Wearables: Tips For Knitting Scarves

The great thing about knitting a scarf is that it can be done in just a short amount of time.  It is the ideal first project as you only need to cast on a dozen or so stitches (possibly less depending on needle size) and you can start actually making something immediately.  Best of all, because knitting a scarf does not require a pattern and gauge is not a factor, even a beginning knitter can create a one in a matter of hours the very first day with a little guidance.

Much like crochet, the knitting of a textile is accomplished by creating a series of loops and linking them together in rows.  Unlike crochet, knitting is done with two longish needles instead of a single short hook and the loops are held onto the needle as you go along (Tunisian crochet is the exception to this).  Because a scarf is somewhat narrow, the loops will not bunch up too much as you work and the textile won’t easily lose its shape.  (Another reason knitting scarves is appealing to the beginner.)

Normally when creating a knitted textile from a pattern a sample swatch would be created to check the gauge of the knitting.  Gauge is the number of stitches per inch and is used to help the knitter determine what needles are best for the yarn being used.  Thinner needles create a tighter “weave” and larger ones create a more loose one.  Knitting a basic scarf requires neither pattern nor gauge; only the ability to manipulate yarn on the needles.

There are two stitches used in knitting, knits and purls, but a person need master only one of them (knits) to create a scarf.  To begin to knit any type of item whether it be a garment, home décor item or toy, you begin by what is known as casting on.  A textile that is made up of all knits and no purls is basically repeating the same process used for casing on but transferring the knitting stitches back and forth from needle to needle.  It is a lot simpler than it sounds or even looks to the novice at first glance and is quite easy once you get the hang of it.

Knitting generally takes a long time to create something larger than a square for a blanket or dish towel.  This is the reason many beginning knitters often get frustrated with the process and quit before finishing that awesome sweater they thought it was going to be so great to make.  Making squares to be connected for a blanket not only takes a lot of time, it can get a little boring in the repetitiveness of it.  Knitting a scarf though can be done in one sitting, especially if large sized needles are used.

For a beginning knitter, just like with crochet, creating scarves is one of the quickest and most satisfying projects that can be undertaken.  Whether the scarf is intended for personal use or to be given as a gift, completing it brings a sense of accomplishment and the instant gratification that will motivate the person to keep going with more and more knitting projects.  (From scarves one can move on to shawls, stoles and other wraps.)

Knitting requires a significant amount of yarn and choosing the right texture of yarn for a scarf is extremely important for novices.  Like sewing, the prettiest materials and garments are not necessarily the easiest to make/work with.   Fluffy yarns such as eyelash and wavy yarns such as bouclé are not always the best for beginners. 

Where a hat or scarf could be made with just one skein of some yarns in crochet, knitting can require double that amount or more.  It is always a good idea to purchase a couple of extra skeins just in case as some yarns have a dye lot and color matching may be difficult if the purchase of more is required to complete a project.

By knitting a scarf on large needles using all knits and no purls the result is a stretchy fabric in what is known as garter stitch that is simple and attractive, particularly when using a variegated (multicolored) yarn.  Also, the larger the needle the more “lacy” a knitted item will appear.

Things to keep in mind about knitting scarves:

-Using large needles reduces knitting time from several hours or even days to a matter of hours.

-Knitting requires a significant amount of yarn.

-Beginners should use the largest (thickest needles) they can find.

-Choose yarn carefully.

Knitting a scarf is a practical and satisfying activity that is a great way to relax and the end result is a beautiful and unique hand made item that can bring many hours of enjoyment long after it is completed.

How to Choose the Best Fabric for Sewing Projects

It's late November already and to say I am severely slacking in my progress of the great article migration is a gross understatement. Time is a precious commodity, and I just never seem to have enough of it. Add to that my recent computer problems and it will be a miracle if I manage to save my published articles on Helium from disappearing into oblivion.

After spending what seemed like several hours on someone else's computer trying to figure out how to access my account (when I'm used to not having to type in a web address) and finally gaining access, I realized that for many of the "Where to find..." type titles, I would not simply be able to copy and paste, click save, preview, and publish.

The reality of having to take out the time to re-check all the hyperlinks and update the previously published information created a new problem. Then, all of a sudden, it occurred to me that I didn't have to publish the articles at once in order to transfer them. I could simply save them as drafts and re-publish as I had time.

Whew! Thank heaven for small favors!

So without further ado...

How to Choose the right Fabric for a Sewing Project

Choosing the right fabric for a sewing project is very important. The wrong fabric can cause a number of issues with a garment, accessory or home décor item. The right fabric can mean the difference between proper fit, durability and easy care, while the wrong fabric can spell disaster.

