HeartFelt Valentines

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! How are you planning to show a little love this year?

Inspired by our 2016 intention, I decided it would be fun to make valentines that last! Enter our “heart felt” valentines!

These handmade valentines are a sweet and unexpected way to show your loved ones how much you care.

I took inspiration from some of my favorite Valentine’s Day memories and came up with three fun styles for these valentines. The first is inspired by classic conversation hearts.

The second style is inspired by the valentines I made as a child using paper doilies & construction paper.

The third style has extra dimension and makes a great ornament, perfect for giving and decorating!

Aren’t they sweet? I can’t wait to deliver them to all my favorite people!

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Ready to make some heart felt valentines of your own? These valentines require very few supplies and are simple enough that they could be a fun project to make with children!

SUPPLIES

For all versions:

• Download our heart templates here: NSB heart felt valentines pattern sheet
  • I recommend printing on cardstock to make a sturdy template. I find it easiest and most accurate to trace the template directly onto the felt, rather than pinning a paper pattern and cutting around.
• Felt in any colors you prefer (I recommend a wool blend felt, though synthetic craft felt is fine).
  • My color palette was inspired by classic conversation hearts (pale pink, yellow, light blue, green, white, purple) and I added a few, more saturated colors for accents (red, magenta, hot pink, light grey).
• Embroidery floss in colors that match your felt and also contrast it.

 

For conversation hearts:

• Fiberfill (a 12 oz. bag will yield many hearts!)

For ornament style:

• Thread to match felt for larger hearts (optional)
• Short piece of ribbon (~3”; optional)

TOOLS

• Needle for hand embroidery
• Scissors
• Removable ink pen (I recommend water-erasable)

For doily style:

• Pinking shears or scallop edge scissors (optional)

For ornament style:

• Sewing machine (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Conversation Hearts

1. Using our template (NSB heart felt valentines pattern sheet), cut two hearts out of felt. On one heart, write out your message using the removable ink pen. Use a favorite saying or make up something special!

2. Using red embroidery floss, embroider your message. I recommend using two strands of floss and a backstitch. Use more floss for a bolder look.
   When complete, rinse out ink, if applicable.
3. Place two hearts together, with message side out. Using embroidery floss that matches the felt, blanket stitch around ¾ of the heart.
   I recommend starting in the dip at the top and stitching around one side down to the bottom point. Then, starting in the same place at the top, stitch around the heart bump on the other side and leaving a space of about 1.5” open for stuffing. Do NOT cut your floss at this stage, as it will be used to sew the opening closed.
4. Pull a small handful of fiberfill from the bag.
   Stuff the heart with fiberfill. I recommend starting with the bump on the partially sewn size, then stuffing the second bump, then the full body of the heart.
5. When heart is fully stuffed, pin the opening, and sew closed with blanket stitch.
6. You are now ready to start a conversation with your sweetheart!
7. Want to make these a bit faster or more simply? These look just as adorable as solid colors! Just cut out a few hearts in each of the felt colors and then pair them at random.
   

   

   Use floss in one of the two colors (or a different color altogether) to create your blanket stitch, providing a little visual interest.

   These two-hue hearts look great on their own or mixed in with the conversation hearts!

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Doily Valentine

1. Using our templates (NSB heart felt valentines pattern sheet), cut one large heart and one small heart in two different colors.
2. With your scissors, cut freeform scallops around the edge of the large heart. I recommend starting with a single scallop at the center bottom and moving up both sides.
   

   

   You can save a little time by using pinking shears or other decorative scallop scissors.

3. It’s time to embroider your smaller heart! Consider a simple valentine’s phrase like “love” or “be mine”, or plan to embroider a sweet motif like flowers or hearts. Not sure what to embroider? It may be helpful to trace the small heart onto paper to sketch out different styles.
   Using your removable ink pen, plot your decoration on the smaller heart and embroider! I like to use flosses in colors that match the large heart for a cohesive look.
   When complete, rinse out the ink, if applicable.
4. Layer the two hearts, right sides up, centering the smaller. Using a running stitch, sew the small heart to the large.
5. If desired, embroider a small motif in each of the scallops, using a color to match the small heart. This is a fun way to mimic or compliment your embroidered motifs in the small heart.
   On the back, there will be two visible sets of stitches.
6. Voila!

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3-D Valentine Ornament

1. Using our templates (NSB heart felt valentines pattern sheet), cut two large hearts from one color of felt and four small hearts from another.
2. Using a sewing machine and thread, or a hand sewing needle with thread or floss, stitch the two large hearts together from center top to center bottom. This will create a total of four ‘arms’ that make up four large hearts.
   Open between the two layers on each side and fold hearts on seamline.
3. Center one small heart over one of the larger hearts, aligning the bottom point and top dip of the small heart to the seam- or fold-line of the larger heart. Pin the layers together on one side (I like to pin the left side first). Turning the ‘arm’ so your unpinned side is facing away, center a second small heart over the larger heart that now faces up. Pin one side of the new small heart to the large heart, catching the unpinned side of the previous small heart.
   Repeat for all small hearts.
4. Using a hand needle and embroidery floss that matches the larger hearts, begin sewing through three layers with a running stitch, working from the center top to the bottom around one side of the heart.
   

