PINK ABSTRACT PAINTING

Over the past few years I’ve noticed the increasing popularity of pink in Scandinavian interior design.  Now, almost everything comes in pink, from couches and cushions to coat hooks and teacups.  Although I’m not a big fan of pink, the pastels of contemporary Scandinavian design work well with the copper and grey tones that I do love.  Investing a large sum of money in a pink couch, which might look dated in a few years, was not the way I wanted to go.  Instead, I opted to add a pink accent to my office with a simple abstract painting.  It’s easy to paint: all you need is a can of spray paint, some pretty acrylic colors, and a few extras you probably have lying around your house.  Below are a few inspirational images pulled from the web.

Clockwise from top: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Materials:

Canvas (I used a scrap piece of plywood and drilled a hole in the back to hang)

White acrylic paint

Grey acrylic paint

Pink acrylic paint

Copper spray paint

Ruler

Pencil

Painter’s tape

Paint brushes/rollers

Scrap paper

Method:

1]  Cover your work surface with paper.

2]  Paint a base coat of white onto the canvas/wood (optional).

3]  Draw a few straight lines across the canvas in any pattern you like. 

4]  Tape the edge of the area you wish to paint. 

5]  Paint area and remove tape once paint has dried.

*  When using spray paint, make sure only the area you want painted is exposed.  Cover everything else with scrap paper. 

6]  Repeat last two steps until you are happy with the results. 

7]  Hang (and admire) your work!  

Please feel free to leave any questions/comments below.  If you enjoyed this tutorial please share the love by liking The Felted Fox on Facebook or follow The Felted Fox on Bloglovin to receive free tutorials and patterns to your inbox.

Have a great weekend!  Nicole. 

AFRICAN PRINT SWEATSHIRT DIY

Happy 2015 everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday season.  The hubster and I spent Christmas hiking in Joshua Tree, then headed to an Indian restaurant for dinner.  Extremely untraditional, but we had so much fun.  In keeping with that playful spirit, I wanted to add something bright and cheerful to my winter wardrobe.  Browsing through Pinterest, the photo below caught my eye.  I loved how colorful these African print sweatshirts were and simply had to have one. I already owned a plain grey sweatshirt and still had a stash of African print fabrics I collected in South Africa.  Making it was a cinch!

Supplies:

Sweatshirt

African wax print fabric

Matching thread

Tissue /tracing paper

Tailors chalk

Scissors

Pins

Sewing machine

Method:

1]  Lay your sweatshirt on a flat surface and trace the seam line of the front panel. Make sure to stretch the waistband, until the fabric lays flat, when tracing the sides and bottom.

2]  Add ½” seam allowance to the template and cut.

3]  Cut the print fabric according to the template.

4]  Fold the raw edge of the African print ½” towards the wrong side of the fabric and iron flat.  It helps to notch the neckline in a few places when molding the curve.

5]  Pin the African print fabric along the seam line of the sweatshirt and sew.

And that’s it!  A super easy sweatshirt DIY to kick-off the New Year. 

Looking to do some more sewing?  Stay tuned.  I will release my doll sewing patterns soon.  The first one I’ve been working on is the “Queen of Pop” herself, Madonna.  With her big hair bow, large cross necklace and tulle skirt she’s rocking that 80’s “Like a virgin” look.  You can find more images over at my Etsy store.  My patterns will have to be tested before going online, so if there are any fellow bloggers who would like to be involved, please send me an email.  I’d love to hear from you.

Happy sewing, Nicole.

INTRODUCING THE FELTED FOX SHOP

A few weeks ago I opened my Etsy store, the Felted Fox shop, which features items handmade by me using upcycled and recycled materials.  As I love crafting for kids, I decided that my store would focus primarily on handmade toys and nursery accessories.

So what’s in the shop?  First up, a series of totally retro dolls, including ones of such iconic figures as the Lionel Richie and David Bowie.  I also have pillows featuring some of my favorite animals: lions, tigers and bears.  Finally, I have teepee pillows and wooden nursery accessories, including a “3 blind mice” coat rack.  

