LA

i lalalove: Berkley Illustration!

It started with this picture of two kittens wearing t-shirts. HA! I followed the link and found Berkley Illustration, a zoo of prestigious animals dressed for the Royal Ball! I fell in love these animal illustrations more than I can explain and plan to pick out a few for my home-- so hard to choose though! If I was a mom, these prints would become full-on wallpaper in my children's room... I'd go so overboard!

These are some of my favorites :)

Scout Bear & Swallow

Beaver (her broach is so cute) & Elephant

The Painted Turtle looks like my pet turtle "Slouch". I did put a monopoly hat on him once but couldn't fashion a suit ;)

Lion & Kangaroo

Mrs & Mr Cardinal (they look like my Grandma & Grandpa) & Gorilla

The Orca. Did you know I was OBSESSED with Whales and Dolphins through High School? I had whale wallpaper and wanted to move to Oregon and help free Keiko. 

 They have hands! Everyone serves a Porpoise ;)

Check out Berkley Illustration for the prettiest creations... they have tiny treats too!

xo, Leigh-Ann

DIY: Button Collar for your Pet

[Originally posted in early 2010, Style School] I'd secretly always wished that Lola and I looked alike (you know, bowsers.) and I made my wish come true... I made Lola a button collar that matched my yellow & orange glasses! :) I've been making Lola and Tom (my two dogs) button collars for a few years and they hold up surprisingly well & we receive so many compliments at the dog park :) Lola loves hers and but after Tom's puppyhood passed, Keith said he needed something a little more buff ;)

Using buttons & just a few supplies, I'd like to show you a fun & easy way to add personality and style to your pets collar or leash :) This project best suits cats and dogs of any size and is a really fun way to give your sweetie a little flare!

Me and Lola are clearly related!! (Keith custom painted my glasses with my favorite colors... we're planning to do a DIY post together about how you can do this too). Check out our dressed up little family...

Supplies:

Select a nylon pet collar that fits your Cat or Dog (these kind do not work as well, choose the metal buckle kind). You will also need buttons, embroidery thread or strong/thick thread, pointy needle and scissors.

Little Suggestions:

• Pick out buttons in a color scheme that suits you or your pets style.
• Lola's collar took 18 buttons but each collar varies depending on the collar length and button sizes.
• Choose thick/strong buttons, avoiding any with cracks or weak spots.
• If your pet has dark fur, bright buttons look best. For light fur...dark buttons are a hit.
• Try to choose buttons that span the width of the collar or leash (not too much overhang).

1/ Lay the buttons out on the collar so that you can measure the right amount and visualize your pattern and flow :) Be careful not to put buttons over the collar holes or too close to the buckle closure.

2/ Once you're happy with your button choices and layout, slide them off the collar and keep them in a row in front of you.

3/ Cut an embroidery thread the length of your full wing-span (arms out, from hand to hand), then use this technique to avoid tying extra knots; it makes things way easier :)

4/ Start at either end of your collar and begin sewing the buttons onto the front side. I used a long/strong needle so that it was easy to aim & push through the holes.

5/ You will use the same thread to attach the buttons one by one (no need to tie a knot behind each button, that would make the collar weak). If you run out of thread along the way, tie it off as shown here and start a new thread the same way as the step 3. It's important to stitch 3-4 times per button, pulling the thread snug with each stitch (do not yank too hard though).

Tip/ As you continue sewing on your row of buttons, you might find it hard to grip the needle or pull it through tough spots. My solution for this is to use office supply rubber fingertips... it's better than a thimble! (Sometimes I cut one side so it can sit looser on my thumb).

Rubber fingergrips are helpful for any type of stitching or embroidery :)

6/ When your thread runs out or you're done stitching, take half of the thread (3 strands) out of the needle-eye. Leave half in (3 strands). On the backside where your stitching ends, weave the needle under the nylon a little bit (or under a stitch works). Then take the needle off and tie the two threads in 3-4 knots (don't tug crazy-hard, just firmly). Trim the thread tails near the knot. Now go dress up your furry friend, you're a great pet mom (or dady)!