   
   
   Repeat for all four ‘arms’. You will have four stitched small hearts.
5. If you like, repeating the process of step 4, add an second row of stitches to the inside. Use a different shade of floss for visual interest.
   Repeat a third time, with another shade of floss, if you prefer.
6. Your 3-D valentine is complete! If you want to make it into an ornament, sew a small loop of ribbon to the top center. Otherwise, hand it to someone you love!

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I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial! If hand embroidery is not your thing, consider using puff paint, glitter, sequins, buttons, or even printed fabric to help embellish your valentines!

Have a question or feedback? Please leave it in the comments below!

Quick and easy tote tutorial

This tote pattern was inspired by the best bag I ever had: big enough to carry a small selection of groceries or a creative project, but small enough that it never felt cumbersome. To expand on that bag’s great shape, I created three different sizes, each perfectly useful in its own right.

The simplicity of this tote design provides so much opportunity to exercise creativity! Choose a fun printed fabric and embellish it with embroidery. Create some graphic patchwork and quilt it for additional texture. Paint your own fabric to be used for the outside. Make it in leather for a chic look.

This pattern goes together so quickly, I doubt you will want to make just one!

SUPPLIES

For all sizes, you will need:

• Fashion fabric (I used printed cotton)
• Lining fabric (I used printed cotton)
• Webbing or ribbon for handles
• Thread
• Fusible fleece (optional; this adds body to the bag and stabilizes fabric)

TOOLS

• Rotary cutter (recommended) or scissors
• Quilter’s style see through ruler (I use 6.5” x 24”)
• Self-healing mat (if using rotary cutter)
• Marking tool (pen, pencil and chalk are all fine)
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Hand sewing needle (optional)

DIMENSIONS

Finished tote sizes:

• The small tote finishes approximately 9.5” tall x 8.25” wide x 3.25” deep
• The medium tote finishes approximately 12.25” t x 10.25” w x 4.25” d
• The large tote finishes approximately 14.75” t x 12” w x 5.25” d

DIRECTIONS

For this tutorial, we show the construction of a medium tote. All seam allowances are 3/8”.

1. Cut fashion and lining fabrics to size. If using fusible fleece, follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse to back of fashion fabric.

2. For each piece of fashion fabric, find center point of top edge. Measure and mark the distance from center point according to dimensions chart (e.g. for medium tote, measure and mark 3” to either side for a total spacing of 6”).

Next, take one strap and align raw edge of webbing to raw edge of fabric along the top, matching to the  outside of the spacing mark.

Repeat with other end of strap and second spacing mark.

On sewing machine, baste straps in place (I like to sew 1/4” from the edge).

3. Pin and sew one lining piece to fashion fabric along top edge using 3/8” seam allowance.

Repeat for second fashion fabric and lining pieces.

Iron to set seam, then iron lining and fashion sides down (this will help create a clean finish along top edge).

4. Take one side and reopen; lay wrong side down.

Open second side and lay atop the first, right sides together, matching fashion fabrics and aligning the seams at edges.

Sew the two side seams and the bottom seam for the fashion fabric. On the bottom edge for the lining, leave a 4” to 5” opening in the center. **NOTE: it is best not to  backstitch at the corners, as these will be pressed open and cut off**

Press flat.

5. Create the box bottom: in one corner, pull the two fabric pieces away from each other so the two seams match; press seams open. Using the ruler, measure and mark the length shown on the dimensions chart perpendicular to the seam line (e.g. for the medium tote, measure 4” from fold to fold). I find a quilting ruler marked with 45° angle to be particularly helpful to this task, as I can align with the folded edge.

Sew on machine; be certain to backstitch at the edges.

Trim seam allowance to 3/8”.

Repeat for all four corners. Press to set seams.

6. Turn the bag right side out through opening in bottom of lining.

Edge stitch the opening closed on the machine or blind stitch closed by hand.

Fit the lining into the tote body, matching the box corners.

7. Iron the top edge (this is where that ironing in step 3 comes in handy). Pin in place, if desired.

Stitch around top 1/8” from edge; stitch again 1/4″ from edge.

8. Admire your new bag!

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As mentioned above, there are many ways to personalize this tote!

In one version, I added a pocket to the lining…

…which would also work very well on the outside!

