate kitsch!

Here's a hint on how to tie the square to the frame....

Once the frame is filled, a little hot glue and pompoms do the rest! Crazy, huh?

And now, friends, I have probably given you enough ideas to keep you busy for a day or two, eh? Can you tell how much I love Halloween decorations?

How to Make Mama's Old Brown Bag

2011-06-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

This is a tutorial for the latest pattern from Fabric Folk pattern line. In two weeks, you can find this new pattern on Miriam's website: www.fabricfolk.com, along with her new apron pattern, The Housekeeper's Apron. Believe me, it's not your mother's apron. But now for the bag instructions...

First, you will need to quilt the sides and gusset (bottom). Place the cut-out pieces onto thin cotton batting (I recommend Fairfield Cotton/Poly needle-punched). Machine quilt the pieces in any way you choose. I used my Bernina walking foot to make the straight rows for the sides and the stitch-control foot for free-form quilting for the gusset piece.

Trim off the excess batting; trim about 1/2" from the top edge of batting only, on the bag sides.

You will now prepare the top edges for the zipper by trimming the batting away from the edge, about 1/2".

Now, use your iron to press the fabric over the batting, like this:

Pin the folded edge of the bag to the edge of the zipper teeth, and use your zipper foot to stitch it in place. Repeat for the second side of the bag.

Now, you need to create the outside pocket. Place pocket and lining with right sides together on top of a square piece of batting.

Stitch around the pocket, leaving an opening about 2 1/2" wide for turning.

Trim the batting close to the raw edges of the pocket.

Turn the pocket right side out and press carefully. Stitch the opening closed, using a needle and thread. Pin the pocket to the side of the handbag, about 2 1/2" below the zipper. Note: Make sure you fold down the top of the pocket before measuring.

Now, you will attach the bottom of the bag. Pin the gusset to one of the sides, with the pointed ends almost touching the zipper. Stitch a generous 1/4" from the raw edges. Open the zipper a few inches, then pin the gusset to the other side, and stitch in place. Turn the purse right side out and set aside while you make the lining.

To make the large inner pockets, place the pocket pieces right sides together, and stitch across the long side. Stitch the sides, beginning 1" below the top seam (for a casing opening).

Turn the pocket right side out, and press carefully. Stitch a casing line 3/4" below the top edge of the pocket.

Cut 10 1/2" of elastic (5/8"-wide) and use a safety pin to insert into the casing. Pin or stitch the end of the elastic so it won't slip while you pull the elastic all the way through.

Gather the bottom edge of the pocket to 10", and pin the gathered edge to the bottom of the curve of the lining side. Make sure the whole thing is centered, then baste in place at the bottom edge:

Repeat this step to make a second larger pocket, then...

Make two smaller pockets, which will be about the right size to hold a checkbook or your reading glasses. Place the rectangles right side together, and stitch around them, leaving a 2" opening on one of the sides. Turn right side out, press, and stitch the opening closed.

Pin a smaller pocket to the lining side, so the top edge of the smaller pocket is at the same height as the top (elasticized) edge of the large pocket. Pull the large pocket out of the way, and stitch the smaller pocket to the lining, along the side and bottom edges.

Now, you can pin the side edges of the large pocket in place and stitch them. When that is complete, assemble the lining, just like you did for the bag, by pinning the gusset to one of the sides, fitting the curved edges together.

Now, stitch the other side in place, press under the raw edges of the lining, about 1/2" and place the completed lining into the purse, matching the seams as closely as you can.

Pin the lining in place, alongside the zipper teeth, then use your zipper foot to machine stitch the lining in place (stitching on the outside of the bag, and removing pins as you go).

Make the strap by placing the strap and lining pieces right sides together on top of a strip of thin cotton batting. Stitch along the long edges of the strap, across one end, and trim the seam allowance to about 1/8". Turn right side out and press. Fold the raw edges of the end inside and stitch them closed by hand.

Pin the strap to the purse ends, and machine stitch an 'X' shape to hold in place:

Your purse is finished, except for the fabric flower. See the flower tutorial on this blog to complete this final step. You will note that the flower on this bag is a bit 'ragged' on the edges. I used a wire brush to complete this step. In addition, I added a circle of fabric under the button for additional contrast:

Now your bag is completed, and ready to fill with all your necessities! Enjoy your bag, and be sure to make several for each season!

Making Paper Cocarde Decorations

2011-05-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a little stitchery I created for a project at the store... and I thought I'd show you how to make the paper embellishment--or cocarde. In the 1920's some of the wonderful hats--or cloches, as they were called--were decorated with ribbon cocardes. This one is a fairly simple paper version.

