Mixed Embroidery: Your Sexist Jokes Are Boring

My sister recently gifted me a packet of vintage flour-sack-towel patterns that my grandmother had kept from the 1940s. This pattern (sans words) was included. I wanted to fill in the vessels, and I figured the easiest way to do that would be to mix felt with embroidery.

And, of course, I added the words. :)

Vintage Postcards: von Schiller and Monty Python

I ordered a bulk pack of 100 vintage postcards (mixed! surprises!) from an ebay shop. It was super fun to open up the cards and find inspiration in whatever popped up. In this case, Friedrich von Schiller, philosopher and poet, needed a little extra bling and a quote (original postcard from the 1910s):

This postcard--a MN original from the 1960s that was in my Great-Aunt Anne's scrapbook--demanded the addition of a guard. So we get the French Knight from Monty Python's Holy Grail and a trojan rabbit for good measure:

I'm a little bummed about my scale choices for this (the knight! So big!) but the detail would have been REALLY hard otherwise. So I guess it will do. You live and learn!

Fleabag Ornaments

I love Fleabag--a brilliant show created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (on Amazon Prime). There are a lot of great parts and elements (and it's consistently funny), but my favorite thing is the truly loving, complex sister relationship. 

In part? I think Fleabag's character stating "This is a love story" at the beginning of Season 2 is just as much in reference to sister-love as it is to romantic love. 

And so? I made Fleabag sister ornaments. 

Fleabag:

 Claire:

Featured Project: Ally Bracelets

I was SUPER pleased when I proposed this project and the publisher was all-in. Showing support and kindness is important and can mean the difference between someone feeling alone and someone feeling like another is a "safe" person.

These ally bracelets can be made with any number of color combinations--pictured are LGBT rainbow and Trans pink/white/teal.

If you want a 15 minute (max) craft, then the bracelet style on the left is all hot-glued--super quick and easy. If you want a funkier look and want to dig into the embroidery thread, the bracelet style on the right has the color bands stitched together. That's my personal favorite, though both look nice.

Featured Project: Malala Journal Cover

The story behind the craft for the Malala journal cover is that not everything works out perfectly the first time. 

For instance, when designing this pattern I overestimated the spine piece by a full inch. Which doesn't seem like too much until it's flopping all about. This was an easy adjustment to make and the pattern ended up being perfect in the end--but it goes to show that trial and error is definitely necessary sometimes. 

Also: this gives an opportunity to dig into the holiday ribbon and decor; anything sparkly or shiny makes a nice accent where the gold ric-rac currently is. 

Featured Project: My Strong Body

This project is very simple (it has a bit of detail work with the organs) but is very fun. I remember playing "Operation Frog" in school--figuring out the internal organs and where they go--and this is a body puzzle that emphasizes the function of the strong body.

The project can be scaled up or down by exchanging stitches for fabric paint--or by adding overcast stitching around the edges for a more polished look.

Surprisingly, my 4 year old also LOVES to play with this and spends a ton of time taking it apart and putting it back together.

Embroidery on Vintage Postcards

I follow #handembroidery on instagram and it's at once inspiring AND daunting (everyone else is SO GOOD and creative and what am I even DOING thinking I can make things?!). It's the tale of every maker/crafter admiring the art of others, no?

Two things happened.
1. I stumbled upon the incredible work of Frances Cramer.
2. I had a TON of old vintage postcards from my grandmother's hoarder house.

I've used my grandma's vintage stashes before (the vintage collage buttons, for instance).  So I thought I'd take a crack at embroidering on vintage paper.

I learned:
Planning is MUCH more my friend on paper than on fabric/felt.
Paper--especially old paper--is much less forgiving of mistakes and pilot poke-throughs.

With trial and error I started embroidering on vintage postcards. Here are some of my current results. It's a little bit kitch, a little bit sci-fi, a little bit supernatural, and a little bit gay. All things I love:

Bob Ross "painting" the postcard.

This is going to be featured on a friend's album cover! (Holy crap!)

We follow the Yellow Brick Road. Even though the "Surrender Dorothy" is a direct copy from the movie, it looks super messy (as it did in the movie!). 

My FIRST attempt. Little Nessie. :)

French knots are WAY fun to do on paper, for real. 

The Enterprise, my Star Trek loves.

Just a little tentacle.

I LOVE this one; the gay pride Oakland Bay Bridge.

The drag horse of Wyoming. My friend actually knows the name of the horse and rider, but alas. 

TARDIS.

The Telltale heart of the Edgar Allen Poe shrine.

The rainbowed-up hospital.

More to come for sure. It's addicting to figure out how to add onto the postcards and I maaaay have ordered an assorted vintage pack on ebay. Whoops.