Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

Kelly

Teapot rest or mat tutorial

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I’m a teapot devotee – teabags just don’t do it for me. Every teapot lover needs a pretty mat on which to rest the pot while the tea is steeping. It’s so long since I did a tutorial, so I got stuck into this one this afternoon. It’s a quick project that is great for using up little bits of fabric.
Requirements list :
  Fabric measuring 25 x 25cm (depending on the size of your teapot – mine is medium sized)
Ric rac measuring approx. 53cm
Small crocheted doily 
Embroidery floss (optional)
Sewing thread
Batting (I’ve used polyester quilt batting)
Air erasing pen (optional)
Iron on adhesive (I’ve used Heat n Bond)
Using a round bowl (mine measures 17cm across) draw 2 circles on your fabric with an erasable pen or lightly in pencil.

Cut 2 squares of batting a bit larger than your circles.

Cut  a circle of Heat n Bond that is the same size as the circular part of the doily (exclude the border). Follow the packet instructions to secure your doily to the middle of the right side of one circle.

Laying the circle with the doily on top of the wadding work some running stitches around in circles between the gaps of your doily. I’ve used cream coloured embroidery floss for this, but regular sewing or a quilting thread would be fine too. Working the running stitches ensures your doily is securely attached and also gives a lovely lightly quilted look. I didn’t stitch down the scalloped border of the doily as I like the way it looks kinda fluffing up.

Lay your two circles right sides together.  Lay your ric rac so that it’s sandwiched between the 2 circles right on the edge so that you can just see the bumps on the outside. Carefully pin around the circle , leaving a 10cm gap open (don’t pin ric rac on the gap either).

Here it is pinned all the way around except for the gap. If you’re worried about the placement of the ric rac you could tack it on before sewing.

Using your sewing machine, sew around circles (don’t forget to leave your gap open!) about 1/4 inch from the edge.

Turn the circles right sides out through the gap. Press lightly around the edges, being careful not to scorch the ric rac. Turn the edges in at the gap and sandwich the remaining ric rac. Tuck the tail of the ric rac inside. Pin in place.
Top stitch right around, close to the edge,  catching the turned in edges at the gap.

Hey, it’s even reversible!
Now go and have a well earned cuppa!
I hope you like this tutorial, please leave me a comment if you make a mat and please let me know if I’ve made any mistakes in the tute!

The 4 year painting

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I started this watercolour of gazanias about 4 years ago and abandoned it, feeling I’d bitten off more than I could chew. I got it out last week and said to myself “Right, you’re finishing this, even if it means you stuff it up totally”. So it’s finished. It’s better to have something imperfectly finished than have it lurking as a reminder of a failed attempt.
Yes, I’m very glad I finished it šŸ™‚

Farm inspiration

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I thought I’d share some inspiring photos of our weekend away. Even in the typical dry summer there is so much beauty to be found.
Hope you’re having a great day, I’m baking Italian style today and hoping to squeeze in a little embroidery too.

Persistance.

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In high school I had an adversary. She and I were considered the “best” singers in the school, and in fact, I was considered the better vocalist.  It didn’t bother me that I had a rival – until she started getting the roles I wanted. At the annual school musical auditions there would be the tense wait for the announcement of roles, only for me to learn, once again, that I was to play second fiddle in the supporting role.
As I was the better vocalist, you might be wondering why? Was her father the school Principal? No. Was she somehow connected to the musical director? No.
It was her character. She was an extrovert, a supremely confident performer, she was driven and never gave up.
I was quiet, reserved, didn’t believe in my own abilities and seriously lacked confidence. This lead me to miss out on many opportunities (not necessarily as a singer but in life thus far) and it is something I’m still battling today.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I do have a serious ponder over what I would like to do differently at the beginning of each year.
This year I want to believe in myself. As I now move more towards art and design, I want to be confident that I can have some measure of success in my endeavours. I want to believe that my designs will start to sell, that my art is good enough to make prints, have exhibitions and that there are really people out there who would like my art in their homes. I want to know that if I persist with the guitar I can become really good and bring joy to others and glory to God through my music.
I want my children to benefit from having a positive and happy Mother.

I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do. But maybe, just maybe, this year will be the year for positive change.

Thanks for reading. God bless šŸ™‚

Completed watercolours

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Yes, I’ve been painting again and I must confess I’m loving it!
This is a first attempt at a wet on wet background wash. I need practice with this technique but I’m pretty pleased with the overall result. I worked from a photo I took one summer out the front of our suburban house. The sunset was so beautiful and created a silhouette of the foliage and utility lines. I used a little ink here and there to highlight.

I used a photo I took at the Melbourne Zoo Butterfly House as inspiration for this one. I like the butterfly but am not really happy with the rest, once again, I need practice.
 Both were worked on A4 300 gsm paper using watercolour paints, watercolour pencils and ink.
Would love to hear your thoughts/ opinions!

New embroidery pattern

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 It’s with great excitement that I announce my second embroidery pattern is now available in my Etsy shop. Why the excitement? Well, it’s a lot of work to create a pattern, beginning with the first sketch, then the embroidery itself and finally the writing of instructions and having the file ready to send. So for me, it’s an achievement to start and finish a project like this. But I do so love it šŸ™‚

The stitchery, like my drawings is a bit whimsical, a bit quirky and a lot cute!

Hope you love it too. Happy Stitching!

Too tired, can’t be bothered etc…

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It’s not that I haven’t been doing anything, rather that I’ve been doing a lot and I’m all tuckered out!
So I’ll wish you all a Happy and Holy Christmas early in case I don’t make it back here before the big day.
May your hearts be filled with the joy that Our Lord so kindly offers and be at peace, surrounded by love this Christmas.

God bless

Flower pressing

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What a great time of year for flower pressing, when our garden spoils us for choice!

I picked up this flower press from the oppy fairly cheaply, but if you don’t have one you can always make your own.

The leftovers can be floated in a glass bowl or jug – very pretty! Or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous you could try a frozen flower bowl – beautiful!
I’m in my element today, working on a custom embroidery design – actually I’m just really chuffed that someone likes my work enough to ask me to design for them!
The rest of the weekend involves Mass, children’s piano concert, another Christmas gathering and plenty of errands to run and catching up to do.
I hope your weekend is a very fruitful one.
God bless.

Cottage rose in colour pencil

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Inspired by a beautiful pinkish rose outside my bedroom window. I used my watercolour pencils but didn’t add any water. My next step is to print the image onto fabric with transfer paper and test my thread painting skills! That is, when I get time – it’s one thing to complete a drawing in an hour or so, but to embroider it is a very different story!
What do you think?