Creativity Vomit
Just like everyone else, I have been very busy. Ya know, children, life, cleaning, jobs, illness, health, family, sun, summer...but most importantly I have been very busy creating. So I am going to upload all of the tutorials that I have captured, as soon as I can.
Enjoy :]
Reminder: It is easiest for me to take shots with my cellphone camera. Meaning, even though it is a Droid 4 8 mp camera the quality is not always the greatest.
Keepsake Growth Chart
What you need:
- About 2 yards of natural (colored) cotton fabric
- Yardstick
- Fabric Scissors
- Hot Glue Gun
- Fabric Marker in Black and Green
- Fabric marking marker. I really can't remember what these were called. But they are the temporary colors that fade or can be washed away.
- Green Thread
- 1 - 1/2" dowel (cut your dowel in to 2 - 14 inch pieces, or just half it)
- 1/2 yard of ribbon
Step 1: Measure and Cut
Lay out the fabric, we will use the whole 2 yards in length, but most fabric seems to be about 54" wide. Measure out a 14" width of the fabric, using the 2 yards as the length. The seems are best at 1/2" or greater with this kind of fabric.
Step 2: Sew & Mark
As I stated, making sure that you have at least a 1/2" allowance for seams is best.
I use green thread, for contrast to the fabric and matching the green that will be used later on. I chose to use the zigzag stitch.
But! I made the zigzag part stitch on the "inside" of the chart, I liked the way it looked with the "wrong side" on the front of the chart.
Sew the seems for all 4 sides.
After completing that, that put your dowel at the top of the chart, and roll the fabric over it, pin the fabric so that it is easy to slide the dowel in and out of the fabric. Repeat for the bottom and sew.
Following that, take your yardstick and measure, marking with the disappearing pen, every inch from the seam on the bottom, allowing about 6 inches of empty space on the top (before the seam). After measuring, figure out what your starting number will be. I have noticed that this does very a bit based on your dowel seam, and the original seam you make. I always make my charts end at 6 feet. People laughed when I made my first one, because even though my daughter is not even 2 year, she is growing into 3t/4t clothing. She is just a big kid! (And hers was the first one I ever made.) But realistically the children growing over 5 feet is not unheard of! I might be short but I am still over 5 feet tall! (barely) So usually, I start out at 6 feet and work my way down. This is where you decide how you want the chart to look. I have done both decorative, and non-decorative numbers. But I always make my line on the foot mark about a quarter of the width of the chart, the number for the foot (6 ft., 5 ft., 4 ft., etc.) largest of all numbers. I also make the half mark (5.5ft. , 4.5ft., 3.5ft., etc) about an eighth (so half of the foot) and the numbers larger than the others but smaller than the foot numbers. I also number every inch. (72 in., 71in., 70in., you should get the point now). There is no point in doing this in the disappearing ink, unless you plan on making them very decorative. Use the black fabric pen for the lines and the numbers.
Step 3: Make it Pretty :]
This is where you can make it completely their own. I use vines as a representation. Or-not-so-subtle symbolism of their growth. But you can do whatever you want! FIRST I do suggest you draw in their name!
Now as a portrait photographer I have learned that even the most common name has begun to develop unique spellings. So always double check if this is for a baby who is not yet here, or for someone else you are making this for and are uncertain of their name. My daughter's name is Evermore, and even though it is a unique name a lot of people don't realize it is easy to spell. Not to mention we call her Evey most often anyway. I prefer using whole first names and middle names. Also if the child is already born I like to add their birth date below their names and their birth height (if it will fit on your chart.)
Use the disappearing ink first and sketch out their name, Fill that top 6 inches with their name and other information.
After your are satisfied with the name, put it on with the black fabric marker.
Notice how when I did that step I changed the shape of the J's? I didn't really like the rounded edge of my original J's. That is the blessing of the disappearing ink.
After you get done with that, it is time for the vines. It make seem daunting to cover all that space on the opposite side with vines, but really it isn't.
I follow by the "three's" rule. I always have 3 vines on my charts, starting from one base. They are very simple to make. I strongly suggest using your disappearing ink, and sketch them roughly on the chart first. Not putting in the tendrils or leaves (until later) but just the main vines themselves.
Step 1 - to making the vines
Make your base with a squiggly V. Make the sides thick and strong looking. Make sure to color them in when you use your green ink. Add a third vine starting in the center.
Step 2: Begin your ascent.
Make your vines, starting from those 3 points. Make them squiggle and squirm across your canvas. Crossing each other several times.
I always finish mine off with big Curly-Q's at the top. I didn't take a picture of that, just sorta forgot about it.
Step 3: Add the pizzazz!
Add your leaves, tendrils and other minor vines variously. Alternate between one leaf by its self and a paired type on the vines. Don't think about it too hard. The less you think about it the more natural it will look.
Step 4: Add the color
Take your green fabric marker. And make those beautiful vines permanent. Color in your base and your leaves. Add some vines to the name, and measurement numbers! Just enjoy. The beauty of these charts is that no 2 are alike, and that they are perfect in their imperfections.
