Fabric Flower Friday #2

Before I show you what I made for this week I thought I would show you what I have done with some of the flowers I made for last week's blog post. If you didn't see that post lick on this link.


These show a couple of felted wool pocketbooks I bought a while back from  Joggles.  They are a fun craft site where they have supplies, books, classes and more.  I don't think they still have these bags but if you ask they might know where to find them.

I took the first picture on the back porch.  It is so much brighter using outside light.

 The color is actually somewhere between the two.

 And the color on the second bag didn't change much... strange........

I put these flowers on with pins so they can be removed for other uses.

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The flowers I have chosen to show you today are ones I will probably make as broaches to wear on a dress or shirt.  I found the pattern at this site so won't repeat it here.  You can go there to get the pattern and directions.

http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/2006/03/fabric_flowers.html

 Here are the two flowers I made.  I found the fabrics at my local quilt shop and they seemed appropriate for the flowers I wanted to make. The centers are vintage buttons I got while I was visiting in Maine this summer.

 This flower was made from some special fabric that was filled with french wording and designs.  It also has the word journal on the fabric though not on the part of the flower.  I will probably use that on a journal cover one of these days.

 This black and white design, while not lettering gives you the same idea I  think and I thought the red button gave it a bit of a pop.  I can wear it with my black and white checked blouse I think.

Remember to come back on Tuesday for TEACUP TUESDAY and next Friday for another installment of fabric flowers.  See what I have created this time.

Fall begins on Tea CupTuesday

       Fall has always been my favorite season because of the colors and the temperatures.  Even when I lived in Maine, and it meant winter wasn't far away, I loved it.  There is just something so invigorating about the cooler temperatures and the beautiful colors.  The fall colors in Maine will always be a very fond memory.  We don't see them so bright here in Pennsylvania, mostly, I suppose because we don't have sugar maples.  But there are still some really nice color and it has started.

     This morning we heard a knocking sound way up in one of out trees and finally found the source, it was a    Pileated Woodpecker. I have seen him a few times before but they are rather shy. And he was WAY up in the trees.  I did get a picture, not as good as I would have liked but I did get one. 

 Here is a link for you to check out that will show it a lot better.  ( The Pileated Woodpecker.....)
 They are huge!  I imagine they were the inspiration for Woody Woodpecker because they have the big red comblike hair do... not like the woodpeckers you see more often.
     So that got my day started off well.....................

For my tea cup tuesday offering I went into my shop to see what I could find that would look like the seaason.   I found this one from out in my shop.  And I decided it might look good with the Ironstone Casserole I found there too. 

 The cup and saucer were made by Bell China.  From what I can learn, Bell China was part of, or an 

offshoot of   Shore & Coggins Limited.   

     

This mark was used from 1936 until 1966.

The little brown Ironstone casserole which includes a spoon  that I have pictured is made by T R. Boote

Brown and white transferware ironstone
is marked Tournay, T & R Boote
and is marked with a registry number, 33645
which dates it about 1885.

 

After you visit my post today be sure to check out  these other tea posts.

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

or http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

  ALSO: Rose Chintz Cottage

AND, check back on Friday.  I will be doing the second in a  "series of posts" about making fabric flowers.  

Fabric Flower Friday

 Crazy about fabric flowers......

I have decided to start a little series of blogs featuring fabric flowers and I will show a different one every Friday....  hence a not so original....  Fabric Flower Friday. Don't know how many weeks this will last.  Probably until I get a new interest.

It started a week or so ago when a project I was trying to work on wasn't working out so well but I really was in the mood to make something.  For some reason the idea of making fabric flowers seemed like a good idea.  I have been sewing a lot lately, making little quilty things and have plenty of scraps of the right size.  So off to my search engine to locate some tutorials.  Not that hard as it turns out. Apparently everyone is wanting to make flowers from fabric.

So here is a quick list of some that I found...........

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/03/22/10-beautiful-fabric-flower-tutorials/

http://tipnut.com/fabric-flowers/
http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-fabric-flower-and-flower-tutorial.html

The first set of flowers I made were probably the easiest.  They were made from felt which, for some reason, I have an abundance.  All you really have to do is cut a 1 inch length of fabric.  Mine vary because I have different amounts.  Felt generally comes in either 60 inch wide fabric or in squares.  I suppose you could do this with the squares, just have to cut out a lot of lengths.

