embroidered wallhanging {tutorial}

For nearly two years I’ve had this tutorial in a file on my desktop just waiting to be posted. I have no idea what took me so long, but I thought it would be good to finally share it.

I selected a scripture for Audrey {you can read the story here} and wanted to hang it over her crib. Coming up with a solution for a lightweight, non-permanent solution was the challenge. I didn’t want something heavy that could fall on the baby and while vinyl or handpainted letters would have worked, it wasn’t exactly the look I was hoping for.

So I invented this very thrown together wall hanging.

Here’s what you need to make one of your own:

:: a piece of heavy fabric slightly larger than your desired finished size {I used a piece of IKEA lenda curtains – a nice cotton canvas}

:: embroidery or crochet thread

:: embroidery hoop & embroidery needle

:: scissors and pencil

STEP ONE: lightly write the verse, name or other wording on the fabric with a pencil. Be sure to center it.

STEP TWO: secure embroidery hoop where you would like to begin your stitches.

STEP THREE: thread the needle and make a knot in the end. Now make your first stitch from the back. We are using a back stitch {here is a good tutorial}

STEP FOUR: make a stitch in the desired length {approximately 1/8 – 1/4 inch} and push the needle back down through the fabric.

STEP FIVE: To continue the backstitch, push your needle back up 1/8 – 1/4 inch from where you finished the first stitch

STEP SIX: make a stitch pushing the needle back down just above the first stitch mark

STEP SEVEN: pull the thread tight and make another stitch in the same backstitch manner

Once you have finished each letter, you will have a beautifully {and painstakingly} embroidered piece of fabric.

This is where you can finish your piece as you wish … and where mine became a total hodgepodge of a project.

I had a piece of foam core that I cut to size and wrapped the fabric around it, securing with packing tape {remember I was going for light weight}.

Then I poked in upholstery tacks for a fun border. Because the tacks are not completely secure, once Audrey was old enough to stand in her crib, I removed the verse from over her crib and it is now on a different wall in her room where she can not reach it.

Want more embroidery inspiration? Here are a few great projects {click on image for source}:

And sources for embroidery help:

the purl bee

thirty handmade days

wild olive

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autumn flower pin {tutorial}

A few weeks ago as I was setting out our outfits for my cousin’s wedding, I threw together a flower pin to embellish Audrey’s outfit.  I needed something fallish and green to help her coordinate with the rest of the family. I know, I am a dork like that.  But I was really pleased with the pretty pin that resulted and so I’m happy to share my how-tos with you today.

Here’s what you’ll need:

:: medium rick rack

:: piece of silk {approximately 2 inches x 10 inches}

:: velvet ribbon

:: green felt

:: feathers

:: scissors, hot glue gun, pin back

Let’s start with the sweet little rick rack flower.  I saw this over here, pinned it on my ‘things to make’ board and actually gave it a try.  You can read the original tutorial here, or my version is below.

STEP ONE: cut two pieces of rick rack to desired size {15 inches produced a 1 1/4 inch rosette}

STEP TWO: glue the two pieces together at one end

STEP THREE: wind the two pieces together

It gets a little twisty … but don’t worry.  It is helpful to add a dab of glue to the end to keep it together.

STEP THREE: coil

Beginning at one end, tightly coil the rick rack, straightening as you go. If you’d like, add a dab of glue every once in a while to keep it together. To finish, tuck the end pieces under and glue into place.

This is what you’ll end up with:

STEP FOUR: fluff the rosette

Gently bend a few outer pieces outward. Again, you can glue into place if you wish.  Isn’t it cute?!

On to the next flower. I’ll call it the ruffle flower.

STEP ONE: ruffle a strip of silk

Cut a piece of silk {approximately 2 inches x 10 inches} and stitch a long stitch along the bottom. Pull the threads to tighten the ruffle.

STEP TWO: spiral the ruffle so that the ends overlap and the center is tight

STEP THREE: cut scallops

STEP FOUR: bunch up the center and secure with a thread wrapped around several times

This is what you’ll end up with:

STEP FIVE: embellish the center

Put a drop of fabric glue into the center of the flower, then add a few golden seed beads {I initially tried this with hot glue and the beads didn’t stick. Just FYI}.

Now for the leaves.

STEP ONE: cut out a circle {for the back of the pin} and two leaf shapes from the felt

STEP TWO: burn the edges {carefully!}

STEP THREE: accordion fold and secure to create dimension

To create the ribbon loops, simply loop a piece of velvet ribbon {or ribbon of your choice} and secure with hot glue.

Okay, now to assemble the pin.

First glue on the ruffle flower.

Then add the rick rack rosette.

Glue in the ribbon loops

and the leaves

then poke in a few feathers and secure with hot glue. 

P.S. these feathers came from real life birds that my friend’s husband hunted. I have a whole bag of them that he plucked, cleaned and saved for me. They are really cool, but sort of creepy. I’m sure the feathers you get at craft stores come from real birds too, but I never put much thought into it. It’s like eating an egg straight from a chicken versus buying them at the grocery store. Same thing, but a whole different mental picture. Random tangent of the day.

Now add a pin to the back and you are finished.

And that is my autumn flower pin. I kept one for Audrey and the other is part of this month’s giveaway.

I know this looks like a lot of steps and maybe a little complicated, but it really quite simple. You could get really creative with adding different ribbons, a few rosettes, sparkly beads on wire … have fun with it!

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