Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries: Vintage Ghosts

Halloween will be here next week. Can't believe how fast time rolls on. I thought since there is still a little bit of Halloween time left we would look at some vintage ghosts and witches from Etsy. Maybe you will get some ideas for next year's decorating. :)


Well what more is a icon of Halloween, but pumpkins and ghost just like this one from MidCenturyQueen. Love the look on the ghost. :)

Do you need a plate to put some of that Halloween candy in? Take a look at this one from WeaverVintageCharm. Looks scary to me. 

So are you thinking of dressing up next year as a witch? Well you can get started on that costume with these vintage witches shoes from ReluctantDamsel. Look like the real thing to me. :)

Ok....now we need to have some witches brew for Halloween for sure and this pot from CandilandArt has the perfect vintage pot for making this brew. Now....what shall we put in it? :)

So if you are already to go for Halloween this year or already planning for next year I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Happy Haunting!

Colleen :)

Needles-n-Pin Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries: Vintage Halloween

Halloween has been around for many years and since it has that means there are a lot of vintage items associated with Halloween. I thought we would visit a few today from the pages of Etsy. :)

Pumpkins are a big part of the Halloween scene and this one from Bseron shows kind of an eerie one. 

And then there are the witches. Halloween is all about witches. They can be scary or they can be friendly. This one from backstashandbygones shows a friendly cute candle. 

Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without the ghosts. Now if you want to really get into Halloween you could make some cookies with this ghost cookie cutter fromLazyDaisyEssentials. I myself make pumpkins one's. :)

Then there is the traditional Trick or Treating candy holder....yep.....the ever faithful pumpkin bucket. I remember these and my kids had them. How about yours? You can find this one at Yesteryearshop.

Halloween is always a fun time of year with all the parties and dressing up. Wish my kids were still around so we could do costumes again. Or maybe I should come out of retirement and go back to work because we use to always dress at work for Halloween....no....don't think I will go that route again. HA!HA! 

Have fun!

Colleen :)

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries Blog

Floating Witch Hat Luminaries

Wouldn't these look fantastic hanging outside on your porch Halloween night? Melissa of Polka Dot Chair has the instructions posted on her blog. Simply click on the photo above for the tutorial.

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries: Witch Hat With Legs Tutorial

Now we are starting to get into the really fun part of the year with all the holidays coming and right around the corner is Halloween! Halloween has become quite the holiday over the last several years. It is the second busiest decorating holiday after Christmas. That is just amazing. I always like Halloween because it is the one time that adults can dress and act like kids and get away with it. :)

I decorate my house for fall, but not a lot for Halloween as my kids are gone and I live on a rural road so no one would see the outside decorations if  I did, but I am sure many of you do a lot of outside decorating. I found this tutorial the other day and thought what a neat idea for a front door. Trendy Tree has the instructions for making this door hanging. It looks like there are a lot of steps, but it turns out really neat. :)

Have fun making this! 

Colleen :)

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries Blog

Jacquie's Up-Cycle Nation: Halloween Tricks

Halloween is the perfect holiday for up-cycling!

Using old books and left over scrapbook supplies, cast-off coasters can become mini works of art.

The key is simplicity.  Don't over think the design. Less says more.

Start by prepping the coasters:

* Sand the coaster surface

*Apply a coat of Gesso

*Sand the Gesso layer

Using old books cut out letters, words, faces, and fun images.  Mix the paper elements with left over scrapbook supplies to create whimsical combinations. 

Play with different designs but, again, don't over-think the layout.  Too much concentration on theme can lead to frustration.

 

 

 

Halloween is a good time to drag out all those cool tints, inks, and paints that have gone unused in the past year.  Experiment with color and texture to create a creepy cool effect.

This mottled brown was achieved with watered down black acrylic paint brushed on and immediately blotted of with a textured paper napkin.

 

 Once the coasters have the right background, use Mod-Podge to cement designs in place.  After the first layer is dry more embellishments can be added.  Use markers, more paper, glitter, or whatever strikes a ghoulish fancy!

As embellishments increases, remember to cover each layer with Mod-Podge to protect the design.

Once finished, apply adhesive magnet sheets to the back to create festive magnets or attach a hanger and display as mini works of art.

 

These little vignettes are perfect for home décor or ghoulish gifts.  Remember to keep them easy and have a fiendishly good time in the process!

LOVE  &  UP-CYCLE NATION

Witches Stitches - Quick Pincushion

Quick Pincushion

When in antique and collectable shops I see so many great tarnished silver plate pieces. The small sugar pots some times have no lid and can be bought at a reduced price.  I have always liked them but could  never figure out what to do with them. I bought one the other day with a nice worn look and thought it would make a great base for a pincushion.

