Deck the Halls....with a cute Rag Wreath....

fa-la-la-la-la....la, la, la, la.....I couldn't resist the tune:) Well, 576 fabric strips later...I finally finished my 1st rag wreath! Actually, I should multiply that by 10 more that I cut for the wreath class last week- hence the late post!! Needless to say, I am pleased with the outcome and from the feedback I've received, so was everyone else who made one. It was fun to see the variety as several ladies chose their own fabrics:)
Unfortunately, I do not get to personally enjoy the one I made. BUT, the friend I gave it to was very happy with it! The great thing about this fabric is that it can be used year-round for anyone who has decor to match! I love the subtle greens and the deep red really 'pops'. I'm actually in the process of making another one to give to my mom.
Not sure if you can tell, but I added various strips of crochet trim throughout the wreath, as an afterthought. It fits in really well and gives it a little texture. I finished it off with the wide Riding Hood Red/Vanilla grosgrain ribbon for a hanger (from the Clearance Rack!). The color is a little off, but I think it works. As an alternative, you could cut a wide strip of fabric and use that as a hanger (I learned this from one of the ladies at my class!).

Here's the details, if you'd like to try one on your own:

I purchased a wire wreath frame from a local craft store. It was 12" across and had 6 sections with 4 wire rows in each section. After playing around with it a bit and figuring the amount of fabric I had, I decided to use 21 strips for the 2 inner rows and 27 strips for the 2 outer rows. That's 96 pieces/section. This works out perfectly when you use 4 fat quarters (18"x22" pieces). I cut the strips 6" x 1/2". You can see part of the frame in this pic.Choose a section to begin with and work your way one row at a time from the 2 inside, up to the 2 outside rows. After finishing a row, fold the strips down to make it easier to continue to the new row.
After each section, check the back of the wreath and make sure all of the tails are pushed to the front. This will keep your wreath full. You can fluff it out after each section and when you're done.
Each strip is tied one time, not knotted.
There are alot of variations for these wreaths, so feel free to get creative! I was precise with my measurements and numbers mainly because I was cutting for a group and had to make sure the fabric amounts were correct. However, I also wanted to make sure it looked even when it was complete.
It's that simple!! Be advised, though, if you try this at home, allow plenty of time for cutting. I underestimated this part of the project. Not too bad if you're making one for yourself or a gift, but it took AWHILE to cut everyone's for the class.
I like the larger 1" strips, but it required more fabric, so it didn't work for my class.
I used my rotary cutter, however, I did see some suggestions for tearing fabric as opposed to cutting it. This did not work for 1/2" pieces, but did work a little better for the 1" size. It does give it a more 'rag' look and not all pieces turn out the same width, so again, not an option for my class.
There are lots of resources on the web for this technique, so check them out and let me know if you decide to give it a try!

Fabric Canvas Trio- a fun project!

I took my free time this weekend to work on a fun project that I've been itching to finish! I covered 3 canvases with adorable little girl fabric for Isabella's room! She recently moved out of the crib and into a 'big girl' toddler bed (therefore freeing up the crib for Josiah)! How weird to not see a crib in the corner anymore, after being there for 4 years!
Anyway, I decided the canvases needed dressed-up, so I embellished them all differently.I love this dainty Tea & Sweets fabric! This busy pattern didn't call for much, but I wanted to add a little dimension. I used some of the SU crocheted fleurettes (on the Clearance Rack, here) with Sherbert designer buttons (click here- also on Clearance Rack!) in the middle, and draped ribbon in between. Check out the cute rick-rack from the retired Fairy Tales ribbon bundle (previously on the Clearance Rack).
And who could resist this yummy cupcake fabric! This was simple enough to embellish. I continued the twisted ribbon draping and attatched two fabric flowers on each end. They were made from scallop circles with my Big Shot. I folded several and hot-glued them together.
And lastly, this was the most time-consuming canvas. The fabric is a busy pattern, but it's small, so nothing stands out, specifically. I decided to break it up with the scallop squares and a felt object in each. I made the cupcake & heart free-hand. The bird and teapot were made using a K&Co stencil pattern kit, which I dot-to-dot traced on a piece of felt. I then used embroidery floss to hand-stitch the images and then cut them out & glued each to a square. I love the effect! I actually just picked the kit up off of a clearance end cap at a local craft store. I wasn't even sure what I would do with it, but the little bird caught my eye. How thrilled was I to discover the teapot included as well! I added the ribbon bows at the last minute. I think they sort of tie in with the other 2 pictures.
I've had so much fun making sweet little crafty things for Isabella! And being involved with SU has made it so easy with all the adorable little accessories & Big Shot dies! Check back soon- I have used the pennant die to cut out a pennant for each letter of her name. I plan to put it together to hang in her room as well!

Season of Friendship

What a fitting card for our first snowfall of the season today! The kids were excited about it and got to make a quick run outside to 'touch' the snow!
I continue to love the Season of Friendship stamp set! There's so many cute ways to use it and here's a wintery one! The tree image is stamped on Crumb Cake cardstock in Chocolate Chip. I stamped the snowflakes in white ink and then used my two-way glue pen and added dazzling diamonds! So sparkly! The 'snow' at the bottom was made by tearing a white piece of cardstock at the top. I also added the glitter to that. And don't forget the sweet little bird! I cased this idea from this blog- changed it slightly. A quick, cute, and seasonal card!

Christmas Flower Brooch

I re-did the fabric flower brooch from the post below. I wasn't happy with the 'floppiness' of it. Depending on the fabric, you will need several layers of each flower piece to make it look right, which is one of the changes I made. I also decided to add an antique brad to the center, which added alot, in my opinion. Here's the die cut ingredients layered to make this brooch: 2 of the large flowers from the Island Floral Bigz die, followed by 2 tulle circles from the Circle #2 die (the large), then 2 scallop circles, and topped off with a small flower- also from the Island Floral die. Before inserting the brad, I slightly frayed the edges of each die cut with my fingers. Lastly, I attached the pin to a small piece of felt on the back, using hot glue.
Pretty, festive, and slightly vintage looking! I love the no-sew! I'm looking forward to wearing it soon!