embroidery hoops

you will need:
an embroibery needle
an embroidery hoop
embroidery thread
a scrap of material
buttons/lace/trim{optional}


if you've never used an embroidery hoop before, its extremely easy.

unscrew the brass tension screw at the top, & separate the two hoops.
lay the fabric over the smaller hoop{leave an excess of fabric here & trim it off after you insert it}


holding the fabric taut, replace the larger hoop, & screw it back together{making sure to pull the fabric so it isnt twisted or uneven}


if you're unsure of freestitching like me, cut out a template & pin it to the fabric.


i used a fleur de lys because of the beauty of its meaning & also because of the elegance of the symbol itself!


im not finished yet but wanted to show you its progress...& im hoping to fill it with stitch samples like these


imagine having a walllcluster filled with embroidery hoops!!!

*message in a bottle*

"wherefore art thou Romeo?"

i was thinking about a jar Mum made for my Dad so many years ago, filled with little precious notes of love, wrapped in sparkly paper, & tied with a bow...


bottles are wonderful to decorate,


& fill with little notes


of hope & longing


to drift gently ashore somewhere


i bet someone you know would love a message in a bottle today!!! loveliest thoughts :)

bracelets ~ a tutorial!

you will need:
scissors
fishing line{or jewellery thread. i use fishing line because its incredibly sturdy, cheap, & see through, so if you use clear or opaque beads you dont see a dark line going through the middle}
beads
a clasp{toggle, claw, any type}
crimping beads
pliers

cut a length of fishing line{i use embroidery thread here so it shows up} a little wider than your wrist{you actually want to add a good few inches to the width you want it to end up so you have room to fold it over}


the crimping bead must be threaded first,
then thread the fishing line into the hole of the clasp


loop the fishing line over & thread back down into the crimp bead


with the pliers, pull quite taut towards the clasp, then squeeze the crimp bead closed


now with the open end{the end you havent attached to the clasp} of the fishing line, thread all the beads in the pattern of your choice


when you come almost to the end, repeat the steps above
add the crimp bead
thread through the clasp
thread back through the crimp bead
squeeze crimp bead closed


& presto, you havea bracelet...i repeated this process 4 times to achieve this bracelet...& i also used a clasp with two holes to attach two sections onto each one.


good luck making lots of lovely jewellery!!! loveliest wishes

...

a bracelet tutorial...


coming soon!
loveliest wishes today

eggs for Easter

a little special egg tutorial...
you will need:
styrofoam egg
scissors
glue
pins
lace
ribbons
millinery flowers


i first glued a piece of gathered lace around the bottom half of the egg


i pleated it into the base of the egg, & glued it in place. then i began gluing lace around the top half of the egg...start from the top & spiral downwards, its much easier, oh & you dont have to glue any right at the top as there will be ribbons etc covering this part


then pin{or glue} a length of ribbon to the centre of the top.


you can simply tie a bow with several pieces of ribbon, or, as i did, fold the ribbon into 3 pieces{for the right side} then fold the left side into 3 pieces{large/smaller/smallest}, then either pin or glue into place. add some flowers, feathers, a button or gem & voila!




these little eggs would look so dashing hanging & twinkling


around the home


loveliest Easter wishes

inspiration!

today i thought id share these photos of a clay rose made by my sister, so real it looked!!! & a collection of tutorials & projects that inspire me so, with you...
fortune cookies
fabric flowers
a necklace
magic boxes
a pocket for your bed



a knitted floral necklace
DIY Wedding Projects
39 squares
knitting crocheted flowers


Have a pretty day!!!
lots of loveliness

Cape Cod Rambling Rose Photo Challenge ~ an envelope

you will need:
scissors
A4 paper - 1 piece
eyelets {also eyelet tools & hammer}
embroidery floss or twine
2 small circles out of coordinating scraps of paper

optional
1 photo
lace or ribbon
flowers
stickers
other embellishments

To begin i made an envelope template. i did this from folding my piece of paper around an existing envelope.


i scooted the top of the envelope down a little to make the top flap large enough to hold a circle clasp.


Then i trimmed around & tidyed up the outline.


The next step is to glue it together.

Now you have a working envelope!


but you can continue to make it a little extra special...

after gluing on the photo i glued two layers of lace around it to frame it.

to make a flower, i cut a strip of fabric & folded it so that the back half is longer than the front half. then rolled it up at the base & secured it with a pin. i made two of these. adding a paper flower, a ribbon, some sparkly stickers & a folded flower finished the front.


next cut two small circles for the clasps at the back. i usually buy a packet of eyelets from the sewing section at Spotlight because they're only $3 & come with the tool.

punch or poke a hole in the middle & place an eyelet in it.


turn it iver & using the tool, hammer the eylet in place. its quite a simple way to make something look very sophisticated. then i attached some lace around one. be sure to poke the embroidery flos through one eyelet so it is secure enough to wrap around the other to close your envelope. {you can attach these directly to the envelope in the beginning or as i did, use a little glue later on.


These are my favourite type of envelope!!! i had hoped to make a template for you but have no idea how as yet :)


im grateful to Cape Cod Rambling Rose for inspiring me with this challenge!!!


loveliest wishes for everyone today

calendar journal ~

have you ever considered making a journal out of your favourite calendar?



a pretty place for snippets of thought & fragments of your day, the whole year wrapped up in a matter of pages, you could attach keepsakes & souveneirs such as train tickets & movie stubs. beautiful memorabillia collaged throughout, or just the adornment of your handwritten thoughts.

kindest wishes!!!