Giveaway Winner & Custom Fabric

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First and foremost, time for some housekeeping! The giveaway for this embroidered carrot tea towel is now closed, and we have a winner!
 The winner is Meg!
Meg- email me (toocrewel@gmail.com) with your address so I can get this out in the mail to you! 

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 Last year my boyfriend, Bryan, made some illustrations of super soakers, and I really loved them. A couple of weeks ago I found out that he had turned some of them into patterns. Here is an example of one:
 I’m thinking I’m going to have to pop over to spoonflower and print off some fabric of them. It’s perfect for the summertime! Thoughts on what I should make with it?

xoxo.

Things to do with a sweater!

 

This year my Christmas was done on a ridiculously small budget. I only bought two things, the rest is all handmade. The other day in the midst of finishing up some gifts I decided to chop up one of my thrifted sweaters to see I could do with it. So, here are some ideas for last minute (and cheap!) gifts.

This is the sweater I used:

Headband: 

Step one is to cut off one of the sleeves.

Then cut off the shoulder edge to make both sides flat.

Turn the sleeve inside out, and trim off the extra width to make it an even size.

While it is still inside out, you sew the loose edge you just cut together. Turn it back right side, tuck the frayed end into the sleeves end, and sew it together.

ta-da!

 

Brooches: 

Cut five circles (or whatever shape you choose) in descending order.

 

Place them on top of each other in the order you desire. Either by hand or on machine (I used machine) sew a straight line down the center of the smallest piece of fabric.

There you have it! All of you have to do on the back is stitch on a brooch pin, or if you don't have one a safety pin will even work.

Or you can put it on your new headband!

Pillow:

(this is seriously the easiest throw pillow you will ever make!)

Cut out two pieces of the shaped pillow you want.

Flip both pieces inside out and sew along the edges (leaving about a two inch gap at the bottom to turn it back right side).

Stuff the pillow, and hand sew the small gap you left. It is cute, simple, and comfy!

Earrings:

Cut out various pieces to stack on top of each other (similar to the brooch).

Stack on top of each other, and sew a line straight down the middle of the top layer. It will hold them all together, and you end up not really being able to see the stitching because of the material. Then thread a piece of thread through the top, tie your posts onto it, and you're done!

I also made these ones (the teal is from a thrifted skirt I haven’t worn in forever):

I think all of this inspired Bryan, because when I came home from work last night he announced that he tried to make me something. He made me a laptop case out of some of his thrifted sweaters and shirts.

I think I’m going to add a zipper to the top of it, the button doesn’t want to stay shut.

Any ideas of other things to make?

xoxo.

Weekend Craftiness

This weekend I went on a crafting overload. I embroidered a towel, made a needle felt ornament, and made four pillows. My fingers are tired. I’m thinking today I need to get out of the house and get some fresh air…but in the meantime check out what I made!

Ornament:

(see more for the globe here)

Towel:

Pillows!:
(the fabric is linen, with deep brown floss. see more here.)
(brown felt on one side, bright orange cotton on the other. see more here.)
(this one turned out kinda silly, but it is sushi! see more here.)
(I ran out of stuffing, so this one isn’t quite finished yet. I stamped the green fabric with a lino cut of a mustache I did, and used white fabric paint. The back is wood pattern.)

So what did you do this weekend? I hope you had more social interaction then me!

xoxo.

ps. Majority of these are all posted up in my shop, and this week I’m offering free shipping! Code: FREESHIP

Weekend Adventures

Hello kinder! I hope everyone’s weekend was fantastic. Here is what I did the past few days!

Found this perfect chair in the woods!

 

Snapping Turtle!

...and then i ended up walking through the water, too.

I made these stamps, but did the Too Crewel one backwards. Whoops.

best game ever.

Next week I’m starting a new schedule for Too Crewel (which is subject to change based on how well I can balance it between work and school)!:

• Sunday: Weekend Wrap Up/New Projects for the Week
• Monday: Etsy Adoration
• Tuesday: Featured Artist/Blog
• Wednesday: Wordless Wednesday
• Thursday: Random Post/Update on Projects
• Friday: Pinterest Pretties
• Saturday: Random/Off Day

xoxo.
 PS! Tomorrow is the last day for my My Memories Suite and Soaring Heights Giveaway! Don’t forget to enter!