• Clothing

When sewing clothing from a store-bought sewing pattern, it is easy to find the right fabric for the job. On back of every sewing pattern there is a guide to help determine exactly what type of fabric is suitable for the item you wish to sew. The pattern’s guide will also list fabrics that are unsuitable for the garment as well.

There are a number of reasons to follow the guidelines on back of the pattern when deciding on an appropriate fabric for your project. Patterns that are suitable for stretchy fabrics are generally not suitable for non-stretch fabrics as those fabrics do not have the give of knit fabrics. Using a non-stretch fabric in this instance will result in an ill-fitting garment.

Patterns for blouses and dresses that call for soft fabrics such as silk would not be suitable for heavier or stiffer, less flexible fabrics such as taffeta or wool and vice versa. Patterns for casual clothing or children’s play clothes, are generally best suited to fabric that is easy to care for such as cotton or linen, which is both durable and machine washable.

• Household items for indoors and out

To find a suitable fabric for a home décor item, sewing patterns also provide help, but not everything is made from a purchased pattern. Throw pillows, for instance can easily be made by cutting a square piece of fabric, sewing up the seams, and stuffing the pillow with fiber fill. Choosing the fabric for the pillow will depend on where it is to be used.

Indoors, pillows for the bed or sofa can be made of almost any washable fabric, but outdoors a heavier, more durable fabric is required such as canvas. A large pillow to be used as a bed for a dog or other pet, should also be made from a durable fabric that is easy to clean.

Table linens, bed quilts, runners, hot pads and so forth are generally not suited for silky fabrics and certain knits. Quilts though, can be made from silk, as long as the type of silk used is one that is washable, otherwise the quilt will have to be dry cleaned. Many stretch fabrics are made with synthetic fibers which makes them unsuitable for kitchen use for items such as hot pads.

• Accessories and toys

Hats, handbags and toys all have different fabric requirements. The silky fabric used for an evening bag is obviously not suitable for a child’s doll. The fleece or felt used for a simple winter hat, while durable, may not be the best choice for a clutch purse to match an after five or cocktail outfit.

When making dolls, doll clothing, soft blocks, or stuffed toys the fabric requirements are quite different from garments or household items. While a variety of fabrics are suitable for these items (cotton jersey, muslin, fleece), there are several, such as wool, that are not.

Sometimes finding the right fabric isn’t just about texture. Surface design such as stripes, diagonals or other “obvious” prints, may not work as well for your sewing project as you might expect. These types of fabrics are harder to cut to have the prints line up, especially when sewing clothing.

Finding the right fabric for your sewing project is a matter of matching the right weight and texture to the item you are making and, in the case of patterned fabric, choosing the right design to compliment your finished item.

Ideas For Making a Fish Costume

It's the season for Costumes and although I'm a little late, I have a few articles in the can from my Helium days that now need a new home. If you still haven't settled on a costume, or if you've been too busy, you might find the following post useful, particularly if you've recently seen and been inspired by Mozart and the Whale, or if you just like fish.

I've already migrated my article on making a quick and easy Mardi Gras Costume from items you likely have on hand at home, (any of those ideas could also work for Halloween as well) and the article below on making a fish costume (the first of it's kind I did for Helium) will soon be followed by my article on creating a Nicki Minaj costume.

How to Make a Fish Costume

In making a fish costume there are as many possibilities as there are varieties of fish in the world's fresh and saltwater populations. The simplest way to make a fish costume is to draw a fish shape in the desired size on paper or cloth and attach it to supports that would make it wearable. The best materials to use will be based on how simple or elaborate the costume will be and whether it is to be used only one time or again and again, as well as if the costume will be for a child or an adult.

The Simple Method

For a quick, one-time-use costume the best material is paper. Butcher paper, brown package wrap, poster board and even newspaper are all good economical choices. Paper grocery bags are also a good option and there are books available such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "What Can You Do with a Paper Bag?" that can provide you additional with inspiration.

If time is a factor, an even simpler fish costume can be created by making a fish mask and wearing simple clothing such as a T-shirt and pants or dance tights and a leotard in a single coordinating color.

To make a fish costume from paper, decide first whether the fish body will be horizontal or vertical. Cut two lengths of paper long enough to accommodate the fish body. Lay both sheets on a table or on the floor stacked on top of each other so that both the front and back of the fish can be cut simultaneously. Save the scraps and set aside.

Cut an additional length of paper that can wrap around the torso of the person who will be wearing the costume. This will be used as the base for the fish body. Leave enough room so that the costume can be slipped on and off easily and then staple the base closed. Next, measure the person who will wear the costume across the shoulder from front to back in order to get the appropriate length for the shoulder straps. Cut two strips from the scraps left over after cutting out the fish body. (These scraps can also be used to cut fins if a 3D affect is desired.) The scraps can be attached immediately or as a last step in order to get the proper fit once the costume is assembled.

