Fall Welcome Wall Hanging

Hey guys, I just finished a really pretty fall welcome sign!

Fall Welcome Wall Hanging, $4 on Etsy

The picture isn't really that great.  I have trouble getting good pictures of the larger pieces like this one.  It's quite pretty in person though.  I plan on eventually doing the other three seasons in this style and making a cool set.

But for now, I'm totally glad I'm done with this project!  It was a pretty big one.  I think I've been working on it for three weeks now, ugh!  I'm ready to move onto something else.  Actually, I have my next pattern about half done; a pretty sewing set with thread spools on it.  Hopefully you'll get to see those next week sometime!

How was everyone's weekend?  I had a pretty nice one; hubby and I went for a long drive through the country.  The leaves are just starting to peak here in western NY and it's just so pretty.  I hope you're all enjoying your autumn!

Free Friday: Candy Corn Earrings

This week's pattern is one I've been dying to do for a few weeks.  The idea came from my Candy Corn Coasters pattern:

Check them out at my Etsy shop.

The little candy corn on the coaster holder is so darn cute, right?  So I thought, why not make them into earrings?  They're so easy to make and really cute for Halloween!

Candy Corn Earrings

Skill Level: 

Intermediate

Materials:

• Scrap pieces of 7-count plastic canvas
• Red Heart Super Saver yarn in colors in key
• Hot glue
• Two 8mm gold tone jump rings
• Two gold tone earring hooks
• Two sets of jewelry or needle nose pliers

Instructions:

1. Cut and stitch plastic canvas according to graph.
2. With hot glue, glue two candies together, wrong sides together. Press pieces firmly together until glue dries.
3. Use a sturdy pin to pierce a hole through the white section of both candies. Use a small knitting needle or a plastic canvas needle to make the hole larger.
4. Using pliers to hold earring hook at both top and bottom, twist hook so that the circle at the bottom and the hook at top are perpendicular (if you look at it from above, it forms n X). Repeat with second hook.
5. Open one jump ring very widely. Holding it with pliers, insert jump ring into the hole in one candy. Make sure ring goes through both layers of candy. Insert earring hook into ring, and then close ring with pliers. Repeat with second candy.
6. Adjust ring and hook as needed to make it straight and even. Enjoy! ♥ 

Click the image above to see it larger.  You may share this pattern however you please as long as you don't alter it or claim it as your own.  You may sell items made from this pattern.  However, you may not sell this pattern.

I have to be honest, I'm getting a little tired of working on fall projects.  I just finished a big wall hanging yesterday, and I think next week I'm going to start working on something nonseasonal!  Do you guys ever get tired of seasonal stuff like that, or is that just me?  

So with that said, I'm not sure what next week's free pattern will be.  I might have one more Halloween project in me, or maybe I'll get back to the gingham sewing set.  I guess we'll see! 

Canvas Tip: Plastic Canvas Ruler

The more I work with plastic canvas, the more ways I find to make it a whole lot easier and faster.  I think my very favorite trick I figured out was to use a plastic canvas ruler, which makes counting all those squares/threads a billion times easier, not to mention more accurate!  Don't you just hate it when you get half way into a project and you find out you counted wrong?  Ugh!

There are commercially available plastic canvas rulers, but they're so easy to make that I decided to make my own.  Plus, mine is a lot sturdier than the ones you can buy online.  Mine is made from a leftover piece of matboard, so it's unlikely to get bent or torn.

As you can see, it's a piece of matboard that I've drawn two lines onto, and then marked off the holes on one side and threads on the other.

To use it, I hold the bottom of my plastic canvas level with the bottom of the ruler.  With the holes side, I see the lines through the holes.  On the thread side, I line up the plastic canvas on the other side of the marked lines, and then I match the lines with the threads.

Then I use my trusty dry erase marker to mark the hole or line I want!  It's that simple.

So here's how you make your own.  If you have matboard, use that!  It's the best material.  If you don't, that's ok!  Take a sheet of cardstock and fold it in half.

Glue the two sides together.  A glue stick works well.

Now draw two lines down the center using a ruler.

For the side that measures holes, line up a sheet of plastic canvas to the bottom of your cardstock on the side of the line opposite of the side you want to measure with (I want to measure on the right side of the line, so I put the canvas on the left side).  Carefully draw one small line next to each hole, making every 10th line longer and numbering them 10, 20, 30, etc.  A sheet of cardstock will measure up to 70 holes, which is usually enough for most projects.

