Cynthia Shaffer

Stitch . Craft . Create

Have you seen the latest edition of Stitch Craft Create?

You may remember that the first edition featured my quilted trees on the cover ... And today, they are offering one of my pieces on the Stitch Craft Create blog as a free project!

So cute, don't you think ... a quilted cozy for a bouquet of flowers, just in time for mothers day. You can find the post here along with the list of tools and instructions needed to make this cozy.

Here's a peak at a couple of the other projects I have in this latest edition ... free motion stitched infinity scarf,

A simple rolled rose necklace ... but the best part about this project is that the roses are interchangable.

The sky is the limit here with the different color combinations.

I'm so happy for the good people behind this magazine and Shannon, the editor couldn't be more professional and just really great to to work with. Congratulations F + W Media Inc. on another successful publication!

 

Mother ... Daughter Apron Giveaway!

Hop on over to Lark Crafts and get in on this great giveaway!

 

And The Winner Is .....

I'll be emailing you to get your address!

Enjoy!

Stash Happy Applique : : Giveaway!

I have never done a giveaway here on my blog, but thought that today ... the day that my book Stash Happy Applique (Lark Books) is officially out and about in the book stores, was the perfect day to start a giveaway! Right?

So here it is ... a copy of my book, and this adorable house pillow! So fun don't you think?

The book is packed with super cute applique items from wearable, home decor and gifty things as well.

Check out these happy woodsy Gnomes ... so cute don't you think?

Anyways ... here's what you need to do if you want to win that house pillow and a copy of my book. Starting right now ... Tuesday April 3rd, leave me a comment here on my blog, anything really ... I love funny animal stories, and then on Monday April 9th I'll pick the winners name randomly from a basket! 

Good Luck ... Oh and if you'd like to purchase the book, you can find it here.

 

 

Uniform Project : : The Making of the Little Black Dress

After a little bit of brainstorming, I was off and running, searching for the perfect black/dark gray fabric to make our uniforms from. 

We decided on the middle fabric that I found at Fabric Land, my local high-end fabric store. Here's a couple reasons why we loved this fabric ... First we all liked the deep dark color and secondly, the fiber content is a polyester and rayon blend. Easy to wash and wear, and that poly will make the dress industrial strength and the rayon adds a little bit of fluidity and swing.

After taking Jenny's measurements, I then drafted a pattern for her, referring to a little sketch I had drawn and shared with everyone. OH how I love to draft patterns. It had been a while since I had really drafted a pattern and had to use my skills from my days in the garment industry. I loved it then and love it now. There's a bit of creativity in drafting a pattern ... your brain needs to be able to think in 3D terms and there is also a certain amount of math and science involved, which I also love! 

After cutting all the pieces out, I then over-locked or serged all the edges and did a quick stay stitch around the neck front and back and marked the center front with a long hand sewn basting stitch.

Next, I pinned all the pieces together and then basted all the seams together, yes, I run over the pins with my sewing machine!

This dress can be worn forwards or backwards and the insertion of this little pleat in the back or front, depending on how you are wearing it, really gives the dress that extra little flare.

After fitting the dress to Jenny, little to no alterations were needed, so I sewed over all the seams and then pressed them open, set the sleeves, dropped in the facings, marked the buttonhole placement and then stitched the 10 buttonholes! Yes, 10 ... count them. Oh, then came the buttons ... I decided to just use a random assortment of vintage and not so vintage black and gray buttons that I found in my black button mason jar.

And then to finish the dress ... the hem!

Check out Jenny's blog today and check out how many people are receiving fresh clean water! 

She's got this dress all dolled up and ready for a day out!

 

Project Home Ec and Water.org

Have you visited Jenny Doh's blog in the past few days? If you have then you know that she is at it again. This time, in the spirit of the Uniform project, Jenny is wearing a uniform, a little black dress (designed and stitched by yours truly) everyday for the next 365 days, all in an effort to raise money for Water.org.

There's a few of us that will be doing the same, but probably not to the extreme that Jenny is taking it. My promise was to wear my not-so-little black drees, whenever I take a class, teach a class or meet with friends or am at Bible study and so far ... that has been 18 days in a row now!