Pet Leash:

Your button leash will be made exactly the same way as the collar, except that it will take more buttons & thread. On my leash, I sewed buttons on one side starting at the clip, heading all the way up to the beginning of the leashes handle loop. If you think your dog will want to chew at the buttons on the leash, then it would be better to start the pattern a little higher so that it's out of your buddies reach ;)

A few collars I've made... (Tom's first puppy collar... we saved it :)

Safety Tip: Please check your pets collar monthly to make sure your stitches are holding up. Lola and Tom's collars start to look beat up after about half a year, then I give them makeovers :)

I'd love to see pictures of your sweet pet wearing your handmade Button Collar-- please share a photo link in the comments (or email me) if you wanna show it off!

xox, Leigh-Ann & the Pups

DIY Hand Stitching, part 1

One of my favorite crafts is hand stitching-- it's fun, addictive, expressive and relaxing :) Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share easy ways to make your own patterns for hand stitching along with some tips and ideas :)

These are some samples of my past projects-- I like to draw patterns freehand and use my handwriting. However, sometimes I adapt clipart type images to make a more complicated pattern, like the sewing machine or I just stitch the outline of an image I love, like the Goonies "Hey You Guys" silhouette :) I use a Back Stitch for all my hand stitching because it's very versatile and I like the look but you can use any combination of stitches for your projects... there's lots of fun ones!

Today, we're going to start with handwriting & transferring your pattern :)

You will Need:

- Card-stock or Thick Paper (I cut a piece of 6x8" card-stock & folded it in half to create a greeting card)

- Needle & Scissors

- Embroidery Thread

- Scrap Paper & Pen

- Thumbtack or Piercing Tool

1> On a scrap paper, write your word at least 10 times. When writing your word, size the font to be at least 2 inches tall at it's highest points, 3 inches is even better for your first project. Pick the best version and cut it out with space around the word.

2> To create your template, use a tack or piercing tool to poke tiny holes along the word.

- As you poke the holes, follow the lines of your word as your guide. 

- Space the holes about 1/4 inch apart. At the tighter curves (like the tops of my h), put the holes a little closer together so that the stitches take the curve & don't look jagged.

- When you reach a crossover on the word (like the first loop on my h), poke the hole right where the two lines overlap/intersect, this will help the stitched version look it's best.

* Protect the surface under your paper with a self healing mat or phonebook.

When stitching onto paper, gently tape the template onto your cardstock before piercing the holes-- then poke the holes through both layers. You can also reuse the word template in the future (or set-up the template in 2 stages) by re-poking holes with your project paper below.

If you are transferring a template onto fabric, you will need to mark your fabric rather than pierce it.

- After poking the holes in your template (step 2 above), secure your pattern onto the fabric with tape or a straight pin.

- Then, with the fabric on a firm surface, use a pen to poke a dot onto the fabric through each hole in the template.

* Test the pen on a corner of the fabric before applying your template, just incase the ink bleeds a lot.

* No need to worry about a special pen or disappearing ink, your pen dots will be hidden by the stitches along the way.

* When choosing everyday fabric to stitch on, I suggest linen, muslin & thick cottons. It is easiest to stitch on fabrics where you can distinguish the horizontal and vertical 'grain' of the fabric.

3> From the back of your project, secure your first stitch with my #1 Stitching Technique.

4> Begin stitching your word using the Back Stitch method (a continuous straight stitch with no gaps).

- Stitch the same path/flow as you do when writing the word (do not jump ahead in your pattern. ie. cross your t's after the base of the letter).

- The poked holes are the perfect guide for your stitches and make it easy to see the next step. Refer back to your template to see the big picture when you are at a crossroads.

- Pull each stitch evenly to create a smooth look in your project but be gentle with your paper, if you pull too hard or rapidly-- it will tear.

- If you tear your paper: undo your last two stitches, tape the torn paper on the back with a tiny piece of masking tape. Press the papers torn edges onto the mask tape and carry on (it will hardly show once the stitches cover it).

5> Attach any embellishments if you'd like. I like using buttons to dot the i's & j's sometimes :)

6> To complete your project, tie it off on the back, see #1 Stitching Technique.

* If you run out of thread as you're stitching, use step #6 to end the remainder. Then, use Step #3 to start the next thread.

