The Three Bears

I received a sewing machine for Christmas when I was about 10 years old.  I used it to make doll clothes.  I later was in 4-H club sewing and took sewing in Home Ec class in high school. I felt a lot of pressure in my learning to sew.  My mother has been sewing since she was 4 years old! (now 87)
She, of course, is a beautiful seamstress and a perfectionist.

At age 18, I was making myself a short terrycloth romper.  My Mom told me there was NO way I could put it together wrong!  Guess what? Of course it was wrong and I DESPISE ripping out--so the romper was never finished and I gave up sewing for 7 years.

In the height of country decorating, I fell in love with Teddy Bears.  My husband started our collection of stuffed Teddies with two Gund bears, Rory and Cory, as a gift to me one Christmas.  I came across a pattern for a bear made from fabric.  I decided I would give sewing a try again. So I proceeded to make a bear and WOW it came out cute!

I started making bears for a wonderful lady who had a gift shop in her home.  I progressed to dolls and bunnies, as well.  over the past 25 years I have made over 200 of these bears!  The fabrics change with the current trends, but the pattern has remained the same. 

I never tire of creating them!

These 3 ladies are my latest creations.  Visit them and other things I enjoy crafting at my etsy shop.

etsy.com/shop/polkadotcherries

Marietta  :-)

Finished jacket!

I broke my word on not buying anything to put on this jacket.  I purchased some "Glam It Up" rhinestones to do the scroll work on the front.  I wish I hadn't!  I didn't pay attention to the price.  I had looked at several items and I thought these were about  $ 4.99.  When I got home and looked at my receipt they were  $13.99! (To justify somewhat there are 300 and I did have a coupon.) They are time consuming to place, but then you iron for 20 seconds and they are set. They come in several different colors.

I had also purchased 2 sizes of flat back pearls in the scrapbooking department.  I decided to go ahead and try it on the fabric with Bling 'n Beauty Glue.  Wearable art glue.  In hind sight I wish I had tried using this glue on the Say It In Crystals- but  another time -another project!

Polka dots were added to the collar with Scribble fabric paint in iridescent white mist. After seeing how well they turned out, I wish I had stuck to my original idea and used the paint to make the dots for the scroll work.  Learn from your mistakes!  The simple approach most often is the best one!

Next step- to put my ruffle attachment on my sewing machine.  I got the ruffler about 6 months ago and have only used it once- but what a time saver!  It will gather or pleat depending on the setting you use.  I tore white strips of fabric.  Tearing gives a soft, shabby look.  Only down side, there are A LOT of loose threads that need to be pulled and pulled and pulled some more!

I pleated the the white strips and hand stitched them to the pocket and pocket flap.  I machine stiched the ruffles onto the bottom of my sleeves.

Sorry this one is side ways- my husband didn't realize :-)

Keep those old jeans, they come in handy for all kinds of projects!

I tore a strip out of the pant leg and pleated this.  When using the ruffler you need to double the amount of finished fabric you need.

The denim ruffle was machine stitched at the edge of the buttons.  I used the left over denim blue rit dye and the toothbrush and brushed it over the piece.  Since this had come from a pair of pants, the color was a lot lighter, so the dye helped blend the piece into the jacket.  Once the jacket  was dry, I embellished the pockets.

Once again items from the scrapbooking department, a lovely rhinestone and wire flower was glued to the pocket with the Bling "n Beauty glue.  I used one the small skeleton keys, it peeks out from under the pocket flap.  I sewed an iridescent pearl button into the buttonhole.

My husband thought the sleeves needed more.  So I machine sewed white, pregathered lace over the white ruffles. He was right- much prettier!

For the finishing touches I added  hand turned roses, made from the same torn white fabric.  There are lots and lots of tutorials on the internet for these and very easy to make!

The roses were glued to the buttons on the bottom back.  With the Bling 'n Beauty glue.

I added some of the flat back pearls to one of the keys on the back of the jacket using the art glue again.

The back!

All finished!!

Knowing when to say, enough is enough is the hard part!

My faithful helper, our calico kitty Gemma.  She LOVES ribbon, tulle and fabric.

Just like me!   :-)



The keys

The jacket dried overnight and I was not totally happy with the look.  It was not dark enough to contrast the key images nicely.  So I went back over it again with the denim blue rit dye.  This time blotting it with a handiwipe all around on the center panel.  I then used the toothbrush dipped in water to help blend it.  I then put it in the dryer to speed things up.

