The Magic Bean

We have a winner...

 
Using Random.org, I selected a winner for the Eucalan prize pack.  At lucky comment number 8 Jen who writes a blog called Bayou Quilts and Dolls  was the winner!  Jen will soon be enjoying her Eucalan products.  Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway and to Eucalan for providing such a fantastic prize.

 

Freebie Friday - Scented Sewing and Craft Projects

I have a scent fetish.  I love smelly thing, that is, things that smell good.  Baking smells like vanilla, cloves and cinnamon are wonderful.  But I've also recently discovered that I love black pepper, lavender, and citrus.  This week I decided to follow my nose and find some great craft and sewing projects that indulge my love of sweet smells.

Sewing

 
Craft Passion shared this tutorial for a scented heart garland.

Ludlow Quilt and Sew shared a scented tea pot stand tutorial.  My mum had one of these and everytime you put the hot tea pot on it, the scent is released.  My mum has a scent fetish too.  I come by it honestly.

The Rubber Punkin shared a tutorial to make scented rice hot pads for easing all those aches and pains.

Make these simple clothes hanger covers that will infuse your closet with lovely smells, as discovered on All Crafts.

The Phantom Moon shared a tutorial for making a lavender scented eye mask.

I recently created a free tutorial for a pair of little cloth fairies tucked inside lavender scented sleeping bags that you can use to infuse your shoes with lovely smells. These little fairies are easy to create, particularly for people who aren't sure of drawing faces because the pattern includes the face templates and instructions on how to print them onto fabric. If you missed seeing that free tutorial See the Little Sneaks shoe deordoriser doll tutorial now by clicking the link.

Kitchen and Bath

 
Martha Stewart shares some tips for creating scented sugars which can be used to create unique coffee flavours or enhance baking.

Indie Spotting shared how to make super easy Cinnamon Scented Bath Salts.  Great gift.

Sachets

Design Sponge shared a tutorial for making simple stamped sachets.

Laura at Bugs and Fishes by Lupin created a tutorial to make lavender scented felt sachets in the shape of tea bags.

Jane Avion created a moth pattern to be printed on fabric to create moth-repelling closet sachets.

 
Make humble paper envelopes stamped with designs into sachets or scented drawer liners with this tutorial from Martha Stewart.  Wouldn't a stack of 4 of these look great as a small gift tied up with ribbon?

Scent is one of those luxuries that not everyone indulges in for themselves so scented items make great gifts.

How Online Doll Making Classes Work

My Bamboo Oracle online class starts on Doll Street on Friday, September 2nd, 2011. Since the class became available for sign ups on Doll Street, I've been thinking about the large number of people I've come across on my many teaching trips who have said that they have never taken an online class and don't really understand how they work.

 
I was blown away by the large number of people missing out on some of the most wonderful classes, simply because they didn't know how to sign up for classes or what they could expect when they did. So here is my guide to taking an online class for the uninitiated.

Where to Take Online Cloth Doll Making Classes

There are a number of different websites that offer online classes in cloth doll making. I have taken and taught online classes with most and can heartily recommend them. There are a couple that I haven't worked with and so I am not able to comment on how they work with first hand experience.

Doll Street

My experience of this site - I am currently teaching my Bamboo Oracle class at Doll Street. I regularly teach and take classes at Doll Street.

How classes at Doll Street work - click here to find out.

How often new classes get posted - classes get posted as and when designers make them available, so make sure you subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out. Some classes are ongoing while others, like Bamboo Oracle, are only available for a limited period of time.

Get notified when new Doll Street online classes are available - sign up for the Doll Street newsletter here. See the newsletter sign up on the right.

See the Doll Street current list of available classes by clicking here.

Joggles

My experience with this site - I regularly teach at Joggles and have taken classes with Joggles too.

How classes at Joggles work - click here to find out.

How often new classes get posted - classes on Joggles run by the season and are released quarterly. You can sign up at any time, however. Joggles classes are not ongoing, they are available for a limited period of time, however, sometimes popular classes are repeated at a later point.

