ok, I PROMISE this is the last you're going to hear about it, if you 'like' my facebook page*, you'll be SICK of hearing about it now, but look see what Craftster Mod SevsOnlyGirl said about MEEEE!!!
OK, about time I shared with you what I recieved from AWESOME first time swapper Azura on Craftster in the Metal Swap I'm organising. Notice how with every item she encloses a lovely little printed note with a 'backstory'... thats what makes a swapper a GREAT swapper:
First, an adorable Les Paul keychain. Azura noted that I mentioned Les Paul was my favourite guitar shape from a comment I made on the discussion board (are you taking note crafters?) my keys are already on this...
A patch featuring the most metal black on black embroidery with a quote from Metalocalypse:
I also gave her my old Sonisphere wristband (which I stitched a bit of elastic to to make it removable... but I didn't take a separate picture of that...
2x circles (interfaced) - I used a side plate with a 8 1/4 inch diameter
2x long side pieces (1.5x28 inches)
2x short side pieces (5 1/2x3 3/4 inches)
LONG zip, doesn't matter too much how long as long as it goes most of the way around your circle.
LINING:
2x circles (with or without interfacing depending on quality of fabric. I did mine without.) - same size as outer.
2x long side pieces (1.5x28 inches)
2x short side pieces (5 1/2x3 3/4 inches)
Pocket piece - semi circle same size as other circular pieces with around 1 inch added to straight side for hemming.
Wrist strap (3x12 inches)
3 Needlebook pieces (5x4 inches) (5x6 inches) and (5x8 inches)
My Embellishments:
My labels and my Star Wars decal were made by interfacing fabric and then using iron on ink jet transfer paper to transfer the design, REALLY easy to do, and the possibilities are endless for you to customise this up any way you like.
EDIT: the image is from Deviant Art user Jasonpal - you should check out his gallery, it's great work! the speech bubbles were ALL my idea :-)
The Method:
Please let me know if you've used my tutorial, I'd love to see what other people have made using this design <3!!
An OTT swap is a very fun thing indeed. You and your partner each send each other One Tiny Thing on the theme of the swap. When I saw the Star Wars OTT swap I knew I had to get in on it, and I'm so glad I did, lookit!
My partner SilentBlair has some embroidery skills (which is handy considering what I sent her!)
I personally haven't got round to perfecting a long and short stitch (or am I mislabelling this?) as precise as this!
Here's the star of the show... yes, it's...
Safely on my bookcase, next to my Yoda baby hat, waiting for my Squiggle to come and play! (this is seriously going in my overnight bag for hospital!)
I can't knit... and people like Craftster user queenofmarigoldreally make me want to learn.
Queenofmarigold knit this super cute reversible space invaders ear flap hat and figured out how to do the space invaders sprites herself! I'm sure to those of you out there who knit that's a "Well DUH that's pretty easy.. all you gotta do is..." ... but to us non-knitters it's like WITCHCRAFT!... awesome witchcraft...
This is what I sent to Baloo:
(1) a Jupiter Mining Corp Tote Bag:
I love the sorta hessian strapping/webbing stuff I got from Needlecraft I'll definitly be getting some more of that when I'm up there next.
2) a SMEG headband (HAHAH)
You can find a tutorial to make a headband like this for yourself over at Burdastyle. I used a comic book style font to create the applique myself and handstitched the interfaced Jersey to the gorgeous polka-dot fabric using basic running stitch, easy peasy!
and this is my favourite, even though I hate the boosh:
Lovely lined zipper pouch/clutch bag/purse/make up bag/whatever with an embroidered mighty boosh quote, and the picture that it inspired in my mind!
In the spirit of the season, let me share with you what a COMPLETE fool I was a couple of weekends ago!
...
So, I was scheming away for the British TV Comedy swap on Craftster and I thought it would be a good idea to have a go at screen printing for the first time!
I'd head from various sources that you could do it with some old tights, PVA glue and an embroidery hoop... well... You probably can, but I fell flat on my arse. Observe...
This was to be my design, I thought, nice and simple... I was going to make a matching tote bag and purse out of fabric I'd printed with this image .... HA!
I got my equipment together, I even got an array of different types of brushes so I could apply the PVA more accurately!... anyone whose done this before will already see my 2 fatal flaws:
Black tights... I only wear opaque tights... and most of them are black. But of course, when it can to trace my design on my screen made of stretched tights... well.. I couldn't! they are black!
Cheap PVA glue. I think this was the MAJOR downfall here as I did manage to get the design sorta right... anyhow... .lets continue...
I prepared my fabric for printing, weighed it down with Tuna tins (mmm)
One last look at the screen... looks good:
I'm ready to go:
So lets try it out on some scrap fabric first... oh... oh... .OH NO...
That's not right at all.... OH MY GOD ITS GONE RIGHT THROUGH!!!
AND IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN THAT!!!
AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH Grab the cleaning stuff GRAB ANYTHING!! If the Husbot sees this he'll go SPARE>!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(don't worry.. it all came off.... well... it all came off the dining table... the fabric still has a stain in the middle of it even after I chucked it in the washing machine.... but I can't really complain about that science the purpose of fabric ink IS to stain fabrics....)
MORAL OF THE STORY KIDS!! use mod-podge or some other super gloopy PVA glue... well... Thats what I'm going to try next anyhow... with me luck!!!
My partner in this swap was Baloo. It's always a game of Russian roulette when you swap with a 'new swapper' in retrospect I think I was a pretty crap first time swapper myself. I sent my Dr Who Knitting Needle Roll... which... you know... did include a 12 inch embroidered design... which was pretty awesome... but I didn't really send anything else much... anyhow... I'm now a seasoned veteran (lol) I'm even ORGANISING a swap at the moment (I KNOW!! who died and made ME a responsible adult...)
Anyhoo, enough with this random meandering! check out the awesome stuff I received from this first time swapper on the British TV Comedy Swap!
I particularly love the baby-grows/Onesies. They completely appeal to my sense of humour an irreverence over the whole baby situation, and I DOUBLE love that I'm going to have a mam and baby matching T-shirt set!! hahaha!! AWESOME!. I wear a lot of t-shirt/jeans combos so those shirts will be well loved and the tote bag will completely be adored by all of my IT helpdesk friends (of which I have many). And the cute starbug!! that'll go in the baby's room too... when err... the baby gets a room