It can be extremely helpful to first sketch the desired fish on paper and plan the decoration for its body. Pictures of tropical fish or characters from children's books and movies such as The Rainbow Fish or Finding Nemo are great sources for inspiration.

Using tempera paints or other materials, decorate the front and back of the body with the desired fish design being careful to make them symmetrical and then staple the wrong sides together at the "nose" of the fish. Center the fish bodies over the torso base and carefully staple it in place. If the shoulder straps have not yet been attached they can be attached now.

The paper costume will be somewhat delicate so care should be taken not to tear it. For a sturdier costume, use poster board instead of paper or recycle cardboard from a large carton. For variation glitter, sequins, bits of colored tissue, colored foil gift wrap or "found" objects can be glued to the body of the fish as decoration.

Choosing to go with a More Sturdy Option

For a longer-lived costume than what the paper variety will provide, the same design principle can be applied using cloth. Using butcher paper or package wrap draw the body of the fish to create a pattern. Choose enough plain or patterned cloth fabric to be able to cut the fish body twice and have an additional piece to create the base (optional).

Lay the pattern on fabric that has been folded to allow cutting out the fish pattern through two layers of fabric at once. Pin the pattern to the fabric and cut it out. Fleece and felt are two fabrics that generally do not fray and are good choices for costumes. They are also warm, which is an advantage when celebrating a holiday such as Halloween in a cooler climate. Stitch the sides together leaving a sufficient opening at the top and bottom for the wearer to be able to comfortable get in and out of the costume.

If using fleece, slits can be made into the front to allow the arms to pass through. Take care to measure for all openings. It may be helpful to leave a slightly larger opening for the head and attach snaps or Velcro to be able to adjust the fit while wearing the costume.

Next, embellish the fish body with any desired decorative elements. Since most cloth is not stiff and will not hold a shape without reinforcement it may be best to plan the fish costume to be vertical. Choosing an iridescent or shiny fabric such as a satin for the fish could reduce the need for additional decoration.

For a more economical approach, an old pillowcase or bed sheet can be used instead of purchased fabric. Use the pillowcase as a base and cut openings for head and arms. Attach the decorated fish body to assemble.

These are two very simple and very basic methods for constructing a quick fish costume. With a little imagination a fantastic and fun costume can be created from inexpensive materials and even items already on hand.

Creative Ways to Save Money on Jewelry Making

Do you make your own jewelry? When I was a little girl I loved to put beads on the tips of feathers I found. My mother would then put ear wires on them to make earrings. I was way too young to wear them though, and heaven only knows what she did with them. I am not sure if I even had pierced ears at the time.

Later, as an adolescent, I made a few things by stringing seed beads (I actually still have one or two of those items around someplace). As an adult, I started making jewelry again, but found myself working with very little budget most of the time, which meant a limited supply of tools and supplies.

I started collecting costume jewelry and beaded necklaces from people clearing out their clutter, as well as salvaging findings and beads from thrift stores. Repurposing old items is a great way for crafters on a budget to get material for new projects, and it saves stuff that isn't biodegradable from ending up in landfills.

Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to create an article for Helium on how to save on Jewelry Making supplies back in June of 2010.

Simple Ways to Save on Jewelry Making Supplies

Jewelry making is a pastime that can quickly lead to an obsession.  Even with simple beaded jewelry there are so many possibilities and so many beautiful things you can create that once you start with the craft you will want to buy everything you see in order to make jewelry from it.

Buying jewelry making supplies can add up, especially when it comes to tools, semiprecious stones, gems and precious metals.  The hobbyist could easily spend a fortune on all manner of items they may never even use.  Below are five simple ideas for saving money on jewelry-making supplies.

Be Selective

It’s really hard to resist the wealth of beautiful beads and stones you find in stores and at gem shows but you have to ask yourself are you buying an item for its appeal or because you are definitely going to make something with it.  Also, if your jewelry making activities are for selling you have to ask yourself if the item is something that is going to be cost effective for you.

If you buy a large amber bead, will you be able to slice it down into smaller discs and make multiple things from it?  If you buy a lovely jasper pendant will you create a special necklace or present it on a simple chain or chording?  When looking at items you have to ask yourself if you have the necessary tools and equipment today to turn the items into finished jewelry pieces.

A strand of jasper beads that are each between a half inch to an inch will go a lot further than a pendant when you are making jewelry to sell at craft shows and you can keep two or three beads from the strand to make something special for yourself.

