And the winner is..........

Well I have picked the winner using random.com and it is....drum roll please........
Roberta Cohen


I will be dashing off an email to her tonight.

Be looking for a new giveaway starting on November 20th.This was just too much fun to not do again.

Looking Back On October

I can't believe how fast this year is winging by. I wanted to get so much more done than I have.
I know I am working full time outside of the house now but still I should be getting more crafting done. Someone who posted a comment on my giveaway page has given me a good idea.
Deborah said...
I've decided to put at least one hour a day aside for making something with my hands - thanks for the chance to try something new!
November 13, 2010 7:02 PM
Setting a specific amount of time as a goal to work on projects is a great idea. It makes more sense than just winging it like I have been.
Some weeks I am happy with the amount of work done and some not. If I set a specific time aside and then that is that. I will not try to judge by the amount of work just be happy if I have filled the allotted time.
I plan on doing this for the rest of the year and see how it works.
I also am setting new rules for working on my projects. I used to think you could not be creative if you had to abide by rules and regulations but I have since discovered that "some" rules are needed or it all can turn into unproductive chaos.
So here is the plan....

1. Daily a minimum of 2 hours will be set aside for working on projects.
2. All errand and shopping will be done on one of my days off.
3. No more than 2 projects in the producing stage and one in the designing stage at one time.
   
4. I must have all structural aspects decided before I start a project, (I have three purses in my closet awaiting handle decisions..not good) embellishments can be decided as I go.
5. At the end of each month I will photograph and put a slide show of what I have produced on this blog.
6. Good or bad I will move on to the next project or next design. No regrets, just design decisions based on past projects are allowed.
7. Every third project has to be in a different medium than the two before it. I think this will keep things lively.
8. One project a month has got to be put on the blog as a tutorial. This will keep me thinking about the hows and whys of my projects.
   

The thing about being creative is that you can create art but you also can create a living hell inside your own mind when you do not realize the potential you feel you have.
I thinking learning to create peace in my own mind is the hardest project I have been working on.

So here are the projects I have completed for October.

Felted Purse Project Step Five

I have finished needle felting the leaves and I used machine stitching to add more color and dimension to them. Then I went back over the leaves with the felting needle to add more veins to them. The pictures on the left below are the needle felted leaves and the machine stitched leaf.

On the right I have added just an accent of beads along one edge of each leaf to give them a sparkle in the sunshine like the leaves seem to have in the fall when the sunlight streams through them.
Now comes the last part the putting the whole shebang together. I really like that step because all the figuring out is done and it is a nice soothing run to the finish.

Since hubby is going on a motorcycle ride this weekend it will be a crafting weekend for me. I should have this purse done and more.
I plan to make a wrist-let or two and maybe cut out another felt purse. I have this soft camel vest that felted up beautifully that I plan to turn into a purse this weekend.

I will post my finished projects Sunday night.

Felted Purse Project Step 4

I have started to add the leaves to the front of the purse. I start by putting a tiny amount of fiber between the felt leaf base and the front of the purse where I want to attach it. Then I use my needle to poke through the leaf and the fiber and stick it to the purse. This is only to keep it in place for now.
Once the leaves are in place (I check my sketch to make sure the design matches the drawing) I then put on tiny bits of the three colors of fiber I have chosen and needle it to the leaf. This is a very slow process. I add just the lightest amount at a time to get a good blending of the colors.
I use a course needle for this. I want a lot of texture and color on these leaves.
I am not worrying to much if they are attaching firmly because I plan to do either machine or hand stitching on the leaves when I am done needle felting. The first photo shows how I pin down the appliques and the second is a detail of the process of felting in the colors to the first leaf.

Felted Purse Step Three

I am finally happy with the direction I am going with this purse so it is time to make the pattern and cut it all out.
As you can tell so far I change things as I go. I never totally end up in the direction I started but I am almost always happy with the destination once I get there.
I have made a pattern out of a stiff art paper. I make notes on it about what needs to be cut out of it and anything else I need to know like pocket dimensions.
You can see in the photo on the top that I have cut out two purse bodies from the felt sweater and two cloth lining pieces from the pattern. I also have two pockets that are going on the lining. I may re-size one of them as I go along but I have started with four pieces of 5 by 5 and 1/2 inches for the pockets.

I have had another design change in that I am making the leaves using a needle felting process instead of cutting them from the mottled red and orange piece I had wet felted earlier.
As you can see from the photo on the bottom I just resized the leaves in my original sketch and printed them out for a pattern. I am using a wool felt slightly lighter than the base of the purse for the base color. Over this I will needle felt the fibers that I chose earlier to use on the leaves.
Then I will sew in the veins on the sewing machine when I am finished attaching the leaves to the purse front.

Now the one thing I have not decided yet is what to do about a handle. I might make it out of the sweater sleeves or use this lovely cord I have that is a good match for one of the orange fibers I am using on the leaves.

What I find to be the most fun about creating things like this purse is that I don't even know what it will end up becoming and I am making it.