Valentines toast...

No, not that kind—this kind...

I found this little gem a while back and have been using it judiciously—I think of it as a low tech way of instant messaging my kids.

I actually bought this toast imprinter for my now husband on our first Valentine's Day together back when we were courting {can you imagine?...what was I thinking?!!!}.  If I remember correctly, it was one of many little treasures that I collected together in a gift bag for him.  Why he, just out of college at the time, didn't run for the hills when he pulled that toast imprinter out of the package, I'll never know, but I'm ever so grateful that he didn't—instead he stuck around with a sense of humor and a willingness to humor me.  Now would I ever suggest that my 18 year old daughter gift her boyfriend with such a token of her love?...no, I would not!...but I have to say that any guy who can graciously receive an "I love you" toast imprinter clearly doesn't take himself too seriously {always good to know}.

This little love token always makes me smile and, like my kids, it reminds me of what an open heart is capable of—the utter fearlessness of laying our hearts bare to love of all kinds.  And now, lo these many years later, it seems only fitting that I use it to send a little love out there.  Today I toast you!...I send you my wishes for happiness and love and all good things this Valentine's Day!  Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, may your day be lovely!... 

xoxo~alison

Snowday stitches...

Snowdays, snowdays!...I love {or should I say, I <3} them!...a mini-holiday, where we are forced to stay home and create our own fun...what could be better?  I've been busying myself with a little snowday stitchery...

Embroidered linen sachets filled with lavender {you know about the moth repelling qualities of lavender, right?...it's very helpful in keeping those little guys away from your woolens}.

This was such a fun project...wonderful in so many ways.  As I made these, I loved thinking about the future recipients of these hearts and tailoring the message to each...

 

Embroidering on the linen was so yummy...I really do think that linen is to sewing what wool is to knitting—pure tactile pleasure—and even though my embroidery skills are woefully lacking, I enjoyed each and every stitch of this project.  Most of the hearts have embroidery on just one side, but others have it on the front...

   

and on the back...

 

Like I said...I had fun, fun, fun with this project!  They whip up in a snap and once you get going, you won't want to stop.  Here are the instructions, step by step...

Gathering your materials...

 

~a cookie cutter or cardboard cut-out to use as a stencil for your sachet

~embroidery needles

~embroidery floss

~linen, cotton, or fabric of choice

~embroidery hoop

~straight pins

~sewing needles and sewing thread

~dried lavender {or roving or polyfil stuffing if you want to make a pillow instead of a sachet}

~an iron

~dressmaker's pencil or marker

~scissors

* Most food co-ops sell dried lavender in their spice section.  For those of you who can't find lavender near your home, I am completely sympathetic—there isn't a source near me either.  I just checked for some online sources though, and here are a couple:  This site looks like they have a nice selection and good prices—I've not used them, but plan to try them out in the future.  I have used this Etsy site—it costs a bit more, but the lavender they sent is lovely and the service was prompt.  Hope this helps.

Getting started...

First, trace the outline of your sachet onto the piece of fabric and center your message within, making sure that you center your message and allow for a 1/2" seam allowance...

Once your design is on the fabric, put it in the embroidery hoop and begin stitching.  I used the stem stitch for mine...it is a good stitch for a wavy, loopy and yet bold line.  I am including some in-progress pictures of my stitching here.  If you've never embroidered before, I suggest you check out this fine site.  Here is her video tutorial of the stem stitch...it and the others offered are excellent.

Cut a length of embroidery floss {about 24"}.  The floss is made up of 6 strands.  Divide the 6 strands of your length of floss into two groups of 3 strands each.  Thread the embroidery needle with a group of 3 strands—you want to use a needle with an eye big enough to accommodate the floss, but that is also thin enough to avoid leaving a hole in your fabric.  Knot the end of the floss, and starting from the back of the work, bring the needle from back to front {wrong side to right side} at the base of the first letter in your message—you will be working from left to right if you work your message in stem stitch.
Begin embroidering your message...

As you go along, make sure that you hold the thread down, like so...

To avoid big floats of floss on the back of your work, stitch the lines that are connected to one another first and then add the cross lines and loops where needed.  Here is the way my xoxo heart looked as I went along...front...

back...

and front again...

