Embroidered Art

This colorful craziness is a piece I did right before I graduated from college and got married. I used an intaglio print bird I had done, printed on fabric, and arranged in a three by three grid. It's quilt-like, but intended to be hung on the wall. Every other bird is either painted or embroidered, and then sewn onto additional squares of mixed print fabric, and bordered in a wonderful umbrella print from Kaffe Fassatt. The result is kind of weird, very non-traditional, brightly colorful; and I've never been quite sure what to make of it!

1980's Re-Vamp

I remember making these fun necklaces with my mom for presents as a kid in the '80's. Essentially, they're a tube of fabric, stuffed with large round beads, with pony beads on the outside between each large bead. I was reminded of them the other day with a photo of a many-hundred dollared necklace from a big name designer in In Style Magazine. So I thought I'd try making my own again. This time around, about 20 years later, I used some bright Kaffe Fassett fabric, with wooden beads replacing the pony beads for a more sophisticated, grown-up look.



And I like the results! I used 3/4" wooden balls from the craft store, and made my fabric tube about 2" in diameter. It's tough to get the first wooden bead over the fabric sleeve, but once you've gotten one, the rest are easy. And, I would start from the middle of the necklace and work out on each side, just to make sure you've spaced everything properly in the fabric sleeve.

A modified version of these has also appeared in Amy Butler books. It's a great way to use up fabric scraps!