In addition to wearing the black dress daily, we have all agreed to not purchase any new clothes for a year and instead, make do, mend and alter what we already own.

Welcome ... Project Home Ec.

Come join us won't you? 

 

Japanese Candy Wrapper Collage : Tutorial

My Husband just called to inform that he will be traveling in the upcoming months ... It's Japan again ... my favorite place!

He travels there often and always returns home with some very interesting candy for my kids. We never know what it will be and I have to tell you, I have only actually tried a few of the 'sweets' he has brought back.

Why you might ask ... well here's why ... I learned early on in his traveling days that a lot of the Japanese candies are made from bean paste ... and I love beans, but here's where I have an issue ... I can not wrap my brain around the idea that beans are a sweet treat. To me the are salty, savory and are often slathered with onions and cilantro. So ... do you understand my problem?

Here's a funny story ... so my mother had a Japanese foreign exchange student named Yoshiko come to live her for a year. We introduced her to all of our favorite foods, including refried beans ... she tried them and nearly spit them out on her plate ... she could not wrap her brain around the idea that they were not sweet! 

Japanese Candy Collage and Doodles

The wrapping and presentation is a feast for my eyes ... I love all the color and love the attention to details.

Japanese Candy Wrapper Collage:

 Unwrap and flatten colorful candy wrappers ... feed the candy to your children!

Cut out random shapes and swirls from the wrappers.

Using a glue stick, randomly adhere the pieces to a panel of watercolor paper.

Free motion stitch the wrappers in place and then onto the card in swirls and loop patterns.

Add some color with watercolor pencils and doodle shapes with a black marker.

Here's to Japanese candy, happy and safe travels for my husband and crafting and doodling!

Paper Towel Art : : It's all about the details.

Just playing and exploring here.

Trying some new techniques here.

Remembering just how much I love to sew.

Machine stitching, hand sewing and couching ... I love it all.

I love the small little details ...

I love to move fast while I'm creating, not thinking much, just doing ...

Just doing and remembering ... remembering just how much I love to craft and create!

Want to know more about these inky paper towels? Check out this earlier post HERE!

Scrappy Wool Scarf : : Tutorial

The weather has definitely taken a turn around here and in fact it is down right cold out, all the time it seems ... well, not Minnesota cold, but cold for California. And, when the wind picks up a bit, and I'm outside watching a baseball game ... a wool scarf is about the only thing that really warms me up to the core.

Here's what I did to make this quick scrappy scarf:

• First I gathered a couple of wool sweaters in coordinating colors. I found these 2 sweaters at my local thrift store, and the pink one had been felted, just slightly.
• Next, I dusted off my serger and then just dove right in and serged the bottom rib, cutting off about 1/4 inch as I went.
• To make the knit ruffle, all you have to do is pull or stretch the sweater as it is going under the machine foot. If you want the serged stitch to be dense than shorten up the stitch length on the machine.

• Then, I just started cutting out panels from the 2 sweaters. Each panel measured about 8 inches wide and as long as I could possibly get. I even opened up the sleeve and found a nice long 8 inch wide piece there too.

• After I had several segments cut, I lined up the pieces the way I wanted them and then started serging the seams together. Note: If you look really close at the above photo, you can see that I have serged the brown piece to a non-ruffled pink piece, then placed a ruffled pink piece overlapping that seam but meeting at the top of that non-ruffled piece. 
• Now seam the 2 or actually 3 pink pieces wrong sides together.

• Piece the scarf together until you have about 70 inches total in length.

Ok so, as you can see these are pretty darn cute and so simple to make and makes really cute Christmas gifts! Needless to say, the cost was minimal as well ... let's see, I think each sweater was $1.90 and I still have lots of the brown sweater left to make a second one in a different color way ... 

Enjoy and Stay Warm!

 

Infinity Scarf + Rolled Roses

How cute is this? Doubled up or hanging down!

While I'm on a roll here, making these infinity scarves from old tee-shirt, thought I'd show you my version made from a tee-shirt my husband tossed in the Goodwill bag!

The funny part to the tee-shirt story ... there's a part of this tee-shirt that I cut off and am saving for a later project that says ... "I'm probably not" ... Soooo my husband ... kind of surprised he was tossing this tee-shirt out.

