Nini Makes

Make your breakfast a hat

No, don't eat a hat, felt one for your boiled egg.

Keep your egg warm and cozy with a woolly hat. This is so simple and effective at keeping eggs snugly that if you're a boiled egg lover you'll run around cutting arms off jumpers.

Here's how:

1. Felt a 100% wool jumper or cardigan in a wash of at least 60 degrees celsius (140 F) with a small amount of laundry soap for wool washes. (I used a child's size 5 cardigan, the felted width was perfect for the cozies but an adult garment would work too, just sew all the way down to the bottom on both sides of the curve for the desired width.)

2. When it's dry, cut the sleeves off to make several cozies, or just cut a 10 cm length off the bottom. (Every other bit of the remaining cardigan will be used for more projects.)

3. Trim the end into a curve shape and machine or hand stitch along the curve to close up the top of the hat.

 

4. Turn the hat inside-out and stitch a small pom-pom to the top of the hat.

5. Turn up the bottom of the hat to make a cuff, then pop it on a perfect, four-minute boiled egg.

Adults and children alike would enjoy the simplicity of this project. A pair of these would be a sweet addition to a little Valentine breakfast tray, just remind your hubby to use them when he makes it;)

Find this and loads of other fantastic felt projects linked here at Meet-Me-At-Mikes, there's a Flickr group too!

A Valentine gift

Although Valentine's Day generally comes and goes around here like pretty much any other day I remember gleefully making dozens of Valentine's cards for classmates when I was little, always saving my favourite for the boy I most had the hots for.

The design for this little embroidery pattern popped into my head the other day and I've just managed to get it finished before the 14th has come and gone, though I'd quite like to use it anytime of year. When I stitch it the finished product might be a quilt block.

The seven year old me probably used this "tweet" line when making Valentines all those years ago. I wanted it to hark back to those old little cards with the goofy little puns. I loved making those cards back then and Gracie has her eye on this design for a few Valentine projects of her own.

If you'd like the full-size PDF version of this design leave me a comment on this post and I'll email it to you. It will only be available through the end of February.

The Green Parent magazine has a fantastic new website and has posted one of my craft tutorials from their Christmas edition - it's very simple and appropriate for Valentine's Day. They even included one of my templates for download, handy for a variety of crafts.

And if Valentine's Day is not your favourite day of the year take part in the Black Heart Anti-Valentines Day Contest hosted by Dabbled. I found it via Rachel of Average Jane Crafter who is one of the judges.

To take part create a "creepier" anti-Valentine craft and enter it on Dabbled's site.

Easiest stockings ever

There's still plenty of time before Christmas to knock out these stockings for the whole family. Using felted wool blankets makes Christmas stockings very quick to stitch up.

The beauty of felted blankets is that they're thick enough to hold a nice shape even if they're big so there's no need to line them or use interfacing.

Over the last few Christmases I've made slightly smaller versions of these with our year six class. They do a running stitch around the edges and stitch on fabric & felt scraps, ribbons and buttons. I love making these with the classes, a very unusual calm descends upon them.

This is a largish stocking that I've stuffed with chocolate - the design is quite classic as it's going to school as a raffle prize for the Christmas Fair.

These are so simple to make, here's how to make this stocking with a cuff:

Cut out two stocking shapes and two pieces for a separate cuff. The finished size of this one is about 23" top to toe (with the cuff rolled down.) The cuff piece is about 5" high by 8.5" wide.

Before sewing the two sides together decorate the front if you wish. Then stitch it together and turn it right side out.

I used a cookie cutter as a template to needle felt the gingerbread man on, then sewed on his trimmings. I also added a dyed piece of felt to the toe and heel and blanket stitched around them. Then I cut out a few holly leaves and backstitched down the centre of each and added a few beads for holly berries.

To make a cuff cut out two pieces of felted wool that extend about 5" above the stocking. Put them together and stitch down the sides (I sewed a length of bauble trim to this one.) Then sew the cuff onto the completed stocking wrong side out with the bauble trim at the top and turn the cuff down and over to the right side after it's sewn on. 

