Felt Christmas Card Snowmen Hanger

After doing this felt craft and the Bucilla Penquin Snow Hanger I have decided no more felt projects for me. They are beautiful in the end but I find myself frustrated and angry during the entire crafting process. I don't like seeing the stitches and that is difficult with felt. Crafts and sewing should be fun and not painful. I don't have the patience for felt, but I have patience for sewing hundreds and thousands of sequins and beads on projects..... yeah I don't get it, go figure.

So I started with this Bucilla Project here that I picked up. Pretty cute, it is a card holder. Thought it was different and would make a nice christmas gift.

Again I cheated with using fabric paint rather than embroidery, I find I can control the end outcome better! I also used fusible interface rather than the pellon they gave (because they did not include enough!!! Bad Bucilla!).

Here are some during pictures. :)

The end product- the top part.

The entire portion, it is huge!

The back I covered with fusible fleece, again there was not enough included in the package to cover the entire back.

I am giving away some of the felt projects I had purchased to my mother. She likes them. Me, no more they are just taking up space in my craft room. And I don't have a lot of space to spare! LOL

Here's to finishing another Project! Wahoo!

XOXOXOXO,
Lauren

Asian Needlepoint

Finally, the asian needlepoints are framed!! This was such an ordeal b/c I had no idea needlepoint needed to be blocked before framing. This would have been nice had the lady told me when I was turning them in (and paying for them) at Michael's. Let me tell you, I was not a happy cramper b/c I got a rude phonecall from Michael's several days later saying they could not complete my order. Additionally, they could not refund my money either nor could they give me (or do it themselves) someone who could block my art. Rudely, one of the ladies said I'm sorry honey (very sharp) you just have to find someone on your own I can't help you, the person who took your order wasn't doing her job. My response- well apparently you need to be fired b/c you didn't properly train her.

Since I had zero leads, I called around everywhere here in Mobile. I put an add on craigslist and my facebook page but no bites. I called Hobby Lobby one day and they said they could stretch it but not set up to block it. So I just went with stretching/lacing.

Basically, for all you non-needlepointers out there. While you stitch your needlepoint by hand, unless it is basted to a frame while sewing it will begin to become crooked. Needlepoint is only 1 stitch on the diagonal going a certain direction. And that is the direction the canvas will stretch. The degree always varies on your tightness and how big the design is. This was my problem nothing was straight.

Blocking is the best way to get it to go straight but the one lady who blocks is out of business. No one else does it. Lacing/stretching is ok but will not be perfect. At this point, I did not care.

Finally, after much angst they got laced and then back to Michael's to be framed. I love the ending. I put them over our bed. The larger, main needlepoint means "Bless this house" the smaller ones I thought meant luck or happiness but I had done these so long ago that I did not keep the information. Either way it matched and it was lovely!

Here are some pictures. Sorry the lighting in our apartment stinks. I waited several weekends to get decent shots but they still are not optimal.

Up close
The bigger one, which means Bless this house.

Yeah I am very in love with the big picture.

The smaller ones..

Finally! :)

XOXOXOXO,
Lauren