Another infinity scarf, this time made from thrift store finds, then cut into strips and the tied together. This could be a no-sew project, although for this scarf, I did do a little hand sewing to add a little stitched interest.

Needless to say, the rolled roses are super addicting, and make that perfect little something to pull the scrappy look of the scarf altogether.

Oh, and these would make the best little decorations for ballet flats, headband, or just to clip on the outside of your purse!

Happy Thrifting ... Happy Crafting!

 

 

Yesterday : : So Cozy ... So Great!

Just a few photos of your 'Oh So Cozy" class yesterday at Studio Crescendoh ...

The room was set and ready ...

After everyone had arrived, Jenny gave a little welcome and housekeeping speech ...

Then a quick ice breaker with lots of laughter ...

And in no time we were doing a little embroidery ...

Doing a little planning, cutting and sewing of our neck cozies ...

And making these beautiful rolled roses, all from recycled thrift store finds ...

Here's Wendy and Lynn ... showing off their finished neck cozies ... so fun ...

And Amber arranging her neck cozy to show off the super fun screen printed words she loved ...

Even Baby Zsa Zsa was sporting a neck cozy by the end of our day ...

Here's Tracy Schultz demonstrating a few skills needed for Lorrie Spotts to finish up her cup cozy ...

And Jenny  helping out Lynn as she dives into the world of crochet ... 

In hopes of creating one of these Oh So Cute ... apple cozies ...

And best of all ... connecting with old friends and making some new firends all while crafting and creating during this Oh So busy time of year!

 

The Kits are Ready!

The kits are ready and my rolling crate is all packed with all the goodies needed for the 'Oh So Cozy' class this Saturday.

There's 3 very cute gift-giving projects being taught, just in time for the Christmas. This scarf is what I will be teaching ... Rolled Rose Brooch instructions included.

And in case anyone wants to purchase a cute gift for that crafty friend,I've put together a few rolled rose brooch kits with pre-cut strips, ready for crafting!

There's still a little time to sign up ... so hop on over here and check it out!

 

 Hope to see you on Saturday!

Oh So Cozy : : Studio Crescendoh

1-Day Workshop

Saturday, December 10th, 2011

9:00-5:00

Just in time for the holidays ... Come join Jenny Doh, Tracy Schultz and me in this fun and cozy workshop where you learn how to crochet this adorable apple cozy, an infinity scarf or a no-sew scarf including these rolled roses and then a few cup cozies ... all for this perfect gift giving season! Instructions will be given all day, with a small break for lunch and at the end of our time together you'll be able to mark a few of those gifts off your Christmas list!

 Come join us won't you?

Sign-ups are happening right now, and space is limited so click on over to Studio Crescendoh and we hope to see you on the 10th. 

 

Upcycled Sweaters + Pony Pack = Hanging Plant Pouches

Look what I made!

Just playing with some thrift store finds. Sometimes I get an idea and I just have to act on it right now!

 

A week ago or so, my car was in the shop and so I was without a car. I had to go to the thrift store that day so my husband kindly dropped me off on his way to work ... I than walked home.

Well, little did I know that I would be walking home with bags of wool sweaters and suits!

 Plant pouches ... so fun, super simple and look how cute they are on a chain linked fence!

Here's What You Do:

• Gather or purchase old wool sweaters.

• Toss them into the washer. Wash the sweaters using really hot water and a little bit of laundry detergent and start the washer. 

• Check on the sweaters every 10 minutes or so. You don't want the sweaters to over-felt and become super thick.

• Hang the sweaters out to dry or lay them flat on towels. This could take a good day or so!

• Next, cut out a portion of the sweater that measures roughly 6 x 15 inches.

• Overlap the seam and whip stitch it together with a large eye needle and yarn. Machine stitch across the bottom seam, then add a running stitch to the bottom of the pouch.

• Embellish the pouch with hanging buttons or dotted with buttons all over the pouch.

• Cut a length of steel wire approximately 24 inches long. Poke the ends of the wire into the sides of the pouch and twist together. Make sure the wire is secured about an inch down from the top of the pouch.

• Snip small holes into the bottom of a sandwich bag. I really like the ones that have the extra heavy zip lock tops. Makes it easy to add the soil and the plant.

