Posted by lizzymahoney on 2007-11-11 20:54:15
Post Subject:
Embroidery floss will work fine, but other yarns and threads will too.
For ease of practice, take a full skein of embroidery thread. Take a short length of thread and tie a knot around the skein at the dead center.
Now, have another length of floss or thread or contrasting fiber and about a quarter inch down from the fold, wrap the new piece around tightly. Keep going around until you have a small band of wrapped area. Tuck your ends under the wrap.
Snip all the threads free, then snip to even the cut ends up.
Use the original knot as your anchor, or replace it with a jump ring or however you want to attach the tassel.
If you need a shorter length tassel, you could just cut them shorter, or make a shorter skein.
You'll find some other yarns will weigh less than the cotton floss, so you might want to experiment with the right look and heft, and figure in the amount of movement.
You can put a few strands of other colors in the tassel, or add some mylar threads as well.
Posted by senojzilfg on 2007-02-27 21:44:27
Post Subject: needle felting with recycled wool?
I am thinking of trying needle felting, but am loathe to buy new wool roving when I have a bag of thrifted wool sweater scraps - felted and not felted. Must one use wool roving for needle felting or can recycled wool be used? How about wool embroidery thread? I know I could just try it out, but I don't want to buy the tools if it's definitely not going to work.
Please let me know if it's worked for you, or not.
Posted by kika62 on 2006-01-14 00:54:35
Post Subject: Small felt pouch entirely handsewn
Made a cute brown and pink felt pouch with a vintage fabric cut out of an elephant, pearlized button closure and blanket stitched all over with embroidery thread. Luv brown and pink together! Quite useful for all the little things that get lost in the bottom of your purse - lipstick, gum, ID, mints, etc. or to take for a quick run to the grocery store.
It was soo much fun to make, I'm going to make more - variations on the theme and different types of felt. I have even seen ipod covers made with felt, entirely handsewn with cute felt appliques, check them out here:
Posted by CraftyChicaAZ on 2005-03-19 23:00:47
Post Subject:
i'm sorry this is slightly off topic, but we have a lot of mexican import shops here in phx, recently i found one that sold the most beautiful embroidery thread! on big spools in gobsof colors. there were also napkins that had patterns on them - drawn by hand with pen or pencil!
next time i go, i'll check for the plastic raffia, i think i saw it at a party store here...
Posted by anati on 2004-07-03 11:55:31
Post Subject:
if you like making jewelery (i do too), try hemping or making friendship bracelets with embroidery thread. beads might spill, so you probably shouldnt take those along.
Posted by PSnyder on 2005-07-21 14:34:54
Post Subject:
I made a mobile for my first son, but I cheated. I found an old mobile at the thrift store, and took off whatever was hanging from it, and added my own little plush stars that I had sewn. You could be creative with this, by choosing ribbon or colorful embroidery thread or yarn and adding beads when you attach your fishies.
You could check out thrift stores or consignment stores or baby-specific consignment stores. (just make sure the music box and other components work to make it turn)
Posted by shawneemonkey on 2005-06-03 16:06:50
Post Subject: Re: I want to learn to Cross Stitch
Where do I begin?
What materials do I need?
I've checked out http://www.subversivecrossstitch.com/ and that seems like a good place to start but I think I need some pointers.
i learned with instructions in one of my craft books - i think it was the "Good Housekeeping" guide to needlecrafts or something. very basic directions, easy to follow. if you don't have a needlework book, there should be some at your local library, or there are turorials on the interweb (and i'm having a total brainfart right now on where i found them before, d'oh!)...
you'll need:
embroidery thread
aida cloth (start with around 14-count, i think)
appropriate needles
embroidery hoop
you can start with a small sampler, or just work stitches per the instructions to get a feel for it. it's pretty easy once you get the hang of where it's all supposed to go.
Posted by lizzymahoney on 2006-04-30 09:43:49
Post Subject:
oh, man, i am 525 bucks out because of damn jo-ann. It does not help that I know the store and know how things are marked down and can tell my fabric from looking at the reverse bolt end.
okay, fabrics I just had to have from clearance: two fleeces, one black with a gold dust overlay (pillows, maybe a dressy jacket) and a reversible blue green fleece that I'll make reversible pillow covers for my brother.
Yards and yards of peachskin, an extremely durable and uncrushable synthetic that travels well, works well, washes well. I have skirts and tops and scrubs and separates in mind for probably about 40 yards of various prints and one embroidered solid. One's a jacquard solid, too.
nascar fabric for scrub tops I can sell. People like the local events. Now if I could just find Harley prints... And I bought some things I plan to make into do-rags and hobo bags and the like for Bike Week.
leopard print sheer in olive and hunter. My room is very dark because I need it that way. I am going to use a lot of ethnic, tribal, organic looking fabrics for cushioning the headboard, making bed skirts, drapes and throw pillows. One of the 'ethnic' prints is evocative of mudcloth only it's a heavier canvas with a bold print that is very feminine in a vulva sort of way. Also has cowries sewn into it. Screams sexuality to me, maybe it will rub off.
oh, I bought about fifteen yards of this violet floral chiffon with glitter just because I knew it was so hideous it would make a marvelous something or other. Someday.
