TUTORIALS & PATTERNS

There are many tutorials and patterns in previous blog posts, but it isn't always easy to find them.  So here is a list and links to various older posts which contain tutorials and free patterns.  And hopefully more to come.  I'm also going to put a 'gadget' on the right with direct links to various tutorials and patterns.

I-Pad or Keyboard Cover -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Apps  A sewing project for dressing your electronics for success! 

Fabric Yo-Yo Valentine Pin  -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Art%20Vending%20Machine  (Scroll down through this long post for the yo-yo pin pattern and directions.)

Easy Coiled Basket -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Basketry  There is a link in the post to my two page Google Document with step-by-step photos and directions for an easy coiled basket made with clothesline and yarn. 

Beaded Button Brooches -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Beaded%20Button%20Brooches   Instructions, diagrams, button suggestions, sample pictures.  Follow the directions to link to my Flickr Photostream for a 3-page handout of instructions, plus diagrams for many beaded edging stitches, or just click right here. 

Felted Beads, Tubular and Spherical -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Beads%20%28felted%29  Achieve perfect spherocity (?) using an old tea strainer to wet felt a round bead!

Felted Headband -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Felted%20Headband  Note of apology -- I consider this project only mildly successful!

Beaded Row Counter -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Beaded%20Row%20Counter  Cute idea, and instructions, for creating a piece of 'jewelry' that helps you count rows of knitting. 

Lulu's Christmas Corsage and Felt Stocking Brooches -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Christmas%20Craft  Lulu's Christmas Corsage is more idea than instructions, but there are some good ideas, including making a tiny birch bark bird silhouette.  The felt stocking brooches are small and colorful, and about 20 of them decorated the Christmas lapels of nursing home residents several years ago. 

Crazy Quilted Velvet Beret -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Crazy%20Quilting  This tutorial includes instructions and tips for designing and piecing, crazy quilt style, for those who aren't quite comfortable with the improvisational nature of the technique!  Plus directions for putting the beret together.  But the beret pattern itself is not included.  Patterns for berets are readily available. 

How-To Display a Special Hat Collection: Dressing Up Styrofoam Head Mannequins --   http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Display%20Tips  Start with inexpensive Styrofoam head mannequins and dress them up to display your special hat collection.

Miss Hickory Doll -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Miss%20Hickory%20Doll
Miss Hickory, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey. This charming book, about an independent minded little doll made from a hickory nut and applewood twig, was a Newberry Award Winner in the late 1940's.  Instructions and patterns for Miss Hickory adaptation in 4 parts. 

Needle Felted Tiny Dog -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Felted%20Toys  Inspired by Gretel Parker's article in Mollie Makes, Kathy shows how she made her dog, Sadie, with plenty of photos and instructions.

Blocking a Baby Sweater -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Knitting%20Tips  Scroll past the knitting pattern links to see Kathy's tips for blocking little sweaters.)

'Lulu's Garden' Fascinator  http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Millinery  These four posts include ideas and tips for making a 'scenic' fascinator, and also include directions for making the two tiny dolls that inhabit the garden hat. 

Felt Flowers for a Fascinator -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Felt%20Flowers  A mini tutorial on making flowers from three small pieces of felt.  From a Mollie Makes kit, for a necklace, but I chose to make something very different.

Pin Weaving -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Pin%20Weaving  This post will get you started in designing a small pin-woven necklace or purse.  Follow the links for further directions and inspiration. 

Old Fashioned 3-D Valentine -- http://emmamyrtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Valentines  Make a vintage valentine for your mother, aunt, sister, friend.  Simplified directions, but plan to spend a few hours creating yours.  It helps to have LOTS of paper craft supplies -- stickers, doilies, tissue paper, cardstock, bits of lace, poems, alphabet stickers, glitter, and ephemera. 

Art Vending Machine! Own a minature work of art for $5 !!

The Powerhouse Arts Center recently installed "ARTomaton," and art vending machine.  What a great idea!  It's really fun; there are mini-prints, artist trading cards, post card art, wooden tops, jewelry, and more.  You can own a small art or craft masterpiece for only $5 !!  While the ARTomaton is currently at the Powerhouse, it will be moving around Oxford to different venues.

 

I brought a basket of items to the Powerhouse this morning to put in the ARTomaton.  This is my messy craft desk after working all weekend to get some things ready:  



Since Valentine's Day is this Friday, all my entries are Valentine themed.  I did a Fabric YoYo Valentine pin class at the library recently (see end of blog for a direction sheet):

 

So I decided to put my two class samples in the ARTomaton.  Here is one packaged for the machine.  I made the backing card in Word, attached the pin to a Dollar Store valentine, and used little heart shaped brads to attach to the backing card.  A bonus tiny bag of sequins and stickers is also attached with a tiny brad:

 

I decided to also make up a couple kits for the Valentine YoYo pin, in case someone wants to make their own.