• Fill the bag with potting soil, and then slip the bag into the pouch just to make sure it fits. Take the bag out of the pouch and pot your pony pack plant or two.

• Slip the potted bag back into the pouch and arrange the stems and flowers around the wire hanger. Hang and display anywhere you'd like!

 

• Note: You can water the plant while it's still in the pouch if you have them displayed outside. Excess water will just drip out the bottom, though some water will get absorbed into the wool.

Hop on over to Lark Crafts and check out other felt projects, as they continue to celebrate the release of their latest book, Stash Happy Felt! Flip through the book and see a couple of my projects in there.

Oh and ... I had the good furtune of photographing that book as well!

 Now go pot some plants in those felted old wool sweaters!

More Felt Fun : : Mug Rug : : Tutorial

You'll have to hop on over to the Lark Crafts site and check out today's post on some super cute  Mason Jar cozies I made for their month long felt party!

Here's another quick project a whipped up to help celebrate their felt month. A Mug Rug! What great gifts these make!

 

Here's what you do:

 

Gather a few skeins of leftover 100% wool and knitting needles to match. Cast on about 45 stitches and just start knitting. Change colors now and then to stripe your piece, but don't think too much. Cast off when the piece measure about 13 x 9 inches (This will vary depending on your yarn and how big you want your mug rug to be). Do not take the time to weave the ends in, but do trim them down to about 4 inches. After the piece is felted, the ends can be snipped off.

Toss the knitted panel into a lingerie bag and then into the washer. Set the washer on HOT water and add a little laundry detergent and start the washer.

Set a timer for 10 minutes and run and check the felting as soon as the time goes off.

Be careful to not over felt the piece. There's a point of no return, when the piece could get super stiff and bulky. If more felting is needed, toss the piece back in the washer and continue washing, again for just 10 minutes at a time. Wash the panel until it measure about 6 x 10 inches. 

Rinse the panel with cool water to get rid of the soap, and stretch or block the piece to the size and shape you desire. Dry on towels ... for what will seem like forever ... maybe a few days! Or, to speed up this process ... roll the mug rug in a towel and squeeze the heck out of it.

Bind the outer edge with a raw-edge binding in a bright patterned fabric.

Embellish with a few scrappy hearts and words.

And ...

ENJOY your coffee and whatever else you want ...

There's plenty of room for a slice of apple or blueberry scone!

 

Felt Flower Brooch : : Tutorial

Just a little something I whipped up a few nights ago.

So cute don't you think? And let me tell you ... it's super easy to make and the fabric came from an old suit I bought at the second hand store. But not just any suit, it was a Pendleton wool suit in a black and white herringbone! Thankfully is wasn't my size, so I had no qualms about cutting up the skirt to get a nice chunk of fabric to play with.

 

Here's what I did:

• First I cut the outer skirt away from the linning, and cut around the pockets, saving every scrap.

• The wool was pretty stiff and I knew that by just washing it in super hot water would soften it up and even felt it a bit. 
• Next I cut the skirt into a few chunk.

• Next I heated up a pot of water on the stove and just before it started to boil, I added some liquid Rit dye.
• Then I added  a chunck of the wool skirt and let it simmer in the dye bath for about 10 minutes, checking on it every few minutes to make sure it didn't get too dark.
• When the color was just right, I took the wool out of the dye and rinsed it in really cold water, trying to encourage the felting process.

• And then hung the pieces out to my clothesline to dry.

• While the wool didn't felt up and get all chunky, it did become much softer and a bit fuzzy.

• So to make the brooch, I quick like drew a large flower, about 5 inches in diameter and then cut out the shape.

• Traced the flower shape on the dyed wool and then cut it out.
• Using a running/gathering stitch and a hand needle and thread, sewing in a circle at the center of the flower.

• Draw up the thread and secure with a knot in the back.

• Then cut out a circle from the black and white wool and pinch it together at the center and sew it to the wool flower. Repeat for the center little circle.

• With a large eye needle and perle cotton, add a running stitch to the outer edges of the flower and the larger circle.

• Sew a pin back to the back of the flower.

• Or, tack it onto a braided bracelet.

Easy Peasy!