Clearance Sales and Coupons

Many craft stores and even bog box stores like Walmart have lovely items for jewelry making that they occasionally put on clearance at great prices.  Some of the major craft retailers such as Michael’s, Joann and Hobby Lobby also offer coupon specials of forty or fifty percent off of one item and sometimes will offer a percentage off an entire purchase. 

Shopping online and subscribing to newsletters from craft and jewelry making supply retailers is not only a way to save, it is often a way to access more variety and retailers will keep you informed of new products and special offers.

Discount Stores

One might not think of places like Big Lots or Dollar Tree when thinking of jewelry making supplies but on occasion each of these stores carries beads, tools and other findings suitable for at least creating attractive beaded necklaces, bracelets and especially earrings and with prices often being a dollar or less, hobbyists can stock up and not break the bank.

These stores are also a good source of fiber supplies such as yarns and ribbons which can also be used to make jewelry.  Not all locations of the same retailer carry the exact same selection of merchandise so be sure to check around at different stores.

Thrift Stores and Yard Sales

Shopping at thrift stores is a great way to locate interesting beads and findings for making jewelry.  If you visit often and in different parts of town, or when traveling to other cities, you can find a treasure trove of lovely, unique and unusual items waiting to be reinvented and given new life at a fraction of what it would cost for new items at the craft store or gem show.

Yard and garage sales are another great way to find items that can be reworked into attractive pieces of jewelry at very little cost.  Quite often the person holding the sale just wants to get rid of their clutter and will sell old jewelry in bags or boxes for just a few dollars.

For hobbyist jewelers, buying jewelry making supplies at the thrift store is ideal because the investment is never more than a few dollars per piece so you can experiment without having to worry about cost.

Reuse/Recycle

Sometimes there are great jewelry making supplies right in your own home.  Many people have boxes or even drawers full of old costume jewelry and trendy items that are no longer in fashion that could easily be taken loose and used to create new jewelry pieces.

Friends and family members are a great source for reusable items as well and when you let them know they should talk to you before getting rid of anything you will find yourself showered with all manner of materials on a regular basis, especially if you agree to make something for the person giving you all of their old stuff.

No matter what kind of jewelry you are making, there are always deals to be had on supplies if you take the time to hunt them out.  Being selective and keeping supplies organized so that you know what you have will help insure that you get the most out of what you have regardless of the cost.

How to Sell Your Handmade Crafts on Consignment

Crafting for many is more than just a casual pastime. The ability to earn money from crafting can mean a dream come true that is a means to extra income or even the development of a full-time business. While there are a number of approaches to earning income from crafting, one of the simplest means of doing so is selling on consignment.

The article below was originally published on Helium in January of 2011.

How to Sell Crafts on Consignment

Selling your handmade crafts on consignment is a great way to make a little extra money. With the investment of some considerable time and effort, it is an enterprise that can even be developed into a full-time business.

Consignment is the process of placing things for sale with a retailer, such as a boutique or gift shop, that agrees to sell your items for you in exchange for a percentage of the proceeds. The consignment terms are generally set by the retailer and the percentage generally starts at around 30-35% of the sale price of the craft item, though it can be as much as 50%, depending on the business.

For large scale items, such as quilts that can be retailed for hundreds of dollars each, the fifty-fifty split isn’t that bad.  While a crafter has to look at the amount of time spent in creating their craft items as well as the cost of the supplies used, a retail shop has its own costs of maintaining a storefront from rent to utilities to employees to consider.

One disadvantage to the crafter setting out to sell by consignment for the first time is lack of experience. Because retailers generally purchase their inventory for resale, they often look at items on consignment much in the same way as items purchased wholesale, and therefore they set a retail sale price based on what they perceive to be their per unit cost of the item.

In actuality, the only thing an item on consignment costs a retailer is shelf space. Selling items on consignment is actually more cost effective for a retailer than having to purchase inventory outright. In addition, a purchased inventory item may or may not sell; in the instance where it doesn’t, it will have to be reduced later and sold at a clearance price in hopes of recouping at least some of the money spent purchasing it.

If inventory on consignment doesn’t sell, it can simply be returned to the crafter at the end of the consignment period. This is an advantage to the retailer since s/he doesn’t lose any money in the process. It can also potentially work out for the crafter as leftover inventory can be rotated around to different markets or even recycled to create something new that can in turn be offered for sale.

When setting out to establish a relationship with a retailer to sell items on consignment it is important to purchase an invoice book to keep track of inventory and to establish a formal agreement. If the retailer doesn’t have a document outlining the consignment terms already, a hand-written agreement can be drawn up and signed by both parties at the time the agreement is made. (A second copy should be made so each party has one.)