Step 5: Make the dowels permanent, and make it hang.
Slide the dowels in place, and after your hot glue gun is warmed and ready put a generous dab of glue at the end of the fabric on both sides, and stick it to the dowel. (If you don't do this, the dowels will slide out).
After that, take your ribbon, cut desired length and glue it to your top dowel. Embellish it with a handmade bow?? Why not! Make sure glue the ends of the ribbon to the dowel, and be generous, if your not the ribbon will pop off.
Present this cheap, unique gift with pride!
Completed project pictures below are from my first attempt. Not only did I not have ribbon, but I thought about it way to hard and it just didn't flow as well as it did with all the other ones I have made. But yours will look similar!
Heck! If you don't want to make one yourself, contact me and we can arrange for me to make one for you! :]
Up next...the cutest "babies first suit" onsies ever!
Non Tutorial Update
Tomorrow I meet up with a "Client" (I say that because she isn't paying me but by technicality she is one) to discuss maternity portraits.
I'm a photographer at heart.
I did commercial portrait photographer for 2 years and planned on being in it for a while, that was until the company shut down my studio. :[
I'm now a bank teller, but that is okay. I can still flex these photographer muscles on my own time. I also have more freedoms with it now.
Next month sometime we will be doing these portraits. Expect to see them on here.
That is all.
Memorial Day!
For some reason, huge sales are always on Memorial Day Weekend.
I am very grateful to those who have served! I don't know anyone personally. Except for my grandfathers.
So to those of you that have, Thank you!
As for the rest of my weekend, I'll be shopping at Joanns!
These sales are a Not Miss!
Toddler Chest Strap "Harness"
If you have a toddler (or are like me and have a child the size of a toddler but isn't) you know that it is darn near impossible to find a little backpack for them that fits right! We bike, and instead of trying to figure out how to bring along the diaper bag. I decided my daughter could have a backpack!
Well I spent a long time looking, and all I could find that wasn't a huge pack was "Hello Kitty!" and then one of those Color-your-own small back packs for pre-teens. Well the HK one was $13 and the color your own was $7. And that is why I don't pay for labels! No brainer right?
Well, after spending an hour coloring it (more fun than it should have been) I was very excited to see how excited she was to see that her baby could fit in it! She wore it everywhere. Baby in tow. Yet it always slipped off even with the straps as tight as they would go.
Then we went for a bike ride. Diapers, wipes, couple cups of water and baby in the bag. I had to take off her shoes and tie the straps together on the back of the seat with her shoe lace.
No matter how much I loved it, it just wasn't working out. Until, after looking at her "doggy pack" (one of those leash packs) I realized it had a harness type thing. So! I decided to make one!
And it is really Simple!
Great use for scraps! All together took about 30 minutes. But my bobbin got jammed in the making.
What you need:
- piece of scrap fabric. (Varies by need but my size is listed below)
- Velcro, the width of your fabric
- Scissors
- sewing machine, I'm sure you can do this by hand but I didn't.
Step 1:
Cut your fabric to your desired length. Mine was 11"x7"
Step 2. Create clean edges!
If your lucky and have a fabric that doesn't fray then I guess you can skip this, or if you use that fray check stuff. If not then you need to make about 1/4 inch edges on all 4 sides.
I am showing pictures of the stitch because I don't know the "technical" name for sure. I call this the straight stitch.
Step 3.
Fold the longer edges towards the middle so that there is about a 1/4 inch overlap in the middle. Stitch with the straight stitch again.
Step 5. Cut the Velcro
Since I lost about a 1/2 inch on the edges I cut my Velcro out to a total length of 10". I then cut that into 2 sections of 5" sections. After that I cut the firmer, plastic-ier side into two 2.5" pieces.
Notice that the bottom piece is softer side of Velcro.
Step 6. Attach middle "Soft" pieces.
I believe it is called the hook side. But it is the softer side of a Velcro. Put it in the direct middle.
Step 7. Sew them on!
Sew all 4 sides of the piece!
Again, I don't know "technical" terms. I call this Zig-Zag stitch.
Attach the smaller pieces on the opposite sides. If you notice they are not straight on, but if it bothers you I guess do it. :]
And sew once more!
Step 8. Done!
You are now finished! Fold the edges in! Put behind the shoulder straps, with the fabric touching your child's chest. Fold the edges in and secure the Velcro! My Velcro sticks to the straps of her backpack!
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On an unrelated note, I use to have a pretty decent collection of antique cameras. In a move they accidentally got ruined. Well on a wonderful b/s/t site in my area I found these beautiful things and got them all for only $55! They all have their original cases! Straps are still attached and I'm in love <3!
Hoping I can find out how to see if they operate still! Any suggestions?
A Short Break
Taking a brief break. . .
from the "Flower Power" Mayhem, I needed to broadcast this.
