Stuffed Hearts for Valentine's Day

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     One of my happiest memories is my aunt's arriving right after school every Valentine's Day with doilies, ribbons, glue, stickers and colors (crayon and paper). Clarice was a 2nd grade teacher and whenever I see doilies, I remember her!

      The Beadsprout meeting landed on Valentine's Day. What would I make to take? I quickly sewed up and stuffed some colorful heart-shaped fabrics. I unintentionally made them so small, using my Go machine, that it was difficult to imagine what to put in those pockets. The candy was too big and it was difficult to get the polyfil in, much less the lavender.  I included the candy in the wrapping.

      So I got out some tools and made Alexander Calder-like metal findings for the beaders to attach to earring posts. I packaged the earring findings that I first twisted into shapes and then hammered flat. I used an anvil this time, but in the past I have hammered onto concrete steps. My hostess surprised us with those gorgeous strawberry ice cream sodas...(strawberry syrup, light cream, soda, ice cream, whipped cream, and cherry).

      At home my Valentine had whipped up this lovely meal for the snowstorm! I had had a medical procedure in the morning, but finished the day very happy.

Unfinished Painting on Fabric: a quilt workshop

    The Quilters Connection has exciting workshops and guests. Jennifer Beaven led "Paint, Stitch and Embellish." We started with quick exercises listing animals, smells, foods, places, plants, and music we love...wishes and stories about these. Beaven encouraged us to make a work about ourselves, the simplest of drawings. We drew images with Sharpie's Rub a Dub markers on thin cotton and painted with Lumiere fabric paints. These acrylic paints in both sampler groups or little bottles are good in that they leave the fabric soft and malleable. I took plain and irridescent. We ironed to set and then backed the pieces with batting and another piece of cotton the same size and started stitching with Pearl embroidery thread and others. We added beads and other embellishments. Mine was so tame, but I came home to do it with the 5 and 6 years old grands. None of us have finished!

(Phoenix awaiting beads)

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       Hannah and Erika were still in a Valentine mood and chose some interesting fabrics for the backs of theirs, but have not had time to start their stitching. Erika showed me several places in my house that hers would look good hanging.

      First, put the fabric on newsprint and paper towels atop protective plastic.Draw your design with marker. Have water for your paints and plastic lids to mix them on. After finishing, iron to set the ink and paints; then sandwich to thin batting and a backing fabric. Safety pin together.  With embroidery needles and threads, start in the middle to tack things down. Use running stitches, back stitches, French knots, chicken scratches. Embellishment is the icing on the cake...buttons, beads, necklaces and on to create a dynamic surface. The repetition of marks and stitches will hopefully lead to visually compelling and personally meaningful piece.  We have a way to go.

Valentines stuffed: Hearts and crafts for a very cold day

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      When I go to New York City, I love to drop by Purl Soho and The City Quilter to collect ideas and good fabrics. The other day I Googled something like stuffed fabric Valentines, checked Images and may have added blog to the search words. I found a variety of hearts and thought I would start off with what looked like the simplest. Nothing is simple, I always find out! The Purl Bee site offered my first effort and Molly's instructions are super:  http://www.purlbee.com/valentine-heart-pins/  Thrill yourself with other ideas at this site.

       As an elementary school student I was permanently impressed by the idea of assembly lines. And as you can tell by my photos, I cut out lots of hearts to sew and opened DMC floss to cut both ends of the opened loops to create 18" threads for my embroidery needle making sure the eye was big enough for the thread and the point sharp enough to penetrate the felt.  I used pinking shears, a sturdy needle threader and stuffing. I found I could make these hearts in 10 minutes, stuffed, with safety pin attached from the one 18"thread. There will be enough string left for some x0x0's and I (heart) U. Wish I still had an elementary school student who would enjoy passing them out to classmates. I watched old movies while I stitched this coldest day in years in Boston. Abby taught me it is also good to listen to Craftypod.com, craft podcasts, while I work.

    The last big snow day I cooked ebelskivers, filled with dollops of applesauce, but I was more restrained today. The are deliciously puffed and stuffed as well!