Get notified when new Joggles online classes are available - sign up for the Joggles newsletter which arrives weekly on Sundays, by creating a free Joggles account here. Be certain to check the "Newsletter Subscription" check box!

See Joggles current list of available classes by clicking the link - Online Classes - Joggles.com.

Fabric Addictions

My experience of this site - I have taught at Fabric Addictions, but have not had the pleasure of taking a class. I have however, bought e-patterns from Fabric Addictions.

How classes at Fabric Addictions work - click here to find out.

How often new classes get posted - classes get posted as and when designers make them available, so make sure you subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out. Classes are are only available for a limited period of time.

Get notified when new Fabric Addictions online classes are available - sign up for the newsletter here. See the newsletter sign up on the right.

See Fabric Addictions current list of available classes by clicking here.

Cloth Doll Connection

My experience of this site - Funnily enough, the first ever online class that I ever took as a student was at Cloth Doll Connection. Years later, the first ever online class that I taught as a designer was at Cloth Doll Connection.

How classes at Cloth Doll Connection work - click here to find out.

How often new classes get posted - classes get posted as and when designers make them available, so make sure you subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out. Some classes are are only available for a limited period of time while others are ongoing.

Get notified when new Cloth Doll Connection online classes are available - sign up for the newsletter here.

See Cloth Doll Connections current list of available classes by clicking here.

A for Artistic

My experience of this site - I haven't taught or taken classes from A for Artistic so can't give any personal experience.

How classes at A for Artistic work - click here to find out. See the bottom of the page.

How often new classes get posted - I believe, but am not sure, that classes get posted as and when designers make them available. You can sign up for the newsletter to be notified of new classes. Classes are are only available for a limited period of time.

Get notified when new A is for Artistic online classes are available - sign up for the newsletter here. The newsletter is more like a magazine full of doll making articles and not just class information, so it is worth signing up for.

See A is for Artistic current list of available classes by clicking here.

The Basics of How Online Classes Work

While each site does things slightly differently, here is how online classes work at their most basic.

1. You sign up via a website and pay your class fees

2. You will get sent a supply list and log on details. Most websites will send you the supply list as an e-mail attachment. You may or may not get the supply list right away, so be sure to check each site's policy before thinking that you have not been included in the class.

3. You will be sent log on details. The log on details will usually take you to a forum or Yahoo group where you can usually access the lessons in PDF format. PDF format is a universally used format (see more below) that you can then save or print (or both). From this forum you can also chat to the teacher and other students. When you are sent these details will again, depend on the website, so check each site's policy and way of working.

4. You can continue to talk to the teacher as much or as little as you want. Some people seem to think they will "offend" me by not chatting in the forums, but I don't mind if you prefer to be the strong silent type. Online classes, in my opinion, are all about taking a class your way, so you can ask questions and chat about dolls to the cows come home or keep mum. Either way, I'm happy if you're happy.

5. New lessons are usually released once a week until the end of the class. However, some sites will release all the lessons at the outset for those of us who work quickly or like to read the whole thing before starting. However, most site's only release one lesson per week. You will receive an e-mail saying the next lesson is available. You then log on using your log on details and save and/or print the next lesson. Each time you get a new lesson it feels like Christmas.

6. You can upload pictures if you want. If you are having problems, it sometimes helps to load a picture of your doll to the group site so the teacher can better see the issue. A surprising number of people DON'T do this. I think it is so much easier to sort out a problem if you can see what it actually is. Or you may just want to show your progress. You may only want to post pictures of your finished doll so the whole class can ooh and ahh. Or you may not want to share photos at all. And that is OK too.

7. After the class is complete, many teachers can't or won't answer further questions via the group or by e-mail. Personally, I will answer questions after the class. This is highly dependent on each teacher.

