Category: Craft

Of the bells, bells, bells

On By CarynIn Cats, Craft

The last ornamentations for the Bucilla felt wreath kit are many tiny embroidered and sequined AND stuffed felt bells.

Photo description: Nine yellow felt bells with only the embroidery done, sitting on a calico cat

The pattern only has seven decorated sides, with the back sides unadorned yellow felt, but it bothered me that in the picture for the pattern one of the bells on a string was turned backwards, showing the plain side. So for those two bells, I decorated the back as well, increasing the tiny sewing required.

Photo description: felt bells stuffing, assisted by a bamboo stick

I found that using a bamboo stick to place the stuffing in the tiny elements of the felt wreath really helped.

Photo description: finished felt bells attached to the wreath in the indicated positions, dilute calico investigating the felt on the floor

Honestly, if I had had tiny metal bells in my stash, I would have put those on instead of spending all that time embroidering and adding sequins. I definitely had Edgar Allan Poe’s poem going through my head the whole time.

No deviation

On By CarynIn Craft

After the felt cats, the next step of the Bucilla wreath kit is a large red bow. This post almost had a different title, because as I put the bow together I realized that there weren’t enough red sequins left. Hm. I had a choice, do another deviation from pattern and use a different color sequin, or source more red sequins. I’ll admit that I raided my kid’s felt kits for the sequins (that have sat unused for two years, so there were no tears or admonishments).

Photo description: In process Bucilla felt wreath kit with five felt cats and a large red bow on a background of green and holly leaves

Throwback Thursday: Memory slip

On By CarynIn Craft, Wildlife

As I was scrolling through old photos I came across a mystery in May 2016. My memory is full of holes, which is why I take pictures and write in a journal. I found a picture that I had no memory of taking, or why. Here is what I think happened in April 2016. I crocheted a basket with cotton variegated yarn around a rope core as an experiment.

Photo description: olive, teal, and white variegated cotton crocheted basket
Photo description: closeup of basket showing a rope core under the crochet stitches

Two weeks later I have a picture of this same basket lashed to a branch as a makeshift nest for baby birds.

Photo description: baby birds in a nest inside the same crocheted basket

I don’t recognize the car in the background. The tree is not a live oak, which was the only kind of tree we had at the time in our yard, but the grass is St Augustine which was common in our neighborhood. The side walk configuration suggests a front yard. I did not write about the basket or the birds in my journal. What? So maybe it is not my story. I’m thinking a neighbor had a bird nest fall down and I offered my basket as a substitute nest. Maybe?

I do wonder what happened to those young birds and if the nest repair was accepted by the parents. Hm.

Large deviation

On By CarynIn Cats, Craft

I changed almost everything on the last felt cat for my Bucilla kit. I took felt from my stash, cut new parts, cut different pieces from the pattern, altered the angle of the head and feet slightly, and mixed up the sequins so that I could have a black, orange, and white calico cat.

Photo description: felt calico cat with one orange leg and one black leg, and one orange ear and one black ear and a white belly and paws
Photo description: in progress Bucilla House Cats Wreath made from felt and sequins with five cats, that deviate from the pattern

I have had two calico cats with one orange leg and one black leg, Shadows and Izzy. Izzy was born after Shadows passed and we joke about reincarnation.

Photo description: Shadows the calico cat with a black right front leg and an orange left front leg
Photo description: Izzy the calico cat with a black left front leg and an orange right front leg

I have a few more things to finish on the wreath: a large bow and some bells. I don’t think there will be much more deviation in the sewing.

Leather labels

On By CarynIn Craft

I wanted to add labels to my handmade items, so used the laser cutter to make some from thin leather. I added pairs of holes to the edges so they could be sewn on, my signature mark, and the primary material used for the item.

Photo description: labels cut from leather with a blue laser cutter, pencil for scale

I’m really pleased with how these came out. I’m getting better at estimating laser cutter and engraving settings; I had only one test cut before dialing in to settings that gave me my desired result. For the cut I had a speed and power of 100, and the fill engrave was power 30, speed 100, line density 100. The labels are 1cm by 5cm, which is just about as small as I can go and still sew them into a circle.