March is interNational Craft month so let's get crafting. One of the segments I taped for Creative Living with Sheryl Borden was showing how to make a Sock Kitty Water Bottle Cover. With one sock you can create an easy bottle cover.

Materials:
1 Fox River red heel sock
2 oz of polyester fibrefill
Scraps of Fuchsia, Seashell Pink, Caribbean Surf ( teal) Xotic Felt by National Nonwovens
1 skein each of black and pink embroidery floss
Aleene's Fabric Fusion™
Upholstery thread
Embroidery Needle
5", 8" Westcott Brand® Titanium Steel Scissors
(Ruler, pins, measuring tape, pencil, invisible marker)

1.      Turn the sock inside out. Place flat with heel centered and facing up. Use a 4" circle to draw head curve just above red heel which is the muzzle. Draw two triangle ears and tail along opposite folds at end of sock.

2.      Pin pieces. Sew along drawn pattern line. Carefully cut around pieces leaving a ¼" border.

3.      Turn tail and head body pieces right side out. Cut small slit in fold of each ear and turn right side out.

4.      Stuff head pushing stuffing into heel which is cat's muzzle. Under head stitch in a circle through sock and pull tight to create neck. Secure threads and cut.

5.      Put a dot of glue in center of muzzle above red muzzle. Using pink floss embroider nose in place with small straight stitches. Embroider down from nose and across muzzle to make smile.

6.      Anchor black floss at back of neck bring through to edge of white above muzzle as shown in photo. Make a ¾" stitch for eye taking floss through to back of neck. Pull stitch tightly to indent slightly. Repeat for second eye.

7.      Secure floss at back of head. Take floss back through front of muzzle on one side of nose. Make a knot, leave a 3" length for whisker and cut floss. Repeat this for remaining three whiskers.

8.      Fold raw edges of ear slit in. With upholstery thread stitch a small line along bottom of ear. Pull to gather. Secure thread. Place on seam line of sock and stitch in place. Repeat for second ear.

9.      Stuff tail. Turn raw ends under and stitch around opening. Pull stitches tight and secure. Place tail along bottom of sock. Stitch in place.

10.  Fold a collar piece 1-1/2" by 4". Stitch with pink floss. Place around neck and stitch in place. Cut two hearts, place together and embroider initial or add two crossed stitches with pink floss. Sew or glue to cat or collar.

Here is the water bottle cover shown along with a Sock Kitty and a pair of mittens. Socks are an easy way to craft and an even better wat to use up stray socks! Happy crafting!

While in New Mexico we took a drive up to Santa Fe. So many beautiful shops, one of those with an outdoor market was arranged with thought to the art and the enviroment.

The softly striped pots played off the awnings. There is a magic in NM, the mountains magnify the brilliant blue sky. People who visit often return to live there.

Finally we get to see a friendly face around here! Debra has been making mostly feliines lately and we were getting concerned. Freda has been watching her tail feathers so much she has a stiff neck and can only walk sideways!

This new friend began as a 12" sheet of Makeit:Fun STYROFOAM Brand foam and the Spring Blossoms Wool Wisps Collection by National Nonwovens. Debra began by drawing a design lighty on the sheet. With her Clover pen needle tool she just needle felted away creating our very cheery spring friend! Adding some stitches, buttons and trims and in a very short time he was singing spring!

 Obviously he hasn't looked out the window at the four foot high snowbanks yet! He still thinks he is in New Mexico, has a bit of an attitude as he was on the PBS show Creative Living with Sheryl Borden. Another Prima Donna, he and Freda will have to sort that out, ah should be a fun weekend! Follow the Fowl!

It is the first Monday of the month, time for the Designer Blog Hop Crafts Connection!  Forty talented designers strut their stuff and offer some surprises as you hop along! We are celebrating interNational Craft Month! With Easter just a few weeks away I am featuring the tutorial for the cute chick/duck I demoed for a segment of Creative Living with Sheryl Borden.

Sheryl is holding the baby duck in the photo that I demoed on the show. In yellow it becomes a cute chick!

Materials:
3", 6" balls, 4" cube of MakeitFun STYROFOAM ™ Brand Foam
1/6 yard yellow fleece
1/3 yard orange fleece
9" x 12" pieces of  Canary (yellow), Papaya (orange) scraps of Fuchsia, Seashell Pink, Caribbean Surf ( teal) Xotic Felt by National Nonwovens
6" fabric scrap
1 chenille stem
1 skein black, pink embroidery floss
6 black, 12 colored head quilt pins
Aleene's Fabric Fusion™
Upholstery thread
Embroidery Needle
5", 8" Westcott Brand® Titanium Steel Scissors
(Ruler, measuring tape, pencil, circle templates for large duck 12", small 8")

1. Making the Ducks: For both the 3" and 6" ducks construction is exactly the same. The pattern pieces included are for both sizes. Any variations will be indicated in instructions. For the 3" duck cut a 3" and 8" fleece circle. For the 6" duck cut two 3" and one 12" circles. Cut two of each cheeks, beaks and four of each foot from felt. Cut ½" by 9" strip of felt for bows.
   
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2. With upholstery thread anchor thread at edge of the large circle. Sew a small basting stitch around the complete circle.
3. Pull stitches slightly. Place circle over ball pulling stitches tightly. Circle should stretch to close. (On larger duck if this does not happen, a small circle can be glued on bottom to finish the body.) Secure thread and cut.
   