First, you need to cut a piece of scrapbook paper 1 1/4" x 12". My Omnigrid mat from Prym is an old one I used for quilting, but it works very well when I need to cut paper strips!

Make tiny pleats, and I do mean tiny. Practice makes perfect. It took me a try or two. The first one started out with tiny pleats, but they seemed to 'grow' as I went. Like I said--practice!

Next, when all the pleating is completed, glue the two ends together to form a circle:

Now, just press the top to flatten it--I promise, it works!

You will note that I flattened it to show the light brown side of the paper. That's the wonderful thing about two-sided paper: You have instant color coordination, and since this cocarde is to decorate the aqua-colored side, it's perfect! Now, to keep the cocarde from turning into a tube again, you need to add a little bit of hot glue to the scrap of paper you will use as a base:

Glue on an embellishment, like this wonderful Prima-brand flower, or a cute button, etc.:

Now, use some decorative-edge scissors to 'shadow' cut around the outside edge of the pleats:

Now, it's ready to glue onto the frame (which you have already painted and papered):

Voila!

Little Fabric Flower

2011-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

My friend, Tiger showed me how to make this cute little flower--to be used as a hair ornament or pillow embellishment--or what ever you want it to be!

You start by creating a template--so just fold paper in half, then in half again, and draw two little scallops. When you unfold, you will have a flower. Hint: If you draw a circle, fold it in half, then in half again (without cutting), you can add the scallops to the edges of the circle. Trace onto a stiff board, to make it easy to trace onto the fabric like the photo above! You will need to cut eight from the fabric and one from a piece of felt, for the base.

Cut out, then fold in half.

Fold in half again!

Pin four of the folded pieces on the felt base, then stitch in the middle like this:

Stitch a little circle in the middle, just to make sure it all stays where you want it!

Fold the last four petals a little bit differently: Fold in half, then in thirds. Now, add the second layer of 'petals'. Place the second layer of petals so they overlap the 'gaps' in the first row of petals.

Stitch in place, like you did for Row 1.

Now, cover a button for the center of the flower. Start by cutting a circle a little larger than the button top. Gather with a needle and thread, then pull tight and knot off.

Push the bottom into the button top. Sometimes you have to push it on a table top or a solid surface.

Sew the button to the middle of the flower, and voila! You are finished, and can sew it to the pillow or glue it to a hair clip!

Civil War Bonnet Tutorial

2011-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

1860's Bonnet, modeled by Olive

This year marks the one hundred and sixtieth anniversary of the start of the Civil War. With the re-enactments and other celebrations, I thought it might be good to show how to make this little bonnet. This is a family bonnet pattern--and my youngest sister Ruth owns the original--which was made by our Aunt Josephine. So, I called the pattern Josephine's 1860's Gardening Bonnet, and stitched the original cover sample in some cute Marcus Brothers Aunt Grace fabrics... (see www.fabricfolk.com, pattern section). We think the pattern may have come from my great grandmother, Malinda Dalton, who was born in Virginia, in the 1830's. That would make this bonnet authentic to the Civil War period.

I decided to re-do the cover for the benefit of some of the Civil War museum gift shops, so this new sample, worn by me, is from my own line of Civil War reproduction fabrics for Benartix--called The Americana Collection. The pattern comes with five sizes--Adult, Child, Infant, 18" Doll (could fit a premie), and a smaller doll, such as the doll panel I created for Benartex Fabrics.

Making this bonnet doesn't have any real difficult steps, but there are many steps, and it will take a day to complete this. Hopefully, this tutorial will enable you to fly through all the instructions and give you a bonnet that you will cherish--and wear in your own garden!

Begin by stitching the ruffle pieces together (only for the larger sizes). I use a flat-felled seam so it doesn't have raw edges on the underside. To make this seam, place the pieces of fabric wrong sides together, with the raw edge of the top fabric 1/4" away from the raw edge of the bottom fabric. Stitch 1/4" away from the top raw edge, as shown.

You will then fold the bottom raw edge over the top raw edge and press in place.

Press the seam flat and top-stitch close to the folded edge.

Next, you will press under a scant 1/4" along the long edge of the ruffle.

Fold under once more and stitch close to the edge.

Gather the raw edge of the ruffle by pulling out thread from your machine the length of the ruffle (do not cut the thread). Place the thread about 1/8" from the raw edge of the ruffle and zig-zag over the top of the thread.

Set your machine for zig-zag....

Now, with the threads pulled out, you are ready to begin.