You are done! The more you practice, the more your handwritten stitching will look like your actual handwriting :) Try different fonts too, it's lots of fun! xo, LA

DIY: Needlebook

This little Needle Book is the perfect place to keep your pins and needles-- with room for expansion :) It take only 15 minutes to make, tucks away easily in your tool kit and can be the perfect little gift for a friend! Hope you enjoy this fun craft that's super useful, enjoy!

1/ Pick a Color Scheme and Gather Supplies. You Will Need:

• One Piece of Vinyl, Leather or Non-Fraying Fabric
• Sheet of Felt (we'll cut three 3.5x5" rectangles from it)
• Button with Shank/Stem
• Two Pieces of 16" Thin Cord, Hemp or Ribbon
• 1 Bead
• Embroidery Thread

Tools Needed:

• Scissors
• Large Needle that fits cord
• Needle for Thread
• Alligator Clip
• Piercing Tool Optional

2/ Cut your vinyl to measure 4 x 5.5 inches. Cut felt into three rectangles measuring 3.5x5" each.

3/ Layer and center 3 felt pages on top of vinyl and clip 4 layers together along the right side.

4/ Thread your large needle with the colored cord.

A/ To begin sewing your spine, fold the vinyl/felt layers in half to find the center (another example). Then about a half inch from the top, poke the needle through from the back to the front.

Tip/ If you find it hard to pull the needle through, use a piercing tool to wide the hole a little bit. An even better solution-- use rubber fingertips to grip the needle while tugging.

B/ Complete the stitch, bringing the needle back to the inside, then tie the tails in a double or triple knot. Trim the short tail and continue stitching.

C+D/ Stitch 3 straight stitches, ending a half inch from the end.

5/ To tie off cord: From the inside, lace the cord under the last stitch, double knot it and trim the tail. Remove the alligator clip.

6/ Using embroidery thread and a small needle, stitch your button onto the front of your NeedleBook near the center along the right edge (1/2 inch in from edge). Stitch button till secure, then double knot and trim ends from the inside. See another example here.

7/ Now tie your second cord around the button and tie a few knots. Aim the knot along the button towards the center of the Needle Book so that the cord directs/wraps easily once finished.

8/ Guide your cord tail under the middle stitch of the spine, towards the back of the Needle Book.

9/ Fold your Needle Book along the stitching and wrap your cord around the button 3 times or so (this is how you hold the Needle Book closed).

10/ With the cord still wrapped around the book & button, tie a double knot 2 inches from the end of the cord (or wherever feels like a good place). Feed the bead onto the cord up to the knot then tie another double knot on the other side of the bead. Trim the cord tail so a short amount remains. My measures approximately 8inches long once I trimmed it.

You're done! Add a few needles and straight pins to the felt pages and you're ready to use it or give it as a fun little gift! :) xo, Leigh-Ann

DIY: Spring Button Flowers

Today we are turning buttons into flowers and making a cute handmade display-piece! Enjoy :)

You will Need:

• Buttons that feel "Flowery"
• Neutral Fabric (mine was a fine linen colored cotton)
• Embroidery Thread (I used a few greens for the stems & yellow for the flower centers)
• Small Needle
• Scissors
• Pencil or Invisible Marker
• An embroidery hoop to be used as a frame

Step 1: Space out your buttons on the fabric and mark a little pencil dot where you want each one. Like the example above, make sure to leave room for the stem below each button.

Step 2: Sew on the buttons all at once with one color of thread. Visit this post for tips on how to start and end your stitching.

Step 3: Stitch a straight dashed line below each button, starting just under the button and ending at an 'invisible horizontal line'.

Step 4: Frame your fabric in an ornamental embroidery hoop, hide or trim the fabric overhang in behind (I taped mine on the back).

Step 5: Hang your new artwork :)

I hung mine above my desk at the Studio :) This project would be fun as a button swap with friends (you could even do it on a teatowel)! Try it :)

Interested in another Button Craft? Check out this Cork Frame Project :)

DIY: Winter Button Wreath

This wreath is one of my favorite Christmas Decorations (seeing as how I only have 3 out)... I like that wreaths can stay out longer since it's more of a winter decoration than just Christmas :) This craft was part of a button Christmas Craft series I did in 2008 and I wanted to share it again today :)

How to make a Winter Button Wreath

1) Cut out 2 identical cardboard donuts and glue them together. Mine were about the circumfrence of a human head but you cut yours to whatever size you'd like.

