rubykittyruby

  You might remember a previous post or two about creating these boho style beads.  They're so easy to make.  You either use a paper straw or a rolled & glued strip of paper to make a tube, then cover it in fabric and wrap with thin wire, on to which you've threaded beads.   Well, I've spent part of yesterday and today making a variation on them.  Rather than use paper as a base for a bead, you use material.  The entire bead's made of fabric, and there's no wire involved either.  I used a chunky knitting needle and wound a narrow strip of felt around it, adding a few stitches to keep everything in place.  Then covered the felt with a sari scrap, and secured that with more stitching.  Beads and sequins gave the fabric beads even more of a boho look.   These are the first four I sewed, and I've done another four since.  No idea what I'll do with them all, but I'm having fun! 

Saturday was the third of four classes about how to make a fabric covered book.  As with the other sessions, it passed in the blink of an eye.  I spent at least an hour assembling my book's cover, which involved using bookbinding glue, that I realised is far superior to regular PVA.  It dries in a fraction of the time, and if I decide to make more books using this method I'll definitely be buying a tub of the stuff.  As always, it's available via Amazon and eBay, so it's not as if you have to seek out a specialist bookbinding supplier to purchase it.   Once the outer embroidered covers were stuck firmly in place, I added black felt to the inside, choosing that instead of end papers.  I also added a dangly sparkly something at the spine, and a piece of purple & gold braid to finish it off.  There are still a few unadorned pages inside the book, so I've enough to occupy me during next week's final class.   The book doesn't close fully ...

  It's been a glorious autumn day.  Chilly to wake up to, then the sun came out & shone brightly, so it was off to the allotment where the earth's softened up after recent rainfall.  I was able to weed and tidy, trying to make the plot look respectable before the cold weather sets in and we slide inevitably into winter.  At home I fitted in some sewing.  The patchwork bug's bitten me again, after having a break and spending time lately with gell printing.  I've been gathering up lots of tiny scraps and joining them together, going for a haphazard look.  Nothing matchy-matchy or colour coordinated.  There's something very satisfying about finding a use for the smallest strips or triangles of cotton, little pieces that might otherwise be destined to end up as cushion filling.   Speaking of gell printing, I've been using prints to turn into seed packets for flower seeds gathered from my garden.  Hollyhocks, scabious, catananche....

After all the cold weather recently it's been a ridiculously mild day, though I'm not complaining.  I actually managed an hour in the back garden.  Clearing away dried up stalks and brown crispy looking leaves, the remains of last year's Michaelmas daisies, Cosmos, crocosmia, verbena and so on.  The garden looks slightly neater, and it was pleasing to see spring bulbs popping up, as well as snowdrops that're already flowering, so pretty and delicate.   On the crafty side of things, I finished off a little collection of boho style beads as I'd wanted some to give away.  Previous beads had been longer, but  I reckon these dinky little uns look just as good, if not better.  I love the way making these beads uses up even the tiniest scraps of fabric, pieces that'd otherwise be relegated to cushion-filling.  It makes sense to squeeze every bit of value out of our fabric purchases, don't you think?  By the way, the tins you can see in the phot...

  The Christmas decorations came down before Epiphany, but I must've felt the front room needed extra sparkle as I had the idea yesterday to string several handmade beads across the fireplace.  It's not a working fireplace, unfortunately, but only houses an ugly gas fire that's no longer used as the central heating does a more efficient job.  So the fireplace is home to a cheap (and not so cheerful) MDF mantelpiece and a cluster of plants.  I threaded 15 beads in all on to a length of narrow pink ribbon and used drawing pins to attach my DIY beady bunting.  They look pretty near to my random collection of postcards, prayer cards, feathers, poppy seed heads and other assorted bits 'n' bobs.   I thought displaying the boho beads was a better option than keeping them tucked away in a tin or box, out of sight.   The other crafty thing I got up to yesterday concerned these pieces of embroidered secondhand tablecloth that I'd already strengthened w...

  Christmas present buying is done (even though I never feel I buy enough or get everything right), Christmas food shopping is done (and there are way too many calories lurking in cupboards, ready to ambush me with their sweet tasting treats.)  So, it's the ideal time to get stuck into some non-Christmas crafting.  Armed with a tube of Original Hi-Tack All Purpose Very Sticky Glue (that's a name that says it all!) I set about making a handful of boho beads.   I've watched various YouTube tutorials, and most recommend you start off with a packet of drinking straws, cutting one of the straws up to make your basic bead shape.  The only issue with using a straw is that the resulting bead has wide openings at the top and base.  I think they look better if they're narrower at each end.  For a narrower bead it's easier to roll a piece of scrap paper around a thin knitting needle, or - what I found ideal - a spindly plant support cane.  I used copier...

As a distraction from wrapping Christmas presents, I had a try at making boho style fabric beads this morning.  My efforts would've been a lot more successful if I'd got the right glue ... but more of that in a while.   The bead shape is easily made, using a paper straw as your base.  If you haven't any straws then improvise, as I did, by rolling a piece of paper around a paintbrush handle or a pencil, securing it with double sided tape.  Then it's a case of winding little pieces of brightly coloured fabric around the paper tube and adding a dab of glue to keep them in place.  I used Decoupage Medium as my sticking agent as I'd got it to hand, but PVA would've been fine.  As far as cotton fabric was concerned that is.   You see, the problem came when I tried using the Decoupage Medium to stick ribbon.  Fine gauzy ribbon, slippery satin, petersham ribbon, none of 'em would stay stuck, and I doubt PVA would've been any more effective....