What you need to take an online class

1. Basic Computer Skills - you do need to have some basic computer skills to take an online class. Chances are if you are reading this article online, you'll be just fine.  You need to be able to browse the internet, know how to download and save a document to your computer's hard drive (or save it to a disk or flash drive), and understand how to open and save email attachments. It is also handy to be able to print the lessons onto paper and be able to send e-mails. If you don't have these skills you can take simple courses to learn how. Many libraries, youth centres and senior centres offer these types of course, some are even free. The other option is to ask a friend or family member to give you some lessons.

2. High Speed Internet Connection - If you have a slow internet connection, dowloading large files with lots of pictures can take a lot of time and be frustrating. If you don't have a good internet connection at home you could always use a computer at a library, internet cafe or at a friend or family member's home.

3. A Free Adobe Acrobat Reader Installed On Your Computer - Most online classes provide lessons in what is called "PDF" format. PDF is a format that can be read on all types of computer, in any country. All you need to have is a free bit of software called Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to be able to read, save and print PDF lessons. You can install Adobe Acrobat Reader for free by clicking here.

What you DON'T Need to Take an Online Class

1. A Pay Pal Account - Many websites that host doll making classes will use Pay Pal to take payment for classes. Likewise sites like Etsy that sell electronic patterns will also use Pay Pal to take payment. However, many people seem to think that if they don't have a Pay Pal account they can't pay for the class (or pattern, in the case of Etsy). That is not true. If you want to pay for a class where Pay Pal is being used, you can use your credit or debit card to pay via Pay Pal. Actually, using your credit card or debit card to pay for a class or pattern through Pay Pal is more secure because the retailer can't see your credit card details, only Pay Pal can. This means that the number of people who will see your credit card details is limited and therefore more secure.

2. The Time to Make the Doll Right Away - I hear a lot of people say that they didn't have time to make the doll at the time an online class was scheduled, so they didn't take the class. It doesn't matter if you don't have time, just save or print out the lessons and make the doll when you do have time. Some people never make the doll at all. I take online classes all the time simply because I want to learn a specific technique that I am interested in or I might just want to see how a particular designer writes their lessons or draws their diagrams. So make the doll right away or not at all - that is the beauty of online classes.

Why Would I Take an Online Class Instead of Just Buying a Pattern?

1. Many designers make certain designs only for online class format.  Most often, my dolls are only available in one format, either as a pattern, an online class or an in-person class. It is very rare that I offer a doll designed for an online class as a pattern, so if you want to make the Bamboo Oracle, you need to take it as an online class.  Not all designers do this, but I usually design my dolls with a particular format in mind, so they often wouldn't translate well to another format.

2. Online classes usually have much more detail than paper patterns.  For example, most of my instructions in my patterns are 10- 22 pages long while in my online classes, it is not unheard of for a lesson to be that long. And most of my online classes are 5 lessons long. That's a lot of instruction!  For example, the Bamboo Oracle is 67 pages long with 132 colour photos (plus a few black and white diagrams).  You simply won't get that much detail in a printed pattern, hence the added cost.  On top of that, of course, you get to ask me as many questions as you want. 

Of course, online classes will differ from designer to designer.  If the class description does not already state it, ask the designer or hosting site how many pages and photographs are included in the class and ask for an outline of the lessons.  That should go some way toward reassuring you if the class has the level of detail you were expecting.

3.  The Camaraderie- Depending on the group, some classes are very chatty and take on a life of their own.  You can develop some great friendships in online classes and have a lot of fun.  Plus, you get the support and encouragement of people who like and understand this crazy doll making thing.  You can't put a price on that.

 If want to get in on the fun and learning of an online class, get more information and sign up for my Bamboo Oracle class at Doll Street, by clicking here.

Wordless Wednesday - Union Jack Carousel

 

Little Sneaks Shoe Deodoriser Dolls Tutorial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like many of my other doll designs, these shoe deodoriser dolls will do double duty - making your shoes smell lovely while at the same time, being the cutest things the inside of your shoes have ever seen.

