Christmas hearts

This is a very useful heart shape that can be used to make the Christmas hearts illustrated here.
The first one is stitch and flip a large square and use the heart shape as a template.
The second one is all hand made.  Glue the ribbon diagonally across the hear and decorate with buttons and beads, then stitch round with embroidery thread.

Felted Paper weight - very easy

Materials

Any Stone
felting tops
beads

Method

place 2 layers of tops onto the stone criss crossing
gently wet with soapy water
with your hands gently wrap the  edges around the stone
place two more layers of felting top on the other side
gently wet with soapy water and
with you hands gently wrap the edges around the stone.

Now work with you hands gently rubbing until the tops have felted.
If required decorate with beads

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=zoe%20ainsworth-grigg

This decoration looks nice on a bookshelf or on a mantlepiece.

Requirements

• Mirror card
• Download the template cut two one in reverse
• cocktail sticks
• PVA glue
• sequins
• ribbon or motif

Method

Cut  two templates out of the mirror card, one in reverse. On one of them place some coctail sticks or other material to gove a little thickness.  Stick the tow pieces together.  Use pegs while the glue dries.  Decorate with sequins and a motif.

Simple Needle Case
and a good fundraising item quick and simple to make

Materials

2 three inch pieces of mount card
6 inch piece of felt
2 pretty pieces of material 4 inches square
ribbon
glue
wadding optional

Method

put the wadding on one side of the mount card
wrap and glue te material aorund the mountcard
place the ribbon diagonally across the felt
glue the two pieces of card in each corner
fold the remaining pieces of felt inwards diagonally
tie the ribbon

place needles and pins inside the needle case and enjoy

Tea bag folding Using silk painted paper

Try my DVD Silk Painting for Card Makers available from

www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks.com

It is possible to use a silk painting to photocopy and then manipulate into cards.

For teabag folding search on Utube to get an animated lesson. or try

http://gomakesomething.com/ht/folding/tea-bag-folding/

How to make Miss Flimp

Miss Flimp Doll’s Pattern

Increase pattern100%     Unless stated all hems ¼ inch

Doll  -½ metre calico

Use calico to make doll and stuff with specialist dolls stuffing (not included)

Dress - ½ metre small pattern cotton

Cut two bodice patterns from dress material.  Use the rest of the material to make the skirt, gather and attach to bodice.

Apron – ½ metre white cotton small piece of pink felt

Cut two long straps equalling the length of material 1 inch. Fold in half and seam. Turn.

Cut two of bib pattern. Attach the two long straps to the top of the bib. Appliqué a small pink heart to the bib.

Cut apron skirt and gather

Cut waist band x 2, attach bib and skirt. Insert a small piece of looped tape to each end of waist band.

To wear- cross the straps at the back of the doll insert through the loops on the waistband edges and tie into a bow at the back.

Jacket  and hat - 1/3 metre plain curtain weight fabric

Jacket

To make up edge the cuffs and the bottom of the jacket with dress material or a contrast cotton.

Hat

Cut one brim in thicker fabric and one in dress fabric.  The dress fabric is the underside brim of the hat

Boots – 1 square of black felt

Cut 4 boot shapes.  Easy method- make up with the seam on the outside and edge with zig-zag stitch., however if turning inside out make the boots a little larger.

Accessories

Add accessories at your discretion, bag, carpet bag, nightie, etc.

If making a 1920’s dress use the bodice pattern and extend down to knee level.

Hair

Hair is made from a Michael Jackson fun wig 

Print out this pattern on A4 and then increase by 100%

Home made Miffy finger puppet

Miff y Finger Puppet

Materials

• Use white fleece or felt
• use red felt for the dress
• small piece of white fabric for the interior
• button and ribbon

Method

• Use a picture from the internet to cut out Miffy
• Cut out shapes for the ears and the hands, use three layers for the ears
• the ears and the hands zig zag stich around the edges
• place the dress and place the hands and pin

 Stitching together

•  Attatch the interior to the bottom of the feet
• stitch  all the way around apart from the top of the head in fleece
• turn inside out
• attach ears
• embroider face and place a button and a ribbon

Computer (or any other device ) Bag

Materials
Firm fabric such as upholstery fabric
1 cheap narrow belt I got mine from a highstreet store beginning with P
lining material( I used a soft fleece so as not to damage the device

Methid
Measure your device
Add one inch all the way round
you need two piece of material for the back and front

The pocket
You need another piece of material for the pocket
Cut a piece of the top of the pocket material
cut off the buckle and bottom of the belt
insert the buckle into the two piece of pocket material in the centre and stitch

Make a small tab and insert the other end of the belt into it.
Use the remaining belt to cut in half for the handles.