2) Gather lots of buttons. White is probably the easiest to find... to avoid too much variety though, I dug through my jars and found all the similar vintagey-plastic ones.

3) Start by hot-gluing a flat layer of buttons. Let the buttons hang over the inside & outside edges of the cardboard donut.

Tip: Clear the hotglue web off each layer of buttons, it gets ugly otherwise.

4) Add a few more flat layers. It's good to have a variety of button sizes so that the you can kinda lay them down like bricks. I always started from the center of the circle and moved outward. 

5) Add another layer, but don't completely overlap the buttons below it. Start inward a bit, add your layer as normal but end it before the edge of the layer below it. So it's kinda stepping/pyramiding upward. This will give it a rounded look :]

6) Keep doing this till you only have a layer 1 button wide in a circle.

Note: Steps 4-6 might have you concluding that I drank too much egg nog; I'll try to explain it better. (If you got what I meant in 4-6, move on to step 7). Okay. So lets say you do your first 3 layers four rows of buttons wide (in a circle). Next, your 4th layer should be 3 rows/circle of buttons wide and should be showing the buttons below it on the inside and outside of that circle. Good? Then, your 5th layer should be 2 rows/circle of buttons wide. And showing the buttons below it on the inside and outside of that circle. Lastly, your 6th layer should be 1 circle of buttons wide. And showing the buttons below it on the inside and outside of that circle. And that is your last layer and your wreath should look rounded :)

7) Pick a few pretty ribbons, wrap it around the top a few times and tie it in a bow :)

8) Hang it where you'll get the most smiles :)

Merry Christmas friends!! I hope you get the best hugs ever this Christmas :)

Love Leigh-Ann

DIY: Cork Display Frame

I made this Display Frame for tiny collections during LA-TV yesterday and it was my favorite episode so far... we laughed, listened to music, crafted and talked about favorite things :)

Unfortunately, the second half of the show didn't record and the funniest moment of my craft life wasn't captured. After creating this frame for two hours, selecting the perfect buttons and placement and assembling it with superglee, I turned it around to make sure no pins were sticking out the back... and every button fell off, rolling all over and making me and the watchers burst out laughing! It was a classic LA ;)

If you want to make this project, it's very simple and really fun! Supplies are underlined below.

1. Remove the backing & glass from a thrifted frame.

2. Paint the frame with 2 coats of acrylic craft paint.

3. Using a utility knife and carefulness, cut a piece of thick cork to insert & nestle in the frame from behind (size it bigger than the window). I used a cork pot holder.

4. Choose a piece of fabric to cover & disguise the cork.

5. Spray adhesive a thin layer of glue onto the cork, then attach the fabric and pat down.

6. Trim off the excess fabric.

7. Apply crazy glue or instant-drying glue to the inside of the frame, then press your fabric covered cork into the frame.

8. Attach a hook, stand or hanging wire to the back of the frame.

9. Use straight pins or corsage pins to hold & display your favorite tiny collection.

10. Hang and squeal :)

DIY: Pin Cushion

Today I wanna teach you one way to make a Pin Cushion... then, let's do a trade all around the world!! Make two if you don't want to part with the first one ;)   

Supplies you'll Need: 5 or 6 fabric squares (6.5 x 6.5inches) 2 Buttons Embroidery Thread Scissors Ruler Needle & Thread Bone Folder (optional) Sewing Machine* *If you're new to sewing, my 'How to Use your Sewing Machine for Beginners' video will introduce you to your machine and help you get comfortable with simple techniques.

We're going to use one of my favorite sewing techniques on this pin cushion... it's an EASY version of quilting where we'll connect pieces of fabric to make stripes :]

Put 2 squares front-to-front and sew a straight line on one side. Unfold and iron the new seam flat.

Trim one of the fabrics about 2 inches wide and connect a new square front-to-front with it. Sew a straight line on one side, unfold and iron the new seam flat. Continue doing this until you have enough stripes that they reach 6" wide. Note: Try different sized stripes and a fun collection of fabric for the best result! And a few crooked lines are a blessing, they make it look even cooler :)

As you sew on each new piece, keep the bulk of the fabric AND the majority of the stripes to your left... then sew the straight line along the rightside of the new fabric. It sounds tricky but once you get the hang of it, it's very easy :]

Above is an example of an added stripe (in hand), then with the excess fabric removed.