Center the threads under the presser foot and begin stitching.

Make sure the threads are 'enclosed' by the zig-zag stitch. Stitch all the way across the raw edge of the ruffle, then gather the fabric by pulling the two threads, until the ruffle fits around the top (curved) edge of the brim.

Stitch the ruffle to the edge of the brim, then pin the muslin interfacing and the lining of the bonnet to the ruffled brim. Pin them so the brim and lining are right sides together, with the muslin on the outside of the lining.

Turn the brim so you can see the original stitching, and stitch on top of that first stitching.

Turn the brim right side out and press it.

Top stitch next to the curved edge, then across the width of the bonnet, following the directions in the pattern (Step 7).

You will now start on the back lining piece of the bonnet. This is stitched into the bonnet to keep your head from going back into the 'puffy' part of the bonnet. You will begin by hemming the side edges, so press under 1/4" along each side edge of the back lining.

Fold under and stitch each side.

You will now make a casing, and to begin, you need to press under 1/4" along the long edge of the back lining.

Fold under 1/2" (wider than normal) to form the casing. Stitch in place.

After the hem is stitched in place on the casing, you will need to baste it to the bonnet brim. Please make sure you baste it to the LINING side of the brim (that will be the side that shows the wrong side of the ruffle). Stitch in place, 1/4" from the raw edges.

Hem the bottom edge of the bonnet back by pressing under a scant 1/4".

Press under the edge again and stitch--then press it!

Now, this next part is very important! You are going to stitch a casing across the lower part of the WRONG side of the bonnet back, and to determine the placement, you need to place the brim by the bonnet back, like this:

You will make a pencil mark on the wrong side of the bonnet back that corresponds to the top of the ruffle (on the brim). Repeat for the opposite side of the bonnet back, then draw a line across, like this:

The penciled line will be the stitching guide for the lower edge of the casing. To make the casing, you need to press under 1/4" along each of the long sides of the casing.

Place the casing onto the back of the bonnet (wrong side), matching the lower edge of the casing to the penciled mark. Stitch in place.

Now, you will cut 1 1/2"-wide strips of scrap fabric to insert into the casing to gather it. Check the instructions, Step 16, to see the length you will gather the bonnet back. You will need to sew enough inserts to gather the bonnet back and to gather the back lining, and that amount varies, but I would have at least 28" sewn for the largest size (and that will give you more than you need, but it helps to have a little extra to work with).

First, press in edges of strips toward the middle.

Fold in half and stitch close to edge.

Insert into back lining casing by attaching a small safety pin to the end of the sewn strip.

Gather the bonnet back to the size specified in the instructions, for example, the adult size will be gathered to 7" (Step 16). As you pull the strip through, leave about 1/2" protruding from the entry side, and top-stitch across several times so the strip will be stationary.

When the gathering is completed, top-stitch the other side to keep the gathers in place.

Gather the bonnet back between the two dots, using the same method as other gathered areas of the bonnet.

Pin the brim to the bonnet back, right sides together, and stitch together.

Once the bonnet back and brim are stitched together, zig-zag the lower edges--up to the gathered section of the bonnet back.

Use the extra length of gathering strips to gather the back lining through the casing. When it is gathered to look like the photograph, tie a square knot and trim the ends.

To hem the ties. press under a scant 1/4" around two long sides of the tie, then one of the ends.

Fold under edges and stitch.

Pleat the raw end of the tie, and fold 1/4" under so the right sides of the tie are together (opposite of what you usually do). Pin the folded end inside the bonnet brim, placing it where it is comfortable to tie around your neck. The adult size is about 2 1/4" away from the back lining; the child's size is about 1 3/4"; the smallest doll bonnet is about 1"... so you get the idea.

Now, your 1860's bonnet is ready to hang on a shelf, so you can grab it when you want to keep your complexion from getting sunburned. Happy gardening!

Note: This is the bonnet shown before ties were sewn inside!

How to Cut Binding on the Bias!

2010-12-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Bias binding is ESSENTIAL to bind curved edges! It's a little extra work, but so very worthwhile!

Step One: Place 1/2 yard of fabric onto cutting board, unfolded, so it is spread horizontally across your cutting mat. IMPORTANT NOTE: The fabric cannot be folded when you cut this--it has to be spread open! You will try to line up the left-hand corner of your fabric so the 45-degree angle (printed on the board) can be used as your first cutting guide.

