July's Butterfly Biscornu

is called Phantom Butterfly. I made it to be stitched in only
one color. Stitch it in DMC 3864
Mocha Beige. Its body is DMC 310 Black.

The design area is 2.36in X 2.36in.
Stitches are 33X33.

The colors are to stimulate that something
is on the white aida cloth.
The butterflies are different on the back. This should
give 2 different looks when stitched, I hope. Do not forget
to stitch the little guys antenna's or their tail strings!
I have not stitched any of this Butterfly yet as I do not
have any time cause my 'BIRTHDAY' is this thursday.
If you stitch it, I would love to see your photo's.

As always this pattern is copyrighted by me.

These patterns print large. To copy this design first save

to your hardrive and then print it.
by Hopblogger

This week

I just happen to like the colors of black & white with touches of pink.

I love Toile & this project just uses those tiny scraps of samples that

I obtained at the fabric store. I only had 4 small samples to work with.

Sometimes you have to take a break from cross stitching & do

something fun & different - also quick & easy.

The top was enhanced with a strip of thin black leather. A Yo-Yo

with little pink beads is stitched on with white thread.

Inside another tiny Yo-Yo holds a covered magnet. Its beads

match the ones on the outside front lid. White flannel is

merely draped on the inside. It is not tacked down.

The basket is tiny only measuring 6in X 6in so the pieces

inside had to be small. The box houses a small scissors fob, a tiny

pincushion & a small needlebook that supports only a couple of

needles. Just cut those samples in half with a pair of pinking

shears - except for the needlebook. The back of each piece

mirrors the front with the black toile. Sew 3 sides together a little away

from the edges, then stuff, then sew the last side. On the scissors

fob be sure to use ribbon or floss for the hanger part. I used the thin

black leather strip as what is on the front of the box. The

little flowers are of pink fleece with a couple of pink beads inside each.

Lately I have been using flannel & fleece.

by Hopblogger

Take a cute

& simple white wicker LITTLE basket. Cut out cardboard

to match the shape & cover it with white cloth. This becomes the lid. Cut out

another shape

& set aside. Affix the already covered white shape to the basket with

lace. Just put the lace thru the sides and hot glue down or sew it down.

Take the other shape & pad it with a layer or two of high loft batting.

Center a special piece of fabric on top and glue it to the back of the

shape. Glue the lace on from the backside. When finished glue the piece

down onto the lid that you have already made. Add a bow on top for

decoration. You can stop here. The box in white is very

pretty. But I choose to take it a step further.

by Hopblogger

If you dont like

displaying your floss on rings & hanging them because

it looks too messy or busy for you - then perhaps the answer

is to use 2 wooden cup holders. Having both of them the same

color helps to unify the team. Later I plan on fixing the tops of both

of these cup holders. Maybe I will paint them - who knows!

by Hopblogger

Found it.

The Butterfly Biscornu pattern wouldnt attach to my blog for

some reason. So after many days of trying, eventually

I had to take a photo of it. Its a little blurry but it is here.

The design area is 3.71inX3.71. Stitches are 62X62. Colors used

are DMC 553 Violet and 310 Black.

Would love to see your photos and post them on my blog.

by Hopblogger

Yes Virginia,

we all make plenty of pincushions! Perhaps

I should have named my blog Pincushions, Pincushions, Pincushions.

Because I seem to make lots of em! But they are so easy to make.

And easy to give them away when you need to. I just had

this little candle holder handy. Dont do candles anymore.

Besides it looks better as a pincushion. Inside is chocolate color

flannel. I didnt even glue the pincushion down.

Next is a little blue ceramic jug. They are so cute.

by Hopblogger

Sorry about that

Just cant seem to find the pattern for June's butterfly.

by Hopblogger

June's Purple Butterfly Biscornu

I hope you like them as much as I do. I would like to do a 12

month Butterfly series - but dont know if it will work out.

I guess I can try it. I am not a designer.

Already I have a few designs sitting on my program that look

promising. Dont have the time to

stitch them up to see if they work properly. I dont have

anything in purple so I thought this set would be great!

Instead of a button I placed a small purple butterfly in the

center on the front & the back. All of the butterflies

& the crystals are Swarvoski crystals. The butterflies

on the front have 3 small purple hearts on the tops on each side.

This butterfly would look very nice stitched in

pink with red hearts.

I cant take credit for the needlebk because I saw it on a

French blog (just love those french blogs), but it was only 3 pieces.

So simple it was - just my kind of project.

I decided to add a 4th piece to give it more dimension. The purple

needlebook is made from purple fleece & white felt. When you place the needle in it

& your hand rubs against the fleece - it feels so soft.

The matching scissors fob is just 2 pieces. It also has a small purple

butterfly that I tacked onto one edge.

Feel free to change

the colors. I would love to see yours when you finish. Pattern will

be coming soon.

by Hopblogger

Occasionally, I like to make....

my own fabric. Have you ever tried it. If not, all you do is

take a large square of white or unbleached cotton sheet or muslin. The

size of the square is up to you. For me, I generally use a

17inches X 17inches. This gives me plenty of room to make my

items small or large. Sometimes there is plenty left over for other

projects. After my square is cut - just take strips of fabric skinny or

fat and sew each strip down upon the square until the square is no

longer visible. I use scraps of fabric from many things.

(also be sure to catch all seams so there isnt anything missed).

Then just cut it like its fabric! You cannot mess it up.

My little sewing set is small. The square of fabric was half used up.

Also notice that I didnt hem anything. It is scrappy & fun!

So quick & easy.

All of these scraps are from the 80's. The ties are skinny

pink shoelaces that was in a prior garment of long ago.

The color was too pretty to trash. About time that I used them.

Everything fits neatly inside the bag. Maybe I should have lined

the bag? - nah. This way if I must fix the bag in the future

all I have to do is to sew a patch on top & it would be easy to

sew from the inside.

Try it - you just might like it!

by Hopblogger

Another use for a COUNTERTOP CUP RACK??

Sorry it has taken me so long to post. My new hutch that my

DH put together - is finished and

now sits on top of my sewing table.

The only thing left that it needs is the trim put on. It is taking a while

to organize everything. Still I am not through so bear with me.

I will post pictures of what everything looks like, later on. Most people

like the plastic bobbin boxes. I dont like all of that winding. By the time

that you wind it all you could have already been stitching. The idea of

placing floss on rings is not a new idea but my idea is!

I hope that you like my new IDEA this week about the

COUNTERTOP CUP RACK. Surely you used to have

one or perhaps you still have it. Take yours or someone else's!! And

display it as a FLOSS HOLDER. Yep, thats right. Its perfect.

First: sort your colors by grouping together color families.

Reds & pinks, yellows & oranges, blue, purples etc... That is how

I have seen others doing it.

Second: thread all of your floss onto a shower ring or floss ring. Mine

is threaded on the large metal floss rings by DMC.

Third: once floss is on the rings then place it on the cup hooks.

You can easily find your color that you are looking for in 2 ways. Either

you know what number each color is or you be sure to

download DMC's color chart and place the chart close to this idea.

That way you will always know what color is in what family.

Also, when the floss becomes too small to hang from the ring - then

wind it on a bobbin & put in a plastic floss box if you like. Or you can

put the leftover pieces in a pile & save it for all of those odd jobs where

you need bits and pieces. The 4th photo shows the top where you

can store extra rings. Look at that, everything is together!

The last photo shows the floss cup rack on my new hutch. By the way

my mothers jewelry box that turned into a floss box is still just that.

Only now it stores specialty threads like the linen floss & variegated flosses.

Hope you like this idea.

by Hopblogger