Tutorial: A Wine Cork Valance

Really? A unique cork project? Yes! I've been scrubbing my brain trying to come up with a cork project that hasn't already been done. Not another corkboard. Not another trivet. But a window valance!
My ugly windows were in need of some sprucing up. First I put up an antique lace table runner as a valance. I put nails in the walls, hung the valance and then added decorative elements from the scrapbooking department of the craft store to the nail ends.  After that I set off to make my cork valance.
You want to learn too?

wine corks   

 

 eye pins

                                         

 

ball chain 

 

       ball chain connectors        

                                                                            

fun colored ribbon and lace ribbon that's firm                                            

Here's what you need:

wine corks - I used 18 but you can use more or less depending on the type of pattern you want.

eye pins - I used 25 but it will depend on the pattern you come up with. Take a cork to the hardware store and see which size you like. It needs to screw in good but not be too huge

ball chain - I started with 6 feet of small diameter ball chain and cut 10 pieces, 5 inches long

ball chain connectors with an eye at one end -20

jump rings that open -10 regular jump rings that you buy for jewelry at any craft store. Mine are silver plated.

fun ribbon - 18  3 inch pieces. You can buy cheap spools of ribbon at Michael's. My red ribbon was $1.

lace ribbon that's firm and has holes in it - I used 5 feet of antique lace, but it depends on the size of your window. This is what you will attach all of the ball chain ends to and it will hang across the window.

Tools

wire cutters

2 pair chain nose pliers

scissors

1. Lay out your corks according to the pattern that you choose. Mine was 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1

2. Attach 1 eye pin into 10 corks at one end

3. Attach eye pins into both ends of 8 corks

 So now 10 corks have eyepins in one end and 8 corks have eyepins in both ends.

4. Attach the ball chain connectors to the ball chain at both ends. Do this for all ball chain pieces.

5. attach the ball chain connectors to the eye pins of 4 corks that have an eye pin in one end with a jump ring. 

6. Attach the ball chain connectors to the eye pins of 6 corks that have an eye pin on both ends with a jump ring.

7. Lay out your cork pieces according to the pattern and tie the corks together with a knot through the eyepins. 

8. Tie the ball chains through the connector to the lace evenly spaced out.

9. You're done. Hang your lace piece with a decorative thumb tack to the wall pulled tightly.

Tutorial: The Remake of a Boring Cardigan Sweater

From this

To this

I got this Gap wool cardigan at the thrift store last year and never really liked the neckline or the fit. Since I’m not a sewer, I procrastinated on doing anything to it, and only wore it a couple of times. Finally, the other day some inspiration blew in with the northern winds and I thought to myself “what have I got to lose? The sweater cost me $5.” So I stuck the sweater in a couple of warm water washes to felt it and make it smaller. I pulled out my sewing machine and thought of a way I would minimally have to use that, and instead use mostly my needle and thread, my noggin, and my love of color and design. I also decided to enter this tutorial in the Birdie “Know-it-All Tutorial Contest to see what other's think.

I suck at drawing. No matter how many years I took art, I never achieved the ability to make anything symmetrical on paper so don’t laugh. Typically I don’t plan things out and just wing it, but this time I needed some sort of an action plan. As you will see though, my drawing isn’t exactly like my finished project but just an inspiration for it and I’ll explain why in a minute.
So I cut the sleeves ¾ length, the bottom band and around the neck and button band.
I used ½ of the bottom band for each sleeve to make them flare a bit. This is where my sewing machine came in. I zig zag stitched the sleeve edging on.

Next I started cutting out pieces for the flowers and leaves as well as the fastener bands.

Flowers:

I used the sleeve portions I cut off to make the flowers. I cut across the sleeve 1 ½ inch pieces and cut that circle to open that up. I twisted that piece and rolled it from the edge around my finger and secured it with a pin.

I later sewed the back of those to secure them so that they wouldn’t unravel and then hand sewed those on with needle and thread to the sweater.

Leaves:

I used parts of the neckband and cut pieces about 1-2 inches long. I cut a long oblong on the edge opposite the fold so when I cut the leaf, I could open it up and there would be a leaf with a crease in the middle.

I used an unraveled thinner strand of the colored yarn to baste stitch the leaves onto the sweater down the center of the leaf.

Fastener band:

I used 2 pieces that incorporated a buttonhole on each end.

The Edging:

I used a basic blanket stitch with colored yarn for edging the bottom and neckline.

I used a whip stitch to go around the fastener bands.

I put 4 buttons on the sweater to attach the fastener bands.

Here’s why I changed the original pattern. Once I put on the sweater I realized that it had shrunk a bit more than I realized especially since I had cut it apart. So the back gathering with a band idea wouldn’t work. Then just laying out the sweater, I thought it would be a bit much with flowers on both sides. The way the sweater fit, the fastener band could not be single and high, but would look more interesting lower and with 2.

It’s ok to use a pattern for inspiration. Once you get going on any project, things can change and so might your finished piece. And that’s ok. I can’t wait to hit the thrift for another sweater and another set of inspirations. I learned from the first one and have some ideas for another. I might even get a bit braver with my sewing machine. Maybe.

A Little Passion in the Winter Wardrobe

I thought it would be fun to add a little rose embellishment to the plain dark gray armwarmers I made so I added knitted, felted roses.
To knit these roses:
Cast on 5
Row 1: knit in front and in back of all stitches (10 stitches)
Row 2: knit in front and back of all stitches (20 stitches)
Row 3: knit in front and back of all stitches (40 stitches)
bind off
Roll the rose how you'd like and stitch it together using one tail end. I usually have a tail end in the center and stitch my way out towards the sides as I roll it.
Felt by putting them in a lingerie bag and throwing them in a warm water wash with the rest of your laundry.

Stitch the roses onto the armwarmers how you'd like.

A How To: Jewelry Shadow Boxes

I had these pine shadow boxes with sliding glass fronts that someone gave me a couple years back. They've been sitting in my garage and it hit me yesterday what I could do with them. I originally was given them to use for displaying jewelry at shows, but they were a bit bulky with all of the other things I had to bring and they had glass, so I never used them and they sat in my garage all sad and lonely. So I decided to put them to my own personal use. 2 days ago I purchased a big pad of scrapbook paper on clearance at a store and I just loved the colors. I used some to line drawers of an old banquette. I also used it for this project. I measured and then put the fun scrapbook paper on the backs of the boxes with a little glue stick and added little screw on hooks. Done. And for under $5.
I have a shelf in my closet that they can be displayed. With so much of my own personal jewelry, it's nice to be able to see it sometimes.