Hand-sew Projects

Video: Making a Hand Embroidered, Refillable Journal

August 7, 2023 Leave a Comment

Happy Monday!

I hope your week is off to a lovely start. I am on my own for a few vacation days and have been having such a nice time. I have gone for ice cream with a friend, gone shopping, gardened and harvested a load of green beans, lots of reading and spent an entire day in my studio. I really cannot ask for anything more.

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Today I am sharing with you an exciting project that came to me a few days ago. I wanted to hand embroider a journal cover. I have a pattern I purchased a while ago that I hadn’t used and decided to embroider it on the cover of a refillable notebook. It’s really simple and fun to do and I hope you will join me.

I am sharing the process in 2 different posts. The first post will be making the signature and sketching out or transferring your embroidery design and the second post will be embroidering the design and adding the embellishments and elastic to hold the signature.

I used a combination of book pages, magazine pages, scrapbook paper and ledger paper to make my signature. You can used anything like you of course-have fun! Maybe you want to use watercolor paper or mixed media paper or just copy paper from your printer. It’s your journal so I hope this post inspires you to make a journal that you will love to pick up and use.

I attached the pages together using my favorite 3 hole pamphlet stitch and set it aside.

Next I took some embroidery fabric (affiliate link) and sketched out the design I chose. A light box would make this really simple but mine was out of batteries so I made do. If you would like to purchase the same pattern you can find it here.

There is so much you could do with your cover-including just using regular fabric and skit the embroidery part. If you don’t like embroidering you can just pick out some fun fabric and use that. You could use canvas fabric and paint your own cover-there really is no limit! If you do choose to embroider I will be sharing a video of that, along with putting the hole thing together later this week.

I do hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to comment below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

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Summer Solitude, Art & Flowers

July 15, 2022 2 Comments

I am sitting with freshly painting nails writing to you. It’s late evening-a moment shy of 11pm-and the house is silent.

My family has gone on a little adventure with extended family and I am left home with the furry kids and a silent house.
This is my second time at home alone for several days in just 2 months. Before May I think it was a good 6 or 7 years since I had the house to myself and then it had only been for the day.

I have lots to share of my current creative projects along with some book club updates but I will save that for another day.

Over the 4th of July long weekend I picked some rhubarb from the garden and along with some purchased strawberries made my husband’s favorite rhubarb and strawberry crumble. I halved the sugar recommended and I believe even the butter and it was still absolutely delicious. My oldest was expressing an interest in photography so I asked her to snap a photo for the blog. She agreed as long as I gave her credit 🙂 I am also sharing a few of my favorite photos she took around the garden.

I have a fun story about these Day Lillies. When I was young there was a spot in down we used to drive by and these flowers grew in a large number there and I just loved them. I didn’t know their name but anytime I saw them I just knew I wanted to have them someday.

They appeared in my yard-and I don’t remember how-and now they grow everywhere! I have since learned they are known as “Ditch Lillies” and it would seem that I have attracted them in an abundance! Still they are beautiful.

And another favorite are the Elderberries. Last year was my first year growing them and they did so well. I made Elderberry syrup from them and am looking forward to doing the same this year. They have taken over their little corner of the garden so they will be pruned back in the fall otherwise I fear they may take over 🙂 They are so pretty (and useful!)

I also cut some flowers to bring indoors. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the summer-to cut flowers and place them in repurposed glass jars all over the house. The snapdragons were purchased (although I did start some from seed) and while their flowers are beautiful the purchased ones are short and stocky and didn’t last in the vases at all.

The rest of the garden is starting to come into flower though and I was able to cut my first sunflower of the year today (you can see it in the photo below). This particular sunflower is one of 2 volunteers that somehow grew in the pathway of my flower garden. If I am honest they are in less than an idea spot but I just couldn’t bring myself to uproot them so they will enjoy the summer just where they are.

