Machine Embroidered Patches

I've been experimenting with my new-to-me embroidery machine.  Mostly thanks to PrincessP over on Lettuce Craft, who created an awesome digital file for a Lettuce Craft patch.  I started out with the tutorial from Urban Threads, and one of their designs for Crafty Merit Badges, specifically their Runs With Scissors patch.  I used tear away stabilizer under the felt, then finished them on water soluble stabilizer, so they are completely freestanding.

After a little practice, I even managed to give them backing layers of felt, so you don't see the embroidery.  

Once I had a feel for patch making, I felt confident enough to try the LC patch.  Since I only had dark felt when I started, I tried a few of what I'm calling my "Dark Mode" patches.

After I was able to pick up some more light felt, I did a few in white, as she designed them.

Then finally I tried out the world's most adorable patch pattern, for a potion bottle.  It might be the cutest thing I've made so far on my embroidery machine.

After finishing making some more patches, I tried my hand at coasters.  This blue moon coaster is for my bedside table, to compliment the moon & constellation artwork in there.

Create Prayer Flag

This prayer flag was created for my dear friend Edel, in the Go Bananas Swap on Lettuce Craft.  When I saw the embroidery design on Urban Thread, I knew I wanted to use it for something.  I dug through my stash and couldn't find much in the way of plain fabrics for the background, so I went with a soft tan on on cream floral print that I felt matched the scrollwork in the embroidery.

I did a row of hand stitching along the edge and dush through my charms stash fro the letters for CREATE.  I didn't like the color balance of the charms, so I altered the C and the T with some Vintaj metal patinas, to try to bring in more of the green and turquoise from the embroidery. 

Scrappy Cool Waters Quilt Top

This quilt top was created for my dear friend Edel in the Go Bananas Swap on Lettuce Craft.  When she & I were discussing the swap, we hit on the idea of making quilt tops for one another, as a way to stash bust, while also keeping postage costs down, since they would be smaller without batting and backing.  The pattern is called Cool Waters and came from an issue of Fons & Porter's Quilting Quickly from May & June of 2017.  It is intended for a jelly roll, using 40 2.5" strips.  Instead I used fabrics in my scrap stash in shades of turquoise, aqua, blue, purple, and pink, which Edel listed as some of her favorites.  Some of my strips were the width of fabric, while others were just 9".  I had enough to make the entire top, and one extra block, for Edel to make into a pillow to go with it.  There are bis of so many wedding and baby quilts in this scrappy wonder.  I love how it came out, and would do the pattern again in a heartbeat.

Miniature Swarovski Necklace & Jewelry Display Stand

The very lovely MissingWillow on Lettuce Craft came up with the most awesome idea for our Craft Stars Garage Sale Fundraiser.  She created a tiny curio cabinet, featuring the animal friends from Lettuce Craft, and asked the other moderators to create tiny versions of their favorite crafts to fill the cabinet with.  I made a teeny tiny necklace out of a Vintaj brass connector component, 2mm Swarovski crystal beads, a 5mm Swarovski butterfly, some tiny chain and the thinnest headpin I could find!  I used the headpin for the butterfly, then used the wire I cut off of it to make the two double ended eye pins for the tiny beads. 

The necklace stand is a few layers of cardstock glued together before being cut to shape.

I actually made a few other pieces of jewelry first, but wasn't very happy with them.  I sent them off to MissingWillow, so she could use them if she wanted, or she could put them into her stash for some future miniature she might make, or she could toss them.  I was honestly surprised they ended up in the finished Curio Cabinet!
 
Turquoise seed and Czech glass beads, and a tiny heart charm.

Glass seed beads and a green Swarovski crystal drop.

Ring made from a red glass seed bead and a single jump ring.

Ring next to the necklaces for scale. 

Here's the finished curio cabinet, featuring miniatures by many of my favorite Craftsters/Lettuce Crafters.  (Photos ruthlessly stolen from MissingWillow's awesome post on Lettuce Craft.)  I also crocheted the granny square rug underneath it.  My butterfly necklace is on the top shelf, along with a shrine by MissingWillow and a Mothman by PerfectlyBohemian.

The second shelf features a fairy shrine, steampunk assemblage and photo of MissingWillow's lambs, circus shrine & scrabble tile painting from racky, and Up embroidery by sweets4ever.

The third shelf holds some micro knitting by loves2esperiment, and Easter display by pottermouth, more of my jewelry bits, and a miniature folio by kittykill.  MissingWillow did the chunky house, pottery bowl, Harry Potter book, and mini LC cookies.

The site mascot, Chaircat Mao is featured prominently in a hat crocheted by her fur-mom, pottermouth.  She sits on a cross stitch pillow by kittykill, atop my crocheted rug.