Now, you will cut 2" strips which are parallel to this first cut, so you will need to reposition the fabric so that first cut you made is now horizontally placed on the mat. At this point, you can fold the fabric so the raw edges of that first cut are even. If you don't fold the fabric, the fabric will be too long for your ruler.

Now, start cutting...

When you have cut sufficient number of strips, you are going to stitch them end to end:

Now, you will stitch the strips end to end...so they will have a diagonal seam...so pick up the two ends...

And place the strips right sides together, so the pointed ends will overlap about 1/4" on each side:

Stitch 1/4" from the raw edges, like this:

Now, when all the strips are sewn together, press the seams open:

Now, you are ready to stitch the binding onto those curved edges!

Adventures in Doll Making

2010-07-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

For the last twenty-five years or so, I have created many special dolls--or at least they are special to me. The harvest moon has always enchanted me, and I remember so many cold, crisp Colorado nights, working with my dad to get the combine out of the mud or going to a party with a group of my friends, and seeing that gorgeous old moon shining down on me. It always felt like magic, and when I created Mother Moon, I felt she was made of a little of that same magic.

She has many symbols of nighttime, from the embroidered gold felt stars, to the gold brocade dancing shoes, for most people dance by the light of the moon, don't they?

Do you see the little moon button sewn to her smock? And the smock is a symbol of our mothers--all the mothers of the 1950's who wore a smock or 'housecoat' as the costume of those who stayed at home and raised their babies. How thankful I am for a mama who stayed at home with us, who helped us learn to sew on her treadle machine, and who taught us how to embroider dishtowels for our 'hope chest.'

Those are precious days....

Now, here is another funky little doll, Miss Greene Tomato. That's who I was, as a young person. The idea of some unknown adventure always tantalized me, and I was always so happy in the middle of a group of people. I yearned to be one of the 'popular' girls, and didn't realize that I was probably as popular as any of them, and that they were all as insecure as I was. Isn't junior high horrible? I was unprepared for most of the adventures I dreamed about, but as an old ripe tomato now, I miss the innocence of the green days, and yet I wouldn't repeat them for any amount of money!

Life is a wonderful adventure, isn't it? Despite the bumps and bruises, we have so many wonderful things to remember. I miss having little kids, yes, it's true! I miss being my dad's right-hand 'man.' I miss making things with my mother. I miss playing with my sister and our cousins in our playhouse; but I love the place I'm in right now, with my good man and my grown-up kids, and their sweet little babies. I'm so lucky!

Miss Greene Tomato bids you adieu for now, but we'll be back later with more thoughts and ideas for you.

Basics of Tree Decoration--from a Pro!

2010-07-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Every year, I decorate seven to ten Christmas trees. People always ask me if I get sick of Christmas, and I always tell them how much I love the season and the decorating! It's where my imagination can run wild! However, there are a few steps to achieving a professional look, and it starts when you take the tree out of the box. This little tree is a seven-foot 'Alpine' Tree, which is a very simple tree to set up. When you first take it from the box, it looks pretty pathetic!

Start at the top, and bend the pvc branches outward--think real pine tree! They won't all be at the same angles, and as you work your way downward, you will find that the branches get longer and longer. Some of the greenery will point upward, but will be approximately 45-degrees, not 90-degrees! Just look at real trees or pictures of trees to see how they are formed.

Looks better, doesn't it? Now, the fun begins! You need to light the tree and a well-lit tree is essential to good decorating! There are some basic things you need to know, and the most important thing is to have a green extension cord with several plugs, spaced about 2' apart. Wire the plugs against the middle of the tree, and plug into an outlet. It is important to have the lights on while you attach them to the tree for two main reasons: First, to make sure they work, and second, to see if they are evenly dispersed throughout the tree. NOTE: You must not connect more than 300 lights end to end! It will cause the fuse to blow out, and your tree will have no working lights! Not good!!!

So, what you do is plug the first 300 lights into the bottom plug, the next 300 into a separate plug (can be on the back of the first plug) and so forth, until the tree is finished. For the little 7' Alpine tree, I used about 900 lights, so they were plugged into three separate plugs on the same extension cord. There are tree cords made especially for this!

Begin at the bottom of the tree, near the trunk, and wire the light strand in place where the lights begin. Choosing the nearest branch, you will go along the left side of the branch, with the lights going over and under each little green sprig, until you come to the end of the branch. Wind the lights so a light bulb is on the tip of the branch closest to you, and repeat once more so two tips are lit.

Then, turn back toward the trunk, following the right side of the branch, going over and under the sprigs, and wire the lights onto the branch so it holds them in place. Move to the right, and repeat for the next branch, until all the tree is covered. Yes, I know it is tedious, but you never have to remove the lights, and your tree will be bright and wonderful when it is covered with decorations! Some of the pre-lit trees need extra lights, or they look too dark when they are covered with decorations!