The consignment agreement needs to detail the time period for the arrangement (30-90 days) as well as the terms by which the retailer will pay (once per month, within x amount of days of sale, etc.). Many small businesses prefer not to pay as soon as an item is sold. It is better for them to tally up all sales once per month and to pay at a designated time in the following month.

Once an agreement has been established and inventory delivered, it is important to visit the venue every month to take inventory and check on sales. Consignment agreements are a great way to get started selling your crafts without having to open up your own business.

How to make Paper Bag Puppets

A recent notification about a Twitter update being retweeted reminded me that I have been seriously slacking in migrating my articles from the soon to be defunct Helium web site. The update in question was an article on how to build a puppet stage from cardboard that was retweeted by LSP @puppet_school, It's a small thing, but I'm grateful for it, since I published over 300 articles on Helium and in December they will disappear if I don't do something to preserve them. 

I've just transferred the puppet stage article, and since this one was related, I wanted to transfer it at the same time.

Making Paper Bag Puppets

Making puppets from paper bags is cheap, quick and easy and is just the kind of activity that will keep your wildly imaginative kids entertained for hours on end. What's more, the fun doesn't stop with the creation of the puppets themselves. Once your kids have a nice collection of paper bag puppet characters they will have to come up with stories to start their own puppet theater to entertain the rest of the family.

Kids love pretend and puppets are a great way for them to explore storytelling and imaginary adventures. With a little help from you they can even create their own puppet home movies. Animals, storybook characters, monsters and even alien creatures will be invading your home, righting wrongs and battling the big bad wolf for the amusement of friends, relatives, classmates and anyone who will listen.

Getting started is as simple as assembling a few craft essentials. All you need is a package of brown or white paper lunch sacks, glue and an assortment of paper or fabric scraps. For puppets with more detailed features pencil, markers or crayons would be helpful. Scissors are handy for older children who are good at cutting but you may want to cut shapes for hair, eyes, noses and mouths, etc., ahead of time. This will make things easier for your junior puppet master.

The bottom of the paper bag will serve as the puppet's face and the flap created by the fold of the bottom against the upper portion of the bag will serve as its mouth. Your child will make the puppet "talk" by inserting his or her hand in the opening for what would normally be the top of the bag and working the flap up and down with their fingers.

To make a puppet simply add eyes and other facial features by cutting geometric shapes from pink, brown, white or black construction paper and gluing them onto the paper bag. To see an assortment of cute animal puppets you can make simply and quickly using very few materials visit Enchanted Learning's paper bag puppet craft page at: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/puppets/paperbag/. A number of other web sites have instructions and templates online for creating all sorts of puppets from animals to holiday themed characters including First School, ABC Teach, and DLTK.

If crafting from scratch is just not your forte it's okay; all hope is not lost as there are a few great craft kits available for wonderful paper bag puppets from Martha Stewart that come with everything you need included. These are available through Amazon.com com, Walmart and local craft stores.

Paper bag puppets are so simple even the most craft challenged adult will have no trouble completing several of them in a manner of hours. The best part is at a cost of just pennies a piece, your child can make as many as he or she wishes.

Want a Less Messy Alternative to Decorating Easter Eggs?

Yes, I know it's the middle of May, and yes I know that Easter Sunday was several weeks ago. So why am I posting about decorating Easter Eggs? Well, because I am still migrating that plethora of Helium articles and this is the next one to come up for re-posting.

This is yet another one of those times where I wish I'd had the opportunity to post photos as well in order to illustrate the tasks covered for decorating eggs without dye, but if I start re-doing everything as well as re-posting, I'll still be sitting here next year and with only half of the articles salvaged.

Alas, dear reader, you'll just have to take my word for it. I'm really good at giving directions, you know!

How to Decorate Eggs without Dye

Decorating eggs at Easter is a fun and exciting pastime for kids, but it can also be a messy one, particularly when liquid dyes are used. Aside from the potential spills, drips and stains egg dyeing can bring, many parents are becoming increasingly concerned about the chemicals in commercially sold Easter egg dye kits. This unease has led to them to seek out natural dyes as well as other alternate non-toxic means for decorating eggs with children.

Do to the ever expanding DIY craft market, there are a wide variety of materials and methods that can be used in the absence of traditional dye kits for decorating eggs. Depending on the age of the children involved and the degree of messiness assisting adults are willing to endure, dye-free egg décor can be pre-school simple or artistically intricate.

Perhaps the best material to work with when decorating eggs with small children is stickers. Purchased stickers provide instant gratification while allowing little hands to customize their Easter eggs with everything from smiley faces to animals to their favorite Disney characters. Large craft stores feature entire aisles of stickers in a wide range of sizes and styles to accommodate every imaginable theme.