Featured Artist: Erin Flett

It’s Sunday…which means it is the best day of the week (at least I think so)! Yesterday I was lucky enough to get in contact with a lovely artist by the name of Erin Flett. Here is a little bit about her:

 “Hello from Maine! I am a surface textile graphic designer that is in love with all things funky and old + drawing collaging and layering found and hand drawn elements. I am a mother of two little ones and have been doing solo design work for 7 years. now..and just recently launched my own line of textiles and paper prints. I hope you enjoy seeing my work and please stop by for a little discount specially for you guys. CODE: TOOCRUEL %15 OFF. 

e”

The 15% off code is good on items through her etsy shop. Erin also has a line she does for AU, Inc, and another place to check out her work is her website.

Here are some of my favorite pieces of hers on etsy, and her fantastic color palette! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Some of my favorite colors!

These are from her AU bag collection. Click the image to go to the website!

I want everything!

xoxo.

Artist Series- October

Hello friends! Yesterday I read a post from Wild Olive where she introduced new fabric she created using Spoonflower. It got me thinking that I want to create something with an original design and fabric! I’m proposing that during the month of October all of my projects be a part of an artist series. This means I need artists! If you are interested in working with me on this shoot me an email so we can begin to discuss ideas. I already have a few people interested in participating, but I’m still looking for a couple more.

You can email me at: toocrewel@gmail.com
Can’t wait to hear from you!

xoxo.

Three down!

Today I finished three pillows! One of which I’ve made over the past few days for my sister, and the other two I made over a month ago and I just had to finish up. So of course I have photos to share!

This first one is for my sister Rachael. Bryan and I will be heading down to St. Augustine (Florida) in less than two weeks to visit her (plus much more family!), and this will be my gift to her upon arrival! I made some stamps (my first ones!) for the polka dots, and the flowers/bird are out of felt. It reminds me of spring or early summer. Oh, and while I’m on the topic, my brother-in-laws gift when we go down there will be made by Bryan…it is going to be Robocop themed, and awesome.  

The next one I finished is this cute little owl! I also used felt on this one for the belly, beak, and giant eyes.

The last ones detail is, surprise!, done with felt. I love this one, but round pillows are such a pain to do! This is the first one I have done, and it is in no way a perfectly symmetrical circle.  Maybe next time?

Now off to bed!
xoxo.
Liesi

ps. tomorrow there will be a familiar item (or maybe two?) posted up for sale on etsy! 

Stampin’ and Relaxin’

 

 

 

This afternoon Bryan and I came home from a weekend spent at the beach, among friends and family, and sleeping in a camper. It was such a great weekend, but I’m glad to be home and am looking forward to things this week! I have to take a second and promote my boyfriend… what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t? Tomorrow him and the other members of Lampshade Fantasies are having their first life show. It is at Dog Story Theater, they go on at nine. Go, go, go!
Once I got home and settled today I decided it was time to try and carve a stamp out of the linoleum block I got after I read Printing by Hand. I did some polka dots at first to try something simple, and when that was proven to be successful I tried to do a mushroom. 

 

The mushrooms look terrible, but trial and error, right? I also did the mushroom stamp on tan fabric, I’m thinking I’m going to turn it into either a bag or pillow with a large felt mushroom overtop of it. If it is a bag then I can turn the felt mushroom into a front pocket? I don’t know, I have too many different projects I need to finish right now before I even start that one.

That’s all for now…time to work on Florida and finish this cheesy movie!

xoxo,
Liesi.

 

ps. I got some pretty colored new floss, too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patterns galore.

Today was a really great day to check the mail! I got new fabric from Sew, Mama, Sew!, “Printing by Hand” by Lena Corwin, and a new National Geographic .

Isn’t the fabric absolutely adorable?! I have no idea what to make with it, because I can’t even imagine cutting it up! I only ordered half a yard of it, but what do you think I should make with it? I’m always up for suggestions!

xoxo.
Liesi

PS. I’ll have more to share from “Printing by Hand” once I read through more of it, and execute some of it. Hopefully next week!
PPS. I forgot to mention that I sold my first item on Etsy. yay!

Printing by Hand

(image from www.goodreads.com)

This book is soon to be the newest in my growing collection! I’m so excited. I love the idea of making every aspect of an item, right down to the design on the fabric. Lately I have been considering a degree in textile design, I think experimenting with stamping and stencils will help me decide whether or not that is something I really want to do. Here is to the beginning of more new things to come!

You can find more information on the author of this book, Lena Corwin, at her blog.

xoxo.