 

You can use YoYo's to make and decorate all sorts of fun things!  Head band, barrette, hat, purse, flip flops, push pins, magnet, best-of-show rosette, earrings, brooch, bracelet, necklace, boutonniere, corsage, and hair clips:



The most fun thing to make for the vending machine was a kit for embellishing Valentine cards with embroidery floss and glitter.  Dollar stores are good places to shop for craft supplies, especially the "everything is one dollar" type of store.  (The hardware store is also a good place to find cool craft supplies.)  Here are the contents for the kit, some of which were found at Dollar Tree (link here for their craft pages):

 

First I made up some sample cards to see if this idea would work.  One yard of embroidery floss is knotted at one end, with a 3" tail beyond the knot.  At the other end I applied Tacky Glue to the last inch.  This hard end can be used to thread the floss through the card.  A yard was more than enough.  

 

The card is set down on a piece of scrap paper for glittering.  Glue is applied in selective places -- dots, squiggles, hearts.  Only a very small amount of white glue is needed.  The glitter is poured over the glue and left for a minute.  Then the glitter is poured onto the piece of scrap paper.  Tap the card to get all the extra glitter off. 

 

 

I used my electric drill to make the holes in a stack of cards (since the kits are designed for children to use without a needle, thusly holes are pre-made on each card).  I have a tiny hole punch, but really did not want to punch hundreds of holes -- 60 on each card, six cards in each kit!

 

Directions for embellishing the cards was included in each kit, with the warning that adult supervision is needed for smaller children, especially with the glitter!  (If you right click on the directions here and below, and open in a new window, you should be able to read it easily and enlarge it further.  You can also save to your computer and print the directions.)



The finished kit on background card to fit in the vending machine.  I added an extra little bag of sequins and stickers:

 

Here are directions for making the Fabric YoYo Valentine Pin.  For my students I printed the directions on 8 1/2 x 11" card stock, so you will need to enlarge the page of directions to letter size.  Cardstock is a nice weight to make the templates.

 





 Happy Valentine's Day !

 



 



Miss Hickory Doll, Pattern, and Instructions

When my daughter was young we read, several times!, a wonderful book called Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey. It was a Newberry award winner in the late 1940's, I think. The story is about an independent minded little doll, made from a hickory nut and applewood twig, who must fend for herself when the dollmaker and her family leave cold New Hampshire and go 'south' to Boston for the winter. Though she is independent and feisty, Miss Hickory learns to gracefully accept help from crow, squirrel, cat and other friends.

It took me 35+ years, but at long last I have created a Miss Hickory Doll! I think she matches pretty well the charming book illustrations by Ruth Gannett and the spirit of the character portrayed by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey.

In the next several posts I will give instructions for making your own Miss Hickory doll. But, you must read the story first!! That will surely influence your characterization of the doll.

Thanks to Salley Mavor for allowing me to present my version of a type of doll she has been making for many years. Salley has illustrated several children's book with her "stumpwork" fabric art, as well as presenting patterns and instructions for her charming little "Wee Folk" dolls.

Miss Hickory - Pattern & Instructions - Part 1

The doll's skeleton is made from four 6" pipe cleaners (which I find in, cough cough, tobacco and cigar shops; they are also sometimes generous with nice wooden cigar boxes!). One 6" cleaner forms the neck and bodice. A second one forms the two arms. Two more pipe cleaners form Miss Hickory's somewhat tall and lean legs. Measurements are given in the illustration below. (You should be able to click on it to enlarge.)

Loosely form the skeleton following the measurements above. The shoulders to the thighs will be firmly covered with bias tape, which will fill out the bodice and hold the pipe cleaner skeleton together.

Glue (Tacky glue is used on all parts of this project) the end of a long piece of bias tape to the back of the pipe cleaner torso just under the shoulders. Wrap the shoulders and torso with the bias tape, then the upper legs, then the torso again. Cut and glue the end on the back. This bias tape will not show under Miss Hickory's costume.

Hickory nuts come in a variety of shades of brown. I try to match the embroidery floss and bias tape to the color of the hickory nut. (See Part 4 for the hickory nut head, which goes on last, after all the clothes have been fitted and applied.)

Miss Hickory - Pattern & Instructions - Part 2

Glue end of a long piece of embroidery floss to the back of the bodice. After that dries, spread a small amount of glue on back of neck and wrap the floss up and down the neck (glue holds wraps in place). When you get to the shoulder area, spread a thin layer of glue on the front of the bias tape. This is important to keep the wraps smooth.

