Veteran's Day, November 11, 2011

To all who have served their country in the military,

including my father

Lt. Col. Jennings O. Larson (Ret.), U.S. Air Force

and my husband

Maj. William R. Andersen (Ret.), U.S. Army

I wish to say two words:

Thank you

(These pictures were taken at my father's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery in 2006)

Hungry Monsters--For Christmas!

Natasha, a blogger "mum" in the U.K., has compiled a list of her Top 10 Handmade Gifts for Christmas this year.  Coming in at #2 are the Hungry Monsters we swapped recently at Craftster!  Remember them?

You know, making these for the children on your gift list is a great idea!  Why didn't I think of that?  Go to Natasha's blog, Serenity You, to view the whole list and get some more great ideas for your handmade Christmas gifts.  (And you can click on the blue words "Hungry Monsters", above, to go directly to the tutorial.)

The Making of a "Hope" Heart

After last week's post, "Hearts and Hope for Amanda", several of you have let me know that you are busy making small hearts with the word "hope" on them to send to this fellow-crafter who's husband has been diagnosed with advanced cancer.  Since I asked you to have them in the mail by November 15th, I thought I should get going and make mine!  I made these two for Amanda:

Since I'm big on tutorials, this is a good chance to demonstrate a couple of things I've been asked about.  I'll walk you through how I made the blue heart (it's a really basic step-by-step tutorial for beginner sewists, so you advanced people, just skim right through it!)

Make a heart-shaped template any size you want.  Mine is 3 3/4" wide.  (You can find the gridded template plastic at most fabric stores; or just use cardboard.).  I cut two blue fabric strips 3" wide and about 10" long (that's for two hearts--I'm making one for my own jar of hearts!), and one strip of  plain muslin 1" wide and 10" long.  I sewed them together as you see in the picture, using a 1/4" seam.  Cut out one heart from the pieced fabric for the front of the "hope" heart.

Here's my light box.  To transfer the word "hope" to the front of the heart, I printed out the word on my computer; I made a lot of different sizes so I could choose the one that fit best when I was at the light box. These are the marking pens I use:  micron, and Staedtler.  I prefer the Staedtler because on some fabrics the micron pens will bleed and ruin the word.  I have assorted sizes, and I used the largest size (0.7) to trace "hope" onto the heart.

I cut a heart-shaped piece of iron-on interfacing and ironed it to the back of the heart, so the finished product with be smooth and firm--not lumpy and bumpy.  (Stay tuned, anyone with questions about interfacing, I will do a separate post about it soon!)  Here's my heart front all done:

I used a different, coordinating fabric for the back of the heart.  I ironed interfacing onto it, and cut it larger than the front, so I don't have to worry about the two sides shifting when I sew them together.

 Sew all around the perimeter, using a 1/4" seam.  Trim the excess fabric, and BE SURE to make a cut at the top of the heart, right to the stitching line, or it will pucker terribly when you turn it right-side-out.  (Yes, I've forgotten to do it before!)

This picture shows a pair of hemostats, like doctors use in surgery!  They are the best thing EVER for turning things right-side-out.  Do yourself a favor and get a pair (or 6, like I have!)--and then go ahead and turn your heart right-side-out. (Or use a chop stick or knitting needle.)  Press it flat.

Stuff the heart with fiberfill, sew the opening closed by hand, and you are done!  This would be a great Christmas tree ornament, using holiday colors and a Christmas message.  You would want to sew a loop of ribbon into the seam right at the top of the heart when you sew the two sides together.

For the pink and green heart, I wrote "hope" on a separate piece of fabric and machine-sewed it to the front of a pieced heart.  I left the edges raw and exposed, and pulled out some threads to make a fringe around the sides of the word. 

I'll give another update next week--hopefully I will have some of YOUR hearts to show off!

Happy Critters Toy Drop

I finally figured out what to do with these cute little stuffies I made as prototypes when I was designing the Mystery Critters pattern.  (The one on the left was my original idea; he morphed into the guy on the right.  Quite a change, isn't it?!)