You cut the fabric, then cut little slits every 1/4 inch or so all along the edge.   I do this watching tv.  I haven't made flowers out of this particular batch of felt yet.  Just wanted you to see what it looks like.

Then roll it up.  I put glue every couple of inches to make sure it doesn't come undone.  And basically that is it.  I sort of push down and cup the circles at the same time to make them look sort of like mums.

So for my first batch, here they are.  I will be making a lot more.  They are fun to do and great to do while watching tv!  You can glue a hair clip on the back to use in your hair, or glue on a pin back to wear as a brooch sort of thing.  The gal I copied the idea from made a belt from hers.  I am pretty sure the ideas for their use is as endless as the list for use of any fabric flower.  I don't know yet.You could use them in some of the various forms of altered art, art journal covers, what ever!   I may put some on tote bags.

Next time I may make the cuts a bit closer together.  I can't say for sure. Since they were done at different times over a two day period and from different lengths of felt they vary a bit.

Come back next Friday for another flower idea.  I have already done some for that blog entry.  And of course, don't miss Tea Cup Tueday.

And here is a picture showing why I sometimes don't get as much done in my sewing room as I would like.

Asleep on the Job

Third Tea Cup Tuesday in September

And so the month of September is moving right along.

Before I show my tea cup set for this week I wanted to share a project I did while we were traveling last month.  This is a little wall hanging I found a pattern for in the Primitive Quilts Magazine.  It is in the primitive style and was a different type for me to do.  The middle is stitched using an over dyed floss to make it look a bit old fashioned.  And I used their method of quilting using big stitches and  pearl cotton floss. I used it because it is bigger than regular floss. It was fun to do.  I could easily do it while riding in the car but also just sitting around in the kitchens of our friends chatting in the evening.  I had to wait until I got home to bind the edges but the rest was done before we got home. 

So here is this weeks choice of tea cup and saucer.  I chose it because of the beautiful yellow rose.  I love that it has a pretty rose inside the cup as well.  Of course,  since it is Royal Albert you know it would be one of my favorites.    It is called Tea Rose and here are several views of it.

I hope you enjoyed  seeing this cup and saucer

After you visit my post today be sure to check out  these other tea posts.

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

or http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

                                                            ALSO: Rose Chintz Cottage
AND, check back on Friday.  I am starting a new "series of posts" about making fabric flowers.  Don't know how many weeks it will go but have the first two already done and will be working on more soon.

Fall means farmer's markets

This past week we managed to get to our favorite flea market in Leesport, Pennsylvania.  We didn't get much for the shop but boy did we have a GOOD time at the farmer's part of the market!  My vegetable bin is full!  We have been having veggies every night and more ahead.

We managed to pick up a few flowers for the garden as well.

Here are some of the pictures I took just to get you in the mood.  If you have a farmer's market in your area and you don't have your own garden, you should make sure you go at least once this fall.  I bet we go again in a week or two.  Pumpkins and squash should be next on our list.

This is one of the plants that came home to our house!

 And when you visit a market where a lot of Mennonite and Amish are vendors you are bound to find some yummy you eat.

After reviewing these pictures, I can't wait to go back again.

Daffodils in the Fall.... well on the teacup anyway.

This week I am going to show you another cup and saucer set I found on our August Trip.  It is some pretty little daffodils by Royal Vale Bone China.  A simple pattern.  Perhaps I should have waited until Spring but just couldn't do it.  I just thought it was so pretty I needed to share it.

 I am sorry the pictures are a little off.  Unfortunately I already sold this one so can't retake the pictures but I did want to share it!!


After you visit my post today be sure to check out  these other tea posts.

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

or http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

                                                            ALSO: Rose Chintz Cottage

September has begun, Happy Tea Cup Tuesday

Here is another cup and saucer set I bought on my recent travels.
This week  I am showing you a pretty rose cup and saucer from Royal Albert.
I could not find any name of this special pattern.  But is a very pretty rose.

Hope you enjoyed this one.  I have some more rose tea cups to show you in the next few weeks as well as some other pretty designs.

After you visit my post today be sure to check out  these other tea posts.

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

or http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

                                                            ALSO: Rose Chintz Cottage