I also decided to really embrace decorating my home. I have been letting that go a bit and it’s something I love. I decided to start with seasonal decor for my mantel and have 2 more items I am waiting on but they all looked so pretty with the sunflower, bachelor buttons, zinnia and celosia.

And then of course there is art making. It began with a nice clean out of my creative corner. DH moved his desk out and we moved our rabbit Frank in. The best part is Frank’s cage sits under a large desk and with the purchase of shelving I now have a lot more storage for my supplies along with a drying area which was something I really needed.

I cleaned out my rolling carts too. I didn’t have them set up very practically and so I made sure I moved out anything I wasn’t using and put my most used (and loved) items on the top shelves and they are so much more functional-not to mention they look so much better.

I have started sewing a t-shirt but am procrastinating on attempting the v-neck so it’s been sitting aside for me to be in the right frame of mind to learn this new technique. I have been taking part in Carla Sonheim’s collage class and really enjoying it. You can still sign up for the course for lifetime access I believe.

I’m working on embroidering a few pieces of clothing and cannot wait to share them with you. I really want to make more of my own clothes but as I am still working on the sewing skills I felt it would just as fun to make some of my clothing my own. I love embroidery and love that I can sit in the evening with it while we watch a little TV before bed.

I’ve started making some journals and some sticker sheets. I would love to open up a little shop but have been procrastinating there as well. I love making things and I especially love the idea of making stickers since I use them so much but I always seem to determine they aren’t good enough and that’s where it ends. Do you find it hard to make things for others? My eye is always so much more critical that way.

Lastly I have started a collage painting of our home. I am trying out a combination of a class I am taking on Skillshare (this is an affiliate link and you make a purchase using this link I earn a small commission) along with some of my own ideas and of course I will share with you when it’s done.

What have you been working on this summer? I would love to hear! You can always comment down below or message me directly.

Wishing you a lovely day.

Until next time…

-Michele aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Handmade Holidays 2021

December 29, 2021 Leave a Comment

How were your holidays? We had a quiet holiday this year staying home just our little family of 5. To be honest this year I wasn’t really in the holiday spirit. I had so much fun making gifts for everyone (and I’ll share what I made in this post) you would have thought I was but it just never really felt like Christmas.

Maybe it was because it had been fairly warm the past 2 months-warm for the Northeastern USA anyway. Being able to go outside in just a sweater in winter feels like spring to me and Christmas should feel cold. Really cold. Like bundle up in layers with hats, gloves and scarves cold. Of course things are how they are but Christmas this year just felt a little less magical for me or rather I wasn’t as connected to the magic inside me as much as I would have liked.

Still I did the best to simply enjoy the day including a little solo walk to clear my head. My oldest turned eleven and Christmas has a different look to her if you understand my meaning. If you are struggling with this as much as my daughter is and I was you may benefit from the lovely Karen Fullerton’s post here. (Be mindful of who is around you before clicking the link though 😉

So, what did I make this year? Well I made our standard Christmas recipes but to be honest it’s the second year in a row that I really haven’t enjoyed the traditional ham for Christmas and I am thinking we will simply donate our free one next year (and for Easter). I am not sure what will replace it but I will be sure to let you know. Also, comment below if you would like me to write a post about our family traditions and our menu I would be happy to!

Now, on to the fun things-all the makes I made! I found this great pattern from Half Yard Sewing Club (it’s a membership site I’m part of) to make a reindeer and I planned to make one for each of the families on my husband’s side. Sadly the first one I made, well, she was a bit wonky lol (not a result of the pattern-a result of the maker 🙂 I still need to finish her but decided (after realizing I made a mistake cutting out the pattern pieces) that perhaps I might just want to find a different pattern as Christmas was quickly approaching. So I did! I found this adorable (and I do mean adorable) reindeer pattern that went together very easily and was perfect for making the bunch of reindeer I had planned. One even went over seas to a friend in the UK!

