UFOs no more...

The second quarter of the Finish-a-Long hosted by Rhonda has come to an end. I am excited to report I finished all 3 of the previously UnFinished Objects that I posted about here! I shared The Flock quilt with you earlier, above is a picture of the spring/summer wreath that I finished.

After I made this one for Christmas, I kind of got wreath fever. [I think Pinterest should take some of the blame for this one] I was scouring the internet, looking through my yarn, and dreaming up color combos - but the only progress was a sad looking styrofoam wreath wrapped in yarn. I think it's come along way since then! The felt flowers are lots of fun to make and I think they would be great for headbands. You can check out my other wreath post for links to the tutorials I used.

Also making the deadline were 2 more additions to my Circus Life collection. The pattern was for a horse, but currently I am loving all things unicorn. A little paperclay horn, and voila!

[This is not the best picture I have ever taken, I know] The wool felt I used for the seal may have been a little dark - it's difficult to see his eyes/features. Being able to find just the right color is tough - I am limited by a) the colors actually produced and b) the colors my LQS carries. The underside of his flippers have a cute vintage-feel teal print, unfortunately you don't ever see it because, well, it's on the underside. I have animal to make before my adventure in circus land is finished: the lion.

I am off to dig through my pile of unfinished objects to prepare for the third quarter FAL. You should join in too - imagine the satisfaction of actually finishing projects + the chance to win some wonderful prizes!

whoooooo doesn't love a pinnie?

There are probably a million punny titles for a blog post about a pincushion owl :) I have been in love with owls for quite a while now and it seems everyone else is too! I just finished up this round of FLiPS - Fab Little Pincushion Swap. You need to run over to the flickr group and check out some of the beauties that are now circling the globe on their way to new homes. Mailing deadline was Wednesday, so of course I mailed mine on Wednesday. Call it part procrastination, part failed first attempts - whatever it is I am always down to the wire sending things. I had more than a couple of ideas and one seriously botched, then abandoned pinnie before inspiration really hit. This little owl is what I came up with.

Her body is made of wool felt, but most of the rest of her is 100% hand-dyed wool. I find the wool felt is just a little stiffer and great for structure. I added two washers in the bottom so that she stands up straight - wish human posture correction was that easy!

Yep, I fell victim to the decorative pin trend. Her little rose on her neck and the leaves around it are also pins. These are not that complicated, but they were fun to make and I think add a little whimsy. Plus I'm not sure how many times I have pinned something in place, it looked perfect, then once it was sewn in place it had moved position or didn't look right. Decorations that are re-positionable pins are a great alternative!

I hope my partner loves her - as I have mentioned before, there is always that stress that what I make isn't really their taste or style. Fingers crossed! If I have enough interested commenters, I might be persuaded to put together a tutorial.

Hope your spring is going swimmingly and your garden has less weeds than mine :)

copy cat holiday...

Imitation is the best form of flattery, right? I hope so. I fell in love with this beautiful wreath that Angela put together. Normally I am not into making exact replicas, but I liked the color choices, the positioning, and the types of flowers she used. I also got to experiment with some felt flower tutorials. Specifically, I used rolled, circle, and rose bud flowers. I am so thankful that she shared her project!

This was a wonderfully economical project - the yarn I used was some I found when we cleared out my grandma's farm before the auction, I had some of the felt, and of course I had spray glitter [how festive, don't you think? :] Normally I prefer 100% wool or wool felt, but all of the greens in this wreath are plain old regular craft felt. The bright colors are just not readily available in wool felt. Since this won't receive any washing and only light wear & tear, I am certain it will hold up.

It is hanging on the door to our pantry in our kitchen. Though I had dreamed that it would find a home on our front door, the doors are too close together and the flowers ended up smooshed. [at least it is hanging on the front door for my pictures]

Here are a few of the crafty Christmas gifts that I actually finished. I made a few festive tea towels; this deer is a copy of one I did last Christmas, which was a take on a paperchase design.

I also made some string block hot pads. I like the scrappy look of them, hopefully their new owners will enjoy them as well! I hope that you all had wonderful holidays - and perhaps there is still some holiday merriment in your near future)

** perhaps an important note: this wreath is just for my personal enjoyment, it's never proper etiquette to copy someone else's ideas and then sell them :)

aaahh! not real monsters...

* no monsters were harmed in the making of these pillows :)
Following my last post, I am fairly certain my grandma never made any monster pillows.

I came up with these guys on my own - using the faux fur as inspiration. I can't figure out which one I like best - though the one with glasses bares a striking resemblance to my husband :)

I'm calling these guys book buddies [at least that's the name I have arrived at for now]. Great for old and young alike, the pocket in the back is the perfect stash for a newspaper, crafty inspiration book, or a favorite Little Golden Book. They are up for grabs in my etsy.

owl be watching you...

Part of what has kept me off the grid is that much of my crafting energies were focused on top secret Christmas gifts. We had a spa/relaxation themed gift exchange for work. I whipped up this little owl sleeping mask. The inspiration for this mask came from a crochet version. Since the only thing I can do with yarn is knit a very simple scarf, I made my version using wool felt and backing it with terry cloth [from a washcloth].

I made a little net bag to hold some goodies from Bath & Body Works. I hope my exchange partner enjoys it!

Even Sophia likes to be a little night owl...

up, up, & away...

I really should be finishing my assignments… but I wanted to show you my little travel wallet!

In January I will be flying to Georgia for a training intensive (basically a graduate level course in a week - yikes!) I saw this pattern in the spring 2009 issue of Stitch magazine – which is fabulous btw, even if it is a little on the pricey side.

Made from wool felt, there is a place for a license, passport, and e-ticket. I love the plane! I added the button and elastic loop – it makes me feel safer carrying my ID through the airport. My only regret is that I should have used a heavier interfacing. I thought two layers of felt (unwashed) fused together with wonder under would be enough, but it’s still a little on the weak side. I’m excited to use my handy-dandy travel companion! Maybe I’ll even get my luggage tags finished before I go…

note: this was a ufo (unfinished object) – so excited to scratch it off the list!

little christmas elf...

Here she is - the newest woodland elf: Serenity! I loved making this little hat for her - I think it's the bees knees. The hat is from the book bend-the-rules Sewing - it combines some of my favorite elements: quick, easy, and so darn cute.

Initially, as a 100% wool purest, I had my doubts about wool felt. While I still won't be making any heirloom pieces with it, I have grown quite fond of the material. It's great when you need something sturdy without the aid of a stabilizer or interfacing. I was excited about how well the flower turned out. It's one of my few attempts at machine applique (I'm a hand stitcher) and I made the wee pom-pom in the center.

ahem... yesss... it is a little big for miss Serenity's head - but hey, the only model I had was Sophie :) She looks pretty swell in it too!

You'll have to excuse all of the camera shake. I really don't like to use the flash (it just looks too harsh even with some photoshop help).

happy squid-day to you...

To celebrate Aaron's birthday, I wanted to give him his very own squid... Well, not a real squid of course, but a Squid USB cover. Since the unfortunate death of his ipod (moment of silence) he has been in need of a portable drive. I think this 4gb jump drive will be perfect. As an added bonus it sports its very own, handmade cover. He is constructed from teal wool-felt. I simply hand stitched his body together and then turned him rso. Then, with some scissor snips and a few tugs, I formed his tentacles. The eyes were a little bit of a challenge, I tried several iris variations, but ultimately decided that plain black eyes were best! The USB drive just slides in under the tentacles and is ready for use. I had to leave him a note: 'hope you don't get ink all over your laptop!'

note: I must confess, this is NOT my original idea. There is a great artist on etsy who creates these charming guys...