Finished project - Gypsy's Secret

I am so thrilled with the way this turned out! Cigar box, Re-ment miniatures, torn paper collage, alcohol inks, and a customized Obitsu doll.

New Assemblage for 30 Days of Creativity

Take one nice, sturdy wooden box and cover with gesso. Actually first I had to scrape off the various stickers & pogs some young person had decorated it with, then I used the gesso. This is mostly to provide a surface for more paint and paper.


I love alcohol inks! I originally bought them to use on my skulls to simulate moss and fungi but find myself reaching for them more and more. Here they add some background color and texture.

Inspiration shout-outs

I was inspired by "pretty little mini quilts" published by Lark Books.

There are a couple designs in the book I want to try next: "have a cup" designed by Mary Hubbard and "shrine to pretty little things" designed by Janie Fingal. I've got so many bits and pieces of fabrics horded plus my stash of vintage table linens & doilies should keep me busy for awhile.


The other book to really spark my creative jones "Mixed-Media Dollhouses" by Tally Oliveau and Julie Molina. These are just so cool!!! I have bunches of containers and miniatures I've collected over the years that are stuck away in storage. This idea seems like the perfect way to blend both. I went on a Re-Ment bing a few years ago and have some adorable miniatures of varying scales. Plus I have a big box of old German dollhouse furniture that needs to see the light of day.

Mini Quilt - 30 Days of Creativity

I'm so happy with the way this turned out!

It's approximately 13"x18" of cotton fabric (mostly those fat quarter and charm packs that JoAnn Fabric's sell), bamboo batting, and various stitches on my machine. The leaf shapes are double stuffed and free-hand stitched on the machine for a trapunto effect.


Check out the 30 Days of Creativity's Twitter and website.

Earlier this morning I spent several delicious hours reading various blogs that focused on doll houses and miniatures. When I was younger I was a pretty serious miniaturist. I even made a working loom following life size directions in one of the Foxfire books. I loved the itty-bitty stuff. So I got the fancy to build a doll house kit.

As I was looked up kits I came across this: Greenleaf Miniature Travel Trailer! How adorable! It sparked the idea of doing one for my Mom since she loves the old 'canned ham' and Airstream styles.

Later I was browsing the magazines at Barnes & Noble when I spotted the corner of a 'Miniature Collector' magazine peaking out behind a knitting magazine. As I haven't looked at one in years I pulled it out of the rack. And this was the cover...

Ok... I think I'm supposed to make a tiny travel trailer this summer. I'm good with that :)

PreHeat - Trapunto

I want to get this down before I lose it. Idea - trapunto pendants for PreHeat swag. Use fabric book samples, smidge of stuffing, multicolor thread around 'swirl&sparks' logo with 2010 stitched on. Maybe a sprinkle of beads? String on lanyard cording, I think I have some glow-in-the-dark still. Maybe add a drop bead (mom's clay beads might just be perfect!)

Now, back to chores so I can play later :)

Apron tutorial

Tonight I finished up the apron for my Steampunk costume. Go me! This time I had the forethought to take pics along the way so I could post a tutorial of sorts.

I started with some beautiful fabric I've had for ages. It's a crinkle cotton woven with richly colored stripes. I started kinda backwards as I draped the pleating first, then figured out the base shape.


Luckily the width was fine for me so I didn't need to piece lengths together. I tossed the fabric over my dress form and began to play...err... drape the pleats.

Once I had the pleating to my satisfaction I roughed out the base shape, again using the dress form to check curves and fit. From there I cut the base shape out of mid-weight satin and ironed on the interfacing.


I basted the pleated fabric to the base wrong-sides together. I decided to not do it right-sides together because of the bulk. I would have nearly 6 to 8 layers at some points if I did due to the pleating. I'll bind the raw edges when done. To keep my pleating secure I folded up and away each pleat...


...and stitched it at the base through all the layers. Only the very bottom layer of fashion fabric is stitched down, leaving the folds to drape naturally.



I basted around the raw edges and then trimmed up with my rotary cutter.


I missed pics of pinning the bias tape around the bottom :[ To spiff the plain black bias tape, and to secure down over the multiple layers, I decided to use one of my machines decorative stitches. I found a repeating scallop that was similar to the wide gold stripe pattern. I used rayon embroidery thread that also matched the gold stripe. The waistband is finished with satin blanket binding. I did not use a decorative stitch here, but I may go back and add one.