velvet

OH, MY HACKING HEART

Hey there!  I bet you’re aware that those gorgeous and very popular velvet pumpkins on display in autumn have a cousin – the velvet heart.  Making one of those pumpkins is quite easy to do, and the internet is full of video and instructional tutorials to guide you along.  However, the heart… not so much.  Seriously, there are no videos or tutorials on how to make these little lovelies.  But, guess what?  They’re so stinking easy to make that a tutorial is virtually unnecessary, especially if you’ve had past success making the pumpkins.  After some mental dissection pondering, I came up with a “heartfelt” hack.  I think I’ve cracked the code…… or have come close enough.

What do you think?

linda nelson at the createaerie
©Linda Nelson 2018

So, here’s the “tutorial” –

linda nelson at the createaerie
Linda Nelson 2018

Simply cut a piece of velvet twice the length of its width, “up and down” stitch all the way around the perimeter roughly 3/4″ from the edge, cinch it up, stuff it, cinch it up again as snug as you can get it, tie it secure, then stick a stem in it.  That’s it!  A 10″x20″ piece of velvet will make a (approx.) 5″h x 7″w heart, not including the stem, of course.

After you’ve completed your little velvety creation, it’s time to move on to some other fabrics.

linda nelson at the createaerie
©Linda Nelson 2018

I also have a variation on these beauties that I will share with you very soon, so stay tuned……….

Now, go get creative!

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THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, LITTLE SISTER!

My sister had been doing some clutter purging, and passed a few fabric remnants on to me when I spent Thanksgiving at her home.  I’m a sucker for handouts like that.  A few days later my mom mentioned to me that she had a box of trim, lace and sewing notions stashed away in a closet, and asked if I was interested in the stuff.  Yes, mom.  Oh my……. I’ll need to prepare quite a bit for this future post because opening that box led to opening other boxes, and to opening up a running stitch of memories.  And, I can’t wait to share those memories with you!

Anyway, I’ve decided that I’m going to return some of the fabric to my sister.  Yep, I’m going to “gift” the piece of olive green velvet fabric back to her……. for Christmas.

Ta-da!
linda nelson at the createaerie
©Linda Nelson 2016

If you’d like to make a stuffed yo-yo Christmas tree, you will need –

  • a sister who’s getting rid of about 1/2 yard of fabric
  • button thread (it’s much more durable than regular thread)
  • a needle
  • round templates in graduating sizes (I used pot lids dishes, etc…)
  • beanbag fill (rabbit/guinea pig bedding shavings would also work!)
  • a dowel or metal rod about 3/8″diam. (the length depends on how tall you make your tree)
  • a small pair of pointy scissors
  • tree base and tree topper (*see note)         
©Linda Nelson 2016

Stitch, stuff, cinch and tie off all your yo-yo’s.  Using the pointed end of the scissors, poke a hole through the center of each yo-yo making sure the hole is wide enough to feed the dowel/rod through. Feed all the yo-yos onto the rod (cinched side facing up). Now, it’s time to add your topper and base, though I must let you in on a little secret –

©Linda Nelson 2016
©Linda Nelson 2016
* I used old lamp parts to assemble my tree, but I’m confident that if you don’t have any lurking around your home, you will successfully finish the assembly some other imaginative and resourceful way.  Just get creative!

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