Even if you are not a cloth doll maker and doll faces scare the heck out of you, you can make these little fairies. I teach cloth doll making across the UK, US and Canada and I hear people complain of doll-face phobia all the time.

But guess what?

This free tutorial not only comes with thorough instructions to guide you through making your own pair of 9" (22.9cm) lavender scented cloth fairies, but it also comes with two face templates and instructions on how to print the face templates directly onto fabric so all you have to do is colour them in.

 

What are you waiting for? Get your free tutorial now by clicking the link to:

Download Little Sneaks Instructions and Pattern.

I'm warning you though - these fairies are mischievous and they do like to sneak into all your shoes to take naps, so watch your step as you slide into your sweet smelling shoes.

 

 

If after reading this tutorial you are feeling bitten by the doll making bug, then take a look at my patterns for sale on my Craftsy pattern shop.  They're all available for instant download!

 Including the Green Man:

and the Dive into a Book fairy bookmark

Visit my Craftsy shop today, just click the link!

 

 

Freebie Friday - Sewing Projects to Organise Your Sewing Stuff

Sew up some fun stuff to organise all your craft and stitching supplies with these fun projects.

 
Martha Stewart tells you how to make an apron with leather trim and pleated pockets to store your stuff.

 
Kendra McCracken designed a sewer's apron and shared the free pattern on the Fiskars site.

 
If you hang out here at the Magic Bean regularly, you may have already seen my free pattern for a crafter's apron, but if not, get the free pattern by clicking the link.

Use embroidery hoop frames to create wall pocket organisers with a tutorial from Sew Daily.

Make beautiful pattern weights with a tutorial from Sew Daily.

 
Make a sewing supplies roll with Better Homes and Gardens.

 
Cover your sewing machine with a custom made sewing machine cover with a tutorial from Sew4Home.

Bernina featured a tutorial to make a fabric tray tidy that would be great for keeping all sorts of bits and bobs in order.

Cathe from Just Something I Made shared a tutorial for making a vintage pattern sewing room organiser.

 
Use simple wool felt to make a needle case with a how-to from Better Homes and Gardens.

 
Use scrap pieces of fabric to make a pin cushion with Better Homes and Gardens.

TipJunkie shared a collection of links for fabric organisation bins.

Kim and Kris of DIY Dish show you how to turn plain old boxes and jars into sewing room organisers with maximum style and minimum cost:

 

If you are in need of more creative space organising ideas then you should check out Inside the Creative Studio: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft SpaceThis book, from Cate Prato promises to help you organise your creative space and weed out your stash.  It even shows you how to re-purpose vintage items, furniture and even recyclables to make a space your very own.

There are so many creative ideas out there about how to organise your creative genius.  The only problem is deciding where to start!

A Delicate Disposition: A Free Eucalan Bottle Doll Tutorial

I get some of my best ideas in the shower. Consequently, my idea folder tends to get a little damp.

The idea for this doll tutorial came about because I was washing some of my delicates in Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash. While my laundry soaked in a tub on the bathroom counter, I multi-tasked and took a shower.  Suddenly it hit me that Eucalan bottles look really rather like a feminine form. 

  
So while washing my hair, I set about designing a doll that had a simple one piece cloth head and extremely easy clothing pieces made from rectangles, triangles and circles.  At the same time I wanted to make use of the entire Eucalan bottle, including the lid. Eucalan is an environmentally friendly product and I wanted an environmentally friendly project to go with it.

That little round lid made a perfect base for a bonnet, so the doll just simply had to be Jane Austen inspired.  There was nothing else for it.

To find the free tutorial, click the following link to Download A Delicate Disposition Instructions and Pattern

What can I say?  Suds are inspiring.  I want to inspire you to make this doll, but for that you'll need a Eucalan bottle.  And I can help you there too.

You can win a lovely package of Eucalan with this giveaway  - I'm sorry, this giveaway is now closed!