Several home dec things including apron fabric and a beautiful botanical orchid print. that's probably going for my mother's kitchen chairs pads. my sister loves aprons. i only buy or collect the exceptional needlework kind, like Seminole patchwork or Swedish embroidery. but I'll design and sew them for people who whine enough.
Then there's this clear red and black print slubbed synthetic, very asian cherry blossom motif. I bought about ten yards of the red, and found the remaining four yards of the reverse print yesterday. That's great because i was thinking it had to be bias cut for maximum effect and a contrast for blouse or belt line would be divine.
a number of basics in yardage, like summer light cotton in palest lavender, and black twill, red flannel. if i had any excuse to buy quilting cottons, the financial boon for jo-ann would have been more impressive. but one, I already have tons of cottons, and two, I haven't quilted in ages.
in clearance other things, I cleaned out some of the shelving and hardware, also tissue boxes and trays, odd Swarovski bits that didn't seem right on sale, spools of narrow gold tulle and odd ribbons, some funky yarns that I am not up to knitting with but will use for garnishing things, paint pens, dye pens, pearl cotton for embroidery and the nicer Linea kits. Good idea, bad assembly. If you say a kit will have everything for someone it really should. But the needles in their slim packs slipped out, as did bead embellishments. Plus I would embroider a bit differently and the few stitch suggestions were laughable. Probably right at beginner level though. bought lots of packets of their pearl cotton for those kits, though, so between my beads and tassels and frogs and choices of embroidery thread and stitch, I'm sure these will be great. also bought some closeout cross stitch kits, definitely not my thing, but I can see ways to make them more interesting for me.
i don't normally buy scrapbooking things unless they are clearance or at a yard sale. I like making do with the odd bits I can come up with. But I did get a few embellishments and stickers, some plain gift bags, lots of ribbons, some appliques and a variety of paints and stamp pads.
i used the 50% coupons to buy mostly books, but also a versatool, or an old fashioned wood burning pen that does so much more. the books were on advanced beading techniques and two each on altered books or higher end scrap booking techniques. i curled up in bed and fell asleep last night with them all around me. my poor bedsleeping cat had to use the pillow above my head.
this is just so exhausting. I think I'll clear the kitty off and go back to bed.
Posted by jenie on 2005-08-15 22:05:57
Post Subject:
I fingerweave friendship bracelets of a different sort. Mine come out round, more or less, using 5 loops. You start with 5 strands of embroidery thread (or whatever type of string/cord you want) about 31" in length for a bracelet. (if I remember correctly; it's been a long time, and I usually measure from my thumb and forefinger to the soft area just inside my shoulder) Then you double them all together and tie them at loose end.
You use a safety pin which you have poked through the knot to anchor the strands to your jeans or a towel or some other thick fabric that will take some yanking on, and then you loop 3 strands over the index, second, and third fingers of one hand (let's say the R) and 2 strands over the index and second fingers of the other hand (L).
Now you use the 3rd finger of your left hand and pass it under the upper half of the loops you are holding on your 3rd and 2nd fingers (in that order) on the R hand and then hook it *over* the top half of the loop you are holding on your right index finger, unhook that loop, and pull it through the other two loops on your R. hand. You should now have 2 loops on your right hand and 3 on your left. Pass the remaining two loops on your right hand each up a finger, so that instead of having loops on your 2nd and 3rd fingers, you have them on your 1st and 2nd fingers. Repeat the process, using the 3rd finger of your R. hand as a hook this time. Just keep doing that, passing the topmost string back and forth from each hand and moving the leftover bottom two strings up until you get to the end of the bracelet and the loops are too small to work with anymore.
Tie another knot at the loop end, and you're good to go. To tie the bracelet or anklet on, all you do is pass the loose end knot through the loops and then tie it off on the string around your ankle.
I realize this is a little hard to visualize. If anyone wants, I'll go thru the effort of pictures, but if no one cares, I'd rather not!
Posted by EarthTones on 2004-05-31 11:54:04
Post Subject:
Wow...some really great ideas in this thread!
What about making a frienship-style bracelet out of embroidery thread? You can customize the colors based on your friend's gf's favorite colors and its easy to make. And it would probably be sturdy enough to weather the elements while hiking.
I am sooooooo loving the shrinky dink bracelet idea!
Posted by CraftyChicaAZ on 2005-03-27 00:08:23
Post Subject: i got robbed at the craft store today!
as i was inspecting the silk ribbon embroidery thread collection, they snatched my wallet from my purse. i had no idea until i was walking to the cash register and felt something smack me in the leg. it was my wallet, they threw it back at me.
they only took the cash and left the cards, thank god!
i think they must have thrown it back at me because i only had $24 in there!
*sniffles* it was still very freaky! only across-the-chest strap bags for me from now on!
Posted by pteryla on 2005-09-04 19:52:48
Post Subject:
i love the city quilter on 25th between 6th/7th, closer to 7th, north side of street. obviously it's quilting-specific, but there's great fabric, mettler thread, quality scissors, rotary cutters, rulers, mats, tons of books (i walked out with "stupid sock creatures" the other night, and love it already). thimbles, embroidery thread, etc. i also like lee's, and i love pearl paint. then there's a little place that bills itself as an art store on 7th betw. 29th/30th, east side of avenue. but it has a ton of yarn and various craft supplies too. there used to be a hipster yarn/knitting store on bedford ave. around s. 4th or so, but i don't know if it's still there.