Alternatively, custom stickers could be made from large blank labels such as those used for addressing packages. Kids can color and draw freehand on the labels with regular markers, colored pencils, or crayons. Those with limited drawing ability can use stencils to create colorful geometric patterns, or simply make their own abstract designs. Temporary tattoos could also be used to decorate eggs for Easter, as could nail decals.

Perhaps the only drawback to decorating Easter eggs with stickers is that the eggs are still mostly white (unless using brown eggs). For kids with even minimal drawing ability, food coloring pens such as Food Doodler and Gourmet Writer, allow for adding straight or curved lines and simple designs with less hassle and mess than egg dyes. The more drawing skill kids have, the more elaborately they will be able to decorate their eggs.

In addition to food coloring pens, there are a number of food paints available that could be used instead of dyes to decorate Easter eggs. These are probably best suited for older children and teens, and can be obtained from retailers that carry cake decorating supplies.

No matter the age of the child involved Easter egg decorating with stickers, edible pens or paint, temporary tattoos, or a combination of all three, parents can rest assured they will be doing so dye-free, and with a lot less mess.

How to Make Your Own Special Occasion Corsage

Continuing with the effort to migrate my multitude of Helium articles, here's one I forgot I ever wrote, and just in time too now that both prom and wedding season are in full force. My aunt used to make these regularly for and people for their weddings and sorority gatherings and so forth.

How to make your own Corsage

Making your own corsage is not only practical, it’s quick, easy and filled with unlimited possibilities. Whether you’re planning your wedding, attending a dance, party, or club event or even if you just like wearing fresh flowers, a one-of-a-kind corsage, is both a lovely accessory and a potential conversation starter.

Traditional corsages are typically a mini floral arrangement of one or more main flowers accompanied by smaller accent flowers and/or greenery. The arrangement can be made from either fresh or artificial flowers and can also include beaded accents, ribbons, feathers or other embellishments of your choice.

Though corsages are usually made from more than one flower, very pretty corsages can also be made with one very large flower or its equivalent (such as a ribbon or paper rosette). Of course, it’s also possible to use something besides flowers (such as holiday miniatures). A quick trip to the craft or novelty store will give you an idea of the great range of what your inclusion options are.

Some traditional flower choices for corsages are roses, orchids, gardenias, and carnations, but almost any favorite flower can be used. Choose a corsage flower based on color and fragrance, but also try to pick one that has a little staying power. The last thing you want is to have your corsage wilt as soon as you step out of your door.

If you want to go eco-friendly with your choice, you can use paper flowers or those made from ribbon, crochet or knitting. Felt or other fabric flowers can be used as well for making corsages, but if working with a recycled material, stay away from metals or plastics as these might scratch.

Corsages are generally worn on the left and can be placed on the shoulder of a dress or cover up such as a shrug, sweater, or jacket, the bodice of a dress, at the waist, or wrist. Some modern girls even wear their corsages on the ankle. In cases where having a corsage on the body doesn’t work, it can alternatively be attached to an evening bag.

When making your own corsage, consider the occasion, what outfit you will be wearing, the season and whether you might prefer it pinned on or around your wrist. A simple nosegay is easy to put together with little more than flowers and floral tape, while a floral “bracelet” will require elastic or some other means for keeping the corsage securely on the wrist.

The advantage of using an artificial flower is that they can either be sewn or glued to the wristlet band, they can stand up to a little crush action if someone hugs you, and you won’t have to worry you’re your flower of choice might wilt. Also, you aren’t limited to only using seasonal flowers.

The main advantage of using fresh flowers to create your own corsage is fragrance. A flower with a heavy perfume such as rose or gardenia will not only look great, it will make you smell great as well. When combining flowers, be sure to choose ones that are complimentary in fragrance as well in color.

Wrist corsages from the florist are typically made with an elastic corsage wristlet. These can be purchased from a craft store, or made from a piece of elastic from your sewing basket. Alternatives to elastic include ribbon, fabric bands, and slap bracelets.

Basic corsage how to

Supplies needed:

1 large centerpiece Flower

Leaves, pearls, or other corsage embellishments

Floral wire (or, in a pinch, you can use a paper clip)

Floral tape

Long straight pin or extra-large safety pins

Note: Keep your flower in the refrigerator until you have assembled all of your supplies.

To begin, trim the stem to about half an inch below the flower head using scissors or pruners. Cut a piece of floral wire about for inches long and bend the tip of one end into a U shape (if you have them, needle nosed pliers will make this step easier.)

If using a paper clip, bend the wire back until you have a long straight end with a U curve (like a very long J).  Take the wire J and carefully insert the long end into the top of your flower slightly to the side of its center.  (The center of the U part will ultimately rest of the middle of the flower head).

Gently pull/push the wire down until the short tip goes into the flower as well. Wrap the floral tape around the bottom of the flower head so that it is covering the wire, and continue wrapping in a spiral motion until the entire base of the flower is covered.

Hold a leaf behind the flower with the stem against the wire below the flower base. Wrap the floral tape around the leaf to add it to the corsage. Note: Try to choose accent leaves that are large enough to show from behind your flower and that have long enough stems (think maple or grape sized). Add at least one more leaf, bend the bottom end of your wire up against your taped stem, and cover the end with tape.

If adding an embellishment such as a pearl spray, place it between the flower and the leaves. It may help to lay everything flat on the surface of a table to see how things look and make adjustments for placement before taping it all together.

Once the loose wire end is safely tucked away under the floral tape the corsage is ready for wear. 

Upcycled Stuff Craft Challenge

It all started with a tweet. I logged onto Twitter late afternoon on September 14, and noticed that @Teamupcyclers had just posted an update asking if anyone was interested in a Craft Wars style challenge. I followed the link, and ended up on Tricia Kokoszka's Upcycled Stuff blog. She was holding a Sewing Month challenge in which participants had to create something crafty from "trash" that she would send them.

I thought, 'why not?' There was only one problem, however. Despite the tweet from Team Upcyclers, and even though there were still available spots left, the deadline had already passed. Not sure of the status of the challenge, I posted a message to Tricia that if it wasn't too late, I'd be interested and sent her an email with my mailing address. A couple tweets between me and Team Upcyclers and emails with Tricia, and there was a second chance challenge underway.

Three days later, on Monday, September 17, I went out to check the mail and there was my little box of goodies. I had no idea what would be inside, and in her initial blog post, Tricia had warned she might not send even one stitch of fabric in the box. I was definitely relieved to find several squares of stretch denim  along with the items I was to upcycle, which included five black plastic spools, and an empty cardboard tube from a roll of packaging tape.

Once I laid everything out, my first thought was "wind chime. I just had to figure out how configure everything and incorporate sewing somehow, and since I'd never actually made a wind chime, I decided that wasn't going to work out, especially since I only had until  Saturday, September 22 to get my project completed, photographed, and emailed to Tricia.

Time for another idea. I played around with arranging the materials for a day or so, trying to come up with a neat idea that would turn out something interesting, but that I would still have time to make before the deadline. So then I thought maybe I would make a doll. 

The only question I had was how I would connect the tubes together to form the body in a way that would still be considered sewing. I also didn't want to hide the tubes inside of the doll's body, because then it wouldn't be obvious that I had used them. The next idea was to use the denim to make roses and have the tubes as their stems.

However, I couldn't think of how to use the empty tape spool, and you had to use everything. Also I wanted to make one complete item, not several little ones. I went back to the doll idea for a while, but time was ticking away and I would have to dig up a bunch of other supplies to first create the doll and then make clothes for it, and I just didn't feel I had enough time.

So then I experimented with wrapping the cloth around the plastic spools (which it turns out were register tape cores), but I still needed away to connect them all together, and I still hadn't figured out how to incorporated the cardboard tube. Once again I laid it all out...

...I decided I would use three swatches to make a strip to mount the other fabric pieces to. First, I hand-sewed the pieces together using backstitch.

Then I folded the edges up and slipstitched them together to complete the strip.

One the foundation strip was done, it was time to add each tab. Because I wanted them to fit snugly, I wrapped the folded fabric around the tubes to sew them.

Last but not least, I wrapped the white cardboard tube with reclaimed scraps of variegated yarn and attached it to the bottom of the piece. I fold the top down to create a tab for hanging, but it seemed too plain. I attached a purple polymer clay bead (also made by me) at the top and voila, I had a denim plastic hanging thing.

Somehow it still seemed as if it needed more color, so I dug out a paint brush and delved into the acrylic craft paints. Even with the flash the photo is kind of dark. I guess I need to spend a little more time figuring out the new camera and learning how to edit photos on the new computer.

When I went back to Tricia's earlier email with the challenge instructions, I realized that I had only needed to use some of each item for the challenge, but I managed to figure out a way to use them all. I found out today that there is a story around the black register tape spools. after reading it, I was glad I had come up with something that used all of them.

Tricia emailed earlier today to say that the photo and story is live on her blog and to let everyone know. So to go to Upcycled Stuff to check out the post (and a lighter picture) and read the story of the tape spools click here. Don't forget to vote!