After shoulder is finished start wrapping one arm. Wrap all the way to the tip. Bend hand back about ¼” and wrap back up the arm. (See TIP elsewhere in the instructions.)

Remember when you are wrapping that Miss Hickory is made of an applewood twig, so her limbs will be skinny. Extra wrapping is not necessary. Unevenness and bumps, like a twig, are ok too!

Repeat on second arm, wrapping up to the tip, forming hand, and back to the top of arm. Glue floss to back of bodice, wait until it dries, and carry the floss down to the legs, just below the bias tape. (If it is easier for you to work with shorter lengths of embroidery floss – I work with the whole skein – you can wrap the top part of the doll, then with another piece the lower part of the doll.)

Wrap the embroidery floss down one of the legs to the ankle, about 1” from the end, then back up the leg and over to the other leg. Repeat, cut floss, and glue.

To make socks or boots, glue end of a different color of embroidery floss to the back of the lower leg. Start wrapping the new floss ½” above the ankle, over the lower part of the already wrapped leg. This makes it really look like socks or boots. Change the color another time to make the shoes a different color still.

Bend the tip of the covered pipe cleaner back about ½” to form the foot. Wrap back up the foot and lower leg. Put a dab of glue on the back of the leg where the ‘sock’ ends. When glue is dry, cut the extra floss. The lower leg should look something like this:

Miss Hickory - Pattern & Instructions - Part 3

Clothing for Miss Hickory. For the skirt, take a fabric flower apart. (Daisy-like flowers with many petals seem to work best, fewer petals need a little finessing.) Cut into the center of one of the layers of petals. You will also need to cut the hole bigger, to fit the doll’s waist.

Run a gathering thread at the waist near the edge (approximately 1/8”). Pull up thread, fit slightly below dolls waist, and tie off. Add a little glue there to hold in place. Let dry. Add a second layer of petals in the same way, this time at waist level.

Vest. Lay doll on a piece of paper towel. Draw around the bodice to make a pattern, adding an extra ¼” or more to make it fit around the body. Cut two matching pieces from the paper towel. Try your pattern on the doll, pinning at sides and shoulders. (You can pin it right to the doll, it’s too hard to try to pin the seams together!) You may have to adjust the pattern a couple times to get the fit right. When the fit is correct, cut two matching pieces from good quality felt.

My messy desk:

Embroider a couple flowers on the front of the vest, using one strand of floss and the lazy daisy stitch.

On all the edges that will not be seamed, I make a decorative buttonhole stitch, using one strand of floss. Do this before you sew the front and back together. Sew the shoulders and one side seam together with a small overcast stitch. Put the vest on the doll and sew the remaining side seam while the vest is on the doll.



Next, the head and accessories (hat and shoes).

Miss Hickory - Patterns & Instructions - Part 4

Miss Hickory’s head, face and accessories. Collect a bunch of hickory nuts. Let them dry in the sun, then peel off the outer shell. I say collect a bunch because they won’t all work. Sometimes you can’t get the outer shell off, or they may be stained, or too fragile.

When you get a good one, make a hole in the bottom with a utility knife, whirling the point around until the hole is big enough. Be careful; if you are working with a child this part should be done by an adult.

The hole may not be perfectly round, or centered. That’s ok, it just needs to be big enough for the pipe cleaner neck to fit. And if it is not centered, the doll’s head can tilt quizzically. Miss Hickory was a curious little doll!





Drop a blob of glue into the hole in the hickory nut, and push neck gently into hole. (Hickory nuts can be quite fragile.) Let dry thoroughly.

Take apart tiny fabric flowers. Apply glue in a ring around head and attach flowers. Let dry thoroughly, then glue some beads into the flower centers. Repeat on tops of shoes.

Maybe I shouldn’t, but I always leave the face painting for last. It seems that the doll tells me what kind of face it should have only after it is completely dressed.

Because hickory nuts are somewhat dark, you will have to apply white paint for the eyes, in an oval. I used an acrylic paint. When dry, the rest of the face painting is done with Micron Pigma Pens, both .005 and 1.0 sizes, in black and colors. Quilt shops and art supply stores usually carry these. Let face dry completely.



Pose Miss Hickory with her book. When you are reading the book to children, you can pass the doll around for them to hold while listening, imagining…..

Knitted Camera Cozy

Well, this blog has been silent for FAR TOO LONG! My fault really - Mom has been ridiculously busy moving and, well, Carolyn always has a full plate. Oh, and my computer died a horrible death, taking many pictures saved on my hard drive with it to the "other side". So, here I am with a new laptop and a little contribution to get my blogging skills warmed back up. Many more fun things to follow.