The prize includes:

1 x 500mL/16.9oz No Rinse Delicate Wash in your choice of scent

1 x 100mL/3.3oz No Rinse Delicate Wash in your choice of scent - this is the size of bottle for the doll!

1x Getaway Gang travel set which consists of 8 x single use packets, 4 x stain treating wipes, 1 package of lint remover sheets, 1 nail file and 1 sewing kit 

Scope out the prizes by watching the following video where Jen, Managing Director of Eucalan, walks you through each of these products and the scents that they come in:

 

If you've never used Eucalan before you may not realise all the wonderful uses for this environmentally friendly product. 

Here are my top 5 uses for Eucalan:

1.  Use Eucalan to wash (and block) your hand knits and fine knitwear -  I use Eucalan to block my loom and hand knitted items and then to keep them looking and smelling wonderful ever after.  I won't let anything else near my husband's cashmere jumper (that's a sweater in North America).  Knitting Daily shared some tips on how to use Eucalan for your hand knits with this video:

 

2.  Use Eucalan to create felt from hand knits - Eucalan can also be used to help get a knit item to felt or full as long you combine it with hot water and lots of agitation.  In this case, I put the knit item with Eucalan in the washing machine and run a cycle with hot water (also throw in a pair of jeans to increase the agitation levels) and voila - felt.  The loom knitting book, Loom Knitting Primer, actually recommends Eucalan by name, in the felting chapter. 

Eucalan works well for bringing wool back to life after felting as well. As the lanolin enriched formula of Eucalan helps to naturally condition fibres, it can help to restore the natural hand and texture of felted knits.

3.  Treating Printer Ready Fabric - Whether you use printer ready sheets (such as Jacquard InkJet Cotton Fabric) or Bubble Jet Set 2000 to print photos or text onto fabric, you'll find that the sheets tend to come out a little crispy after printing.  I find that if I soak the printed sheets in Eucalan, the lanolin in the Eucalan softens the fabric and any excess ink leftover from printing also comes out, leaving me with a softer fabric that is much more pleasant to feel and work with. 

4. Use Eucalan to soak dyed fabrics -  I often use Jacquard's Dye-na-flow to dye ribbons, cheesecloth and fabrics, like I did for the cheesecloth headdress on my doll Treasures of the Deep, pictured below. 

Dye-na-flow is non-toxic and goes on like a paint so it is very easy to use in the small space that I have to live and craft in.  However, after I heat-set the newly dyed fabric in either the clothes dryer or with an iron, I find that the fabric tends to be a bit stiff, so I give it a soak in Eucalan with a dash of white vinegar.  The Eucalan restores the soft drape of the fabric while the vinegar helps to set the colour.  Two birds, one soak.

5.  Use Eucalan to save money - Instead of taking some of my fine washables to the dry cleaners, I simply soak them in Eucalan.  I recently washed a silk chiffon, lace and satin dress I wore to a wedding in Eucalan and it came out beautifully.  And you know what that means - more money for fabric. 

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN THE EUCALAN PRIZE PACK:

1. The giveaway is open to US, Canadian and British residents only.

2. Leave a comment telling me what your preferred Eucalan scent would be - Eucalyptus, lavender, grapefruit or unscented.

3. To get further entries in the giveaway "Like" Eucalan on Facebook, or Tweet or Blog about this giveaway.  For each additional entry, you must leave an extra comment for each telling me what you've done in order for it to count as an extra entry.

Entries will be accepted until midnight (GMT) Thursday July 28th. I will then choose the winner with Random.org and will notify the lucky winner via email. In order to secure your prize you must respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or I'll have to pick a new winner!  - please note that this giveaway is now closed!

Just so you know, I was not given any compensation or payment for this post, but I thought all my readers deserved to try one of my favourite products.

Good luck.  Gets sudsy and get inspired!

Wordless Wednesday - Fields of Gold

 
 

I have a dream

I have a dream where my hair is never frizzy.

I have a dream that I can actually buy shoes in the adult department.

