Tuesday, March 17, 2015

A month long "vacation"...


Life just keeps getting more and more busy, which is just the way I like it. It's not like I'll be lounging on a beach like this,


...but I will be having the time of my life. We have a new little granddaughter that was born last week and another grandchild due within a week, so I'll be gone for a month to North Carolina and Virginia to help the mommas and pappas {and siblings} while they recover and adjust to the new little ones.

While there, I won't be answering any emails requesting free patterns, so save those requests till late April and then send them my way. My Etsy store will remain open while I'm gone.

Friday, March 06, 2015

Monday, March 02, 2015

Fabric Flowers the easy way...


Things just got a whole lot easier in the flower making department...


A month ago the hubs bought a die cut machine for his company.



He had some custom dies designed to cut gaskets from a rubber-like fabric for a machine his company is developing. While walking through Hobby Lobby the other day, I noticed the store carries dies much like the ones he uses with his machine. It didn't take long for the gears to start clicking.

Today I bought three die cuts at Hobby Lobby. Each one is a little different, but I bought them all with the intention of using them to make fabric flowers. A couple of the die cuts are found in the scrapbooking department and the other is in the fabric department. However, all the die cuts will cut both fabric and paper. Unfortunately, one has to buy the die cut machine to use the dies {pricey}, but I was lucky because I knew I could use my husband's machine.

After purchasing the dies I hightailed it to my husband's office, unpacked bunches of fabric and the dies, and basically took over his lab. He didn't bat an eye. Believe me when I say, my man is a gem.

The three dies I bought were Sizzix Fabi Circles, Sizzix Brenda Walton Camellia, and Sizzix Brenda Walton Peony. In no time at all I cut bunches of petals for fabric flowers by using this machine. I was giddy thinking of all the time I saved cutting the petals out this way.


Then I came home and started the process of melting the edges of the petals over a candle and assembling the flower. I'm so happy with how it turned out...


I combined flower petals cut from all three dies to make this one flower.


Since my DIL-to-be and I will be making a number of flowers for the wedding, this revelation couldn't have come at a better time!


This flower is big and beautiful measuring about 4.5 inches in diameter. The flowers we make with this pattern will be planted on lace headbands for the "flower girls" (nieces of the bride and groom) to wear for the wedding.