Stitch by Stitch

I'd say this was a bit different from the previous efforts. For a start there's not a single piece of Stampbord in sight. And I'd say this a slightly better effort as I seem to have figured out how to make the photo larger and therefore easier to see.

"Stitch by Stitch", the title of this piece, is a bit of a joke given that the one craft material I don't mess with is fabric and the other stuff that tends to go along with it like needles and thread. I can't sew a button on to save my life. Well I can, but the end result is just plain nasty.

The irony is that my mother was an artist and craftswoman of exceptional skill and creative talent. She could draw and paint, she made exquisite miniatures and her sewing and needlework are things of legend. So, this mixed media piece is as close as I'll probably ever get to anything sewing related.

Materials Used:

Wooden House

Sewing Room Alterations Die

Grungeboard or Grungepaper

Large Wooden Spool

Bobbin*

Thimble*

Buttons

Lace, ribbon and small pieces of fabric

Small piece of measuring tape

Small pieces of cream coloured cardstock

Dolls House Miniature Sewing Box, Machine and Patterns x2*

Claudia Hellmuth's Sticky-backed Canvas

A found hotel toiletries Sewing Kit

Acrylic Paint : Red, Brown, Dusky Pink and Mauve

Distress Inks : Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo and Barn Door

Brown fine line felt-tip pen

PVA glue

Red Double-sided tape

* All found on ebay sites selling doll house miniatures or sewing supplies

This little wooden house makes the perfect substrate for a bit of an exercise in mixed media fun.

1) The front edges, outer sides and roof were all painted in red acrylic paint and then  distressed

     using Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

2) The internal sides were distressed using Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

3) Die cut the dress form twice, once with Grungepaper and the second time with Claudia

    Hellmuth's sticky backed canvas and the spool. (You can use Grungepaper or Grungeboard)

4) Paint both the first dress form and the spool with brown acrylic paint and distress the edges with

    Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks

5)  Distress the edges of the Sticky-backed canvas dress using Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain.

     Remove the backing and apply the Sticky-backed canvas dress to the dress form.

6) Wrap the spool with thick thread. I used book binding thread.

7) Paint the little wooden sewing box in colours of your choice. I used a dusky pink and mauve.

8) Cut small 4 pieces of card and wrap with pieces of fabric to make the bolts of cloth.

9) Cut two pieces of card stock to fit in the spaces shown above and distress the edges with Barn

     Door and, you guessed it...Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain.

10) Using a fine felt tip pen write the sentiment in tiny little lines to make it appear as if the words

      have been stitched and use the same technique to go around the edges. Use personal friendship

      quotes that appeal to you (Just tap friendship quotes into Google and you will be spoiled for

      choice). Then glue into place with PVA or other clear drying adhesive.

11) Glue other embellishment into place except for the large spool in the bottom section.

12) For the large spool, take a piece of patterned paper and cut a strip wide enough to fit on the pool.

      (It can be as long as you like) and write a personal message of friendship to the person you like

       enough to give this to. Affix the beginning of the note to the spool using doublesided tape and

       then wrap the message tightly around the spool and tie up with a pretty piece of ribbon. 

      giving it to

13) Using double-sided tape, affix the lace to the edges of the house. I was, and still am, in two

      minds about whether I like this piece with or without the lace trim?

14) Colour a piece of measuring tape with Barn Door Distress Ink and affix to the dress form. Tie

      a piece of ribbon around the waits and glue to the side of the house and you're DONE!