Fun with Crepe Paper! How to Make Crepe Paper Nut Cups!

Here's the finished nut cup

When you cut out the paper to cover your nut cup, cut across the grain of the paper ... as opposed to cutting with the grain. The grain runs from top to bottom, so cut across from side to side. Measure your strip so that it will be about one-half inch taller than the cup. Stretch the paper strip around the cup. The taller part will fold over the top of the cup all on its own! Use only a little bit of glue. The old books recommend paste and this actually might work better because paste is dry.

I looked all over the place for directions on how to actually sew crepe paper to make a ruffle. I experimented and came up with my own directions, as I couldn't find exact directions for the longest time! Gabriela Delworth's website had the best explanations. What you do is this: Set your sewing machine to a straight stitch and set it for the longest length you can. (I put mine on 4.) and then sew a straight stitch right through a strip of crepe. I used a streamer for this example, but the folds are much heavier and better to work with. Anyhow, when you finish, cut the thread, leaving a long piece so that you can pull. Pull the thread, gathering the crepe paper. You can make the gathers as tight or as loose as you like.

Attach the crepe paper ruffle to the now-covered cup. (I covered the cup in darker pink so you could see it.) I positioned the ruffle so that the stitching comes right at the lip of the paper cup. I used a little bit of glue ... again, I wished I had paste, instead!

An easy way to make a decorative handle is to twist strips of crepe paper.
Attach the crepe paper strip to a spindle ... just fold a little piece over and loop it around the hook on the spindle. Twist it together with your fingers to get it to stick together. Then, give your spindle a good spin!

To twist the crepe paper, you can either do it by hand or ... Yes! You can spin crepe paper! And it's FUN! In fact, it might be a great place to start when learning to spin, in general, as you can easily see the drafting "triangle" and watch the twist travel up the paper. You can also knit with crepe paper, which I will demonstrate next time! Dennison, the famous crepe paper manufacturer, came out with a "Crepe Paper Twister," but these are hard to find these days. You can purchase an inexpensive spindle for about $12 ... or make your own with a cd and a dowel! Start by cutting long strips of crepe paper cut from folds or use streamers.

I took a vintage Easter card and cut this little bunny out. I glued a little glitter on it before attaching it with paper tape. You could attach all kinds of embellishments to the handle and to the outside of the cup. A few thoughts would be paper flowers, sequins, beads, stickers, seals, tinsel, etc. This is the really fun part!

Embroidery Stabilizer Is Wonderful Stuff!

Up until last week when I was pondering how to embroider my Doll Baby's face, I always embroidered free hand. In fact, I had tried water-soluble and air-soluble pens before, but the felt and knitted faces were too bumpy and didn't really take to be written on top of ... so I just winged it. Most of the time I had to re-stitch the face again and again because it wasn't the face I saw in my head. Well, when it came to Doll Baby, her face was so large I knew I'd never be able to just wing it, so I tried my fabric-like embroidery stabilizer ... the kind you need boiling water to remove. (I have a HUGE roll of it that I needed for a different project.) Well, it worked. Not only did it work, but the stabilizer actually added some kind of stiffness to the embroidery that makes it much stronger and sturdier and not as apt to get pulled or snagged. I really love it!
So, last night, as I was doing a face on one of my smaller toys, I thought, "Hey, why can't I use the stabilizer for this, too??" So, I drew the face I saw in my head right onto the stabilizer, then I positioned the piece on the doll's face and embroidered right over my drawing. I melted it off with boiling water and VOILA! The face is PERFECT, if I do say so, myself!!! And the colors didn't bleed ... which is what I was really worried about. The black, the red ... why, they just stayed there all in one piece!
So, this proves that, no matter what size face you're working on, go ... GO NOW ... and get a big sheet of embroidery stabilizer and give it a try! It's wonderful stuff!

My Sugarless Panoramic Egg to Appear in Popknits!

Yippee! I'm so excited! The wonderful online knitting magazine, POPKNITS, is set to publish my Sugarless Panoramic Egg and Egg Box pattern in the Spring issue! The issue is scheduled to go live on March 4, so circle that date in red on your calendars!!! You'll love the entire issue! And if you're a Ravelry member, you can get a glimpse of the patterns from Popknits' Spring preview!! These are the only photos I can show you for now ... and before I forget, I want to thank Suze Moon for being such a fabulous test knitter for the egg! Thank you, Suze!!!

