Snow Globe & Star Ornaments Made with Felt & Cotton Fabric

My 3rd Crafter's Edge Project for December is that I made a few ornaments out of felt and fabric. I used the Star Die Cut for one, the Circle die cut and the Tumbler die cut for the other two, along with some applique.

I cut a couple of Star die cuts, one out of cotton fabric for the front and one for the backing in felt. I added the appliqué and stitched around the shapes by hand with embroidery floss. A few hot fix crystals were added for bling. I backed the star with felt and blanket stitched the layers together all around. 

I used a Circle die to cut out the circle fabric and then I cut out the base using the Tumbler die cut. I placed the circle on top of the tumbler shape (with the widest part of the tumbler at the bottom) and then measured up about 2 1/4" from the bottom of the tumbler and cut off the excess top of the tumbler. I fused the circle to the tumbler and appliquéd the snow globe pieces by hand too.  A few crystals were added for bling and to look like snow falling. Then I placed this on top of a piece of felt and cut around the felt, leaving a bit of the felt exposed, and blanket stitched around it all. I added a loop of embroidery floss to hang it up. 

I made this the same way as the other snow globe. Crystals for falling snow and a couple of red crystals for the snowman's buttons were added too.

All 3 together here.

The die cuts I used (along with the Crossover II die cut machine by Crafter's Edge) are these:

Crafter's Edge die cuts and the Crossover II die cut machine made it so easy to cut out the shapes I wanted to use. I really loved making these cute ornaments.

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Over Dyed Hand Knit Scarf

In June of 2012 I knit a Bactus scarf  using yarn that I dyed with Prickly Pear juice from the prickly pears I gathered. I remember soaking the juice from the pears in a large pot until it fermented and then immersing the yarn skein into the pot. I left it soaking for a week or two. By doing this, I didn't need a mordant and the longer it soaked the deeper the color pink I obtained. (see last photo below).

I was taking out a scarf from my closet the other day and I noticed the scarf that I had dyed with the prickly pear cactus juice was now very pale pink. I didn't remember it being so light pink. So I looked at my photo of it and it was a pretty shade of dark pink when I first dyed it. People asked me at the time I posted about dyeing the scarf if the color would stay that pink. Well I had no idea, since it was the first time I ever dyed with prickly pear juice. Now I can say the dye definitely fades over time. It was a pale pink for a few years, but not sure how many years?

So I decided to do an easy over dye. Since the scarf was already a pale pink, I needed to keep that in mind so I didn't end up with a dye that would end up turning an ugly color. I decided to dye it purple by mixing red and blue food coloring together. I soaked the scarf in water and vinegar as a mordant first and then added the mixed purple dye. It wasn't the prettiest purple, so I then added just some blue and squirted it here and there and let the colors soak and bleed as they wanted to. 

I like the end result (it could have turned out disastrously just as easily though, so whew)! The colors of the scarf are purple and a blue-green shade now. I hope this doesn't fade over the years, but if it does, I can dye it again and hope for the best.

This is the dark pink from dyeing with Prickly Pear cactus juice in 2012. This faded to a pale pink over the years. It was mostly in my closet, so not out in the sun. I guess it mainly faded with time? I really loved this shade of pink, but not the faded pink. I should have taken a photo of the faded pink, but didn't think about it.

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Tati Toque Knit Hats

I knit a couple of hats called Tati Toque, which uses a bulky weight yarn. If you click on the link you will see how nice the hat looks in the right yarn and color. The stitches show so much better on the ones shown on Ravelry. I had a few single skeins of bulky weight yarn, so I thought I would try knitting this hat. Well the cable didn't show up as nicely on either of my hats, especially the variegated yarn, but still it is a nice hat and easy to knit.

I took these hats, along with 7 other hats, 11 scarves I knit and one poncho I knit and donated them to the local library's Giving Tree. They put up a tree at the library each year and ask people to bring in hats, scarves, mittens, gloves that will help to keep people warm during the winter. The items we bring in we decorate the tree with. When I went in there were about 5 or 6 items on the tree, but after I hung all my knit wear on the tree, it was quite full and colorful. It makes me feel good to know that something I knit will help to keep someone a bit warmer. The library gives all the donated items to a couple local foods banks to give out to the people who come in. These were just 2 hats I donated.

Whenever I have donated my knitting, I always wonder if I will ever see someone walking around town in something I knit. So far I have not seen anyone wearing anything I have knit, but you never know if one day I might.

