Tangled Thread

January 8th, 2008

charming button lampshade

I’m a major buttonaholic :-)  I think I have more buttons than I have fabric to use them on.  I have buttons that are older than I am!
This project could be a great way to display them though…

Better Homes & Gardens has this easy button lampshade project in their online craft section.  Too cute!
Tags: better-homes-and-gardens, […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

December 3rd, 2007

Winter Wonderland contest

My DH has been busy in his studio lately and has created these charming little snowflake fiber art tags:

The tags are approximately 1 inch square with holes pierced in each corner - perfect for stitching into a piece of fiber or mixed-media art, added to your scrapbook or even made into jewelery! The large […]

By Chloe -- 40 comments

November 28th, 2007

Advent calendars

I loved Advent calendars when I was a child.  My mom made beautiful hand-made ones for my brother & I - and of course, my parents then had to fill a pocket with a little goodie each morning :-)
I’ve been looking for a free pattern online for an Advent calendar, and I’ve found a couple!  […]

By Chloe -- 3 comments

October 18th, 2007

100 days of Holidays

Better Homes & Gardens is offering a very cool freebie for crafters this year :-)  Starting now until January 1st, they are sending out a daily e-newsletter with a new craft pattern.
To find out more, go to www.bhg.com/100days
Happy crafting :-)
Tags: free-patterns, linksShare This

By Chloe -- 0 comments

October 15th, 2007

eco-friendly fabric totebags

In honor of Blog Action Day today I thought I would share this fun totebag pattern that I found :-)

JoAnn’s has this free pattern online to make an easy nine-patch totebag.
I’ve written about my love of fabric totebags before, and you can go as simple as 1/2 yard of fabric stitched together or as fancy […]

By Chloe -- 3 comments

October 13th, 2007

how to: decorative ribbon handles

I used a ribbon handle with a little decorative end on it in yesterday’s tutorial.
This is an easy technique - but it looks more complicated when it’s sewn onto something :-)

This project works best with a grosgrain ribbon, or a ribbon that’s not too soft.  Basically all you’re doing is tying a knot in the […]

By Chloe -- 3 comments

October 12th, 2007

part 3: mini Hallowe’en bag tutorial

Okay, so we’ve gotten as far as embroidering the picture - it’s time to sew the bag!
Before you sew up the sides of the bag, cut your lining out, using the outside as a pattern.

Now you can go ahead and sew up the sides, right sides together.  I’m using a 1/2″ seam allowance here.

In order […]

By Chloe -- 5 comments

October 10th, 2007

part 2: mini Hallwe’en bag tutorial

Okay, so it’s taken me a day longer to post part two of the mini embroidered Hallwe’en bag :-)
After the paint has dried thoroughly, heat set it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.   I used three colors of thread to free-motion embroider around the outlines of the pumpkin, moon & leaf:

I used lime green & white […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

October 7th, 2007

tutorial: mini Hallowe’en bag

To get started you’ll need an 7″ X 13″  rectangle of fabric (I’m using a mid-weight cotton, but feel free to use something different) and a selection of opaque fabric paints.  I’m using two shades of copper, gold, green & pearl white to demo this project.

I’ve fused a heavy weight interfacing to the wrong side […]

By Chloe -- 4 comments

October 1st, 2007

Hallowe’en embroidery patterns

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted goodies for my hand-embroidery crowd - so I thought it would be fun to dig up some patterns for Hallowe’en projects.
Here’s a cross-stitch pattern from About.com, designed by Connie Thomas.

This adorable Hallowe’en bookmark was designed by Bev Qualheim

Or if you want to get a little more ambitious, how about […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment