The Problem with Pom-Poms– 2022 Solution is Snow Joke

 The Problem with Pom-Poms– 2022 Solution is Snow Joke

I hate Waste. So here is a Novel idea I came up with how to deal with the Problem the Pom-Pom had caused.

Spare Pom-Poms

 

I had the Large and the Medium Sized Pom-Poms left. You can see what I meant about the Original one being so rough and uneven. So what could I do with them?

Sew Pom-Poms Together

 

As I was holding them both in my hand I had an inspiration. By putting one on top of the other I could make the base of a Snowman. Fortunately the Tails were still attached so I simply Sewed them together.

Add Stick

Rummaging around in my Craft Cupboard I found a Stick. It was intended for a different project but it was so ideal I decided to use it now. I simply slipped the Stick through the Centre of the Lower Pom-Pom

Nose Job

 

For the Nose I took a Medium Sized Toggle and Coloured it with a Black Permanent Marker. I got some Superglue and spread on one End. Then I pushed it firmly into the Centre of the Head.

Snowman Complete

To complete the Snowman I Glued on some Googly Eyes. The added a Ribbon off an old wooden tobacco box I had been given. I love Boxes! The last thing I made was the Hat.

I cut a Circle out of Black Card. Next I took a strip of Card and Rolled it to make a Tube. I Cut a Smaller Circle the same size as the Tube and Stuck it on Top. Then all I had to do was to Glue the other End onto the Large Circle. Finally I Stuck the Hat onto the Snowman.

Pieces of Pom-Pom 

The Snowman might now be finished but I was still left with a huge pile of Yarn Trimmings from my desperate attempts to get the Original Pom-Pom down to size. I also had dozens of Tail Ends from making the Hat and Scarf. Not to mention the stray pieces of Yarn that had simply fallen out the Pom-Poms.

12 Owls

 

I hadn’t found a Christmas Card that I liked for my friend and with another jolt of inspiration I came up with this. The 12 Owls of Christmas cut out and Stuck on a Pleather Tree. I used the Trimmings as Snow.

Bah-Humbug

 

The Card I made for Danny was a nod to his Nott’s County Hat and Scarf Set. Also we had not long watched ‘The Muppet’s Christmas Carol’. Therefore by carefully Gluing Strips of Yarn onto the Card I created a pile of Humbug’s.

It was an extremely fiddly job and the Yarn came off almost as much as it went on to the Card. In the end it was worth it to see his face.

Incidentally ‘What is Scrooge’s favourite Hat?

It’s a ‘Humburg’ of course!

A Tale of Two Masks 2020

A Tale of Two Masks 2020 

This time I am trying something a little more complicated. I am going to try and make One Mask into Two

Lucky Circles

 

I was sorting through my bags for some Black material when lo and behold I found Two Circles already Cut out. That’s a Lucky start.

Match Hem

 

I Hemmed One Circle and proceeded to start the other. Now I do generally like to try and get things roughly equal but in this case I need to be more precise. Therefore I Pinned the Circles together so I could Match up the Hems correctly.

Orange

 

Next I needed to make an Orange Circle. For once I didn’t have any material handy so I have had to nip to the market to pick up some Orange Felt. I tried drawing a Circle in Chalk but it wouldn’t show up. Therefore I have used a Biro instead. 

Orange Snip

 

Once I had my Orange Circle I Folded in Half and Pinned it. I Snipped a Triangle out of the Centre. This is going to be a Nose. 

Eye Opener

 

I am having real trouble trying to get things equal. The Felt is a little thick and the Cutting isn’t getting through evenly. I had to do a lot of reshaping on the Mouth.

The Eyes are awkward to do because of not being central. I decided to Fold over the Top of the Circle so I could Snip there.

Yellow Backing

 

Sometimes I can be too frugal with my material. I wanted a Yellow Backing but every time I sewed I found that it was either too small or the Stitching showed through.

Yellow Circle

 

After several attempts I gave up and Cut out and Sewed a Large Yellow Circle.

Perfect Pumpkin

This is much better. The Yellow shows through correctly after I have placed the Orange on top. A pretty Perfect Pumpkin.

Face Mask 2020 Part 3

I try to show people how to make things with what they might have. Here is a slightly quicker way if you have longer Ties available.

Pin Tie

Instead of Sewing each individual Tie. Pin one piece to the End of the Mask. Then move the Tie Left or Right until you are sure it is Central.

Fold and Sew Tie

Then Fold the Edge of the Mask over and Sew along the length and at the Ends. Then Sew the Ends of the Ties if needed.

Face Outline

Every time you make a Mask check the Facial measurements if you are going to add Embellishments.

Rough Cat Sketch

As what I have in mind is more complicated I made a Rough Sketch on paper before drawing on the material.

Black Background

I have cut, Hemmed and Sewn the Black Background for the Face. I have also cut and Centred the White Cheeks and Pinned in place.

Pin Tongue

I have cut out the Tongue and slipped it underneath the Cheeks. I then Pin it in place to check position. Next I Fold back the Cheeks and Sew the Tongue in place.

Sew Cheeks

Next I position the Nose. I decide to Sew the Cheeks then Pin and Sew the Nose in place.

Warning. – When making a Design that calls for multiple parts make sure that you are not overlapping too much. The more layers there are the more difficult it will be to Breathe through.

Pin Cat Cheeks

To add the final touches I use Pins to Mark where I think the Whiskers should go. I then place the Thread on Top of the Cheeks and realign where necessary.

Complete Cat Mask

I Backstitch the Whiskers in place and there we have it a Purrfect Cat Mask.

Face Mask 2020 Part 2

I now have a Plain Mask. However I think it is a bit boring so I am going to Embellish it.

Nose and Edge Pins

I have had an inspiration about what Design to put on the Mask but first I need some dimensions. I fold the Mask in Half and mark the Centre with a Pin. I then put the Mask to my nose and bend it towards my ear. I then mark both Sides with a Pin.

Jawline Pins

I next open the Mask up again and carefully Tie it around my face. I Pin the Rough Shape of my Jawline.

Rough Drawing

With a Pencil I Draw Roughly the Outline of the Image I want on my Mask.

White Felt

I cut out and Pin a piece of White Felt to the Mask. I then Sew it in place using a Backstitch.

Backstitch Teeth

Once the Felt is Sewn I can begin to create the Detail. Using ordinary Black Thread I Outline the Shape of Teeth in a Mouth. This is again using Backstitch.

Infill Teeth

I Sew all the Upper Teeth in the Mouth. I then begin to do the same on the Bottom. However this time I have to Infill the Gaps in-between the Teeth.

Highlight Teeth

As I am going along I notice that in comparison to the Gaps the Outlines of the Teeth are rather insipid. I therefore go over them again to Highlight them.

Red Felt Layer

I cut out small sections of Red Felt and Pin them in place. Once I have the complete Outline I Backstitch around the Inner and Outer Edges with Red Thread.

Jane the Joker

The above photograph shows the finished Mask. I just couldn’t resist adding a bit of Green to my Hair. Voila Jane as the Joker. Hope it brings a smile to others.

Dionne’s Draught Excluder 2019 - Part 12

Dionne’s Draught Excluder 2019 - Part 12

We have had the Ears so now we need the Whiskers.

Thread too Thick

The first thing I had to do to make the Whiskers was to find some appropriate Thread. I wanted to make the Whiskers stiff so I found this Thick Thread.

Unfortunately when I tried it I found that it was far too Thick. If I had used this it would have completely decimated the Rabbit’s Nose. Not only that but I decided that I did not like the Colour of the Thread against the Face.

Different Thread

My next idea was to use some Cotton Thread from my Embroidery Silk collection. I found some White that would show up against the Canvas background.

So it wouldn’t be too Thick I split the Thread into two strands. I laid these against the Face to check how it would look prior to Sewing.

Small White Backstitch

Once satisfied that it was the Thickness that I wanted I began to Sew. I decided that the best Stitch for this would be a Backstitch. That would mean there would be no gaps in the Whiskers.

Sewn Through

I thought that it was going too well. I was struggling to pull through at one point and thought that I had got the Thread knotted.

When I came to look I found that despite my efforts that I had somehow managed to Sew through both the Front and Back of the Rabbit’s Face. I therefore had to stop and Unpick before I could continue.