This is the effect you will get :)

Iron flat (i'm a big fan of ironing along the way... it's like the glue of the fabric world!)

Trim any jagged ends into a straight edge. You can also trim the height to 6" tall and cut the width to 6" as well. Note: If your front seems thin/see-through, you may want to add a liner. Just layer it behind the striped fabric (your pinned fabrics will be layered in this order: 1=liner, 2=striped fabric [goodside facing up], 3=backpiece [goodside facing down])

Chose a piece of fabric for the back that measures 6x6", pin it good side to good side with the striped fabric you just created (i forgot to trim the width to 6" for the photo above, yours will be the same size as your back piece). When pining your squares, leave an 'opening reminder' (mine is the 2 red pins) so that you remember to leave a 2" opening for stuffing the pin cushion.

Start at the opening reminder (backstitch to begin) and sew around the square, ending at the other opening reminder (leaving a 2" opening).

Notice the yellow scissors show the opening. Trim all four corners off without cutting into the stitching. This helps your corners be pointy once it's turned right-side-out.

Use a bone folder to poke the corners from the inside until they look square. Then iron your pin cushion and guide the folds at the opening to sit ready for stitching.

Stuff your pin cushion making sure that there is stuffing in the corners too. For pin cushions, it's good to put lots of stuffing so that it's semi-firm. Using a needle and matching thread, stitch the opening closed with a small blanket or whip stitch (or any stitch you feel comfortable with).

Pick out 2 buttons and a thread that accents the pin cushion nicely :]

We're going to use a button center to take away some of the puffy roundness. Using a long needle and embroidery thread, sew both your buttons on at the same time (one on each side). Notice the harder you pull the thread, the deeper the buttons will set into the pillow. I pulled mine a medium amount, like a sticky twizzler. Note: Putting a button on both sides of the pillow acts as a 'stopper' so that your stitches do not rip through the fabric. It's also really pretty :) This stitching technique will make things much easier :)

Congrats! You're done making a pin cushion from scratch!!

Freckled Nest would like to inspire a Worldwide Pin Cushion Swap!

If you'd like to participate in the Pin Cushion Swap: Leave your name, email address and location in the comments of this post. Courtney and I will pair everyone up and post the swap list THURSDAY. Check back here on Thursday, Feb 4th to discover your swap partner, then contact each other for mailing addresses and to introduce yourself :) It's really fun and pin cushions are inexpensive to ship, even Worldwide! I've made a pretty yellow pincushion with a Canada button on it for my swap partner... can't wait to meet you! :) Deadline for Entry: Monday, Feb.1 Deadline for Shipping your Pin Cushion: Sunday, Feb 28 *You can make any style pin cushion, it does not need to be from this tutorial (but that is allowed). *Please only enter the swap if you'll contact your partner & can participate on time. Thank you.  Let the games begin!

Love Leigh-Ann

Hello Monday!

I had so much crafting with you at LA-TV last night, thank you to everyone who joined in and played along :) This is the finished 4x6 monthly photo album I made & I promise I'll use it this year ;)

(Supplies: Green Tangerines Kit Club, Red Velvet Kit Club and my stock)

Now, the winner of the Spontaneous Giveaway... AMY. I've increased the button total to 229 vintage buttons, one for every kind story shared :) Amy, please email me (FreckledNest@gmail.com) your mailing address and favorite color and I will mail your buttons at the end of the week :) Thanks for entering everyone!! The stories you shared were amazing and heart warming; the world is a lot nicer than we usually give it credit for :) Come back tonight for a feature on our Sponsors plus another big giveaway (9 giveaways plus a bonus from me)! Have a great Monday, Leigh-Ann :)

Crafts, Winners & Grandma's New Closet

These are the crafts I taught during the Live Broadcast/Party on Friday :) We had lots of fun and I enjoyed it so much, I'm going to do a monthly 1hour craft 'tv show' thru Ustream :) Thanks for joining in everyone!

ps. Should I submit this to PeopleofWalmart.com...? HA!