Blog Giveaway! Primitive Pumpkin Pinkeep

I have been having so much fun making a myriad of different decorated pumpkins from upcycled vintage wool clothing!  My latest is a little pumpkin pinkeep made from an upcycled men's wool herringbone coat. The little pinkeep pumpkin has a stem made from our nectarine tree.  The wool felt flowers were purchased from etsy and sewn randomly on the pinkeep.  I added matching tiny heart buttons.  It's sewn with wool thread.  The pinkeep pumpkin measures almost 3" tall (not including the stem) and 5" across.  It's filled with polyfil and just a few b.b.'s for weight.   If you are interested in winning this little pinkeep, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog and leave a message on this post (with an email address where I can contact you if you win)!  I'll choose a winner on Aug. 31st.   Easy Peasy!
Hugs,
Janice

Making Pumpkins from Vintage Wool ... Sidetracked Again!

I came across some beautiful vintage 100% wool men's pants at the Goodwill yesterday.  The color is so beautiful - a pale beige with deeper tan - crying out to be used for something other than a vintage pair of trousers!  So, I brought them home and made a couple pumpkins.  The first one is natural and the second one is hand dyed ... I SO enjoyed making the pumpkins that I went back to the Goodwill the next day and found a treasure trove of someone's crafting wool - the slacks I originally found were with the crafting items and the next day, there were several scraps for sale!   I've attached photos of the pumpkins I"ve made thus far.   I hope you like them as much as I liked creating them.  The blog "Handmade Homebody" featured a tutorial to make them.  This is their link .. Handmade Homebody Tutorial to Make Stuffed Fabric Pumpkins

All of these pumpkins have found new homes.  Stay tuned ... more pumpkins are in the works!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Hugs, Janice

Dyeing Fabric with Bougainvillea Plant Blooms - Photo Tutorial

I have wanted to make a pale pink puppy from my "Tototoo" pattern (available in my etsy shop) and I didn't have any pink dye in my "stash".  So, I decided to try dyeing using some blooms from our Bougainvillea Plant.   Starting with about 4 full cups of blooms and going from there, I ended up with a beautiful dye color. The fabric is soaking in the sun now and I will post pictures of the puppy I make from it later next week! The following pictures tell how I dyed the fabric.   If you try this yourself, I would love to see your final outcome! Have a lovely day!
Hugs & Blessings, Janice

New Little Booh Bear made from Anna Tsymbal's Pattern

Occasionally I make a bear or critter designed by another artist because I think it is fun to try different methods and designs used by others.   This is the reason I sell my own patterns.  I want others to enjoy making what I make the way I enjoy it!  My latest creation was designed by Anna Tsymbal and it is, by far, the most delightful pattern I have worked with that was designed by another artist.   When I first opened the pattern, I was taken aback by the design of the torso but when the bear was made up, all I could do was smile.  She has a long torso with a very fat tummy and the way she sits is adorable!    I hope you like her as much as I do!   Myra is on eBay with No Reserve and $1 Start!    I hope you have a blessed day!  Lots of hugs, Janice