Monday, October 29, 2007

Witch's brew & a stitchery too !!!!





OK -- as I was yet again doodling and dawdling and finishing up this latest little drawing, I decided it should have a purpose , a job of some sort, instead of just lying there on a pile of other little drawings on my desk , soon to be covered by cat hair and dust (and the possible hair ball yakked up by one of the 4-legged kids.) Hmmmmm.....but what could it's purpose be???? OH!!! How about a stitchery?!?!?! OK!!! So, I took my little drawing to a copy machine, and enlarged it. Then, I cut out a piece of muslin slightly bigger than an 8 and a half by 11 sheet of paper , and , using my light box and a fine point pigma pen, I transferred the design onto the muslin. THEN, I remembered reading on Leanne's blog that she took a class where the instructor told them to try using colored pencils on fabric. COLORED PENCILS !!!! I LOVE using colored pencils !! That's right up my alley !!!! So, out came my trusty colored pencils and I colored to my heart's content !!! (I probably should have ironed a piece of freezer paper to the back to stabilize it while I colored , but I was having such a good time, I didn't want to stop ... ) If you don't have colored pencils, crayons also work .( check out Monica'scute pumpkin project done with crayons.)

After the coloring was finished, I heat set it with my iron (not sure how colored pencil on fabric would do in the wash, so I thought heat setting it might help keep it from fading away. -- or just don't wash this project ?) Anyhow, as suggested by Natalie of Cinderberry Stitches, I ironed on a piece of light weight fusible pellon interfacing on the back of the stitchery to stabilize it and help hide stray threads. (I just LOVE Natalie's stitcheries and quilts !! She also has a really good tutorial on doing stitcheries -- it's on the upper right corner of her blog page called "let's get started".) For the stitching, I'm using 2 strands of DMC embroidery floss and a backstitch. So, eventually, this stitchery may end up as a little quilted wall hanging of some sort. (and it finally has a job !)

I was hoping to be able to figure out how to post this pattern so any of you who would like to have it could just print it out --- BUT, being computer challenged, and "tech support" having too much homework tonight , plus the fact that I'm realizing I would need a scanner to do this (which I'm putting on my birthday wish list for the "Big Cheese" aka "the husband" ASAP, since there are only about 16 more shopping days until my birthday) -- anyhow, if anybody would like to have this stitchery pattern, just email me your address and I'll be happy to make a copy and send it to you. (I'm thinking it could be done as a stitchery like I'm doing , with or without coloring it in ; or it could be done as applique; or you could just give it to a kid to color as a coloring book page.) Anyway, have fun!

Oh! I almost forgot -- the real "Witch's Brew". I found a recipe for one on Martha's website. (If you scroll down to where it says Holiday recipes, click on Halloween. Keep going through the list, and you'll come to the "Witch's Brew" . -- sorry, I couldn't get that page to "copy and paste" -- maybe Martha put a spell on it ! -- that WITCH !! -- just kidding!)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

5 comments:

Happy Zombie said...

I love your project! How cute is that! I'm going to try the colored pencil... sounds like fun (I love my colored pencils). And so much easier to keep sharp than crayons. There's nothing like a virgin crayon and I wish I could sharpen it to it's original pointedness.

I love the Cindeberry Stitches too!

Nancy said...

Would love to try the Pelon under my stitchery. What brand did you find works for you?

Cute stitchery!!

black eyed susans kitchen said...

I just got such a kick out of the witch in the cauldron...too funny! Susan

Nan said...

Your project is the cutest thing, Mary Anne! You are a very talented girl!
I also love the idea of ironing Pellon on the back of a stitchery - I've never heard of that before. I'm going to try it next time, that's for sure! Thanks for sharing!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

OMG I love your new project. That drawing is wonderful. Can't wait to see it all stitched up. Have you ever tried freezer paper on the back before coloring? That works great too. I use that when I use crayons so I'm sure it would work with pencils