Assemble all together
the pocket, the two sdes and stitch leaving the top open

Stitch the lining

Assemble the outer bag and the lining inserting the tab to coincide with the buckle in the centre so that overlaps and can be fastened and the handles positioned in an appropriate place.

You can make a small er version for your E reader or i pad

Pot Pourri Sachets

Materials
Petals and herbs from your garden
mushroom tray available free from most greengrocer stores
organza

Recipe for pot pourri
rose petals
mint
rosemary
pinks
lavender

Method

Dry the petals spread out on a piece of kitchen towel in the airing cupboard this takes about two weeks.

Make a tube of the organza,
 I bought my organza from a Pound Shop.

Insert the dried petals

I then finished closing the organza tubes with a fancy stitch on my sewing machine

Felt Heart Brooches

Material
Natural fibers felt
needle felting tool
felt tops
organza
beads
buttons
thread
brooch bars
 
Method
Cut a heart shape from felt - use a paper pattern fold a piece of paper in half and draw half a heart.Cut round.
Using the needle felting too push small bits of the felting tops into the felt to make a pattern
Use small bits of thread to make accents such as a stem of a flower or leaf
decorate with beads  organza or a button
sew on a brooch bar at the back

All materials are available on line

Miss Flimp Doll

This is Miss Flimp.  She is a doll I designed and made for two little girls.
Instructions and pattern at How to make Miss Flimp on this blog.

tea cosy and matching tray cloth ( one for stitchers)

Materials
1 metre of material ( A remnant curtain fabric sample will do it)
wadding
material for lining

Method
measure your teapot and draw your pattern
using a ruler and a fadable fabric pen draw lines with which to quilt the fabric
Similarly an oblong for the tray cloth

When you have fisinished quilting place the lining on the tray cloth and edge with a samller piece of the lining fabric

An eay way to finish the tea cosy is to sew up the bottom of the lining and the tea cosy parts first
Then with right sides together sew all he way around leaving a gap in the lining seam
turn using this gap
stitch up the opening
Then top stitch he bottom of the teacosy

Scissor savers - quite easy (Children's)

Materials

Plastic mesh
button
small quantity of dk wool
length of cord
beads

Method

Cut a piece of mesh ten inches by 3 inches and from the middle of the one of the shortest side cut an indentation.

Use cross stitch to fill the mesh

The cord tie a knot in each end ( You may thread a bead onto the cord beforehand if likes)

Putting it together

Pin the cord in place at the top and fold the finished cross stitch in half.

Oversew the edges

finish with a button

bracelet easy peasy

Materials
Crystal Tek
beads

Method

You can get pretty beads from a variety of sources.  Old jewellery in charity shops or boot fairs or there are some very good deals on the internet.

Crystal Tek is stretch nylon cord for jewellery making.

Measure your wrist and make different sizes.

Thread pretty combinations of beads onto the Crystal Tek

When you have the required size double knot and the knot will disappear into the bracelet.

Notepads

Materials
Mount board
cheap notepad interioirs
material
elastic
ribbion
wadding
PVA glue

Method

1. cut the mountboard a little bigger than the notepad interior
2.  cut another piece slightly smaller
3.  cover each piece of mountboard, the outer in pretty fabric embellish if preferred.
4.  The smaller in plain contrasting fabric
5.  put a second piece of material a little down from the top of the back inside plain cover, this will form a sleeve for the placement of the notepad
6. The fabric should be cut to 1/2 inch larger than your mount board
7. make a tube of material about 1 inch wide and the width of you notebook
8. Before sandwiching everything together  place of elastic around the back cover of the book this will keep everything together.  A ribbon may be used instead