To finish, stitch a ribbon to the inside for hanging.

There are so many stocking templates out there I haven't included one here but if anyone feels another one is needed I'll knock one up (hopefully before Christmas ;) And I can sketch up the appliqued pieces too.

Sorry no images for a full how-to, no time at the moment. I'll stop rambling now, back to a very important non-Christmas related job.

Have a great weekend.

Update: In reference to Lisa's question about the dye, I've used a couple different types of dye but we really only have one easy brand to get here in the UK which is Dylon.

I stock-piled a lot of their Multi-Purpose dye a few years back and am still using that supply. They have now changed their product line and the dye that has similar instructions to the Multi-Purpose is called Dylon Fabric Dye for Hand Use. See their site for the instructions on how to use it.

I've not done a tutorial for dying blankets because Lynn has a great one which illustrates a good process to use (she used Multi-Purpose too but substitute that if it's no longer available, just check the instructions to be sure your dye works on wool.)

Present for a young stitcher

This little item is on the twee side, so if you have a twee aversion, look away now.

A simple little stitching project for a beginner stitcher, or gift for a beginner. I put this one together very quickly to add to a raffle prize for the Macmillan coffee morning.

The raffle prize included this needle book, some hand-dyed felted wool, this lovely sewing book, some hand-dyed felted wool, a length of antique lace, a linen tea towel, a variety of embroidery floss colours, a hoop and a small pair of scissors - it was all tucked into basket.
This little kit would make a nice, simple Christmas gift for a would-be stitcher.

Go on, whip one up: You will need: two pieces of felt about 9cm x 13cm, another piece of felt for an inside page and two scrap pieces for a button flap and a pocket. You will also need felt for flower petals, a button for the flower centre, a snap (popper,)and embroidery floss.

• Cut two pieces of outer felt (I used pieces from a felted wool blanket.)
• Cut a piece of regular felt, about 8.5 cm x 12cm, in another colour for the needles and pins - the left edge will be stitched into the cover. Using pinking shears on this felt creates a nice edge.
• Tack a smaller piece of felt (about 8cm x 4cm) to hold buttons on the left and stitch it to the cover on the top edge, use thread that is the colour of the cover felt.
• Stitch another piece to the cover (about 8cm x 6cm) along the sides and the bottom to create a pocket, again use thread that is the colour of the cover felt.
• Cut out five petal shapes from a flower colour of felt and one small strip of green felt. Stitch them to the cover in a flower shape and sew a button for the centre. Chain stitch a stem, add petals with a satin stitch or bits of green felt and stitch a strip of felt to the bottom. 
• Sandwich the felt that holds the needles between the cover pieces of felt and hand stitch or machine stitch the three pieces together down the left side.
• Sew a snap to the outer edge to hold the needle book closed.
• Add a blanket stitch around the edges with embroidery floss, fill with needles, buttons, pins, etc. and "Bob's your uncle!"*

After writing this I now know I have a serious problem with the word felt, each and every time I type it it comes out flet. Am I alone in this affliction?

*Couldn't get my head around this bit of slang after moving to the UK. Who is Bob? I don't have an uncle named Bob, and you don't know even know my uncles.

Take-away love, and tutorial

I'm packing my bags for a trip and made this little travel frame to take with me.

I'm going to sunny California to spend time with my family and go to another wedding. I'm only missing two classes so it was easy to get those covered, but these two little lovlies will still have nine days left of school, so they can't come this time.

Thanks hubby for altering your schedule to be both mummy and daddy.

The frame fits inside this little pouch and is only about 3.5 x 4 inches so I can keep it in my handbag. I'm normally one of those mothers who only has one photo in her wallet, the one that was in it when I bought the wallet.

Now I can actually say "yes" when my extended family ask if I have any current pictures of the children.

I had this old pop art image of Robert Indiana's on the brain when I stitched this little case for the travel frame. Those lucky residents of Scottsdale get to walk around Indiana's LOVE all the time.