Now do the same thing with the thread side: line up the plastic canvas with the bottom of the cardstock, this time on the same side that you want to be measuring with.  Make a mark that lines up with every thread, with a longer mark for every 10th thread.  Make sure to write next to each side whether it's a hole measure or a thread measure.

Great job!  Now you have a cheap, sturdy plastic canvas ruler!   If you have friends that are into plastic canvas, this would make a great gift, especially if you make it really pretty :)

Do any of you have any other good plastic canvas tips?  Or anything you'd like to know for future Canvas Tip posts? 

Halloween Luminaries

Hey guys, check out my newest pattern up on Etsy! 

Halloween luminaries pattern, $4 on Etsy

They're adorable and spooky Halloween luminaries for your home.  They're really quick and easy to make up and add a nice touch to your fall decor.

I have one more fall themed project in the works for my shop, and then I'm going to move onto something non-seasonal.  I've been working on fall stuff since August!  Now that autumns finally here, I'm kind of sick of it, lol.  I do plan on posting some fall/Halloween projects for Free Friday though, so stay tuned!

Haunted House

Ever since I started designing patterns a few months ago, I haven't really had much time to work on my own projects.  Leisure projects.  I don't really mind much, since I'm crafting a lot as a designer and getting cool decor items for my home out of it.  However, sometimes I paw through my patterns and kind of long for the days of working with other people's patterns. 

Back in June, I started a cool plastic canvas haunted house.  It's a pretty big project, so I figured I needed that long to get it done before October.  But then I got distracted with this new designing endeavor, and I set the house aside.  I figured I'd get it done sometime.

Well, October hit me in the face yesterday and reminded me that I hadn't finished the house yet!  So I picked up the needle on Friday and managed to get it all done by Saturday afternoon.  Here's my cool new house!

It was a fun pattern to make!  I didn't even add all the critters to the house; it already seemed really crowded.  The pattern had some mistakes in it, but that's not such a big deal now that I have some experience designing. 

Now I just need to find a place for this thing.  It's so big! 

What are you guys working on these days?  Are you busy making X-mas presents, or are you making cute things for your home?

Free Friday: Gingham String Bag

This week's pattern matches last week's, the Gingham Needle Book.  It's in some pretty teal shades so you can see that you can make your gingham in just about any color to match your fancies! 


In case you don't know, a string bag is a neat little receptacle for snips and strings you collect while you're crafting.  It keeps your lap/couch/desk/lap cat from getting covered in little strings.  It's very handy!  Like the needle book, it's something you don't really know you need until you have one.  My hubby loves the one I keep next to the couch, because he can throw his pistachio shells in there and not have to get up (yes, he's quite lazy).  

By the way, this also works well for a pencil/scissor/rotary cutter holder as well.  I have three sitting on my sewing desk; one for strings, one for pencils, and one for cutting tools.  Technically you could just use an empty can (this is just a pattern for a covered can, after all), but this is so much prettier! 

Gingham String Bag 

Skill Level: 

 Beginner

Materials: 

• 1 sheet 7-count plastic canvas 
• Red Heart Super Saver yarn in colors in key 
• 20 oz metal can (such as from a can of pineapple) 
• Craft glue 
• #16 plastic canvas needle

Instructions: 

1. Cut plastic canvas according to graph. 
2. Without stitching on red sections, stitch plastic canvas according to graph. 
3. With right side of piece facing out, overlap the two short ends, overlapping red sections on the graph.  Add the remaining stitches, which will stitch the two ends together and leave you with a circle. 
4. Thoroughly clean and dry the metal can.  If it was a pop top type can, use a can opener to remove the inside lip.  Slip the plastic canvas circle over the can; carefully squeeze a small amount of glue between the can and plastic canvas around both ends.  Let dry fully.

Click on the graph above to see it larger.  You may share this pattern however you please as long as you don't alter it or claim it as your own.  You may sell items created from this pattern.  However, you may not sell this pattern.

I have several other patterns planned for this sewing set, but next week I'm going to take a break so I can post a cool Halloween pattern!  Stay tuned!

New at Annie's

YOU GUUUUUYSSSSSSS!!!!  Check out what's new at Annie's Craft Store!

Those are my designs!!!  I can't believe I actually got my designs posted at Annie's!  (Click on the images to go check them out.  Don't worry, it's not an affiliate link.)

Two months ago, when I was designing the apple and pear patterns, I would never have dreamed that I'd get my creations in a big store like that.  But look! With just a little perseverance, I actually got somewhere.  Now I know I can do anything I put my mind to, and the only thing holding me back is myself.

By the way, I should have another canvas tip for you later, I just need to take some pictures!  I'm such a bum sometimes.