The felt wreath sewing kit now has two cats. I didn’t deviate from the instructions on this second cat like I did for the candy cane with the first cat. I sense more deviation coming in my future, though. The thought of finishing the wreath and it looking like the picture on the kit is disquieting. It won’t ever look exactly like the picture, a head tilt difference here, a slight color variation there, but I’d like to make it mine, specifically. I have lots of scrap felt. Hm.
I keep working on the Bucilla felt kit to make a cat themed wreath. So many tiny stitches. I laid it down to take a progress picture and Izzy the cat decided to investigate.
The stuffed candy cane the cat is holding is the smallest stuffed object I have ever done, so far. The project has many, many tiny stuffed details.
I bought a felt sewing kit two years ago, and just found it again while I was looking for something else. Since I have a dozen works in progress, what is one more? I really did try to put in back in the storage space, but it called to me. The first step was reading through the instructions (yes, I’m one of those), then prepping the materials and finding a project bag. I used bobbins cut from waste plastic to sort and hold the embroidery thread, and a small pill holder for the sequins and beads. The instructions suggest a plate, but I know myself and at the first distracted moment I would bump the plate and send seed beads all over the room. So I keep them on lock down. Yes, it takes a little longer to open the case, get out a bauble, then close the case, but it is better than picking them up off the floor and separating out the cat hair.
Now to see how long it holds my attention and how long it takes to finish.
I have hand sewn my first button hole. I bought a linen skirt to be a petticoat for my 1800s outfit for spinning demonstrations, and it was a bit big in the waist. One side of the waistband had elastic, but the other had a plain waistband. A machine sewn button hole would go through both layers of fabric and be useless, so I hand sewed the edges of the button hole with a satin stitch in just the inside layer of fabric.
The elastic is not historically accurate, and certainly not the button hole elastic, but I’m not doing reenactments, I’m doing spinning demonstrations and purchased look-a-likes are acceptable at this venue. I’m hoping the linen does its job keeping me cooler.
I love the colors of this dress, but detest cap sleeves.
I cut off the sleeves and neckline just below the arm pit, removed one line of elastic, and sewed a hem at the top. The shirred bodice is now a stretchy waistline for a skirt.
Although I don’t like wearing cap sleeves, the fabric cut from the sleeve made a decent sized pocket.
Picking out serger seams is not my favorite activity, but it is worth it to get pockets. I find it easier to cut the threads between the layers of fabric, rather than figure out which thread to cut on the surface. Once I had pocket holes in the side of the skirt, I sewed the pocket to the waistband, sewed the bottom seam, and sewed the pocket openings. I sewed reinforcement at the top and bottom of the pocket by sewing a stitch across the join of the four fabrics seven times.
I now have a wearable maxi skirt with large pockets.
Pockets.
I will one hundred percent be showing off the pockets like the viral vulture pockets meme.
Critters and Craft 