I will still finish our little Rosie the reindeer and she will be a much loved member of our family-wonky and all. For now though-she’s in an almost done state 🙂

The next item I made is another pattern from the Half Yard Sewing Club and it’s the adorable Maddie doll. I am so proud with how I embroidered her eyes! I was inspired by one of the member shares in the site who made the eyes a little different than the pattern. I did a bit of combining of the two along with my own little tweaks and think she came out super cute.

I am still not a master at doll hair and was going to leave her hair loose but decided to tie them back in the hopes that it will keep everything looking nicer longer. Maddie was a present for my 3 year-old who loved her and gave her a big hug when she opened her. The clothing was a bit harder for me-I didn’t pick the best fabric trying to use what I had in my stash-but for a first ever try at making doll clothing I am pretty happy. I skipped the shoes knowing they would just be forever on the floor but may make some down the road. I also plan on making some extra outfits for Maddie-and maybe even a Maddie for myself.

Another item I made was for my oldest daughter. She’s a felt doll that’s a unicorn so really, what’s not to love right? She came out super cute and my daughter really seemed to love her and I think she’ll make a nice addition to her collection. I also made her this cute Happy Cat which is free pattern from Ann Wood Handmade. I added a little story to her as well and I think she came out adorable! I will be making more of these for sure. I found some really cute fat quarters from a local fabric store and think they will be very sweet cats.

The other present I made was for my son who loves puppets and may even want to be a puppeteer when he is older. If he is a puppeteer on Sesame Street (like he said he would like to be) I think I would about scream with joy right before asking if he could actually tell me how to get to Sesame Street. I need to meet Snuffy-I mean, I really need to meet him.

I could not be happier with how this puppet came out and think he might just be my favorite handmade holiday gift this year although it’s hard to choose between the puppet (named, “Grouchy” by my son) and the reindeer.

One last item I made for the holidays was a little tea cup coaster for my friend Michael Nobbs. I am not sure if he received it yet so hopefully he doesn’t read this before he has 🙂 Still I think he will like it and I used some of the fat quarters I mentioned before to make it. I think I am going to make a few more of these for my desk and next to my chair in the living room.

So that is what I made for Handmade Holiday 2021.

I would love to hear about any handmade items you made this Christmas so please feel free to comment below with a link to your own blog post I would love to hear!

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Link Parties are a lot of fun! I submitted this post as part of:

If you liked this post be sure to check out the link party for other handmade fun!

Painting & Homemade Fall Decor

September 8, 2021 Leave a Comment

My hands are covered in paint.

This isn’t unusual however today they are covered with wall paint as we are working to finish my 3 year-olds bedroom by Friday.

So far we have filled the holes with the first coat of filler and I have started painting up to the trim on almost all of the walls and rolled 2 of them with color. They will need a second coat as the yellow isn’t fully covering the light green underneath but otherwise it’s moving along. We have a bookshelf left to empty but I think the painting should all be done tomorrow.

We are planning a trip to pick up some more paint tonight and I’m hoping to find a few storage containers to organize her toys.

On the crafting desk I am working on a fall garland for the kitchen. It’s a pattern I purchased last year but never got around to making. It’s really sweet and I’m enjoying working on it. I have 2 of the 4 houses completed and they really come together quickly.

I also completed another garland but this one was for my mobile art studio. Originally I was going to make one for the studio and one for my daughters room so I will have to see how it looks once I put it into the van. The garlands are really fun and my first time working with wool felt shapes. I really like them and think I will be learning a new hobby once my 30 day Creative Detox is over.

Another item I purchased and I have on my list of things to make this week are some clothespin dolls for our first day of home school. I have only made peg dolls before but I think these are going to be fun and I will be sure to share finished photos when they are done.

I have been picking up my journal more as well which is always a good thing. I have been needing that connection and the release of the words on paper has been very healing for me.

So that’s what is on my desk this week. I would love to hear what you are making so please do share your links below. If the link party has closed, feel free to comment below so I can stop by and say hello.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Hand-sew Projects

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