I found a piece of an old cutter quilt I then I placed the sugar bowl in the center of the piece and drew a circle around the bowl about 4” out around the entire thing.  Cut out your circle of fabric. If you want an older look for your chosen fabric tea dye it. (I had instructions on how to do this in my past posts). If you choose this step wait till the fabric dries before you move on to the next step. 

Thread a needle with a strong thread, button thread works well. Hand sew a running stitch around the outside edge of the circle. Take a handful of fiberfill and place it in the middle of the fabric. Pull the thread tight so the fabric gathers. You will have a ball. If you need to add more fiber fill loosen the thread a bit and add as much as you need.  Now take your ball of fabric and sit it on the base. If you are happy with how it looks it is time to secure it to the base. You can do this with a line of white glue right inside the rim. Now place your ball of fabric in and let it set until dry.

After it is dry you can add little touches. A few old buttons stuck on with an old hatpin. A thimble attached with an old ribbon. Anything you choose. This is something that looks great on a shelf but it also very usable.

If you have any questions please give me a shout. Thanks for reading, Faith

Witches Stitches - Ageing fabric with Paint and Sanding

Hello all,

I am sorry but this is going to be a short one this week. I am in NJ, (I live in NC), taking care of family business.  

If you are a lover of prim like I am, the more prim it looks the more I like it. There is something so wonderful about a piece of furniture that has peeling paint or doll with a well-worn look. I like to think about who may have used or played with it over the years and what their story is. 

When I make my cloth dolls I tea dye them then I paint and sand them. This gives them a great aged look. Through trial and error this is the steps I use.

1 – Sew and stuff your doll.

2 – Tea dye the doll, making sure you use a heavy coating of tea. You may want to dye it a second time if the first one is not dark enough. You can use instant coffee to get a really dark look.

3 – After the doll is dry paint it with your choice of color. Make sure you water down your paint. Use 2 parts paint to one part water.  The thinner paint will sand easier during the next step.  Dry the doll.

4 – When the doll is dry use a med grit sand paper and lightly sand your doll. Make sure you sand all in the same direction, it just looks nicer when you are done. When sanding make sure you do not sand in one spot to long you will sand right through the fabric.

 5 – How much you sand or how little you sand depends on how old and worn you want your doll to look.

Note – Do not take a short cut and not tea dye your item first. If you don’t tea or coffee dye the item first, when you sand the light color of the fabric will show through and not look as aged as you may want.

This can be on any painted fabric surface. If you want to cover a stool or a book with fabric and have it look old and worn, you can tea dye, paint and sand it and it and it will l look as if it has been round for 100 years.

If you want your item to have an even more worn and well-aged look, you can sand in one spot long enough for it to sand through the fabric. Make the sanded spot small and then take a needle and thread and mend it. After all 150 years ago they did not toss things in the trash it he first sign of wear. They fixed and reused everything they could.  

We can take a lesson from our ancestors, fix and reuse!!

If you want to see what a tea dyed, painted and sanded item looks like just take a look at my etsy site. The link is at the bottom of this post.

Well I guess that was not as short as I thought it would be.

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Faith - The Primitive Black Hat Society

www.etsy.com/shop/PrimitiveBlackHat

Witches Stitches - Chalk Paint Decorating

I know this post  has nothing to do with sewing, but I think it is a great decorating tip. Next week I will be back to sewing.

I am in the middle of getting ready to move. Moving is an opportunity to rearrange and redecorate.  I don’t like the idea of all the packing, but the thought of redoing some pieces of furniture to fit a new color scheme is always fun. I am changing the color of my living room and my kitchen so I thought this would be a great time to paint some furniture with chalk paint. I went to a local antique store to see  what my color options were. They did not have the color I wanted and then I saw it…the price!!! Wow it is expensive! Much more then I wanted spend. I thought I would just use other paint, but then again, regular paint does not have that great look that chalk paint has. I decided to look around on line to see if I could find a less expensive solution.  I found a way to make my own chalk paint that is easy to do and gives me the same look as the ready made kind. It also is very easy to distress. So here is how to make it and how to use it. Enjoy!!! 


Mix the following to make your own chalk paint:
2 Cups Latex Paint

5 TBSP Plaster of Paris

3 TBSP Cool Water

1 - Mix the Plaster of Paris and cool water together in a separate bowl.  (make sure the water is cool)
2 – Mix until the plaster is smooth with no lumps, kind of like pancake batter. (not like my pancake batter, mine always have lumps)
3 - Add the plaster mixture to the paint and mix. 
4 - When the chalk paint dries you will begin to see a chalky look .

5 – You can add more plaster if you want a more chalky look. It is all up to you.