 

Stitch, Craft, Create : : A New Publication

Check out this new publication ... Stitch, Craft, Create (Martha Pullen of Sew Beautiful)! This first issue is due out in October and those are my quilted cone trees ... right there on the cover!

How fun is that?

Can't wait to see it in person!

Stamped, Collaged & Watercolored : : Journal Tutorial

I recently enrolled in a super fun on-line class taught by Roben-Marie Smith. Her class is called Mixed Media Mayhem. You may have already heard about her class but in case you have not ... let me tell you ... it is GREAT! 

While I was waiting for some of the sprays and paints I ordered to arrive, I decided to dive in and watch the first few videos. Her technique is loose and uncomplicated ... don't think too much and just start. I love that! And the one thing that I found myself totally in awe with ... the movement and motion of her hands ... very inspiring!

 Here's a glimpse of what I've been working on since watching Roben-Marie's videos. This is not exactly what she is teaching in the on-line class, but this what I was inspired to make on my own. I'll post my work from her class at a later post.

Here's what I did:

• On a panel of watercolor paper, smudge and swirl a couple of colors of watercolor paint. Let dry.

• Using a rubber stamp (Stitches and Dots) and brown ink pad, stamp the image randomly on the panel.

• Dribble water onto the stamped image and move the ink around to smear. Dab with a paper towel to soak up the excess water.

• Add gesso with a paintbrush or your finger and randomly smear it over the stamped area.

• Using stencils, brown ink and a sponge, mark up the panel , then smear stencil image with water. 

• Add another layer of gesso and let the panel dry. (Use a heat gun to speed up the drying process)

• Using Letter stamps (Best Life Alphabet) and the brown ink, add letter and words to the panel and again, smear with dribbled water.

• Adhere an image from an old book page and a scrap of inked paper.

• Using a sewing needle and thread, stitch a running stitch through the panel.

• Continue to add more watercolors and gesso to the panel and sprites and splatter inks.

• Using a fine tip permanent marker, journal thoughts and words and then swipe it with another layer of gesso.

• Ink the sides of the panel and using your finger, smudge and smear the edges.

• Add small accents of bronze metallic acrylic paint.

After I have a bunch of these panels collaged and painted I'll be stitching them into an art journal ...

Stay Tuned!

Masking Tape & Art Journaling

As I continue my art journaling experiments, I have found that what's lacking in this whole process for me ... texture. I'm a texture and color kind of girl and as most of you know ... a minimalist I am not ... more is more!

After playing a bit with masking tape, painting, pleating and stitching it ... I think I found some really fun ways to manipulate it to add just that little bit of interest and focus to my journal pages. 

Just that little bit of texture ... so needed. 

So simple.

Feels so right to me.

 

As I continue to  cover the pages in my journal that I started a few months ago, I just pray that I will know when to stop. 

 

 I pray that I will  know when enough is enough. 

Ok, so ... it's not rocket science, but here's a glimps at what I did.

First I torn off strips of making tape in a couple of different widths, then I stuck them to the shiny side of freezer paper. Next I painted and dripped acrylic paints on the tape and set them aside to dry.

While the paint was drying on the tape, I started playing with a few of my new found favorite art supplies, Grumbracher Opaque watercolors and these fab wax oil pastels made by Caran d'Ache.

What's so fabulous about these wax pastels?  It's like coloring with butter, super saturated in color and they resist the watercolors! Oh the possibilities are endless!

Happy Art Journaling!

Chalkboard Paint Art Quilts Part 3

Still more chalkboard paint art quilts ...

This piece actually has a few fabric squares sewn to the top left corner. The heart was painted separately, then chalked up and free motion stitched over the patchwork panel. 

Just when I thought I was finished, I slathered a page of old sheet music with gesso then chalked up the outer boarder and added some pencil marks here and there.

 

This panel is the first one I worked on. I just quick like wrote out the words Sweet Dreams, not really knowing where I was headed with this whole process. I only got this far, then set it aside and moved on to another panel. Looking at it again here, I kind of like it just the way it is. Oh well ...

And here it is again, with a few leaves swiped off and a bit more color added, then stitched to a panel of batting with lots of free motion stitching, added a wire loop and there you have it, resting against husband's pillow.