My parents move had a great perk for me - it allowed me to buy a digital camera! Hurray - thanks Mom and CC. But, of course, it needed a cozy. 'Cuz I can wrap just about anything in yarn :). My yarn drug of choice - Malabrigo - fiber crack. Amazing colors, the softest, softest stuff. I used their Lace baby merino for this project - it was already in my stash. Found a lovely free pattern on Ravelry - thanks Janelle! I think that's enough hyperlinks for one post...

Here's the finished project:

Funny thing: when you make a camera cozy, you can't take a picture of it on your camera. It's a Schrodinger's cat sort of thing. Just trust me when I say it fits perfectly. It's for a Canon SD1200 - I held the yarn double and cast on 28 sts on size 2 needles and increased to 36 sts per the pattern. I switched to size 1 needles for 10 rows of ribbing. Ta-da! Now, to use the camera on my Winter Train Adventure - pictures to be posted on the WEBBLOG next month! Last hyperlink, I swear...

Felt Christmas Stocking Pins

When our mother, Lulu, was a nursing home resident, our family made friends with many of the other residents, and often their families. Carolyn and I planned special events for the ladies (and a few men!). Each December we gave a holiday tea, with sweets from Molly's Bakery, music, fun and silliness.

For one of the holiday teas I made many of these cute little felt stocking pins. The ladies loved them! I was touched when, at our tea the following year at Christmas, some of the ladies wore their stocking pins from the year before.

The pattern for the stocking pins is below. Trace around the pattern onto doubled felt and cut out. Join the back and front with buttonhole stitch, in a contrasting color of two strands of embroidery floss. Cut a strip of white felt to wrap around the top. Scalloped or pinking shears make a pretty cut. Glue the white felt strip to the stocking using Beacon Fabric-Tac, joining ends of the felt strip at the center back. Glue a 3-hole pin back horizontally on the back of the stocking, on the white strip.

The miniatures that go into the stocking were found at Michaels, near the scrapbook section of the store. You will find a lot of these little holiday things in the months leading up to Christmas.

Join the various miniatures, plus a leaf or two pulled from a fabric flower, using a small piece of fine guage florist wire. (I glued the florist wire to the back of the tiny wrapped presents).

Put a small amount of polyester stuffing in the stocking, to puff it out a bit. Put some Tacky glue on the pre-wired miniatures and insert in the stocking, behind the stuffing. Let dry, wear your cheerful pin during the holidays! Make 30, host a tea at a nursing home and brighten the holidays for the residents there!

It might be fun to add a little embroidered flower to the toe of the stocking. I didn't do that because I was making a lot at one time.

Here is the pattern for the stocking. You will probably have to enlarge or reduce it on your computer or printer. The dimensions of the stocking are 2 - 3/4" high x 2" wide. If it is helpful, the frame around the pattern is 2 - 7/8" high x 2 - 1/8" wide.

These were fun to make, very colorful.

Enjoy!

Fascinator, Part 4 - The Dolls

"Lulu's Garden" Fascinator with Flowers, Arbor, and Garden Visitors

Lulu always had such wonderful flower gardens. I remember, in early Spring, just laying on the ground in front of the flower beds, taking in the heavily scented hyacinths. We also had three large lilac bushes around our house. And mock orange! Perfume filled the air!

But I digress. The theme for the hat, "Lulu's Garden," necessitated little people enjoying the garden. So I made little dolls to sit and walk through the garden, sort of representing my sister and me.

The dolls were made with 32 ga. florist's wire, but next time I would use Artistic Wire. I had fits trying to get the bead 'hands' and 'feet' onto the florist wire because the thread kept bunching up, even after applying Tacky Glue to the ends. This wouldn't be the case with Artistic Wire, and it also comes in lots of wonderful bright colors, and several gauges. I have used florist wire in making other tiny dolls and it works very well, especially when you are wrapping with thread to build up the anatomy (examples below). 

(Directions for these tiny dolls in a future post.) But for the above dolls, to place on the hat, I kept the design very simple. Here is a diagram for assembling the doll:


And for the skirt, which is just a piece of painted buckram (the skirt on the second doll is a piece of pleated ribbon):



Detail of the hat and doll with pleated skirt. Oops, I think I already included this photo in my last post. Here it is again!

The hat does not just sit and stay put on top of the head. Fasten a length of narrow, round elastic at either side of the hat. This elastic is placed on the back of the head, under the hair. You then have to fiddle with the hair next to the hat, so the elastic doesn't show.


I didn't have the guts to wear the hat at my sister's guild fashion show, but I'm pretty sure I will wear it at the Artistic Figures in Cloth opening banquet since the theme is "Hats!" I know those dollmakers will be wearing some pretty far out chapeaux and I'll be in excellent company!