Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

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Back to dolls

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This is my latest custom order. I’ve been feeling lately like I miss making dolls and getting all nostalgic about it so a knotsie doll is a really good compromise. It doesn’t take as long to make as my other dolls.

And they’re also really cute!

I’m working on writing a pattern for these at the moment, so if you’d like to make your own, watch this space! Maybe don’t watch too closely, as I’m notoriously slow when it comes to these things.
I have some other things to show you so hopefully I’ll make it back here this week. We have started up our lessons again, so the days are pretty full, but it’s kinda nice to be back in the swing of routine, I think I enjoy holidays a bit too much and start to get lazy.
Hope you’re having a great week, God bless.

Needle felted heart brooch tutorial

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I’m on a bit of a roll with the tutes lately! In case you didn’t know already, Valentine’s Day is next month so I’m seeing hearts everywhere! I hope you enjoy this tutorial and I apologise in advance for the not-so-great night time photos, but as all crafty Mums know, night time is when the magic happens!

You will need: 
Red wool roving (you don’t need all that much
Heart shaped cookie cutter
Needle felting mat and needle
Embroidery floss
Brooch back

Pull off a piece of wool and tease it out a little so it’s nice and fluffy. Place the cookie cutter on the mat and stuff the wool into it.

Using your felting needle, begin to felt the wool by pushing the needle up and down all over the wool. Hold onto the cookie cutter to avoid needle felting your finger. It hurts. I repeat. It hurts! When the wool seems matted add another, thinner layer of wool and repeat the process.

When the wool seems to be matted down nicely, turn it over to the other side. Replace the cookie cutter to keep your heart shape and continue to felt, paying particular attention to the edges and the fold in the top middle of the heart.

Take your heart out and turn it over again. If it doesn’t seem matted enough just repeat until you’re happy with it.

Using the design I’ve provided (at the end of this post) as a guide begin the embroidery. All of the loop stitches are worked in lazy daisy stitch and the spots are french knots. Use a light colour such as cream or light pink as I have used here. Use 2 strands of floss. Knot your thread at the back and use a light tension for your stitches so that they float on the surface rather than sinking into the wool.

Use your cookie cutter to cut a heart shape out of wool felt. I’ve used a lovely hand dyed red wool felt. Slip stitch around the felt and wool hearts with a matching coloured embroidery floss to attach them together with almost invisible stitches.

Stitch your brooch back onto the back of the heart, then, as a cute little touch, cut out a small heart shape from the wool felt and stitch it over the stitched brooch back. This neatens up the back too.
If you make one I’d love to see it, and please let me know if there are any mistakes or if you need more information.
By the way, if you like the brooch but can’t be bothered making one yourself, I have one available for sale, contact me if you’re interested šŸ™‚
This is my own design and for personal use only. Please do not copy this design or blog post in any way.
Heart Brooch Design002

Custom embroidery

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I’ve just completed this custom order and it’s turned out beautifully. The customer wants to give it to a friend as a going away present and she wanted me to come up with a design that reflected their friendship in a cute and whimsical way.

I embroidered all the design outlines and then filled in the white with corresponding colours in colour pencil. I then made it up into a cushion.

Isn’t she sweet to want to give such a meaningful gift?

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.

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