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Gingerbread Applique Houses Quilted Table Topper

I wanted to make a winter table topper using a few of the Crafter's Edge die cuts. I used the Gingerbread House, a Snowflake and the Star set applique die cuts to make this table topper.

The topper measures 18 1/8" x 18 1/8" measured from the top flat straight edge to the bottom flat straight edge as well as side to side. Measured from point to diagonal point across is 21" across.

I didn't add the trees and candy canes die cuts to the Gingerbread house and changed the bottom snow because I wanted it larger. I just used the larger snowflake die cut instead of both. I added hotfix crystals to the center of the snowflake, as the doorknob on the houses and a few scattered around on the background for a bit of sparkly bling.

I chose an octagon(ish) shape to the topper. I really am pleased with how this turned out. Some of those applique pieces were very small and stitching around most of them with a blanket stitch was a bit time consuming, but worth the effort in the end. Since cutting with the Crafter's Edge Crossover II machine and the die cuts were so quick and easy to do, it gave me more time to spend on the stitching part. I couldn't even imagine cutting all these pieces out by hand!

I used scraps of batik fabric for the applique pieces. A batik background fabric and a batik binding. I just love batik fabric!

I just love this snowflake and what a breeze to cut with the die cut! I added a crystal set in the center and more crystals on the background for some winter bling.

Crystal doorknob. 

The stars scattered around the topper was what it needed to pull it all together as without the stars this topper would be a bit more boring.

I used the following Crafter's Edge die cuts to make this topper:

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Sew Powerful Dresden Plate Purse Flap

One of the Crafter's Edge Design Team members made a small Dresden Plate a while ago using the Tumbler die cut. I thought what a great idea! Anorina's Dresden Plate came out so cute that I had to give it a try too. I decided to put my Dresden Plate on a Sew Powerful Purse flap, that is denim. I used the smallest Tumbler die cut for this Dresden Plate, which uses 16 Tumbler die cuts. I also made another Dresden Plate using a larger Tumbler die cut, but I need to create something with that Dresden another day. I also used 2 of the circle die cuts in the center.

I sewed the Dresden Plate to the purse flap by hand around the pointed edges and used a machine blanket stitch around the 2 circles, which are the circle die cuts that I used. I like how this looks, but it just needed a bit more pop.

So for a bit more pop, I made orange French knots all around the Dresden Plate.

 Plus I added a stacked button in the center of the circles. That gave it a bit more bling and pop.

Here is the finished purse:

Looks great finished into a purse and photographed outside in natural light too.

I used 16 different purples that I had for the blades. You need a large circle when using the Tumbler Die Cuts as a Dresden Plate.

I used a lighter denim for the lining of the flap and the purse front. The ribbon I stitched because I had to piece the front pocket to make it larger enough, so a piece of stitched on ribbon to the rescue and no one would ever know I didn't have a large enough piece for the pocket (except you reading this, lol).

The lining is a blue floral. The inside pocket is dark denim.

The back of the purse.

The side of the purse. I like to add a rivet for extra security for the strap. I tucked the strap inside the purse, as this is how I mail them.

These are the Crafter's Edge die cuts that I used in making this purse flap:

Crafter's Edge die cuts makes piecing and applique go so much faster.

One young lady in Zambia will choose this purse to keep as her very own. I mailed this purse along with 45 other purses in a large box to Renton, Washington in late November. The ship is supposed to sail with all the Sew Powerful Purses that were sent to Renton, WA in December. 

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Felt Christmas Ornaments

I made some felt Christmas ornaments with various appliqué motifs a couple of months ago. In November I took 10 of these ornaments along with some quilted wall hangings and table runners to a gift shop in Old Town Albuquerque to see if they would sell. I priced these super cheap and 6 sold rather quickly. I don't know which ones sold. I hope the rest sell this month. These were fun to make and I love a hand project to work on in the evenings.

Kitty with scarf.

Red truck with tree and wreath.

Penguin with scarf and hat.

Snowman head with hat.

Snowman head with plaid hat.

Snowman head with earmuff.

Snowman head with cowl scarf.

All 4 snowman heads shown together.

Fox in snow.

Snowman with scarf.

I also had an ornament with circles in circles and stitches on it, but I guess I didn't take a photo of it. 

Do you have a favorite? I will make more ornaments next year too, but I will make some different shapes and motifs. I will see what sells this month and do more of those plus others for next year. If I get them made early, I will share them here next year before they go to the shop in November 2022. In case anyone reading my blog wants first choice in buying some.

I would make some Hanukkah ones too, but the shop doesn't take anything like that, so those I can make custom if I get any requests.

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