The two above, as well as the three below (which were the "models" for the swap on Craftster) will soon be going to new homes, thanks to a group called The Toy Society. They encourage people to make toys and secretly "drop" them in public places, for anyone to claim and take home.

A few days ago I got an e-mail from my friend Diane, saying she had just seen a picture at The Toy Society of two stuffies someone had just "dropped" near the town where she lives.  The stuffies were made from my Mystery Critter pattern!  Of course I hurried to take a look, and I was instantly captivated by the idea.  Here's a quote from the website:

"The Toy Society is a craft/street art project spreading love throughout the streets of the world.  From Melbourne to Lisbon, Antwerp to Michigan and everywhere in between, The Toy Society is all about giving you a 'something for nothing' experience."  How cool is that!

To participate, you just go the www.thetoysociety.blogspot.com and register by submitting your name and e-mail address.  They will send you an e-mail which details how to do a toy drop.  On the website you can also see pictures of toys that have been "dropped", and  read about some of the toys that have been found.

I decided to give these critters a makeover--I switched their button eyes for safety eyes, so they would be ready for any child who finds them. (I just noticed that some of them still have a button on their bodies--don't worry, I will snip those off too!)

The Toy Society will give you links to print out the labels and letter that goes with each toy you drop.  You seal it all up in a zip-lock bag, and take it somewhere you think a child might find it.  I'm going to drop this one in a near-by park.

 The letter that accompanies the toy gives the website address, so if the finder wants to report the toy "found", they can.  This would be a great family activity!  My kids are in college now, so I guess I will do the toy drop by myself!

They have a special toy drop date just before Christmas, when they hope to have 300 toys dropped around the world.  I will save one or two of mine to drop that day, and then I will register them at the site.  I'll be sure to let you know if any of them are reported after they are found!

Matchbook Notepads

Here's a tiny little gift that I like to make in big batches so I always have some on hand--these Matchbook Notepads are fairly simple to make, and they are great to tuck into a card for a little something "extra".  I saw something similar on etsy and decided to make my own.  They are great to have in your purse--if you need a slip of paper, just tear one out!

Here's a tutorial all in one picture! 
1.  For the outside, cut a piece of pretty cardstock 7" x 2 1/4".
2.  Fold the cardstock 1/2" from one end, and 3 1/8" from the other end.  (When both flaps are closed it will measure 2 1/4" x 3 3/8".)
3.  Cut regular computer paper (or any kind of paper you want) into 2 3/4" x 2" slips.  You will want 12-15 slips of paper per notepad.
4.  Position the slips of paper under the short flap at the bottom, and staple in place. (You will want your staple fairly low, to leave room for the big flap to tuck in.)
5.  Decide how you want to decorate the front.  I used my Word computer program and printed the phrase "happy heart" on whitecard stock, and cut it 1 7/8" x 2 1/4".
6.  With the notepad cover closed, center the white card stock and glue it to the cover.
7.  Cut fabric scraps into heart shapes (or flowers, or anything you want) and glue them to the white cardstock.

That's it!  I included the quarter for size reference. (Someone melted a hole in it before it came into my hands!  I will do something with this special quarter some day--but I don't know what!)

I included one of these notepads in each package I sent to partners in the recent Jar of Hearts Swap at Craftster.  They were PERFECT for that!  I also include one when I mail an etsy purchase to a customer.  They are great in a thank-you card too.  Try making a few, I'm sure you will find lots of ways to use them!

Cutter quilts

A while ago, my awesome friend Susan sent me (among other things) this sweet little heart that she bought from a seller on etsy called Wordz of Life.  The seller makes these ornaments out of old, worn out quilts, referred to as "cutter quilts", because that's all they are considered to be good for--cutting up to use for something else.  Here's the front:

Here's the back:

The first thing I said to Susan about the heart was:  "I love it!" and then, "I want to make some like this!"  She hadn't heard the term "cutter quilt" before, but she is really good at finding information online, so it wasn't too long before I received another package in the mail:  Susan had found another seller on etsy with cut-up squares of vintage quilts for sale, and she bought one for me!  (I told you Susan was awesome!) 

