The Magic Bean

Freebie Friday - Mark this spot!

This Freebie Friday, I've decided that rather than link to other people's free doll stuff on the net,I'd create a free pattern along with a free tutorial of my own to give away. 

First of all, if you are my friend Kari, stop reading this right now!  I mean it, stop reading.  I'm not kidding.  There will be serious consequences if you keep reading.  Here's a link to the site for Michael Bolton.  There.  That got rid of her. 

When I was in Rome in January I was sketching in our hotel room.  When I'd finished playing with the drawing I realised that I'd sketched a very close friend of ours, Kari.  It was Kari's hen weekend and we had already arranged a trip for my birthday at the same time,so she was on my mind.  I liked the sketch and wanted to do something with it as a gift for Kari (hence, re-directing her to Michael Bolton, there's no accounting for taste).  It was jut the right size for a bookmark, so here's a flat doll bookmark for you (and for Kari).  There aren't many special materials involved and you can embellish the bookmark however you like.

First off you need to download the free pattern.  Download karis_bookmark.pdf

You'll need:

• a scrap of tightly woven cotton fabric in a flesh colour
• Double-sided bonding sheet such as Wonder Under or Steam a Seam 2
• a scrap of fabric (any type you like) for the backing
• a heavy craft weight interfacing such as Timtex or Pelmet Vilene
• a mechanical pencil
• various colours of Prismacolour pencils and watercolour pencils
• spray fixative
• the usual sewing equipment such as a sewing machine, scissors, thread etc
• thread suitable for free motion machine embroidery
• darning foot for your machine for free motion machine embroidery (optional)
• optional embellishments:  heat-fix crystals, Angelina Fibre etc (just try and keep the embellishments fairly flat if you intend to use this as a bookmark)

1.  Start off by tracing the pattern onto the right side of the flesh coloured fabric using a mechanical pencil.  Use a lightbox if you have one, if not, you could tape it to a window to trace the drawing.

2.  Iron the double-sided bonding sheet to the back of the flesh coloured fabric, peel off the paper backing and adhere to the Pelmet Vilene/Timtex.

3. Use a combination of watercolour pencils and regular pencil crayons to colour the face (click on the link if you need some help with colouring the face from Patti Culea).  Use watercolour pencils to colour the hair and clothes.  Run a damp brush over these areas you've coloured with watercolour pencil to give the effect of paint (just don't wet the face or her features will blur together).  Be prepared that it may run as watercolours do.  If it runs off the edge of the body, it doesn't matter as we will cut that fabric away.  Dip the watercolour pencils in water for colouring the shoes or highlights in the hair - anywhere that you want a strong, bold line and intense colour.  This also works well when highlighting the eyes with a small dot of white to make them look shiny.

4.  Once you are happy with the colouring of your flat doll bookmark spray it with a spray fixative.  Do this in a well ventilated area, preferably outside and on a flat surface so that the watercolour pencil doesn't run.  Hold the spray can 10" or so away from the drawing and let the spray fall on the drawing.  Spray the drawing 3-5 times.

5.  When the spray fixative is dry use free motion machine embroidery to decorate the surface.  I also outlined the whole shape and the main lines of the drawing with free motion stitching.  I used variegated rayon thread for this stitching because, well, it's pretty.

   

6.  When you've stitched the bookmark as much as you want, iron another double-sided bonding sheet to the pelmet Vilene side of the bookmark, then peel off the paper backing and iron on a piece of patterned fabric for the bookmark backing.

7.  Cut out the shape, being extra careful not to cut your stitching.  Then zig-zag stitch the edges of the bookmark around the whole shape.

8. Embellish as you wish.  I didn't get carried away here as I want my piece to be as flat as possible so as not to ruin the bindings of books by the mere use of this bookmark, so I just applied hot-fix crystals as buttons. However, you could do some stamping or other fun stuff if you wished.

   

Done.  I hope you enjoyed that free tutorial and pattern. And I hope Kari likes her bookmark. and forgives me for kicking her off my blog because generally I'm so welcoming, really I am.

Surprise Post

I had a pretty ordinary day today and then I received this in the post:

All the way from Quebec, from Louise.  If you regularly read my blog you'll remember Louise's doll from my Bea in her Bonnet class.  The day I received those pictures from Louise I was really down, but her pictures and e-mail really cheered me up.  Now for no reason at all, except that Louise is a sweetie, I received this magazine!  And the best part is that I didn't have this one yet.  I have a subscription to Cloth Paper Scissors but this is a special issue that doesn't come with the subscription. What did I do to deserve such great internet doll friends?  Merci beaucoup Louise! 

I have been dying to show you what I'm working on but I can't because it's a gift and the recipient reads this blog.  Bum.  Can't share. So I thought I'd share this instead, cause it made me so happy when I saw it:

Let your inner child rock out!

Freebie Friday - Projects and Tips for your Studio

rI really can't claim to have a studio or sewing room.  I have a table, but I'm not complaining because in a flat as tiny as mine even a table is a large percentage of the space I do have.

Anyway, I did some scouting around on the net and found some great projects, ideas and tips for how to organise your studio or sewing room.  Most of these involve some recycling which gives you a warm fuzzy feeling. Mmmmm...feel the righteous goodness...