For those of you out there with only the original photo in your wallet too, you may want to make one of these frames - here's a little tuorial. I think mine's going to stay with me all the time, even when I'm not away :)

One for the dads

Make a patchwork tie card for dad or grandpa.

We made these at school this week, a nice project for little or big kids, and they look surprisingly smart - like a tie should.

This doesn't really need a "how to" but here's one anyway:

• Cut a tie shape out of card stock and glue used postage stamps onto it overlapping and going in different directions.
• Let it dry the trim any stamps that overlap the edge of the tie shape.
• Stick foam dots or squares to the back and glue it to a card. The stickers lift it off the page for a bit of 3D effect.
• If you use a dark coloured card glue a piece of light coloured paper to the inside to write a message on or write on the dark paper with metallic pens.

Variations:

• Try making a stripy tie or a polka dot tie using stamps instead of a patchwork tie.
• Also try using a different shape like a car instead of a tie.
• If you don't have stamps, squares cut from colourful magazine pages would be just as effective.
• A simple shape in collage like this would also look nice mounted in very simple box frame to make a small piece of art instead of a card.

I scored three large bags of these stamps at a boot fair a few years ago for a pound a bag. It was probably the best three pounds I've ever spent for enjoyment value. I've used them for various projects at school over the last three years. The children love sifting through them, studying the tiny artwork and arranging them in their own artwork.

Enjoy :)

Naughty little bunnies

I'm not usually one to create little narratives about the toys I make (Lyn is the best toy maker/story teller in blogland, bar none) probably because my toys often end up looking as if they lack personality. These two are different, the more I added to them the more they started talking to me.

This is what they told me. They are are sisters. Camille is the brown bunny on the left. She's the oldest and thinks she's very glamorous. She loves to have her photo taken but pretends to hate it. Camille's always confident yet she's a bit self-conscious of her ears because they're rather long and not as petite as her sister's - mummy insists she'll grow into them, but she's not convinced.

Issy is younger by only six months and she has a habit of giggling at the most inappropriate times. She is very kind-hearted and doesn't ever feel the need to stand up to her bossy older sister. Issy secretly wishes she had chocolate brown fur like her sister but is glad she doesn't have her over-sized ears.

Camille and Issy love chocolate and when mum's not looking they stuff themselves silly.

Look, Camille is doing it now!

They are very naughty little bunnies - but so much fun to make.

I had intended on making these with the children but whipped these up in the wee hours for a quick gift. We'll make some together this week as school holidays have just begun.

Here's how to make them.

Supplies: Paper and pencil, felted wool or thick felt, two pipe cleaners, straight pins, buttons, embroidery thread and needle, scraps of coloured felt, fabric, lace or ribbon. Optional: Sewing machine, bag of chocolates

1. Measure the height and width of your chocolates and draw a rectangle on paper for a pattern using those dimensions and add 3cm to the top and bottom. Determine the size you want your ears to be and cut out a smaller, narrower rectangle for those. Round off one end of each of the paper rectangles and cut them out, this is your pattern. NOTE: This pattern can also be used as a hand puppet. If you're not using it for chocolates, the measurements I used are: 18cm tall x 12cm wide for the body and 14cm long x 2.5 - 3cm wide for the ears. The fabric centres of the ears can be cut from the same ear pattern less one centimetre on the width.
2. Cut out two pieces of wool for the body and two ears. Then cut out two pieces of patterned fabric for the centres of the ears.
3. Pin the patterned fabric pieces to the centre of the wool pieces for the ears. Machine or hand stitch all the way around the patterned fabric leaving the base of the ear open (I used a small zig zag stitch.) Repeat with the second ear.
4. Cut the pipe cleaners to a centimetre longer than the length of the ear. Turn one end of each pipe cleaner into a circle then insert the end with the circle into the base of each ear. You now have two bendy bunny ears.
5. Decorate the front of your bunny. Sew on buttons or felt circles for eyes. Embroider a triangle for a nose, or sew on a felt triangle. Then use a backstitch or a split stitch to make an upside down "Y" starting at the base of the nose.
6. Add other details, needle felt a heart (see below to learn more about needle felting) or sew on a felt heart. Make clothes. Lay on strips of fabric and/or lace and ribbon and trim them to 1cm over each side of the bunny.
7. Sew the clothes along the edge of the bunny on either side. (I used a zig zag stitch again.) Then trim the excess of the edges to tidy it up.
8. Take the back of the bunny's body and needle felt a tail or sew on a pom pom.
9. With wrong sides facing and the ears positioned at the top of the head tucked in between the front and back of the body pin the parts in place. Sew from the base around the head and back down the other side - leave the base of the bunny open.
10. Let your bunny stuff herself (or himself) with chocolates!

