Sewing, Flowers and Skeletons

Earlier this month I showed you hints of what I had been sewing

and said that I would show you properly once they had been received by the recipients.
Well they should all have reached their destinations by now.

Throughout the year I have been taking part in an ATC swap.

ATC's are Artists Trading Cards measuring only three and a half by two and a half inches.

So they are quite small.

That in itself makes them challenging.

They can be in any media that you choose.

Initially I struggled for ages trying to make something with paper and card

but all my efforts looked pathetic.

So I resorted to my first love, fabric.

Something that I was comfortable with.

The idea was to send out an ATC to people in the swop when it was their birthday month.

I think the original idea behind ATC's is that the artist would have left over materials that they would make up into one of these cards.

I found that I didn't really have anything suitable so had to make everything from scratch. I found it really tough to get going with them.

I might have an idea but wouldn't have all the materials I needed.
I tend to have plenty of fabrics but not so many of them are plain.
And I think I needed some plain fabrics for most of my ideas.

I really enjoyed making some ATC's out of some felt I had made.

I embroidered some pine trees and flowers onto the felt.

I showed some of them back in March.

I really enjoyed making them but they were time consuming

and I needed a change.

So then I turned to machine applique.

This is where I really struggled to find the right fabrics.

Some plain fabric here would have been useful.

Again I used a flower as inspiration

cutting a bold flower shape and stitching it onto a pieced background

adding a ribbon for some of them.

Again I loved these,

but it was time for a change.

It also coincided with the move to Germany and I got seriously behind with making them.

I struggled and struggled with ideas

with even fewer resources, as I couldn't bring everything with me.

Before leaving Sweden, I called at the sewing machine shop where I bought my Huskvarna sewing machine.

I had been trying out free motion machine sewing

but wasn't sure I was doing it correctly.

I wanted to start using this technique on some quilts I want to finish.

I tried the technique but wasn't happy with it so called at the shop for some advice.

They were very helpful and gave me some tips mostly about tension.

So off I went with a new skill

which once we got to Germany and finally more or less unpacked,

I tried some free machine quilting.

I really liked the effect and so decided to use it for my next batch of ATC's.

Mike thought it made a lovely fabric and thought I should send the cards just quilted.

It was a lovely effect.

But I added some flowers,

notice a theme here?

And so all my ATC's finally got away to their new homes.
I have found it an interesting experience.

Now it is my birthday month,
and ATC's are starting to arrive in the post.
But I will save those for another day.

On a different theme.

I made this skeleton for my grandson. It was for Halloween. I saw a photo on Womans Day Magazine, which you can Google. I couldn't find the photo again. I made my skeleton out of felt, I think they had made their's out of wool.
They had included a heart on their's but I made mine detachable and suggested he gave it to his Mum if he didn't want it. I must find out what he did with it. I know he carried the skeleton around with him all the time, even though it arrived late.

I thought it was so sweet I think I'll have to make another,

just for me!