After the embroidery is done, it is time to cut the heart out.  Remember to leave a 1/2" seam allowance all the way around your heart...

 

You will need to cut out a backing for each heart as well...

Once the heart and its backing are cut, pin the front and back together with the right sides together...

Sew the heart together {by hand or machine}, beginning at one side and leaving an opening to fill the heart {the opening should be about 1 1/2"}.  If you begin and end your heart at the spots indicated in the picture below, it will be easy to fill and seam later...

Once you have seamed around the heart, trim the seam allowances.  To avoid puckering make a snip, up to but not over the seam at various points around the heart.  You will do this at the center of the heart and around the curved sections of the heart—this is especially important at the cleft of the heart...

Turn the heart right side out, using a knitting needle to push the curves and the point of the heart into place.  Snip any loose threads and iron the heart before filling it.

 

Now it is time to fill...I used lavender for mine...heavenly!  Fill so that the sachet is plumped up a bit, but not overly full—you want the lavender to move around in the sachet...

 

Sew the hole closed.  This may very well be the most blissful sewing I've ever done...the feel of the pressed linen and the smell of the lavender is absolutely delicious...

 

And before you know it...voila!...

Just one quick thing more...

Last, but certainly not least!...Thank you, thank you for the nice comments to my last post!...you guys are so lovely.  I am flattered by your kind words, am ever so grateful to those of you who linked to the post—and of course, I am over the moon about it's inclusion in whip-up!  Thank you from {dare I say it?...} the bottom of my heart!  Happy stitching!...

xoxo~alison

A container for my joy!...

Hello my dears...
Remember my last post, where I extolled the virtues of fusible web and all of its no-sew, reversible-fabric goodness?  Well, here I am again with another no-sew tutorial just for you...and just so you know, there are already a couple more tutorials in the works!...I've been in kind of a gotta-make-it-must-share-it frenzy lately...so much fun!  Anyway, here is my latest distraction...

 ...little origami pockets...containers of joy~love notes~party favors~Valentines~chocolates~and all sorts of other sweet things.  They are fast, fun and easy...a great big-kid and little-kid project!

I am going to go through the directions for these step by step.  There are lots of pictures to help us along the way.  Before we get too far in, though, let me give you a peek at some of the other little pockets that are hanging around here—it might be helpful as you choose your materials.  There are two-sided fabric pockets, like the cotton ones above and this linen~on~linen one...

 

And there are paper-backed fabric pockets, like this map~on~linen one...

I used pages from an old, tattererd atlas {like in this project} for this pocket, but you could use any medium weight paper you choose.

Here is what you will need—

~fusible web
~fabric square and another piece of fabric or paper for the lining—the amounts needed will vary depending on the size of your pockets {one square foot is more than enough}
~an iron
~ruler
~scissors
~optional supplies include—a bone folder, glue, needle and thread, ribbon and any other embellishments desired.

Finished measurements—

Large—3 1/4" tall and 4 3/4"  wide at the top opening
Small—2 3/4" tall and  4" wide at the top opening

And now without further ado, let's get started!

First we fuse...

Iron the fusible web to your fabric following the instructions on the packaging.  Then peel off the paper backing...

 

Next iron the lining material {can be fabric or paper} to your piece of fabric ... 

 

Here you see the two-sided fabric {one piece of linen lined with the map and the other piece of linen lined with a lighter weight white linen}...

Next, we need to crop the fabric so that it is ready for origami.  You want a perfect square.  The larger pockets are made with an 8" square and the smaller pockets are made with a 6" square...

Now we begin the origami!... 
This is the simplest origami pattern that I know, and one that I remember learning as a girl.  Maybe you went through a phase where you made these little paper cups when you were young too?  I remember making dozens of them, filling them with water, drinking out of them, filling them with snacks, and feeling so cool {geeky, no?}...anyway, suffice it to say that it is perfect for any kid looking for an alternative to traditional Valentines.

First, place your square on the table just like so, with the side that will form the lining of your pocket facing up and with the square arranged on point so that there is a corner at the top, one at the bottom, and with the other two corners to the sides... 