All of these products are handmade by me, specifically designed to make you and your little one smile.  With so much waste in our world, I wanted to ensure that my products are ecologically sound.  I’ve therefore opted to use felt made from recycled materials and cast off wood from my community woodshop.  Although the Felted Fox shop is still very small, I have endless ideas for new things I’d love to make.  I can’t wait to show you more, and I hope you will join me on this adventure.

To celebrate the launch of the store and the beginning of the festive season, I am offering 15% off all store merchandise.  Simply add the code “FESTIVE15” at check out to receive your discount.  This offer ends on Dec. 1 so hurry!  You may just find something you can’t resist.

TULIP DRESS DIY

While visiting Denmark last spring I noticed this knit tulip dress at the boutique store, Moxy-Copenhagen.  It had everything I searched for in clothing but usually can’t find: something that looks amazing, is super comfy, and doesn’t need to be ironed.  On closer inspection the price tag read DKK 799.99  (that’s nearly $140!), a little out of my price range.  A little disheartened, I quickly snapped a photograph thinking I would DIY this dress someday.  Well, that someday has arrived!

I was able to make this tulip dress for around $15 and invested about 2 hours in measuring, cutting and sewing time.  Because it’s made of knit fabric, I left the edges unfinished.  My version of the dress has less draping around the waist area and hugs my hips a little tighter.  If you prefer a looser fit, you could easily add a few extra inches of fabric to the skirt or have less of an overlap in the front.

Supplies:

At least 2 yards of knit fabric (depending on your measurements)

Matching thread

1” Elastic (enough to wrap around your waist)

Tailor’s chalk

Fabric scissors

Sewing machine

Method:

1] For the tulip shaped skirt, cut a rectangular piece of fabric measuring 36” by (the width of your waist x 2).

2] Fold your fabric in half widthwise. 

3] Mark the selvedge edge of the fabric 15” from the top of the skirt.

4] Draw a curve from the top of the fold point to the 15” mark.

5] Draw another curve from the bottom of the fold point to the mark (See diagram)

6] While still folded, cut fabric along these curves.

7] Baste stitch two rows at the top of the skirt.

8] Gather fabric evenly, until the skirt measures 1.5 times your waist.

9] Cut elastic 1” shorter than your waist measurement.

10] Overlap the raw edges of the elastic and sew together.

11] Pin the gathered skirt to the elastic.  Make sure that the front gathered panels overlap evenly in the front, and end on either side of your waist (where you would usually have a side seam).

12] Sew the elastic in place using a zigzag stitch.

13] For the top, cut another rectangular piece of fabric 42” x  (waist measurement + 8”).

14] Fold the fabric in half lengthwise so work measures 21” x (waist +8”).

15] Draw an 8” line across the fold, centering the line.

16] Draw a 1” line from the center of the fold down the front of the top. 

17] Draw a curve from one end of the 8” line to the other that is at least 1” wide at the center point. 

18] Cut along the 8” line and the curve to form your neckline.  19] Only cut the front of the top, NOT the back.

20] Mark a point on either side of the top 1” below your bust point. 

21] With right sides facing, sew a ½” seam along the sides, ending at the marked point. Try on the top to see if it fits correctly or if it needs to be shortened.

22] Baste stitch two rows at the base of the top and evenly gather the fabric until it is the width of your waist.

23] With right sides together pin the top to the skirt.  Make sure that the front center of the top aligns with the front center of the skirt.

24] Sew top to waistband using a zigzag stitch.

I am really happy with my new tulip dress and intend to make a few more in fall appropriate colours. 

Before I leave you, I’d like to share some more exciting news--well exciting for me anyway. J  I’ve just launched my own Etsy store!!  The Felted Fox Shop sells handmade children’s felt dolls and nursery accessories.  It’s still in its infancy, but will grow with time to include more of my designs and pdf patterns in the future.  Here is a sneak peak.  If you’d like to see more hop on over to my store. 

Please feel free to leave any questions/comments below. I do so love hearing from you.  If you enjoyed this tutorial, please share the love by liking The Felted Fox on Facebook. Also, don’t forget to follow The Felted Fox on Bloglovin to receive free tutorials and patterns to your inbox.

Happy sewing!  Till next time, Nicole.