I have a dream that I when I blow my nose in public, strangers do not laugh out loud.

I have a dream that when I swim, I look sleek and fast and where I can do that amazing flip where I change directions by pushing off the end of the pool wall.  Without cracking my head open.

I have a dream that I am a black belt.  In Kung Fu or Tae Kwon Do or Jujitsu. 

I have a dream that my husband did not make up an entirely new form of martial art at which he felt I could excel called Beanjitsu - "Way of the Deadly Crafts" where I can bring down my opponents using only my baby finger and a sewing bobbin.

I have a dream where the mere thought of the mastery of a martial art would not automatically prompt my loved ones to make up fake martial arts in my dubious honour.

I have a dream where I have my own craft empire and even Martha Stewart is jealous.

I have a dream that with my fortune, I am able to buy my husband the Honda Pan European motorbike he has always lusted after.

 

And in this dream we ride it around the world.

The dream-me uses the trip to explore the crafts of the globe.

Dream-me will attract the attentions of Channel 4 documentaries who will air a show all about our travels and the crafts we uncover.  The documentary directors from the creative minds at Wieden + Kennedy will say that they feel "honoured" to have spent time in my presence.  But I'll be cool about it and refer often to my mates at  W+K.  Only the insiders will understand the reference, but everyone else will pretend that they do.

Dream-me will learn to speak Mandarin, Russian and an obscure dialect from Papua New Guinea that has stumped anthropologists and linguists for decades.

Dream-me will look so cool in biker's leathers.

Dream-me will make crafts from the back of the motorbike and bikers everywhere will admire my chutzpah.

Dream-me will look so at home on the back of that motor-bike that no one will dare call me cute.

It could happen.  Well, the motor-bike part could.  And maybe the round-the-world trip bit. 

I'm not sure that I could manage that pool flip without damaging my cranium.

And helmet hair is likely to exacerbate the frizzies.

And admittedly, the making of me into any sort of deadly martial arts weapon is pretty unlikely.

But the documentary part - that could totally happen.  No really, I'm not suffering from a failed-pool-flip head injury.  Honda is sponsoring  Channel 4 documentaries and releasing a series of mini-documentaries directed by W+K as well as an online hub.  These mini-documentaries will feature regular people who use Honda products in strange and unusual ways.  The quirkier the better.  You just visit the Honda online hub and upload your story with a photo, maybe a video and you might just find yourself starring in a documentary.

Like if you round up your alpaca herd with your Honda

Viral video by ebuzzing

 See it's not a pipe-dream.  Some people appreciate quirky.  I bet they wouldn't even mind that I'm cute. 
 


 Sponsored Post

Viral video by ebuzzing

Extreme Doll Making: The Tower and Tower Bridge

When you are sitting stitching a doll head at the Tower of London it gives whole new meaning to "off with their head". 

This public and unlikely spot for making cloth dolls was requested by two people, my mum, Kitty Babcock and by fellow doll maker and friend Mary Wilkes.

 

So I obliged.  I sat right next to Traitor's Gate and made myself comfortable.  Well, as comfortable as you can get while perched on a tiny cement ledge.  The large group of tourists who filed past me didn't seem perturbed by my presence in the least.

 

Since Tower Bridge is right there, I did a spot of Extreme Doll Making in its imposing shadow.  Actually, the very first day I arrived in England from Canada I stood very near this spot and watched fireworks for Guy Fawkes Day.  I certainly never pictured myself sitting here making dolls.  Isn't it funny how life works out?

Do you have any spots that were the site of life changing moments for you?  Did you make dolls then?  Why not revisit those spots and engage in some Extreme Doll Making and then blog about it.  Just make sure to tell me all about it in the comments section.

Copy the following HTML code to add a button to your blog post:

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OR

Leave me a comment asking me to make dolls in a public and unlikely place. It can be a famous London location or just a really strange spot to make dolls in. When I blog about it, I'll link to your blog or website.