Zakka Style Sew-A-Long: Week 6

ITTY BITTY QUILT BLOCK MAGNETS

Or not.  Busy, busy week this was.  I wasn't even going to attempt to do this week's project.  Not just because I didn't have time, I also have a stainless front refrigerator.  Magnets don't stick.

BUT ...
(There's always a but.)
On Saturday it occurred to me what a great idea this project was for using up scraps.  Which I have begun shoving in a plastic bag.  For now.  Working on a better system, but that's not really the point.  I have all these scrap fabric to use!  But I still don't need magnets.  So I decided to make broaches!  Well, broach singular.  (Hey!  I didn't have a lot of time, okay?!  Get off my back!)

Anyway, it isn't perfect.  I consider it my trial run as I see more of these in my future! 

Now, for the specifics.  I fussy-cut a piece of home dec weight cotton, used some repurposed denim scraps to surround it and attached a layer of fusible fleece behind it.  THEN I used some No. 5 Perle Cotton thread to put a simple running stitch around the flower.  (There I go, hand-sewing again!)  The back is Osnaburg and I used more of that to create a stronger base for the pin finding inside the whole thing.  Just like a scrap folded about 4 times to make it thicker.  Worked pretty well.  Stitched the pin to the backing BEFORE sewing the front and back together, RS facing then turning RS out.  Please ignore the wonky edge there on the back.  I was doing this quick and the seamed backing pulled apart a little.  Then I top-stitched all around the border twice.  Yes, I intentionally made those lines wonky as the edges aren't perfectly square.  Then denim stretches a little bit.

So that's my "Not-a-Magnet" for this week's project!

Knock, Knock ...

Who's there?

Orchid.

Orchid, who?

Orchid you not! It's another piece of "jewelry".









* Management assumes no responsibility for the 'knock-knock' joke. Creator of the blog has been drinking.

** Creator of the blog wants it known that that is a damn funny joke. The flowers are an orchid pattern. Get it?!? ...and yes, I've been drinking.

Fall Back ... Into Spring

Okay. It's going to be in the mid 70's all week. In November.

Don't get me wrong. I love the warm weather - hate the icy, freezing time of the year. HOWEVER I had just finished a wool cape for this Fall/Winter that I haven't been able to wear. And you saw the owl mitts in my previous post - too warm for those, too.

So, what's a girl to do? If Spring wants to "re-spring" in November, then by golly I'll play along!







I've seen similar "jewelry" on-line in places. Decided to try something of my own. It seemed really plain at first. So I added a wee flower. Happy Spring!

... in November.

Tie One On

Hemp.
Beads.
Knots.

That's it. Don't you wish YOU had thought of it??

Got Minerals?

I am enamoured with rocks.

I think it all started with a trip to Chicago when I was a little girl. I don't remember which museum we were at, but we were standing in some big long line to see some famous doll house or something. The line was so long that they had it queued through another exhibit. A rock, mineral and gemstone exhibit. I was a goner...

I remember having to look up to see the display cases and maybe at that level, the lights shone through the gems and made them look even more spectacular. I don't know. There were rocks that changed color under black light. There were faceted stones. Rough cut stones. A diamond unlike anything I've ever seen. Stones from outer space. I was IN. LOVE.



How could I obtain such amazing things? Easy. Grow 'em myself! Thus, a science fair project was born. Not just boring old "rock candy" - although that was made, too. Copper sulfate makes beautiful aqua blue crystals. Alum makes crystals resembling quartz, but cloudy. But what more could I do?

As I got older, jewelry became the next logical step. Walking into a bead store or a new age store and picking up stones that have been buried deep in our earth for millions of years is humbling. You get to touch something that holds all the secrets of our creation...but isn't telling.

Simpleton

My jewelry designs tend to be...um, we'll say...BOLD.

What can I say? I like stones! The bigger, the better! Chunky, chunky, chunky! But I know there are times when simplicity is called for. Not everyone is as brazen as I. Heck, even I'm not always that brazen (GASP! It's true!) So every once in a while, I surprise myself...

Watery Wanderings

This is a piece I did sometime last year. As much as I love making jewelry for gifts, I was wishing I had a few more for myself! Selfish, I know...

I had been holding onto these vintage beads for quite awhile. I just didn't know what to do with them. Honestly, I didn't really want to put them on a piece that I was going to give away. I liked them too much! I went digging through my stash and realized I had this fantastic Amazonite that would look great with these turquoise, vintage, Lucite beads. I added some black, Japanese glass beads and a hand-forged sterling silver clasp and VOILA!

Nesting

This is one of my newer creations: Nest

These are semi-precious stones hand-wrapped in industrial wire (stainless steel, anodized steel, etc.) suspended from leather cord with handmade clasps or ball-chain. Made in two different lengths to nestle either between the breasts or just below the hollow of the throat. (Of course, this is relative depending on gravity!)

I love combining beautiful polished gems with hardware items. Love contrast of fine against rough...classy against cheap.