Iron Craft

Hello all! It sure has been awhile hasn't it?  Happy New Year!

This post is going to be a little different from the others.  I had mentioned in my heading that this blog is "about sewing and other things I create", but I have never posted those "other things I create".  Well now I am!  Take a gander at my Valentine's Day Bunting.

Somewhere in the blogging world I found a site called Iron Craft.  Iron Craft is a site dedicated to challenging crafty people to create a different craft once a week. I didn't partake the first 2 weeks, but joined in the fun this week.  The first week's challenge was to create "Winter Light".  If you visit the site, you will see some super amazing candle holders, white lights etc. The second week the challenge was to create a draft dodger.  One of those snakes that goes in front of your door or window to stop the draft. . . anyway there are some really cute (I know, who thought those could be cute?) items that were made. And while looking at all those photos I got jealous of all the creativity these other crafters were using!  So I made the bunting.  It was fairly simple, and I think, it is unique.  Here's how it went down. 

I had already purchased 2 packs of heart shaped doilies from the Target Dollar Bin.  Each pack had 20 hearts in it, I have only used one so far. Well, I sewed the hearts together using my sewing machine.  Now that wasn't terribly hard, but a few suggestions. 1) use a top stitch needle, a leather one was too much. 2) feed the hearts in slowly but separately 3) it isn't going to be perfect, even if Martha did it her personal self.  That's fine isn't it?  I think so.

After sewing them together I picked out about 25 buttons. Some red, some pink keeping with the Valentine's theme.  I then hand sewed the buttons on, alternating around the doilies where the button's were placed in order to keep the doilies from sagging in just one direction.  After actually sewing the first couple buttons on as if they keeping a set of DD's in place on a hooker, I realized, oh I only need to sew thru each hole on the button once or twice.  The paper was actually left more stable by only inserting the needle thru the same area those few times rather then securing it more.  Once all the buttons were on, all I had to do was find a cute spot for the super cute result!

If you want to join Iron Craft it's easy!  I might also mention out right, it isn't a requirement that you do all the crafts. You can just pick and choose.  Of course the "challenge" is to actually attempt all the crafts, thereby stepping outside your crafting comfort zone.  I definitely enjoyed my time creating this bunting and am looking very forward to the rest of the crafts this year.  Also, checking out other crafter's creations so openly is very cool.

Enjoy!