6 – After your item dries you can distress it by sanding the edges . If you want a more distressed look, paint your item black. When the black chalk paint dries paint over it with the color of your choice. Before you paint the second top color use petroleum jelly on spots where you don’t want the top coat to stick. After the top coat dries wipe the piece down and the spots where you put the petroleum jelly will wipe right off. Go over with sand paper if you want. It gives a piece a deeply distressed look.  When your piece is dry you can give the piece an even older look by going over the entire piece with a paste wax. You can get a wax that has a tint or you can add stain to it for an even darker look. 

I hope this helps anyone who wants to get a great chalk paint look without the big price tag.

Enjoy,

Faith

Witches Stitches - No Sew Book Cover

Adding a big decorating look for a little effort and a very little price!

I love books, all kinds. I keep my decorating books and look at them over and over. I also like to keep a journal to write down new ideas for dolls and other art work. I am also one of those people who like everything to match. I am a lover of prim and I try to hide all modern items that I feel don’t fit into my primitive looking home. If you are wondering what books and primitive decorating have to do with each other…well…my book covers don’t always match the color of a room or the look of the book in the room is just wrong. So I came up with a decorating idea to make them look like they are just as old and primitive as the rest of the house. I cover them with fabric. You can use tea dyed fabric or you can use reproduction prints from the 1800’s. If you are really lucky and have some true old pieces of fabric, all the better.

You can cover the books so they are readable or you can go to the thrift store, get some hardback books, cover them, distress them and use them as decoration on an old school desk or on an old table. You can even print a paper label and glue it to the front of the book to give it whatever title you want. I have made some fabric covered books, glued a label to the front, stacked two or three together and added some Sweet Annie to the top book. I use some old string or tea dyed cheese cloth to tie them together. They really do add a great touch to any room. If your decorating is not primitive you can use any fabric that matches your décor.

1 - It is so very easy to do. Get the books you want to cover and follow this step by step list:

2 - Open your book, lay it flat and measure the with and the height. Add 3 inches to all sides.

3 - Cut your fabric to match these measurements. If you are going to tea dye your fabric do it before you go on to the next step.

4 - Iron your fabric and make sure you get all wrinkles out.

5 – Put a light coating of white craft glue, (I like to use “Tacky Glue” in the gold bottle), all over one side of the cover. Lay your fabric over it, making sure it over laps by the 3 extra inches on all sides. Press down and smooth out all wrinkles so the fabric sticks and you have a smooth surface.

6 – Now do the spine of the book and then repeat the process on the back cover of the book. Make sure you do this with the book closed.

7 – Let it dry a few minutes. 

8 – You now want to fold the extra fabric over on the inside of the cover, front and back.

9 – You will have to clip the overflow part of the fabric from the top and bottom of the spine of the book so the fabric folds in neatly.

10 – Using a small amount of glue, glue the fabric down inside the cover by folding the fabric in. Do this to both front and back. Close your book and your cover is done.

11 – If you want you may stop here for a book that will be stacked and tied and uses as decoration. If this is a book you will be reading or a journal, cut a piece of fabric to fit the inside of the cover. Make it about an inch smaller than the cover itself. Glue it over the folded inside pieces of fabric. This will give your book a neat finished look inside and out.

12 – If you want your book to look even older you can sand the fabric lightly across the cover and a little heaver on the edges. If the fabric shreds a bit that is ok, it is part of the look. You can also sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the book and then lightly wipe it off so just a bit of the dust is left on. To set this you can spray it with a very, very light coat of matt clear spray.

Just place the books wherever you want and they will be a great addition to your home. Maybe add a pair of antique reading glasses, or an old pen and glass ink bottle. A great look for very little cost.

Hope you enjoyed this decorating tip. If you have any questions just give me a shout.

Enjoy, Faith

The Witches Stitches -- Doll making 101

The Witches Stitches Doll Making 101 Ageing Fabric

Staining and ageing your work.

We all love the look of antique fabric. It has a wonderful aged look and can be used for home decorating or crafting. There are many ways to age your fabric. The best way I found was trial and error. These are the ways I have come up with different ways to age fabric.

1 - 100%coton fabric ages the best.
2 – Be careful how dark you age deep colors. Dark reds and deep blues can look “muddy” if you make your solution to dark.
3 – Ageing solutions
     Instant coffee (2 table spoons to 2 cups of water)
     Instant tea (2 table spoons to 2 cups of water)
     Tea bags – (4 tea bags to 2 cups of water)
     Walnut Crystals – (use one teaspoon to 2 cups of water)

Using Instant coffee and instant tea are the same. The two will give your fabric different smells.  You can add a little vanilla extract to your ageing solution to give it a sweat smell.  Tea bags will give your fabric a light muted look. Walnut crystals will age your fabric darker than the other items. Use less walnut crystals then the coffee or tea.

The instructions for ageing are the same no matter what medium you choose to use. I will use instant tea or coffee as an example, but you can choose any of the dyes.

