march (fabric!) madness!

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Hi Pretties!

Well, we're leaving tomorrow for our cruise--and Shena's Wedding!!!--and instead of packing this entire week, I've been feverishly working on poolside/tableside/dancingside fabric awesomenesses, in the form of hairbands and clippies.

Here are a few for your viewing (and ordering, of course!) pleasure!

Find the tutorial for these bunchy fabric flowers HERE.

PS, if you ever see anything you'd like to order and ROCK, just send me a note or FB me.  Info is under "keep in touch" at the top of the page.  I don't always have time to put it all up on etsy, ya see.  :)

baby hairband example.

these are all just hanging out, waiting for their destiny.

oh, the possibilities!

I made this for me to match my kini.

this bad boy is going to my girl b.lowe

I'm rocking this one today.  right. this. minute.

oh, and again in the "toy camera" setting.

Find the tutorial for these bunchy fabric flowers HERE.
Thanks for stopping!

Big Smile :)
b.chen

How-To: Fabric Hoop Wall Art

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Hi Friends!  It's been a little bit since I've posted--lots going on before we leave for Shena's cruise next week :)

What I have been working on, little by little, are makeovers for a couple of rooms in my house.  One being the Hi-C Room (our main guest room) and my master bath (which I don't share with J, I might add).  Now, this is not a post about those rooms--that will come later-- BUT, I did use a bunch of Fabric Hoop Wall Art to decorate the Hi-C Room. These are super easy, but make a BIG impact, and are very up and coming :)

Here we go!
Skill Level:  Um, you really just need to know how to use a pair of scissors--and not very well, either.

Supplies:
Wooden Embroidery Hoops

• Get lots of sizes for a bigger impact (depending on your space)
• 2 extra large, 3 large, 4 medium, 3 mini is a suggestion
• Hobbit Lobbit has the best prices I've seen, but I've also gotten a few at thrift stores too.

Fabric (3 fabric designs are perfect)

• 1/2 yard of your main focus fabric
• 1/4 yard of your 2 secondary fabrics

Scissors

Iron

Step 1:  Select your fabric.  As I stated above, you'll want one focus fabric, and 2 others to compliment it.  How you choose the focus fabric is totally up to you.  I usually pick my favorite fabric that includes as many colors as you plan to accessorize around.

My 3 fabrics.  My focus fabric is the one on top.

Step 2:  Get you iron on!  Iron out all the kinks in the fabric.  You don't have to go all 5 star housekeeper on it--you'll be stretching it out over the hoop.

work it out....work it out now....

Step 3:  Cut it out!  Lay your first hoop over your fabric to measure.  Making sure you have enough room to stretch your fabric over the hoop, cut a fabric square.

Step 4:  Stretch and tighten. Separate your hoop as shown above and place your fabric over the full circle hoop (without the twister on top).  Now place the twister top hoop over the fabric and tighten screw-thingy, pulling the sides taunt.   

Step 5:  Trim it!  Making sure the fabric is tight on the hoop, turn it over and trim off excess fabric.

Step 6:  Hang time!  Arrange your hoops in any which way you please.  Here is an example of what I've done with mine (using different fabrics).

what up, pretty?!?!

 Thanks for stopping by.

Big Smile!
B.

I was Featured!!!!!   

giveaway time! fancy flower bobby pins.

Alright, who wants em?

Love these little fancy flower bobby pins in cheery yellow.  These are fun for all ages and a nice nod to spring.

Lots of ways to enter.  Here they are again:

For 1 entry:

• Leave a comment below and email me 
• send me your address with your comment name (so I can notify you of your win and get it to you pronto!) *if sending your address freaks you out a little, no biggie!  If you win, I'll just get it from you then)

For 2 entries

• Like my Facebook Page
• Click on the FB share on the left (or the bottom) and get this baby on your page.  Be sure to tag me so I know!

For 3 entries! 

(For those of you really not messing around)

• Leave a comment below and email me 
• send me your address with your comment name (so I can notify you of your win and get it to you pronto!) *if sending your address freaks you out a little, no biggie!  If you win, I'll just get it from you then)

• Like my Facebook Page and share the love!
• Click on the FB share on the left (or the bottom) and get this baby on your page.  Be sure to tag me so I know!

• Sign up to follow the blog.  
• Let me know in the comments if you did, are now super proud and following!  *this means get emails when I have a new post, you don't have to have a blog of your own to do this.

The winner will be chosen on Saturday morning using Random.org, per usual.

Be sure to check back next week for my next giveaway!  

Good luck!!!!  And as always, thanks for stopping by :)

How To--Fold & Twist Fabric Flowers.

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Whoa, ok.  Welcome to the worlds most comprehensive tutorial.

You've been warned.  Now let me tell you about this awesome Fold & Twist Fabric Flower (that would be a B.Cheniful name).  These flowers are different from the regular fabric flowers that I've gone over for the past couple weeks. There, you pretty much just twist/glue/twist/glue.  Here, you'll fold/twist/fold/twist--hence the super smart name :)

Now, I made this How-To so seemingly pretentious because I  had a hard time doing it the first time through. I mean, fold/twist/fold/twist, seems pretty easy, right?  Well it wasn't.  At least not for me, anyway.

So, here's what's doin with the Fold & Twist Fabric Flower.