   
4. For small duck cut 3" circle in half. Fold in half again wrong sides together and glue. For large duck fold each 3" circle in half wrong sides together and glue. Glue wings to sides of body as shown in photo.
5. Glue beak pieces together angling top one slightly higher than lower beak. Make two small stitches at top of beak. (These stitching details are optional; they can also be recreated with a fabric marker.) Glue beaks to center of face slightly above wing line.
6. Insert two black head pins as eyes. Adjust until you are pleased with location. Remove and dip in glue, reinsert pushing in to indent in face slightly.
7. Sew around cheek circles with pink floss if desired or use fabric marker or add just as is. Glue to face of duck under eyes. Refer to photo for placement.
8. Place feet together in pairs, reverse one pair. Glue together. Outline in black floss with a small stitch as an option. Glue feet to bottom of bird. Tie bow from felt strip, pin or glue to head.
9. Making the Chicken: Use the ruler to cut a 4" by 16" strip of fleece. Cut two 4" squares of fleece and one 3" circle. Cut one 1 ½" by 3" topknot piece, two beaks, two 3" by 3" strips and four feet from orange felt. Cut one 3" circle from fabric scrap. Cut one heart from teal.
10. Begin at one edge of cube and glue long fleece strip. Wrap fleece piece around cube bringing it back to the edge to meet. Glue in place. Glue each 4" square on the opposite two remaining sides along edges. Press fleece seams together, add more glue if needed.
11. Cut 3" fleece and fabric circles in half for wings. Glue or sew with black around edges. Pin or glue in place on either side of chicken. (Approximately at 3" mark.)
12. Cut chenille stem in two 3" pieces. Roll an orange strip around each leg and glue. Place feet in pairs reversing one set. Glue or topstitch in black around edges. Glue to end of each leg. Glue to edge of body.
13. Glue beak pieces together with top one slightly above lower beak. Glue to face. Insert two black head pin eyes. Add glue to ends and reinsert indenting slightly.
14. Fold topknot in half, cut through from fold to 1/4 " from ends. Glue to top of head. Stitch through heart with black floss. (Optional or use fabric marker.) Glue heart to body.
    
    Have fun hopping! Leave a comment here to enter your name for a fabulous pair of Westcott Brand® Extreme EdgeTitanium Steel Scissors!   
    

I have had the pleasure of working with the Makeit: Fun STYROFOAM Brand Foam for several years now and the design possibilities are endless! For kids crafting with any kind of materials combined with the foam they can create magical creatures to fantastical structures to wild wall art! (and so can big kids too!)

For the Creative Living segments I taped in NM I showed how to make some funky birds from a foam ball shape and cube. A full video how to coming shortly!

By simply taking the shape and some fleece which has a bit of stretch and clings to the ball easily. You can create the cutest characters. Soooooo introducing Roberto Rooster and Daphne Duck! Creating the JOY! always!

I filmed a segment with Sheryl Borden of Creative Living recently making fun Fringed Flowers ideal for a burst of colourful spring home accent.
The flowers are easy to make and a great way to use up fabric and felt scraps.

               
You will need:
9" x 12" pieces of  Fuchsia, Caribbean Surf ( teal), Grass Skirt (green) Xotic Felt by National Nonwovens
1/6 yard each of blue, pink gingham check fabric
6" x 24" fabric pieces
Fabric scraps
Aleene's Fabric Fusion™
Garden wire green coated
Assorted buttons (2 per flower)
5", 8", Extreme Edge Westcott Brand® Titanium Steel Scissors
(Invisible marker, sewing machine, black thread, ruler, cutting mat, measuring tape, pencil, circle templates 1", 2", 3", 4" 5", wire cutters )

Gerbera Daisy: For each flower cut a felt center 3" by 9". Cut two gingham fabric strips, one 2" by 44" and one 3" by 44". Cut a 12" piece of wire.

Fold the center felt strip in half lengthwise and then in half again the width wise. With 5" scissors cut carefully from fold through to ¼" from edge. (This has to be cut carefully so as to not cut completely through either side.)

The outside of the flower is created by fringing the flat strips of the two fabrics. Fold each fabric in half four times width wise. The Extreme Edge scissors will cut through several layers easily. Cut through strips leaving ½" uncut. Repeat entire length of strips. (The closer together the cuts the finer the fringe.)

Putting the flower together, the center is wrapped carefully gluing the roll at end around wire. The outside two fringed fabrics are rolled together around the outside of the center gluing as it is wrapped.

Making a Mum: The mum is the reverse of the Gerbera Daisy. Cut a felt strip 1-1/2" by 12". Cut a fabric strip 4" by 44".  Cut a 12" piece of wire.

Taping segments of Creative Living with Sheryl Borden in New Mexico was a great experience! I travelled to Portales NM with a good friend. She got to watch behind the scenes and from the control room. Everyone connected with the show was warm and welcoming. Sheryl is delightful to work with and made me feel at ease.

Besides the usual concerns, hair wouldn't co-operate in the morning, last minute change in wardrobe which was a good thing as wearing a blouse and skirt made it much easier to place my mike and attach box to back of my waistband!

I had prepared stepouts for each of my four segments. As we finished one segment all the pieces were whisked away and the next set arranged on the table. Count down would go to three and then Sheryl would be cued by signal to begin. That moment I would take a deep breath ready to start. My intent was to make the demo of the project as clear as possible.

I was fortunate to demo projects for three sponsoring companies whose products I work with constantly, Westcott Brand Titanium steel scissors, Make it: Fun Styrofoam Brand Foam and National Nonwovens wool felt and Wool Wisps.

The segments will air next fall on 118 PBS stations in four countries. I will have the segments on You-Tube in a couple weeks along with the instructions for the projects. Below are some photos that were taken before each segment began while we were setting up. I am very grateful for the experience, to Sheryl and the KEN-W crew for making it as easy and enjoyable as possible!