Alternative: Use the bunny as a hand puppet or stitch up the base and stuff with filler to make a stuffed toy.

A note on needle felting: Sarah Rosensweet is a Toronto based artist that specializes in exquisite needle felted children's clothing. She gave a fantastic tutorial on The Martha Stewart Show a while back and it's the best one I can find that shows how easy it is. If you've never tried needle felting, it's inexpensive and very easy - try it!

And on embroidery: Mary Corbet has a really nice little library of stitch tutorials for embroidery on her site Needle'nThread. I highly recommend her videos for embroidery beginners.

H A P P Y  E A S T E R !

A bag for spring & summer

I've been trying to get around to making a pattern for my messenger bag, I will one day Becki I promise. This bag by, Claire (AKA bouncyflea) over at Craftster, just looks like spring. So until I get my pattern made you might want to give this one a go.

Here's her tutorial. I haven't made one yet myself yet but her instructions are very clear and it looks quick to make - my kind of project. Thanks for generously sharing it with the rest of us Claire.

And also a big thank you to Kath at Whip Up for featuring my personalized paper doll project, love that Whip Up :)

Personalized paper dolls

Here's a little digital project for girls or boys that I've been working on as part of a project for The Green Parent magazine. It's a great way to personalize a gift or make one for your own children.

Here's how to do it: Simply photograph your child in a bathing suit, then photograph the child in other outfits or costumes. Be sure to put he or she in the same position and at the same distance to the camera as you did in the bathing suit.

Print the photos out on to card stock then cut out the full body in the bathing suit. Next cut out just the clothing of the other pictures. Be sure to make tabs on the clothing to fold over the body as you would with regular paper dolls.

I'm planning on making this a gift for a friend of Gracies. To do this I will take an existing photo of the friend and use a simple photo program like Photoshop Elements to put the child's head on to Gracie's body, that way the other child doesn't need to pose and thus ruin the surprise. I'll also make a sturdy, decorative envelope to keep them in.

The paper dolls pictured are a magnetic version, to see how it was done as well as other magnetic crafts you'll need to get your hands on a copy of the April/May issue of The Green Parent magazine.

Card art

This is a little paper-cut I did for Dianne's birthday card recently. I did a lot of paper cutting at art school but haven't worked on many recently. Some may recall my appreciation for Rob Ryan's work which I talked about a few months back - amazing! He creates very intricate designs and often includes text in his work.

This little piece was fairly quick to make as I kept the design quite simple. Here's how I make these paper cuts (this is a bit larger than A5.)

1. Draw a design onto paper or tracing paper.

2. Tape the drawing to a window or put it on a light box.

3. Tape a sheet of paper (the one you will cut) over the drawing and lightly trace your original drawing onto the clean paper. Do not use a heavy piece of paper, use normal or light weight paper - even tissue paper will work.

4. Use a craft knife (Xacto) knife to cut out the design. Experiment with different types of blades. Have plenty of blades available. As soon as you begin pressing harder to cut the paper, change blades. Pushing hard to cut the paper usually results in: rumpling the paper, a jagged edge or a cut finger. Change blades often!

5. Using spray glue, lightly spray the back of the cut out image and carefully position it onto a piece of card stock.

Tip: spray glue can be really nasty stuff, try and find one of the newer, water-based varieties like Spray Craft Adhesive from Gluestore.com.

Give it a try, the results can be really clean and satisfying.