I have never made clothing and a friend asked me if I could try making a dress for her daughter. It is made from that fabric that you can buy at the stores that has the elastic in the top half. I figured it would be real easy, sew a seam, add some ribbon to make straps and then some bows.
This is the finished product:
You can't see the bottom it is a Hello Kitty! thing. She is walking across the bottom, but that is not where my work went into.
I am very proud of myself, it turned out well. I made the bows, and straps, attached and made a seam. Probably about 30-40 minute project, that cost $10.
Well less than ten because we got alligator clips and extra ribbon to make hair bows. <3
Flower Power
April showers bring May flowers.
Except that for some reason it rains more in May here than April. Plus it is still thawing from winter. So the flowers are a slowly coming. Except we have dandelions!
So in the mean time, I decided to bring myself flowers.
I have quite a few flower related projects going right now. So for now I'll just show you one that I have finished.
First off, these are paper daisies. I would like you to know that I did not figure out how to make these on my own. I got the idea, and step-by-step instructions from (>^-^)> Here. But I did modify it.
I have made these daisies exactly as instructed for a center piece display, garland for Easter and decorations for my door. (I live in apartments, the door leading to my apartment is inside.)
Anyway! These are super cute, and very easy. Their plan was to make them "assembly line like". Which is very easy to do. But they don't work as well when they are put on paper, or a wall.
So, my modification was to make them look cute, more full and work better on paper any flat object. Instead of freestanding like his.
On to the tutorial!
You will need:
- Paper! My preference when working with paper for crafts is card stock (scrap booking) but I have used construction paper on these.
- Scissors
- Glue, both hot glue and stick or liquid glue.
- Buttons
- Embroidery thread
- Embroidery Needle
- A circle template This could be a cup, a cardboard ribbon thing (what they come on when you buy them at the store) or if your like me and actually have a template.
- X-Acto knife, not necessarily needed. Everything you do can be done with scissors. I checked. But the knife makes it easier.
Step 1. Draw your circles.
This is a great project to use your scraps of paper. (Because a true crafter never throws away anything!) I choose to use 2 different papers of the same color family. Plus mine have prints on them. It adds a bit of texture and "craftiness" to them. In my humble opinion.
Step 2. Cut your circles out.
I think that one is pretty self explanatory. Scissors work best here.
Step 3. Cut out the "petals".
Cut 8 lines as demonstrated in this picture. Depending on your size they should at least be 1 inch long. Do this to both circles.
Step 4. Cut out...triangles?
This is where I begin to differ from the original tutorial. For it to work on paper it needs a bit more flexibility. So cut small triangles out of the center end of each line you cut. As shown by the colored in triangles below. Do this to both circles. I suggest using the X-Acto knife at this stage, it can be done with the scissors but the knife makes it easier. Also! Make sure you have a sharp blade. A dull blade (I found out) causes "paper wrinkle" which is a term I just made up. But it is when you drag your knife across paper and it more or less tears. Instead of cutting and just wrinkles the paper behind the blade. Also a dull blade scores more than cuts as well.
Makes a pretty sun-like thing, huh? :D
Step 5. Create your petals.
Fold a crease in the middle of each "petal. Fold toward the back (whatever you decide is the back of your flower, the side not being seen in the finished product). These do not need to be scored, do not need to be measured and you do not need to draw them out like I did below. You want to aim for making them where the lines fall on my example. But their imperfection is their perfection. Remember the original creator of these wanted them to be fast and simple. Just like the last 2 steps do this to both circles.
They will look like this on the front side after completion.
Step 6. Glue your 2 circles together to create your flower.
I do not suggest using hot glue here. You will need to pierce the middle with a needle and it will probably be a struggle with hot glue in the center. I used my glue stick. They didn't stick together real well until they were finished, but you just want some friction for not to prevent them from sliding when your doing the needle work in the next step.
Step 7. Get your needle ready!
Grab your thread, an embroidery needle and your button! Double-knot the end of your thread. The thread will pop through your whole with out a double knot!
Step 8. Stitch in your button.
Piercing your hole first is the easiest with paper. Pierce from the back, to the front for your first hole in the bottom. Thread it through and slide the button on. Use your preference in how you stitch in. I prefer the cross stitch on buttons and with this craft I think it looks cuter. Thread each cross section at least twice to keep it secure. Tie off the back of your thread! Otherwise your button with slide off.
Note that it is not exact center. As I said before their imperfection is part of their perfection.
Step 9. Attach to your paper.
This is where you use that fancy glue gun that you have been wondering where it was going to come into play! Put a nice size glob on the back of your flower, over the button thread and then press firmly to your paper. (OR whatever)
And now you are done! The possibilities are endless!
Now if you take a look at these two pictures:
The top one is my modifications. The bottom is the original template, sort of. They don't have it glued like this, they have a 360 view kind of thing. But if you look you can see that the modded one is fuller looking and you can see more petals than on the bottom.
Enjoy! There are more flowers to come!
