Tutorial no.2 - Ribbon necklace

For this beaded necklace you will need:
Organza ribbon 7 x Silk covered beads
1 x necklace clasp 2 x split rings
2 x 7mm clamp ends (for ribbon)
1 x necklace tag





1. Cut two lengths of ribbon, one shorter than the other. I have used a 23 inch and 18 inch piece. Seal all the ends of the ribbon using the desired technique. Start with the longest length of ribbon and feed a bead into the middle of the length of ribbon. Carefully tie a knot either side of the bead making sure you do not pull the knot too tight.





2. Repeat this process for the other 4 beads but position them at equal distances from the centre bead.









3. Follow these steps again the shorter length of ribbon using the last 3 beads.










4. Gather the split rings, clamp ends and necklace tag together.









6. Position the shorter length ribbon on top of the longer length ribbon and feed into the clamp ends. Secure the clamps using pliers.








7. Attach split rings to both clamp ends and then the necklace clasp and tag to either end. And there you have it, a simple but impressive ribbon necklace.

Keep calm and..........................

If you fallen for the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' craze that has swept the nation then you will love love this website - www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk
The website allows you to play around with the wording and the images to create your very own poster. It really is fab and the guy who runs the website is very helpful and open to any suggestions for images etc (he very kindly uploaded the scissors for me).

I love my final creation but can't decide whether to keep with the scissors or go with the crown...........

First tutorial - Summer fun hair bow

So, I thought I would share with you a tutorial for some lovely hair bows that I have been making. You can have so much fun choosing different ribbons, colours, patterns and buttons. The one I have shown is made of grosgrain but I have made them with double satin and they have been equally as nice!





1. Cut your length of ribbon to desired length. I find that 20" is enough to make a decent sized girls bow which is around 3 1/2" wide and 2 1/2" high.






2. Fold the ribbon in half lengthwise - be sure that both edges meet. Cut both of the ends of the ribbon in a V as shown here (cut outwards towards the ends of the ribbon). Seal the ends using your preferred method.







3. Fold the ribbon over into three loops ensuring that the ends of the ribbon are on opposite sides.





4. I am loving these transparent hair bands that are just fantastic for holding bows in place. Once in place adjust the ribbon so that all the pieces are even and it looks neat.




5. Take a smaller piece of ribbon for the centre - seal the ends. I find that wrapping the ribbon around the bow twice holds it all in place nicely. You can fix in place with either a glue gun or stitching - I have stitched this example in blue so it shows up for the purpose of the tutorial.






6. Here is what it should look like from the front. Adjust the bow again as necessary.


7. Next sew on the chosen buttons - I like to use transparent thread so as not to ruin the look of the buttons but it is personal choice. Ensure these are safely and securely attached to the hair clip.
(Disclaimer: Buttons and other small embellishments present as a choking hazard for children under 3 and should therefore be avoided for this age group)





8. Finally sew or glue (depending on which you prefer) the hair clip to the back of the bow. Ensure that it is secure!






9. And here is the final product - a statement hair clip at a fraction of the cost of the high street :)

Customise your clothes!

I love customising my clothes, it can be quite simple to make a 'cheaper' item of clothing more polished and unique by doing so. Even the simple addition of a few buttons can completely change the look of an outfit.

I thought I'd post a few pictures of a Primark jumper that (in my opinion) I made a few subtle improvements to. The jumper is nautical style which I adore and even in the shop the ideas for improving it were spinning through my mind!

Unfortunately, as I have only just began my blog I did not take any 'before shots'. Basically I have added all the gold buttons and also have sewn the fold over (if thats what I can call it) on the sleeves. Originally, they were loosely folded over and held up by a single pearlescent button but they kept slipping down and I felt looked neater fixed in place.



Although the jumper was a sell out I can be sure that no-one else will have one quite like mine!

While on the nautical theme I thought I'd post a pic of my new anchor earrings - simply lovely but unfortunately, as they are silver won't match my jumper :(



x

Well hello - my first ever post!

Crikey, why do I feel nervous!!!

I suppose I had better introduce myself and why I am here (just in case anyone other than my Mum or Sister read this!!)

I am a married Mum of three currently on maternity leave(although the countdown to return is already beginning). After hitting 30 on Thursday I decided this was my prompt to try new things and do instead of say and so here I am. I have long loved crafty things right from when I was a little girl - I had my first sewing machine at 15 and have tried a bit of everything from dress making to card making and everything in between.

Right now my loves are fabric, ribbon, beads, buttons and felt with a bit of patterned paper thrown in. I am trying to perfect my bow making, felt cutting, rose and ruffle shaping skills and have stumbled on some fantastic on-line tutorials etc that have helped me do this. I guess it was while researching these that brought me onto these very pages and I felt that perhaps I should give something back in a way.

I love fashion - clothes, accessories etc etc. However, being on maternity leave and the whole climate of now having to 'tighten our belts' has made me think more closely about what I am buying. I think the 'throw away society' is on its way out and I have found myself using and improving what I already have.

Keep on trend at a fraction of the price - its time to make and mend!

x

Here are some examples of my current work.........