If you've got way too many issues of Soft Dolls and Animals, Quilting Arts and Art Doll Quarterly sitting around, while not try this magazine holder made out of a cereal box.

I always find that I have pieces of patterns and instructions sitting all over my sewing table, but this gorgeous organiser would really help to keep those in order.

I also end up with thread, pins, scissors sitting all over the place, here is away to decorate an egg carton to keep all that stuff neat.

Here is a great way to store ribbon or other bits and bobs using jars.

If you are sick of the all cords laying around, try this easy way to convert a shoebox into a cord tidy.

For some great organisation inspiration click through this slide show.  There are some easy but fun storage ideas that are inexpensive.

I particularly like this conversion of a rolling metal shelf unit into a cutting table.

Here is a great little tutorial for a bag to sew up for storing all your sewing notions.  This would be particularly great to take things on the go with you.

Martha does it again with this video on how to make yourself a peg board organiser and here she gives some tips on how to de-clutter your small stuff with some easy solutions.

This insanely perky lady gives you a You Tube tour of every minute detail of her sewing room, but I found it all a bit much.  Bless. But I particularly liked her idea for covering a shelf with roman blinds.  I'll let her tell you how:

See? Perky.

So now all you have to do is get yourself sorted.

April Meeting

I'm afraid that due to other commitments, Mavis and I are no longer able to participate in Rainbow Dolls.  However, the club will be meeting at 1.30 pm on Tuesday 22nd April at Rainbow Silks in Great Missenden when the future of the Club and any suggestions for it will be discussed. Anyone who can get there will be very welcome.

I am going to continue to run the Yahoo Group however, so anyone who wishes to talk dolls is welcome to join.

Off the Top of My Head

Judi at Doll Street suggested that when I offer the Soul Whisperer as an online cloth doll class, I should offer a small free pattern for people who sign up by a certain date.  I had something in mind and started to do the pattern, but then the idea for these came to mind.  I'm so much in love with these little cloth doll pencil toppers.  Sometimes the best ideas come off the top of your head.

First there is Beryl.

Beryl is a graduate student in creative writing.  Her father thinks her degree is a waste of time.  Not a day goes by that he doesn't tell Beryl to get the lead out and finish with school.  But Beryl isn't ready to write off academia yet, after all she works as a supermodel and that more that pays for her tuition. However, Beryl's mother worries that she is thin as a pencil.  Only Beryl's grandmother is as proud of her degree as she is of her modelling career and brags that Beryl is 'such a sharp girl'.

Leda is one of Beryl's model friends.  Leda loves designer labels and luxury items. But Leda only wears fake fur as she is the face of PETA (Pencils for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

And this is Tracey.

Tracey loves modelling the bridal wear at the end of the catwalk shows.  She fancies herself a bit of a comedian but as her memory is a bit sketchy she tends to forget the punch lines, so her jokes go down like a lead balloon.  Bless.

I had so much fun making these.  I hope you like them!

A Grumpy Muse

My muse has been rather grumpy of late.  She doesn't want to co-operate.  So it has taken me for ever to test my Soul Whisperer pattern, but I did finally get my second version of the Soul Whisperer finished.

I've used quite a different colour scheme, just for fun really.

But still the same funky shoes.

Gotta have those shoes.

So now the class is all ready, but Judi at Doll Street has suggested that I do a free pattern for people who sign up early, so I've got to sort that out before posting the ad for the class with Doll Street.  But I've got something in mind.  Maybe, just maybe I'll share that with you soon.  I'm such a tease. 

Freebie Friday - Free Printables and Graphics

If you ever sell your dolls having some swanky tags can really add to your street cred.  Or maybe you might want to make your blog or website more snazzy.  Maybe these links to some sites offering free graphics and printables will help up the snaz-factor!

I used Prim Doodles for my Christmas gift tags.  Martha eat your heart out.  Click here to see tags, bookmarks, recipe cards and more.

This site has lots of interesting free printables, so Alenka's Printables was probably a good title for that site then (assuming someone named Alenka owns it).

If you just can't keep away from doll's for 2 minutes than here is a site full of free printable paper dolls, check it out.

Heartland graphics provides some free banners to be used on blogs and website, check out the downloadable fun here.

Hattie's Workshop has some great graphics for your blog, especially if you want to advertise that you are on ebay, click here to see.

Check out the Crafts Beautiful site for printable patterned papers, motifs, and even verses.

Don't you feel snazzy now? Knew you would!

   

It's April, really it is...

In my last post I declared that spring was sprung...methinks I spoke too soon.

Freebie Friday - Spring Fling

As my dad would say:

"Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, wonder where the birdies is?"

Here's a round-up of spring patterns to get you in the mood.

Here is a great project sheet from Tilda full of cute projects such as fabric flowers and boats.

Here is a sweet bloom inspired fairy by Judy Wellnitz.

With the warmer weather unfortunately comes the bugs.  Here is a super cute pattern for the Bridgewater Bed Bug by Kelly Lyn Smith.  Hopefully you'll just have bugs in your garden this spring and not in your bed.

Click here to see Ute Vasina's butterfly pin doll. 

Click here for a spring wreath adorned by little sprites.

Check out the cute potted fabric flower here.

So with those patterns under your belt do you feel ready to fling yourself into spring?