Supplies needed:

• Fabric
• Large Felt Circle
• Glue Gun--hey baby!
• Iron
• Bobby Pin/Alligator Clip/Pin--It's up to you!
• Sewing machine (optional)

Step 1:  Pick your fabric.  I'm all about ball parking here, so I'd say you need a 2-3" wide piece of fabric, about 25" long.  Decrease the length if you want a smaller flower.

My fabric choice--new today!  tx hobbit lobbit.

and this would be your ballparked fabric strip.

MUST DO Step 2:  fold your strip in half and iron.  This helps with "fold" of the Twist & Fold. 

  

OPTIONAL Step 2:  After you iron, use your sewing machine to stitch up the edges.  I did this because:  A:  I wanted use my new baby sewing machine--it's seriously so small, it's the easy bake oven of all sewing machines.  and B:  I thought it looked cool. Like totally organic ;)

yeah, what up now hardcore crafters!

Step 3:  Grab your felt circle.  Make a knot at the end of your strip to make the bud, then glue down to the center of the felt circle.

small hot glue dot--press bud into it.

Step 4:  Ok, now we really begin.  Lift up your fabric (just as a guide):

and we're lifting....

Step 4 Continued:  Now fold that strip down to the right:

your first fold, right here :)

Step 4 Continued...Again:  Now, take your fabric and fold down from the top point the top of the candy corn if you will..and I think you will. That's the twist & fold.

second fold!

Step 5:  Keep going!!!  fold/twist/fold/twist, gluing down on your felt as you go.  I find it easier for me if I do all this with the felt piece on my leg (as opposed to holding it up, or setting it on the table).  

Here are a bunch of photos to keep you going:

third fold baby!

keeping it going....tuck your new folds as you go under the folds above it to help it  build up.

almost there!

dang girl!

Glue that sucker down!  

Oh, hey pretty.  

Step 6:  Make it official!  You need to finish this baby up.  I used a large bobby to do the trick--it's not pretty....but it's what I prefer for me.  You can use whatever you'd like.

 Step 7:  Rock it!

Rock it you say?  Done.

And that's the end.  Finally.  :)  

As always, comments are welcome and encouraged!  Unless you're a meanie-face that is.

Big Smile!

B.Chen

Oh, and good night.  To me.

The top 5 places (at home) you're not looking for fabric!

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Have you ever found yourself at home, overcome with craft-adrenaline, needing to create something?!?  Um, me too.  A lot.  Oh, and that craft-adrenaline, while maybe off the wall to you, is a constant reality to me.  Creating = CrazyAdrenaline.  I am who I am.

Ok, back to the point of the blog.....So, you're at home and all you want in the world to do is to create a fabric flower hairband.  That's it.  Not too much to ask, right?  Timeout, you have no fabric.  Or, what you do is just not enough to scrape by and there's no way that you're driving all the way to the Hobbit Lobbit (read Hobby Lobby) for a yard of fabric.  Is this story getting ridiculous?  I'm thinking so.  I never claimed to be an author, children's or otherwise.

So again, back to the point of the blog!  Where do you find fabric when you have no "fabric", and you won't take NO CREATING TODAY for an answer (man, I love caps).

Try a couple of these ideaers:

1. Your kitchen/dining area drawers.  Look for old linen napkins--ugly or not!  Sometimes the uh-gly ones turn out super cute.
2. Your closet.  Listen, you know you haven't worn that 90s belly shirt since my 90's themed birthday party (or the 90s).  It's time to let go.
3. That bag of stuff that never quite made it to Goodwill.  If you're like me, you're always adding to a bag of nuh-ahs, that pretty much just sits and collects and collects.  Pull out old socks (really--think arm warmers!), that purple silk shirt that you had to wear in 9th grade for BPA Parli Pro (ugh, kill me in the face), workout pants/tops (the stretch is magical!), or an old turtleneck (more stretchy goodness).
4. Your linen closet.  Look for old shower curtains, pillow cases, hell, even sheets!  Listen, you don't even have that size bed anymore--give it up!
5. The attic/hope chest/basements.  Ok, chances are you have a box (or 20) of clothes, gramma's handkerchiefs, grandpa's flannel, even a quilt that's seen better days.  I love the idea of keeping keepsakes (ha.), but I also LOVE the idea of up-cycling to actually USE said keepsakes.  

So, there's the top 5 places to look on days that you're staying in, refusing to make a fabric run, and creating all day.  

I wanted to show you a fabric flower hairband that I made the other day with an old (uh-gly) napkin.

Ok--yes, I'm having WAY TOO MUCH FUN with my iPhone apps.....

Get inspired and start digging (around the house that is).  Good luck treasure hunters!  

PS, comments are VERY much appreciated!  I want to know if this blogs suck ya know ;)  AND, I'll likely do a giveaway (SHOCKER) to the AWESOME person who leaves the most overall comments (not just this entry, sills!).

Big Smile!

B. Chen

Fabric Flowers--How To

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It occurred to me, while checking out my friend Lila's awesome blog, that I never actually showed you how to make the the fabric flowers.  I showed you how to make the hairbands here.....

So, I'd like to show you now.  Ok?

Supplies needed:
2 inch fabric strips--depending on the look you want, either tear them or cut them.
hot glue--my best friend

Step 1:  ok, so this would be your fabric strip.

Step 2:  Tie a knot at the of the strip, making the "bud".

Step 3:  Start twisting and wrapping your fabric, gluing as you go along.  

Step 4:  When you reach the end, glue the fabric behind the flower.

Step 5:  Well, there's really not one....you're done!!!  So make a few more and work on a hairband, clippy, or in the case of my super creative friend Lila, wall art!