Now is the time to add garlands and for this 'country' tree, I chose honeysuckle vines. They come pre-coiled, and I have to pull them apart and wire them into the tree. Some people use grapevine coils, but you have to cut them into sections, because they are much more difficult to work with. The honeysuckle is messy, but you can easily sweep the floor when you are finished! Wire the garland into the tree in a random manner. Use a fine green wire so it doesn't show!

Yeah, it's difficult to see! Sorry about that! However, at this point, you will want to put the big items into the tree. I know that most people cover their trees with the same size of little ornaments... BORING!!!! The tree will be much more interesting if you have different sizes of ornaments. There just aren't any rules saying the tree ornaments cannot be more than 4" in diameter!!!! So, with that being said, you can start with the larger items, and wire then in place. Step back occasionally, to check for the visual balance of the tree. Add floral pieces, ornaments, whatever you love!

This is the finished version of the tree, in place in the store, in a little vignette which includes some Christmas linens and other accessories.

Do you like the dishtowels hung on the old door? How about an apothecary jar, filled with snowballs with snowmen faces painted on them. (Wrap styrofoam balls with torn strips of muslin, and paint cute little faces. Add some fake snow (floral fillings), a beautiful ribbon on top, and you have a great table decoration!!!

That's all for this time! I will be starting the "Partridge in a Pear Tree" theme tree next! Stay tuned!

Amazing Jane Cather

2010-07-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, I coordinated a doll exhibit called Dollmakers Magic. This 'magic' event ran for five years, and featured one-of-a-kind cloth dolls--fifty new ones each year. The event premiered each year at Quilt Market, then went on to various quilt and doll seminars, culminating with a summer at Rockefeller Plaza, as an exhibit in the cafe just outside the ice-skating area. This final show was sponsored by the Museum of American Folk Art, and it was a wonderful opportunity for cloth doll making to be seen in the Big Apple.

The best thing about the show, however, was the opportunity to meet wonderful new friends. Of the many, many doll makers, one of my personal favorites was Jane Cather, a relative of the famous Willa Cather. Check out Jane's amazing website, and get to know her!

These beautiful images are Jane's "Heartflow" sculpture. See more of her wonderful things on her website: www.janecather.wordpress.com and take a stroll through a serene garden of delights.

The Americana Collection: Malinda Dalton, Civil War Doll

2010-07-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

This beautiful doll can be created from a one-yard panel printed by Benartex, a division of Bernina Sewing Machines. The clothing is sold in separate panels--an 'every-day' dress, seen in the photo, and a 'Sunday-Best' outfit--both in three different color-ways. They match a beautiful quilting collection, all carefully researched to be authentic to the 1860's.The panel has complete instructions, to help you create this wonderful doll; however, here are a few helpful hints to assist you in some of the sewing steps:

This doll head has not been stuffed sufficiently. You will need to stuff the head firmly, until the 'wrinkles' around the chin and head are more rounded.

Note the top of the neck are of this doll's body. It is flat, and if a doll's head is sewn to this neck, the head will flop back and forth. To fix that, add more stuffing!

These two photos of the doll's head show the front and back of the finished doll. Pin the head in place first, then start stitching at the back of the head and neck, and as you get to the chin area, the needle will be inserted into the doll's head, then into the top of the torso, in an in-and-out motion. I usually go around the entire head twice, to make sure the head is secured.

These two photos are illustrative of the technique used to create the doll's yarn 'hair.' Note the panel for measurements, and stitch the yarn to the brown rectangle used for the base. You will see both sides in the above photos. Note: When you are through winding the yarn onto the cardboard, cut one side of the yarn to release it from the cardboard, and center it on the rectangle before stitching.

Place the hair onto the doll's head, centering the 'part' and folding the raw edge of fabric under. Add glue to the top section of the head, and press the hair in place until the glue sets up. Note: I use hot glue, but if you aren't an old hand, you can burn yourself easily. In that case, use a fast-setting tacky glue (I love Aleene's silver bottle), and give it more time to dry before you go to the braiding step.

This is the back view. Make sure you cover all the back of the head, and glue the sides in place as well.

Braid the hair, and tear some strips of the matching fabric (1" wide) to make some little bows for the end of the braid!

2010-06-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

For more information on Miriam's patterns and books, you can check out her website at www.fabricfolk.com. You can also find her books on www.amazon.com!