I love the look of the old quilt block, with the hand-stitching, the small holes, tears, and worn spots, all of which tell of its history.  Someone made this by hand, and it was used, and hopefully loved, until finally, it didn't look nice as a bedcovering any more, and was discarded.  Maybe the etsy seller got it at a thrift shop, or at an estate sale; either way, the quilt is now living its second life--it is being "re-crafted".  I decided to start using it for three of the hearts in the Jar of Hearts swap I participated in at Craftster (that's why it now has heart-shaped holes in it!)

The recipients of these quilt-hearts have told me they love them! I made mine 3-D, sewing two pieces of quilt-heart together, and filling them with fiberfil.  I left the raw edges showing and the cotton batting exposed. A simple button in the middle adds a little something without detracting from the simplicity of the heart.

I will admit that I have mixed feelings about cutting up old quilts; ideally, I would like to see them remain intact and used as a decorative element--over the back of a sofa, on top of a bookcase, or at the foot of a bed.  But some old quilts are too far gone, I suppose, for anything but being repurposed.  I am happy to see the usable parts of those quilts live on in other ways, like these hearts.

Hearts, and Hope for Amanda

I love hearts!  I love making hearts! Even my Craftster username is Leslieshappyheart!

Last month I showed you the hearts I made for a personal swap on Craftster (Box of Hearts), and I am currently in the Jar of Hearts swap.  I sent out my hearts on Friday, and they are all going to be delivered today, so I don't think I will spoil any surprizes by posting pictures here!  They will all show up in the gallery this week, so you, my readers, will get this sneak preview!

The pink-and-white heart on the upper right was made from a piece of an old cut-up quilt that my friend Susan gave me.  The red button-y heart on the bottom right is my favorite!

I have 5 official partners, and one unofficial (she only asked for one partner, but then wished for more, so I am doing a personal swap with her).  Each partner gets 5 hearts.

Some of the hearts are the same, and some are unique to the recipient.  This partner requested some black hearts, and I love how they came out!

One of the heart swappers, Amanda, is also in the Journal Cover Swap  that I organized; that's how I came to find out that her husband has just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  Amanda commented on one of the hearts in the gallery:  "I like the hope one because that word has recent significance for me..."

I've talked with her a bit about the diagnosis through private message on Craftster, because I know exactly what she's going through--two years ago, my husband was also diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  The treatment was long and difficult, and it was a very bad time in the life of our family, but he is now healthy again!  Thank God!

 So, my crafty readers, I have an idea:  I want to send Amanda a package of hearts for her jar of hearts. Would you be able to help me?  My thought is that everyone who wants to contribute would make one or two hearts, out of anything you want (fabric, felt, clay, paper, yarn, wood...whatever), and incorporate the word "hope" on one (or both) of them.  You could write it, stamp it, attach it as a label, embroider it...I know you will think of a way to do it.

Then send the hearts to me, and I will package them and send them to Amanda. Before I send them, I will take pictures and post them here.  Here's a summary:

1.  Make one or two hearts, one or both of which have the word "hope" on it. (I don't know her religious beliefs, so let's avoid any mention of anything religious).  The heart can be any size, up to 4" in diameter.
2.  E-mail me (click my name at the right, you will see the link to my email on the next page) to tell me you have hearts for Amanda, and I will e-mail you my mailing address.  You can do that before you make the hearts if you wish.
3.  Please send your hearts no later than November 15th.  That's two weeks from today.  If you would like to add a little note for Amanda, please do.  I will package the hearts so the maker will be identified by your first name and state (or country), and/or Craftster username.
4.  If some hearts are slow to arrive, I will send a second package to Amanda, so don't worry if you live in Outer Mongolia!  Cancer treatment takes quite a while, so she will be needing regular reminders that people are supporting her.
5.  I plan to send the first package right after Thanksgiving, so check back here for an update!  And thank you in advance for your help.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what you create!