Boxes, Little Boxes!

I love boxes!

Little, big or medium, the linear pleasure of being able to put things away and put lids on and then create neat little forts of organized tidiness makes some corner of my inner OCD self warm and happy!

So , of course, I had to try and make some out of felt!

Because of the limited size of the felt I have (as well as the limited ability to get any more once I use it up!) the boxes had to be small. The first one I tried was from How About Orange which is really good and uncomplicated. And this would probably have been where I stopped looking except I couldn't get my printer to copy out the template to scale! I tried working it out but it wasn't what I was looking for. Partial success but not quite close enough!

See? I couldn't get the lid tight enough. I struggled with the printer, trying to wrap my numerically illiterate brain around percentages (Failed!) and finally gave up and started looking again.

I found a template for a paper exploding box. I didn't even know that's what these things were called and after looking at it for a while, I was sure I could make something like it with my felt. So...off I went!

I cut out 2 layers of felt for the outer layer and the inner layer, that way I could hide any untidy stitches between the layers and cut out the bottom template and the lid template. Then I running stitched around the square centre at the bottom and the lid so everything wouldn't move any more. Next, because the inner folds would need to fold inwards I cut the centres of the triangles (where the dotted line denotes fold lines) and re-sewed the edges together so the were permanently pointing inwards. I thought I was really clever as I sewed all the pieces together. It looked so nice! And then I tried to put the lid on the folded box...

I didn't like it! 

When I tried to fold it, all the flaps were either piling up against each other or pointing the wrong way so I had to sit back and think again. There had to be a way to line up the inner folds so it looked like a box instead of a screwed up piece of felt with a square hat!

I finally came up with a solution. I pierced the 2 opposite faces of the box with a skewer and sewed a flower over the hole and edged it with button hole stitch. Then I sewed 2 loops (the sort you use when you put a hook and loop on the top of a skirt to help close it as you do up the zip.) on the 2 inward pointing folds and then thread some thin cord through the loops and out the hole in the side and tied a knot in the two ends.

Now with both sides done I found that by pulling them up, the box developed a nice firm form and I could tip the sides up, place the lid on, wrap the cord over the top and tie it down. Viola! A felt box!

Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen?? I can think of so many things I could use this for! A sewing needle caddy immediately springs to mind since it's made of felt. A box to hold a special gift. Something to hold thread bobbins in when stitching. And it's so embellish-able!

I enjoyed the details in this and having to adapt the original pattern to make the end result still useful as well as beautiful! And it's so pretty! Never a bad thing. So I decided to make another one, just to see if I'd worked out all the bugs in the assembly.

I really liked the impact of the navy against the red and the little pop of green at the thread holes. I thought I might have done some sashiko design on the top but I didn't really have the patience to slow down and do it. I wanted to finish!

I really like it, especially the beaded ends to the ties. I love details! I love anything glittery and clink-y. I've really enjoyed exploring this box form and now I have one more string to my bow for handmade gifts! Huzzah!

I think I need to give the felt a rest for a little bit though. My fingertips are sore and I'm covered in shredded bits of felt. In a fortnight we'll be going on holidays so I need to figure out what craft I'm taking with me. Especially anything that I can do to distract me on a 5 hour flight! 

What do any other crazy crafty's do on flights? 

See you later :)

Dx

Big Finale! Last Pin Cushion!

I have completed the last (for the time being anyway) pin cushion of my small set! So I decided to go all out with it's decorative bits!

This is the front piece design I copied from the blurred photocopy I had. I used the organic cotton for all the colours except for the white on the wings...and now I look at it I realize I forgot the one black spot for the birds eyes. Bother!! Oh well, too late now :)

So here is the finished product! I even found some ribbon to do the tie at the top instead of the ring. And I added beads around the edges when I was closing it up. I am ridiculously impressed with myself! It's so pretty! And a suitable finale for my collection of pin cushions.

See? Lovely red beads all hand stitched on, even around the ribbon join. And now...I think I'll give it a rest for a while. No more pin cushions...
...but I do have some adorable black-work motif patterns that would make absolutely gorgeous scissor fobs...mmm...maybe keep the threads out a little longer!
See you next time :)

Still here!

I'm really slack at keeping this up. Maybe that's why I don't keep a diary!

But I have not been idle!!

I have been slowly restocking my etsy store  http://www.etsy.com/shop/danie17  and it's starting to look pretty good. Haven't sold a damn thing but a lot of people have had a look and favourited things so, can't complain.

I've been doing some commission work for a lady in Geraldton who wanted two of those thread-through scarves with the leaf-like ends for gifts and a beaded cuff like one of the ones I have but in a different colour. After we went through the frustration of trying to settle on colours for the scarves she kindly sent me the wool so all I had to do was knit it up. Easy!

I was so pleased when these were finished. But the yarn was lovely and soft!!

So now they're done and she's received them, all I have to do is the cuff. A little more tricky since I was entirely out of my beading and jewellery findings. So after ordering it all from etsy, I've finally got enough to start.

Still waiting on beads for fringe where loops are.

There are elements I'm not 100% happy with, like the loops at the bottom aren't as neat as I'd like but that's just me. I'm seriously thinking I need to buy a brass extender chain to use as a fastening for it but I think I'll try and find an Australian supplier. I'm waiting on the dangling beads for the fringe on the cuff so it's not finished yet! But at least started, finally!!!

But my biggest achievement to date is finally finishing the light cardigan I was going to wear when I thought I'd have to wear formal attire at my pseudo-son-in-law's  graduation. Soon found I didn't but now I have this lovely crochet cotton thread cardi that goes so well with the dress and spares everyone from having to view my flabby arms since I think I'm a bit old to be able to wear spaghetti straps in public. 

I wish the light had been a bit better but no one here in the wheatbelt is going to complain about rain!

The little buttons were a spur of the moment purchase that has turned out to just suit this project.

I may not get to wear it with this dress but I'll be taking it to Canberra when I go in a couple of days and see if it goes with the dress Dear Daughter will be wearing because she does need to go to the formal ball. I think that would more than make up for me not wearing it.

So there I am so far. No doubt I'll update when I come back from Canberra.

Happy Knitting :)

Ooops, I am Very Lax

Very lax indeed! It's been almost a month since I've looked at this. Shame, shame, shame. And it's not like I've been doing anything!
I have knit my youngest son another pair of HTML mitts since his hands have gotten HUGE! (and also he can't find where he's put the other ones!). Also a HTML pouch...since the first prototype of the mitts was even too big for him but did covert very nicely to a useful pouch!

Also I got possessed by beaded knitting again and made a really sweet beaded amulet purse that you can wear as a necklace and I used rod-binding cord I got from the op-shop (didn't even realise what it was when I got it. I just got it because it was a pretty colour)to knit it up in. It's so pretty! I think I might make a bunch of these! The worst part is getting the beads onto the thread!!

So, that's what I've been up to...plus a jumper I'm knitting on commission but I haven't finished it yet OR got any photos. But hopefull it'll be finished!!
Happy Knitting