Hot Air Balloon Fabric Embroidery

Up, up and awaaay! My grandmother gave me this beautiful hot air balloon fabric from her extensive sewing stash. When I saw it, I immediately dreamed of embroidering over the lines to make the balloons really pop off the fabric. Inspiration in the greatest of places.

The problem?
I had never done any embroidery before.

To be clear, I've done oodles and oodles of cross stitch projects, which is a form of embroidery. We know this. But doing that super cool thing of stitching beautiful shapes on fabric? Never.

So I pulled up Sublime Stitching's Tutorials online and gave it a whirl!

I used the full six strands in my embroidery floss and did a simple backstitch. Here's what came out:

Not terrible, right? I wish I had used less strands (maybe three or four) instead of six. I also need to work on my spacing and consistency of stitch length, but otherwise, for a first try, I think I did a good job. Even better, it was a fun! It's faster than cross stitch, which is a huge plus when I get the itch to stitch but don't have a ton of time. And when I'm feeling particularly impatient about completing projects.

I'll have to do a few more hot air balloons. The balloons on the fabric vary in size, so it would be cute to do three finished in wood hoops and hang them together for decor. Better yet, this gave me more ideas for fabric I have stored away.

Have you ever embroidered on fabric like this before? How did it go? Do you have any embroidery tips for me?

Thanksgiving "Give Thanks" Decor

I told you burlap and cross stitch would be back! After realizing cross stitching on burlap was fairly simple with my Halloween decorations, I decided it would be appropriately festive for Thanksgiving. What is it about burlap and a little folk art that screams "Give Thanks"? !

 

1. Pick your design and cross stitch! For cross stitching on burlap, I recommend using 3 strands or the full 6 stands. Anything less than that will leave a ton of gaps. I prefer 6 strands due to the texture it creates. Unfamiliar with cross stitch? There are loads of tutorials on YouTube.  If you like my design, it's available for free download/printing at the end of this post.

Don't like to cross stitch? Acrylic paint and stickers are wonderful alternatives!





2. Add some glam! In full disclosure, I started this project thinking I would just cross stitch on the burlap and ta-da! I'd be done. But as I finished my design, I realized it was smaller than I envisioned and therefore, the decor looked very, very empty and plain.

Thankfully, I had some hole punches and metallic gold acrylic paint on hand. I punched out circles from card stock and used the negatives as stencils.

Because I never know when to leave things well-enough alone, I added a few streaks of gold in the veins of the leaf. Why not?

Much better!

"Give Thanks" Cross Stitch Pattern

1 :: 12" x 12" Burlap Canvas

So many things to be grateful for this year. Including discovering new crafting techniques. Happy Crafting!

{In The Shop} :: Daria Cross Stitch Patterns

Inspiration can come from the strangest places.  Sometimes it's a good walk through the park.  Sometimes it's a powerful quote.  Sometimes it's from Pinterest.

In this case, inspiration came from a bundle of sarcasm by the name of Daria.

If you don't know who Daria is, I highly suggest you familiarize yourself with her on HuluPlus.  Here's your basic rundown.  She started off as a character on MTV's Beavis and Butthead.  When MTV realized her genius and pure awesomeness, they gave her the spotlight.  Five seasons and two major motion pictures later, Daria lives on as a legend for being the most lovable, sarcastic realist you'll ever know.

Obviously, I love her... and her attitude.  Thus, I've turned her into three cross stitch patterns.  Truly, what's a greater sign of love?

Each pattern is beginner level.  Simple cross stitch, only four colors each.  They are all designed to fit in a 5" x 5" frame and are only $3.50 each.   Here's where to find them:

Daria "I hate this place" Cross Stitch Pattern

 Daria "(sigh)" Cross Stitch Pattern

 Daria "I hate everybody" Cross Stitch Pattern

Happy Stitching!

Corkboard Display

Being a blogger and an Etsy Shop owner, I'm always looking for new ways to improve upon my hobby.  First, I focused on marketing myself - creating a brand.  Then I got a new DSLR and have been learning how to use it properly.  Recently, I've been looking at my Etsy listing photos and grimacing because I didn't feel they truly represented my work or my brand.  The colors were a little off.  The way the products were displayed was not... artful... imaginative... or very Jen-like.  They were just.... ugly.  Let's just say it - ugly.  So it was time to change all of that.

I created this simple corkboard display with minimal materials and minimal time.  The change is staggering.

Materials
Corkboard {Used: 11"x17" from Hobby Lobby}
White Acrylic Paint
Foam Paint Brush
Push Pins
Silver Permanent Marker
Hemp
Mini Clothes Pins
Copy Paper

1.  Lay copy paper on the cork to protect it during painting.  Paint with white acrylic paint.  Mine took two coats.

 2.  Now, I could have gotten silver push pins.  But I have no need for an entire box of them.  So I took the free ones that came with the corkboard and refinished them with a silver permanent marker.  After three coats, I had beautiful matte finished silver push pins.

 3.  Place push pins in desired location.  Cut hemp to length and tie taut onto push pins.

 I now I have the perfect backdrop for my cards!  Check out the difference in listing photos!

Old Version {old brand, old camera, old display}

New Version {new brand, new camera, new display}

 I'm loving the change.  So much more artful and representative.  Check out more photos {and products} in my shop.  

{In The Shop} - Halloween Witch Cross Stitch Pattern

 

One of my favorite crafty projects is cross stitching.  For me, it feels like putting together a puzzle - I can focus on little areas at a time and suddenly a picture has appeared!  Though tedious, learning and mastering cross stitch has taught me patience and acceptance of flaws.  You see, I'm an insufferable perfectionist - but with cross stitch, most errors cannot be seen nor detected.  My cross stitches are riddled with errors, but can you tell?  Check out my Cross Stitch Gallery to see the projects I have completed and am most proud of!

Last fall, I decided I wanted to try making my own cross stitch pattern.  I wanted to create a great beginner's pattern that required minimal materials.  I did a lot of brainstorming and debating and have come up with a few to finally debut!  Meet the first pattern!

Cross Stitch evokes a vintage, old-world aesthetic and what time of year is this most appreciated?  Well, Halloween, of course!

This Halloween Witch Cross Stitch Pattern was inspired by two greats, Shakespeare and Harry Potter.  Does the witch look familiar?  If so, then you're a huge Potter-head!  She was inspired by The Leaky Cauldron sign.

Again, this is a great beginner's pattern.  All you need is an 8"x10" piece of "Sandy" aida {the fabric}, DMC 3371 {the thread}, a needle and some scissors.  Ready to give it shot?

Halloween Witch Cross Stitch Pattern .PDF

$4.00