Just a note:  It helps to have a bone folder handy {that thing on the left} to help you form crisp creases in your origami.  If you don't have one, you can use an unsharpened pencil, the flat edge of your scissors, or even the tip of your iron {doesn't have be on}.

The first fold—bring the bottom corner up to the top corner and fold the square on the diagonal, forming an isosceles triangle like so...

Press along the fold to get a good crease {you will do this for all future folds}...

Next, you will bring the corner on the right over to the left leg of the triangle like so...

 

As you make this fold, you will create a smaller isosceles triangle at the top of your piece, the base of which should be parallel to the base of your original triangle. 

Fold the top corner of this triangle down...

This side is done...

Turn the piece over...

 

 And repeat the all of the steps above on this side of the piece...

 

Your pocket is now complete!... 

 You may want to add a little bit of glue to the middle of each flap to secure it...

This is not necessary but it allows you to thread a ribbon through the top of the flaps to form a handle...

 

You can also secure the flaps with a button...

And attach handles by sewing to the sides...

...or to the middle of your pocket...

Embellish at will!...

And then fill your little pockets with whatever your heart desires...

These sweethearts were made with this brilliant and free pattern on Ravelry {thank you Annri!}—the larger one on a US 7 knitting ndl with Cascade 220 and the smaller one on US 00 with embroidery floss—just because : )

 Delicious!...and I'm so loving that button~it looks just like my girly.  

I can't wait to distribute these little pockets!...I think they'll be as much fun to give away as they were to make.  Here's hoping that you enjoy these as much as I do!...and if you do make some, I'd love to see what you come up with...love getting pictures {just sayin'}.

So long for now...much to do today...there's another tutorial in the works, a birthday cake to make, a snow storm coming {yay!...bring on the snow!} and, of course, my knitting basket{s} are calling me...looks to be a very busy, but very nice day!  Wishing you the same!...

xoxo~alison

Fickle heart garland...

Just a bit of silliness by way of another hearty garland {sorry I couldn't resist!}...this one is a quick and easy, almost no-sew project {just sewing buttons on} that was born out of the need to display some gorgeous Amy Butler prints in in a way other than leaving them in stacks all over the living room.  But which one to pick?  They are all so beautiful...you can't use just one...so this garland is two-faced...in a good way...two prints on one side...

...and coordinating prints on the opposite...

The no-sew part was prompted by the unhappy grumblings of my sewing machine  : ( and my fear of pressing my luck with too much sewing before getting it serviced...enter Heat and Bond.

Have you ever used this stuff?...I'm sure you have.  It's fusible web.  I think there are several brands of it, but this is the one that I use.  I love the stuff!  It's great for applique work and all sorts of other fun things.  It works on paper and fabric...I love it for making two sided fabric like in this garland.  It comes in several different weights and is so easy to use.  Every time I pull the stuff out I think of new uses for it...all sorts of ideas that would be fun to try.

To make the garland, you will need...

~one yard of fabric total {two or more coordinating prints}

~an assortment of buttons {two for each heart in your garland}

~needle and thread

~1/2 - 1 yd. fusible web {I used med-heavy weight for mine}

~ribbon or rick-rack {about 1 foot for each heart, plus and extra 3 feet for each end of the garland}

~notebook paper

~light weight cardboard or cardstock {an old cereal box works well}

~pencil or marker {if you have a fabric marking pen or pencil, that works best}

First, select several coordinating prints {I used 3} and, following the package directions, fuse them together using fusible web.  Ta-da!...two sided fabric...like magic!...I'm so easily amused...but I really do love it...so easy and the weight of the fabric is so nice and substantial.  

Next, make a stencil for your heart cut-outs.  I drew and cut a heart shape out on notebook paper, traced it onto an empty cereal box, and cut it out.  The hearts here are about 5" across {at their widest point}.  After that trace around the cardboard stencil {directly onto the two-sided fabric}...

 

Cut out your hearts...I used pinking shears for mine, because I like the zig-zaggy edge but regular scissors would work just fine...