All Wired Up

When I was a kid, (about 6 1/2) we used to make jewelry from telephone wire. One of my favorite things to do was to make bracelets from coiling a piece of wire around itself. It was quick and easy and a lot of fun to do. I still have one or two of them tucked away in a box somewhere. The only problem was that it was not that easy to score telephone wire.

The only way to get some, was to beg it off one of the guys you saw on the street working if you happened to catch them on their way up or down a telephone pole. I can only hope no one ever got into trouble for giving away wire to little kids.

Recently, I discovered Twisteez wire. I was going to have a booth soon at a small neighborhood celebration so I decided to make some bracelets and see how people would receive them. I wrapped a piece of wire around my wrist to get he size, bent it and started coiling. Unfortunately I ran out of wire before the coil was complete. So much for that idea. I tried using multiple pieces but that was a disaster.

Today I got the bright idea to finally visit the Twisteez web site. There are a few lessons for cool projects, including a coiled basket. Theirs is thicker and combines wire; maybe I'll give it another shot with their version and see what I come up with. I saw some beautiful African bracelets online recently from telephone wire, but they were a little out of my league.

I'd made a coiled wire disk a while back trying to figure out how to make a basket like the ones from South Africa, but I couldn't figure out how to build the curve and now I can't even remember how I got the coil started in the first place.

A little while after my failure to launch with the bracelet inspiration struck and I decided to close my initial coil into a teardrop shape and create an earring. This time my effort met with success and I set about coiling more wire and creating more earrings in different colors.

The little celebration where I had my booth got rained on and sales were pretty poor for the day. I did get good response to the earrings though, and I even sold two pair. (There are more available online at my new Etsy store!)
The same day I made the coiled wire earrings I began digging through my container of leftover polymer clay beads. I had a bunch of pretty ones that I had never used so I dug out the head pins and started to play. Polymer clay is such an interesting material to work with and creating unique beads is so easy to do. Making earrings only requires a couple beads, unlike a necklace. When I have time to make more filler beads I'll so some more bracelets and necklaces, hopefully before Christmas.

I have been itching to start crocheting even though it's still a little early and I couldn't resist experimenting with yarn anymore so I played around with combining two variegated yarns in a scarf and hat set. I can't decide how I feel about them, but it always seems that when you make something you think has turned out strange, someone else falls head over heels in love with it.

Next I started on a shawl that I like during the day but not at night. The reason of course it that it looks better in natural light. During the day the purples and greens look like a garden of violets but at night it's a whole other murky, mossy story. At any rate, it's all about the journey. I had hoped to post more photos with this post, but the camera died (after only one year!) and my phone is not cooperating. Until next time...

My first tawashi

I first learned about Tawashi scrubbers while searching for crochet patterns for a helium article. I was on a website (Annie's Attic maybe?) and there was a nice photograph of a book cover (Tawashis in Crochet) with a number of cute designs including a huge multicolored flower. Intrigued I did a search for Tawashi crochet and came up with a number of hits including several for free patterns on ravelry and other sites.

I had never heard of tawashi (a japanese scrub brush) let alone tawashi crochet, but then I found one of the coolest things I've ever seen, the hyperbolic pseudosphere scrubbie. This was something I just had to try so I started messing around with some cotton yarn following the directions on TimaryArt's blog, but it just wasn't happening for me.

I went in search of more information and after looking at images on other sites and reading a few articles I just started experimenting with cirlces. What I found was that my Tawashi worked out best if I started out with two chains as if I were making a hat and then made 7 or 9 SC in the first chain (depending on yarn and hook size).

I had also seen some examples of hyperbolic crochet done from a foundation chain and decided to try that out as well. In the example here I have smoothed it out a bit to show the shape better, but as I was corcheting it curled more and more. After seeing the results I decided to experiment with a longer chain and the result is a curly variegated scarf still in progress. (I may take it along on my trip to Spain next week; need something to do on that long flight!)

In my intitial search I found a nifty Tawashi fish and the most adorable Tawashi Ohina. I haven't tried either of those yet, but hopefully I'll get to them over the summer when things settle down again.

While looking for a page displaying an image/pattern of the Tawashi fish that would not require registration for viewing I came across one of the most amazing things i've ever seen in crochet. When I was working on my hyperbolic tawashi I kept thinking how much it reminded me of some kind of aquatic animal. Well, it appears I am not the only one who thought so! Check out the awesome hyperbolic coral reef: http://crochetcoralreef.org/about/index.php.

And just in case you think you have seen it all visit: http://ps122gallery.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/related-free-patterns/celestine_crochet_op/ and check out the dodecahedron crochet star.