Stocking re-fab for KK

Hi it's Sizzle Thursday and I am still hooked on stockings. Today I am going to show you a way to turn a cheap pre-made stocking into something unique and pretty. There are so many great stocking ideas out there that maybe your not willing to commit to a certain style (raising hand) or you just need something that is no-sew, quick and easy but still with a homemade touch....and cheap. Here is my solution.

KK has come to our place for Christmas for that last few years so I decided I would make her a stocking of her own for when she is with us for Christmas. I hope you like it Karie!




This is what I started out with:

I picked up a few of these last year from Joann's when they were on 50% off clearance--you can get most Christmas stuff cheap right now esp fabric (s0%off at fabric.com or aboveallfabric.com)--because I put all that time into the one stocking and the rest of us didn't have any. They are only a couple of dollars regular price. They are felt.

The first thing I did it cut a piece of fabric the size of the cuff- all the way around.

I used no-sew hem tape to hem the edges of the fabric (you just iron). It looks like this:

I used this to adhere the fabric to the cuff too. You could also use my friend fusible web - I used it too later

Then I added trim with tacky glue. I love this trim. I need to stock up when it is on sale!

The next step is to make templates for the heel and toe.

I used a piece of scratch paper and traced the shape of the stocking then just free handed a heel and toe piece.

I also made a template for the letter.

Then I cut the shapes out of fabric:

Then I cut them out of fusible web (remember trace on paper side with right side down).

Then I ironed the heel, toe and letter in place.

You can trim if your piece is slightly bigger like mine was in this picture. I sewed around the pieces but you don't have to. I just need to sew something...

What a big difference huh?

I think I will add some more trim and embroider the letter but I think I will leave that for the final reveal - Christmas.

Happy Stocking Creating

Childrens Artwork into Art

Hi it's Sizzle again. Tuesday I showed you how to use fusible web and today I am going to show how you can turn children's artwork into fabric art. Sounds fun huh.

I had a son who goes through 50 pieces of paper a day. I but copy paper in BULK because of him. He makes monsters and dinosaurs etc. These aren't just drawings - he makes each part, colors it, and glues it together. I have tons of things like this all over the house:

I can't bring myself to throw them out because I admire his creativity...and man to be 4 and draw like that! Recently I decided to take pictures of them all and plan to photo shop the pics and make a book out of them with his creations as the main characters - but that's a project for another day.

Today's project started when this same son (I have two) came to me and said he wanted a purse like I made Abbey. I had to explain to him that it wasn't a purse it was a wall hanging and then I thought "I really should do something for all of them that shows their personalities." I was going to do a 8.5 x 11 wall hanging based on the first letter of their name but what starts with W? Mmmm. I couldn't think of anything that resembled this little boy then I thought of the word WONDER.

That word describes him to a tee.

So he and I brainstormed. What are things we wonder about? Of course, space came about and this was his drawing:

I developed a pattern and got his okay:

Then I traced all the individual pieces onto the paper side of fusible web:Ignore the B - it is a boo-boo from a previous project.

The I cut out all the pieces leaving a little extra. I went through my fabric stash and choose the fabrics I wanted to use and then ironed the fusible web onto the wrong side of all my fabrics. Then I cut them out.

I decided to use a denim material for my background so it would look like the night sky and the frame (when I frame it - I am not done yet) it would look like a window.

I placed them about where I wanted them, took the paper backing off and ironed them one. I made sure to do the back pieces first (the head, then the eyeballs, then the dots, then the eyelids). It went really fast! I promise.

This is what it looks like with the fabric. When I took this picture I was stitching his mouth. If you look closely he has one tired eye, one surprised eye and one angry eye.

This project isn't finished. I still am outlining all the pieces with a blanket stitch and then I am going to add a W and embroider W is for Wonder; frame it and hang it in his room.

You can see how the blanket stitch brings the details out like his hands. Lots to do.

Then make something for my other son using a D word. I am thinking dinosaurs and dragons (what boy doesn't like those things)