In a glass bowl pour in 2 cups of very hot water. Add instant tea or coffee. Mix the solution until all the coffee or tea is mixed completely. If you have un-dissolved grains this will leave a dark spot on your fabric. After your solution is well mixed, wet and dip a 4” square of fabric into it. By wetting the fabric first your fabric will soak up the dye faster. Dry the square and if you like the way it looks great. If not add more tea or coffee to your water, repeat the dip test. When you have the right shade then dye the amount of fabric you need for your project.

If you want to dye a doll that is already stuffed, you can paint your solution on the doll. You can hang your doll outside with a thread loop. If you want to dry your doll in the oven keep in mind that the side that faces down will dry lighter. It may also have some dark marks on it where the doll touches the cookie sheet. If you want to avoid this, dye one side and dry it, then dye the other side and dry it. Make sure you do not drip your solution down the side of your doll.

Drying –
You can let your fabric dry in the sun or you can use your oven to dry it.

Sun Drying – Natural is always better. I like the look of the fabric when I let it dry naturally in the sun. Keep in mind that when you dry it outside if you drape it over a railing or drying rack the back will dry lighter than the front and you will have a dark line where the rail or rack touches the fabric. I attach a thread loop to the two ends of my fabric and hang it up to dry.

Oven Drying - If you are drying it in the oven you can use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Keep in mind that if you do not turn your fabric half way through the drying process the back side will be lighter than the front. Keep your oven temp. at 200 to 250 degrees. No higher.  If you have your oven set to high you will burn your fabric. Worse, you may set it on fire.

After you have found the right color for your fabric and it is dried you can aged it further by lightly sanding it with a fine grit sand paper. Just be careful not to sand a whole in it, unless that is the aged look you want.

Note – If you age fabric and make curtains or anything that will be in the sunlight on a constant basis, your fabric will fade.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask me!!

Faith
The Primitive Black Hat Society
www.etsy.com/shop/PrimitiveBlackHat

The Witches Stitches -- Doll making 101

Cutting Fabric and Sewing

You have decided that you want to make a doll or two. The best way to start is to find a pattern you like. There are many to be found online www.etsy.com  they have a large selection. You can always make your own pattern, but as a beginner you may want to purchase one that appeals to you. Read all instructions for your pattern before you start your doll.

One of the best ways to sew and cut your pattern out is to trace your pattern onto white freezer paper.  You can purchase this at any grocery store. After you trace all the pieces onto freezer paper cut them out. Place the pieces on your fabric making sure you leave space between each piece so you have room sew around it, about an inch. Set your iron to whatever setting is right for the fabric you are using.  Iron the freezer paper pattern pieces onto your fabric SHINY side down, cut around each piece making sure you have left your seam allowance around each one. Sew around each piece making sure all your stitches are straight. Take your time sewing around the corners.  Make sure you leave the openings when the pattern indicates so you can turn your pieces to the right side.  

 

After you have sewn around all your pieces, trim and remove the paper from your fabric. Just lift from the edge and pull. Save the paper pieces, you can use them over and over again until the shiny side no longer sticks. You can get as many as 6 dolls from the same pieces.
Cut around the pieces closer making sure you leave an even seam allowance around each piece. After they are all cut out you will have to clip any curves or section with indentations with small slits. This will allow your piece to lay flat after you have turned it to the right side.

Now you are ready to stuff your doll.

How to make smooth seams on your dolls

Ever make a doll and it has bumps all around the seams? Well there are 2 ways you can make sure that does not happen and your dolls have smooth professional look.

Wrinkle free seams start with making sure your stitches are all straight and none of them are out of line. One stitch out of line and there will be a small lump in the seam. After you have finished sewing your seems check them to see if any stiches are out of line. If they are just go over that part of your seem.

Begin to stuff your doll with small pieces of whatever you have chosen to use. You will have to make sure you stuff the pieces tight to make sure you have a smooth seam line.  This way you build a lot of small layers instead of trying to stuff with large pieces. Using small pieces will take a little longer, but the smooth finished look you get is so worth the time.

A great tool to use is called a stuffing fork, you can place stuffing  in the smallest area. You can find one at www.etsy.com just put the words stuffing fork in the search and you will find several.

The Key in using a stuffing fork is to let the teeth on the end of the fork grab the stuffing and then twist it a bit. This keeps the stuffing on the fork while you guide it into place.

After you have finished stuffing your doll check all the seams. If you see any lumps take a very small piece of stuffing and use your stuffing fork to place the stuffing where it is needed.  If no more stuffing is needed, use your stuffing fork and slightly rearrange the stuffing already there. This will give you smooth professional looking seams.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me and happy doll making!

Faith

www.etsy.com/shop/PrimitiveBlackHat