Jenny Garland

Hi there! Here is the tutorial for the Everyday 3 Way Accessory featured on So You Think You’re Crafty:

Fabric Requirements:

• 1 yd jersey knit fabric (chocolate)
• 1 yd jersey knit fabric (mustard)

* Note: you will have extra fabric leftover *

How To:

• Cut a bunch of 2.5″  x width of fabric strips. I used 13 yellow strips and 7 brown strips for the necklace part. You can add more strips to make it fuller if you’d like. Then I cut an additional 6 yellow strips for the tie. Set aside the tie strips.

• Serge or stitch each necklace (NOT tie) strip right sides together along the length.

• Turn strips right side out. I love to use this technique to turn tubes; it’s fast and easy!

• Serge or stitch each strip together at the ends to create a loop.

• Layer your loops, alternating colors until you are are pleased with how it looks.

• Now take the 6 strips you cut for the tie. Remember how you made friendship bracelets back in the day by making knots? That’s what you’re going to do now. You can really knot them anyway you like. If you are knot-challenged, just braid or twist the strands. All we’re looking to do is make something cute to cover up the seams. Here’s a tutorial I found that would work well.

• After you have your strips knotted, wrap the strand around the seams.

• Hand stitch the knotted strand to the underside of the loops. Trim the knotted strand.

That’s it! Enjoy

If you make one, please at it to our flickr group so others can get inspired!

If you would like to make your own Ballard-esque Christmas stocking, here’s how to do it:

Materials:

• 5/8 yd ivory duck cloth
• 24″ x 7″ rectangle of leopard print cotton for ruffle
• 12″ x 2″ rectangle of leopard print for loop
• 12″ x 2″ rectangle of interfacing for loop
• 8.5″ x 4.5″ scrap of cotton fabric for embroidered name (optional)
• 8″ ball trim
• red and green scraps of felt/cotton/flannel/etc for accents (circles, bones for dogs, or fish for cats)

Directions:

1. Download pattern PDF and tape pieces together.
2. Cut out (2) stocking pieces (front and back) from duck cloth.
3. Cut out desired number of accents from red/green fabric and pin to front and back pattern pieces. Be sure to leave space on the front piece for the 8.5″ x 4.5″ rectangle if you are adding a name.
4. Use a zigzag or decorative stitch to attach accents to stocking. Trim any part that hangs over.
5. If adding a name, take your embroidered 8.5″ x 4.5″ rectangle. Press under 0.5″ on both the top and bottom. Pin to front of stocking and edge stitch top and bottom. Trim sides to match edges.                

1. Serge or zigzag the top of the stocking (both front and back pattern pieces).                
2. Sew trim to the top of the FRONT stocking piece with a 1/4″ seam.
3. Place the front and back pattern pieces right sides together. Serge or sew around all sides, leaving the top open. Finish edges with a zigzag if you didn’t serge.
4. Turn stocking right side out and press well.
5. Take your 24″ x 7″ leopard fabric and sew short ends right sides together to create a tube.
6. Press tube in half, wrong sides together. Edge stitch fold. Finish raw edge.
7. Baste the bottom of the tube twice. Pull bobbin threads to create a ruffle the same perimeter as your stocking opening.          
8. Slide the ruffle over the stocking opening, aligning raw edges.
9. Sew ruffle to stocking with a 1/4″ seam allowance. 
10. Press ruffle up. Edge stitch in place. 
11. Now for the loop. Iron the 12″x2″ interfacing to the wrong side of the 12″x2″ leopard print fabric.
12. Sew long sides, right side together. Turn tube right side out. Press. Edge stitch sides.
13. Fold in half to make a loop and zigzag raw edges together. 
14. Pin loop to the inside of the ruffle. Box stitch.  
15. That’s it! (I just added this step because 20 steps sounds better than 19).

Enjoy! I’d love to see pictures Add ‘em to this flickr group!

Tonight our craft club made these Christmas Countdown blocks:

Last year I made this advent calendar while on bed rest. Kate loved counting the days until Christmas and eating a chocolate Kiss each day with breakfast. I was excited for this month’s McKinney Marthas craft because I knew Kate would love changing the blocks each day. As opposed to an advent calendar that marks the days of December, this craft counts the days left until Christmas.

To make your own Christmas countdown, you will need:

* two 3.5″ wood cubes (I had Home Depot cut a 4×4 into cubes. Did you know a 4×4 is actually 3.5″ and not 4″ ? How confusing).

* one wood piece for base measuring 3.5″ wide x 8″ long x 2″ thick (I had Home Depot cut a 2×4 for this. Again, the 2×4 is only 3.5″ wide. Who named that?)

* Mod Podge

* twelve coordinating scrapbook papers cut into 3″ squares

* one 1.5″ x 7.5″ scrapbook paper rectangle

* 2.5″ tall vinyl numbers or stencils (you could also freehand the numbers with a Sharpie)

* 1.25″ tall vinyl word or stencil for base (again you could freehand with a Sharpie. Mine says “Merry Christmas”)

* acrylic craft paint

After you have your materials, let’s get going

1.  Paint cubes and base with acrylic paint. Let dry.

2.  Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge on all sides of cubes and place a 3″ square of scrapbook paper right side up on each side. Also apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the front of the base and adhere the 1.5″ x 7.5″ scrapbook paper.

3. Add vinyl numbers or stencil cubes. Important note!!!

For the first block you will need: 0,1,2,3,4,5

For the second block you will need: 0,1,2,6,7,8

Please make sure your number 6 is a font that can be flipped to look like a 9

4. Add your vinyl word or stencil to the base.

5. Add a thin layer of Mod Podge on all sides of the cubes and base! Let dry

PS – Quick shout out to Melanie and Leah in Tulsa!

Last night our craft group met and we made silly monster candy dishes:

If you want to make your own, you’ll need:

-  4″ clay pot

-  4″ clay saucer (normally the bottom of the pot)

- 1.5″ wood knob (holes are optional)

- 1″ wood doll head/finial

- E6000 glue

- pencil

- acrylic craft paint

- ribbon if your wood knob has holes

Step One:

Paint the inside and lip of the pot black. Paint the rest of the pot green.

Step Two:

Thread ribbon into your wood knob if it has holes.

Paint entire saucer black. Glue knob on top of saucer.

Step Three:

Glue doll head/finials on the side of pot. Refer to picture for approximate placement.

Step Four:

Draw a silly monster face on your pot with a pencil. Paint pot and knob.

Step Five:

Fill with candy!