I assembled my skeleton keys, chlorox bleach pen and Dritz disappearing ink marking pen.
The bleach pen comes in so handy for projects!  It does not splatter or bleed out the way liquid bleach does.  It is thick.  There are two different tips, one on each end.  A small hole on one end and a little brush on the other end.  The tip is perfect for filling in small areas.

I layed the keys out in my design and holding it down with my finger I traced around it with the disappearing ink pen.  I then proceeded to fill in the key design with the bleach pen.  I then put it outside to dry ( sunny Florida).

Once the bleach has dried, it was powdery and I brushed it off with the toothbrush.  Of, course I thought the keys should be lighter!  So I went over it a second time with the bleach pen.  Let it dry and brushed it off.  The dried bleach has a very unique, crackled look that I really liked, but knew it would eventually brush off.

Tomorrow I will start working on the front!





Pictures? Pictures!

To say I am totally new at this, is an understatement.  I am not technologically savvy.  I have to figure out how to get the pictures on here!

On to my jacket!  The sleeves previously sewn on were removed.  Which made me a little sad, but I will get another jacket at some point and put them back on.

I LOVE polka dots!  They are so whimsical and happy.  I feel myself smile whenever I see them.  So I am wanting to incorporate them somehow.  Thinking that painting them on is the answer.

I also found in the scrapbooking section at Hobby Lobby, "Say it in crystals -Swirl".  I won't be able to use that on fabric, but I am going to somehow duplicate this for the front of the jacket.

Today I used 1/2 tsp of denim blue Rit dye and a 1/2 C of hot water and a discarded toothbrush.  I put the jacket over a bucket. ( I tend to get lazy and improvise a lot instead of doing things more precisely
Laying this out flat with plastic in between would have been better, but this worked.)  I dipped the toothbrush into the dye and brushed around and then redipped and brushed around and so on until the center back panel was all dyed the darker blue. I dipped the toothbrush in water and brushed it around too.  I wanted more of a watercolor look. This seemed to blend and soften. I then did the same thing on the 2 center front panels.

The purpose of dyeing this darker is. . .I have several old skeleton keys that my dad had given me.  I want to bleach out the image of the key.  I didn't think the image would show up well on the lighter denim color.  Just waiting for the jacket to dry.  (I am an impatient person!)

P.S.  I am thinking the jacket is kind of cute short sleeved. :-).  So, I will  just have to make another jacket with the long sleeves with french cuffs and accent in pink!

Hurrah!!  With the help of my husband I added the pictures!

Day one on my creative journey blog

My family has encouraged me to write a blog.  About me, my creative processes and my creations.
I loved to write from my youth, but I feel too "pressed in" by life to find the time- but I am going to give it a try!

Today, I am off from work.  Have been doing doctor's appointments and a lot of miscellanous, which never seems to add up to accomplishing anything at all.  I had an inspiration while in Michigan at my Mom's house.  I want to make myself a shabby chic denim jacket.  Denim jackets never go out of style, but I want mine more "girly", as my husband calls it. He says I am a "girly girl" and the things I create are for other " girly girls."

Last eve I spent 10 mins trying to find the 2 denim jackets I know I had purchased to upcycle.
I am FOREVER trying to find things I know that I have. ( My craft room is small and most definitely
could be better organized.  I clean it up and within a short while it is a mess again! ) I also knew that I had already started work on these jackets.  So, I will be cutting off the sleeves that I spent a long time putting together, so i may use that jacket.  Why spend money on another jacket?  I really like the lines of this one.

The process begins... I want to cover the buttons.  They are the one thing I really dislike about denim jackets.  I LOVE buttons!  This love is passed onto me by my mother, who has tons!  I am looking through my box of laces trying to decide which piece will hide those buttons!  I have decided to accent in whites, but this could change!

And what about the sleeves? leave them short? I DO live in Florida, but some french cuffs would look so sweet!  This means using pant legs from a pair of jeans, I think.

I am going to try and NOT purchase anything to make this jacket.  Lord knows, I have enough stuff around!  But, it never seems to be just the right thing.  I find  a lot of cool things in the scrapbooking department to use in clothing creations.

I usually play around with an idea for a project in my head for a few days with the different "what if's". And somewhere in the middle of the project a new idea pops up.  Which is the fun of it, really!

I need to create things- it is not something I can explain- it just has always been there!!

So this is day one on my creative journey. . .