shannon: October 2011 Archives

Too early for Christmas? I think not. Christmas projects and crafts often get brushed to the side once the full spirit of the season arrives. Shopping, parties and cooking bring about all those woulda-coulda-shoulda thoughts of holiday sewing. So I'm starting now! I've had this idea for these organza ornaments ever since I came across pieces of organza and tulle in my stash!

These are pretty easy and fun to make. A 2'' white foam ball is the base, which you can purchase by the pack at your local craft store. You can leave it white, or paint it if you like for extra pizzazz.

You will need to cut the circles, and don't worry- they don't have to be perfect!

• About 26 circles measuring 1 ¾'' - 2'' wide

• About 13 circles measuring  1 ½'' wide of a coordinating color ( I used glitter tulle for this middle circle)

• About 26 circles measuring  ¾'' wide

I know what you're thinking... This is a lot of circles, this is gonna be time consuming! Not true. Just layer the fabrics before you cut out your circles. Especially if you're using tulle or organza-  the thin, lightweight nature of this fabric makes it really easy to layer 7 at a time.  Or if you have a die-cut machine that can cut fabric, now is the time to whip it out!

First, attach your hanging thread. Doll Needles are great, because they are long enough to go through the foam ball, with a wide enough eye to use embroidery floss, fishing wire, etc. To attach the circles, layer them smallest to largest on a sewing pin. I picked these Dritz Ball Point Pins because I could use the assorted colors to match the color fabric I was using. Just poke the pins all over till you don't see any white foam. Usually it's about 13 pin/circle combinations total.

And wha -la! You have your own ornament creation! Use for giftwable wrapping accents for presents, make lots in assorted colors to put on a mini-tree, make really big ones to put on your big Christmas tree, or leave off the hanging attachment altogether and put a few in a glass vase for year-round decoration.

This new Mar Bella Minky fabric is sophisticated, luxurious and incredibly soft. The prints are fashion forward and the color ways are modern. My mind flooded with inspiration as soon as I saw them! Lucky for me, citron and grey happen to be my bedroom color scheme!

2 Yards of Minky fabric is all you need for a fantastic throw blanket. I chose the Minky Mar Bella Barcelona Cuddle in lime. I've noticed my bedroom has acquired a variety of yellow/citron hues- so I had no problem throwing lime in the mix. For backing, I chose this soft, yarn dyed 58'' wide striped flannel fabric for the backing and 2'' wide satin blanket binding around the edges. Wash your fabric first! Always.

Pin around the edges of the blanket first, and trim any excess so the flannel and minky match up. Minky can be tricky to work with sometimes, so pinning, baste stitching or a walking foot is key. I baste zig-zag stitched around the edges with a 1'' seam allowance. Then I attached my blanket binding with a concentrated zig zag stitch so that the stitching would soften the edges of the exposed satin binding.

A throw is a simple, no fuss way to liven up your bedding, especially with luxurious Minky fabric!