felt – penpaletteheart

How I Made My Fascinators (or the Mad Hatter Strikes Again)

Before you are thoroughly sick of this topic, I thought I should explain how I made my fascinators.

Needed materials: Dollar store headbands (the fabric covered ones)

sturdy felt (the flimsy kind won’t hold its shape)

needle and thread

silk flowers, ribbon, sheer fabric, buttons, lace etc.

Step number one: Cut out two felt circles (5-6 inch radius). Place one of the circles on the inside of the headband so that it is more to one side. Sew the felt to the headband.

stage-one-sew-felt-circle-on-headband

Step number two: Place the other felt circle on top of the first one so that it covers the headband. Pin in place.

step-two-pin-on-top-felt-circle

Step number three: Sew the felt pieces together. Now you have a base upon which to put your embellishments. I sewed mine in place, but you could use a fabric glue.

fall-leaves-and-bow

pastel-floral

fall-leaves-in-felt

There are the three latest versions. Now, I promise no more fascinators! I hope this has been helpful for those who are interested in making some themselves. It’s been fun, but its time to move on to another addicting craft. Heeeheeeheee…

Some Feathered Fascinators

I really wanted some nice feathers for more fascinators but as none was at hand I had to become inventive. I looked around and decided to try a white plastic straw and some coloured felt. I cut out two identical feather shapes from the felt. Then I made a bias cut in both ends of a straw and sewed the straw in between the two layers of felt so that one end of the straw protruded like a quill. I think the “feathers” look rather attractive. Here are some of the feathered fascinators I made:

Green feathered fascinator Red and black fascinator blue feathered fascinator peach and green fascinator

A Fascinating Craft

My latest crafting experiment is the making of fascinators, those jaunty little bits of fluff that adorn the society elite when they go to tea or a wedding. I want to make several for a special occasion coming soon and so I have been trying my hand at constructing some with a few things I have on hand: some headbands in various colours, coloured felt, ribbons,tulle, artificial flowers, felt maple leaves, buttons and anything else I can find. Here are the first results:

I’m having great fun making these and I have been hand-sewing them together. I have some large barrettes to use as well, but I will need to use the glue gun to construct them.

Dottie Dancer, Ballerina Ragdoll

I have been working on a doll for my grand-niece (my Grand-Aunt Bess made one for me) and when I had finished constructing her, I knew she must be a ballerina with the long arms and legs that she had. Here she is dressed for the recital in her tutu and ballet shoes. I may add some ribbon and flowers.

Rag doll in a chair

Here she is before I added her tutu.

Dottie in her tutu and ballet shoes

Here she is with her tutu.

She is ready for her close up. She’s a bit cross-eyed but cute, I think. Her features are embroidered except for her eyebrows and rosy cheeks which I put on with fabric markers.

Finger Puppets for the Truck Page

2016-05-03 23.05.58 2016-05-03 23.06.18

These are the finger puppets I made to go in the truck for the quiet book. The top ones are of the carrot, corn, peas and tomato. The one below it is the farmer. I am sorry there is so much glare in the photos, but I think you can see what I intended. Finger puppets were a challenge because the details are so small but they were fun to make. 2016-05-03 23.04.03 The book is now finished and bound so all I need to do is take it to my grandson and see if he likes it.

The Train for “Things That Go”

I was a bit stumped about making a train. Then I remembered that I had bought some plastic mesh canvas. I cut out the sides and ends of each of the cars and sewed felt to it. I thought about using buttons for the wheels but worried that they might pull off, so I made the wheels out of grey felt. I used an empty thread spool for the engine and covered it with black felt. I attached velcro between each car so that the train would stay together when it was pulled. I sewed bias tape to the bottom of each car so that the elastic could be threaded through it and the elastic is sewn together on the back of the felt background. Eventually the pages that back each other will be sewn together around the outside edges so the sewing won’t show. The train isn’t beautiful, but it does move on the elastic along the short track.

Train coming out of tunnel 2016-04-19 21.04.25

Train Page for “Things That Go”

I am presently working on the quiet book page about trains. This is the train track, tunnel and background for the page. All I need now is to make the train. Hmmm… that will need some more thought. Trains ride 2 2016-04-13 16.27.32 My plan is to put part of the train through the tunnel on a length of narrow elastic cord much like the car on the car page. I want the train to be more three dimensional though.

More”Things That Go” Pages

I have added three more pages to the quiet book for my grandson. The teddy bear comes partly out of the rocking chair. The jet plane can “soar” along the elastic and the fish can jump out of the waves. I’m having fun thinking of ways that the objects on the pages can move. I think that it will make the book more interesting for a one year old boy.

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Homemade Christmas Stockings

I made my daughter’s Christmas stocking many years ago, but my grandson’s was completed a few days before Christmas this year. I used red corduroy and scrap eyelet lace to make my daughter’s and this year I used soft blue polyester with felt scraps to make Fionntάn’s. foot of Alanna's xmas stocking foot of Fionntan's stocking

Penguin Ornament

Here is the penguin ornament I made out of a black knit glove, some orange and white felt, stuffing and googly eyes. All he needs now is a ribbon attached to his head so he can be hung on a Christmas tree.

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