Doll Baby Is Finished! Free Pattern Now Up!

Here is Doll Baby! She's all finished! She took on a personality all her own! I was stitching her hair in place, thinking about how I would make her bonnet and then I realized, she didn't want or need a bonnet! Her head is very poofy in back, which made a great 1920s bob! She is super easy to knit up (I finished her in just a couple of evenings), and she is very huggable! I have posted the free pattern on The Pattern Box . Doesn't she look comfy? She's only wishing for her 1920's fashion magazines!

Doll Baby in Progress: Pattern Coming Soon!

My fascination with novelties/toys from the 1920s continues! My Doll Baby still has lots of work to go ... including my making her hair and bonnet and finishing stuffing and then closing up the hole. I don't really like the stuffing I have right now. It's very lumpy! Ick!
Anyhow, I hope you will like her when she's all finished. She's very soft and cuddly and, as there are few seams (only to secure her hair and her bonnet) and her features are embroidered right onto her face, I think she'd be a great doll for a baby ... hence ... Doll Baby! The pattern will be available at The Pattern Box soon.

Garden Lanterns! Think Spring!

Knitted/felted garden lanterns in a variety of shapes can make an evening magical!

What do you think?

Here is the front of the lantern. I used duplicate stitch (or swiss darning) to make the colored areas before felting.

Here is the side view ...

A small, battery-operated votive tea-light candle illuminates the lantern. No worries about fires! The little candle remains cool!

Remember those paper lanterns we'd all make at school during the fall ... usually they were for Halloween, for some reason, and they'd be made from orange and black construction paper. (Okay, I'm probably showing my age, but that's all right! I don't mind!) I loved the smell of paste and construction paper. Even the words "construction paper" roll off the tongue in a pleasant, festive sort of way, don't they?

Well, lately I've been revisiting a lot of paper trimmings and ornaments and realizing that they all can be recreated in knitting for more lasting decorations. By now, it's probably no secret that I have always loved nostalgic toys and decorations, particularly those from the 1920s when people really knew how to party! I have been pondering over lots of decorations and favors and decided to knit/felt a garden lantern. So, here is my first attempt. I will be making these in different shapes.

By adding duplicate-stitched areas of color, either in definite patterns or just color splotches, before felting, the garden lantern really looks beautiful when it comes out! I was amazed at how easy this technique is for the results you get!!!

I put a little, battery-operated, votive tea-light candle inside. These are terrific because they stay cool and flicker slightly, to give the impression of a real candle. They come in several different sizes. I purchased the mid-sized one, but there is even a bit bigger one especially made for pumpkins. I think this one would work very well, too.

You could make these lanterns for any occasion ... hanging them on shepherd's hooks like you would a bird feeder ... or from the branches of trees or even your outdoor, patio-table umbrella. In fact, as I think about it, you could also hang them inside during the colder months of the year. I think they would be beautiful done in white wool yarn with red poinsettia motifs duplicate stitched on top. They could also be done in black or orange with contrasting pumpkins, leaves, etc. I could go on and on ... (but, thankfully, I won't!) ... I mean, really, the possiblities are endless. Just vary the yarn colors and you have a lantern to fit any occasion at all! Watch for the free pattern coming soon to The Pattern Box!

New Ideas; New Patterns Coming Soon!

I've had so many ideas running around in my head lately ... which always leads to new patterns in the works! They've been a long time in development ... and are still being tested, but when they are finally unveiled, I think (and I hope!!!) that you will really enjoy them! I have all kinds of different projects ... from toys to decorations and beyond! I am bursting! (Really, I am! I keep biting my lips to keep from spilling the beans!) I must keep them all contained for now until they are properly perfected. But keep tuned to my blog and The Pattern Box for more details coming soon.
Think fun! Think colorful! Think whimsical! Think of a place and time when you can be silly and laugh and not worry about anything!!! I hope these new patterns will evoke all of those feelings!
And, by the way, I just received my BIG box of new fingering-weight wool yarn to start on one of my biggest and most involved projects yet!