Once the hearts are cut out, cut your ribbon/rick-rack into 4-6" lengths.  These will be the lengths that connect the hearts—you will need one for every two hearts on your garland.  This rickrack frayed badly so I fixed the ends to keep them from unraveling with a little fray check—worked like a charm.

Next, sew the trim, to the heart with one button on both the front and back sides of the heart, like so...
First, thread the needle with sewing thread, knotting the end of the thread, and make a stitch on the heart at the spot where you wish to attach the trim.
Next, make a sandwich by placing the trim on top of the heart and placing a button on top of the trim.  Bring the needle from the back of the work, through the heart, the trim and the button.  Place a second button underneath the heart {on the backside of the piece} and bring the needle down through the first button, the trim, the heart and finally through the second button...

 
Sew the buttons on in this manner, going through a button on the front side of the garland, the trim, the heart, and a button on the back side of the garland with each stitch.

Repeat for each heart.  As you work your way across the garland, you will use the trim attached to the previous heart, thus connecting the hearts together.  For the last and first heart of your garland, you will use the longer lengths of trim on the outer edges.  This will allow you to hang your garland.

Easy~peasy...just a little ironing, some cutting, a bit of armchair sewing, and VoiLa!!!

Many hearty returns...

xoxo~alison

Hearts and flowers...

Now that we are halfway through January, I think it's safe for me to indulge myself in a little Valentine's day decorating.

Valentine's Day is sort of like Halloween for me...I love the colors, the chocolate, and the opportunity to festoon the house with decorations {I've found that I'm a much more accomplished festooner than cleaner, and fyi—the more you drape the light fixtures and deck the halls, the less noticeable the dust}.  I've never been in to the whole lovey-dovey, perfect date, big gift,  prove how much you love me thing...I see Valentine's Day more as an invitation to send a little love out to friends and family, usually by way of a posy or two, a card, or some little something freshly baked or made.  So with that in mind, and because I always seem to need a little pick-me-up this time of year {feeling itchy after the lull in all of that holiday crafting}, I have started planning and collecting the materials for some little love tokens.  Hopefully all of my planning will be fruitful...I have been known to be overly ambitious in this regard before...you know collecting materials and planning but never finishing...but I have faith this time...I can do it...more on this later. :)

In fact, the lad and I have already gotten started.  He helped me whip up these festive and oh-so-easy hearts and flowers garlands...see...

Okay, we didn't keep them outside, but they did look pretty there...if only they were waterproof.

First we collected the materials...we used vellum {any paper would work well, as long as it isn't too thick}, paper punches {you could use scissors instead}, sewing machine, thread...

See those punches?...I put the package in the pic for you so you could find them if you're interested...I was skeptical about buying these—I hate buying things that don't get used and just end up taking up space—so while I shopped the punchers took a ride in my cart and I did a mental checklist of the potential uses (it was surprisingly long).  Obviously, I decided to give them a go, and so far I love them.  I really like that you can see where you are cutting with these—no more shapes with chunks missing.  I also love that they are easy for little hands and that we don't have to dance up and down, pressing with all my might to get them to cut...very nice...

Once the shapes were cut, it was on to the sewing machine...

*Place the edge of your first shape under the presser foot and sew through it, grab it with the left hand as it emerges at the back of machine and gently pull it and keep the machine stitching away {through nothing—I know it feels weird, but keep going—the bobbin and needle threads will form a chained thread between the shapes—this is particularly pretty if you use two colors of thread}.  Once the chained thread is the length desired, feed the next shape under the presser foot, and repeat from the beginning {*} until your garland is as long as you like it.  Here are some close-ups of the chained thread connecting the shapes...

 

Note... As you pull your shapes through the back of the machine take care to stack them neatly, otherwise they will become hopelessly tangled.

 

Now it's time to festoon, drape and deck the halls with your newly minted heart garland...

Silly, I know, but they make me happy, and I kind of love them.  Plus, I think they look pretty with our  snowflakes! 

Wishing you a day full of hearts and flowers...
xoxo—alison

ps~Thanks for all of the mom love out there and the warm wishes for our visit.  It was wonderful and I miss her already, but am so grateful for the days we spent together.  Here is a pic taken right before she left...

...sorry, I couldn't resist...love my little shoe shiner.