For another version, I used a printed fabric and a coordinating near solid for the lining. I added embroidery to the printed fabric and made a matching appliqué for the near solid. By finishing the ‘lining’ by hand, this becomes a reversible bag!

I hope you enjoy making your own version of this tote! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below!

Fanciful Felt Fairy Ornaments

I am excited to announce a new class at Nancy’s: Fanciful Felt Fairy Ornaments!

If you have visited our store in the past couple months, you will have seen wee figures dotting the landscape. These delightful figures are made following instructions from Sally Mavor’s new book Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures.

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This charming new class is taught by Kitrina, who also teaches Hand Embroidery Basics. She will take you through the construction of these dolls: making the bodies, embroidering the clothing, creating their faces, and adding hair. She will also share some of her own tips and tricks for constructing dolls with ease.

Taking place the first two Saturdays of December (12/5 and 12/12, 10:00am – 12:30pm), Fanciful Felt Fairy Ornaments is great for adults of all skill levels. The class fee is $75, which includes a copy of the book and supplies to make three fairy ornaments.

Perfect to make for your own holiday decor or to give as gifts, these ornaments are full of sparkle and charm!

If you are interested in signing up for this class, give us a call at the shop (206-282-9112)! Additional class details can be found on our website.

Get to know a Nancy’s employee: Susan

Today’s “get to know” interviewee might be best known as the ‘Ribbon Lady’. An accomplished historical costumer, she inspires everyone around her to fall in love with vintage textiles and trims and to appreciate the stories they carry. Please welcome Susan.

Who are you?
My name is Susan, though I also answer to ‘Ribbon Lady’.

How long have you worked at Nancy’s?
I think it’s been 18 years.

How long have you been sewing?
Since I was a very small child. As a toddler, I started with a yarn needle (my mother would thread it for me) and I would sit and sew for hours. I can hardly remember a time when I didn’t sew.

Do you have a special focus?
Handwork and historical costuming, though to me they are one and the same. I’m interested in basically all costuming eras aside from the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s. My favorite costumes to create are from the 18^th century and Edwardian eras, as both are suited to lots of handwork. Where 18^th century styles have fairly simple construction, Edwardian construction is a bit more challenging, which I enjoy.

The design and color palette for this c.1755 style gown was inspired by the small piece of antique fly fringe at the top of the stomacher.

My costuming process begins with my collection of textiles and trims. It is a slow process; I collect items and create kits of fabric and trims. I use mostly antique and vintage trims, as antique yardage is more difficult to find and more fragile. The starting point for a given costume is usually a single item, like a button or a trim; sometimes it is a tiny piece of 18^th century fly fringe, sometimes it is a piece of fabric from the 1920s.

A black-and-cream checkerboard fabric from the 1920s and vintage cherry motifs inspired this 18th century costume with harlequin details.

What was your first sewing project?
The first true project was sewing doll clothes. I had very well dressed dolls, in many eras of historical costume. Sewing and historical costume go hand-in-hand for me; the clothing of other eras has always been of more interest to me than the clothing I could see on the street.

What is your most recently completed project?
An Edwardian ball gown skirt, made in silk brocade with antique butterflies and antique Art Nouveau trim. The silk brocade is a very deep navy blue, the butterflies are black backed in gold metallic fabric with a slight pleat; it is a moody and mysterious color palette. I’m still working on the bodice that goes with it.

One of Susan’s completed Edwardian ball gowns, a true 1901 shape. Her recently completed skirt and soon-to-be finished bodice have a similar silhouette.

Do you have a most memorable or favorite project?
The most memorable project would be my daughter’s wedding dress. When I started making it, I believed I had six months to complete it. Then she was awarded an overseas scholarship that had to be used immediately, so the wedding was moved up five months. I completed it in three and a half weeks.

The bride, Susan’s daughter, and her groom on their wedding day.

It is an 18^th century style gown made in a color palette best described as ‘triple cream French vanilla’. The dress is vanilla-colored silk dupioni, with monochromatic embellishment, including embroidery, ribbon embroidery, beading, and dimensional ribbonwork. Most of this dress was made with modern materials, but I did use a gorgeous antique woven tubular silk ribbon. Though the tube is flattened, it still has a lovely dimensionality.

My favorite project is one of the two things that I made without a deadline: an 18^th century ensemble.The skirt was made of cream-colored wool challis, which I embroidered using antique thread. Some of the embroidery – a double wave of pearls winding around the skirt – was inspired by something I saw on an 18^th century skirt. The floral motifs were informed by the availability of colors in the antique thread. My mother was a florist and I spent lots of time in her shop when I was young; I used my memories of different flowers to create the motifs, which include lilies of the valley, pansies, forget-me-nots, sweet peas, tiger lilies, anemones, and morning glories. Because I didn’t have a deadline, I was able to spend time experimenting with the flowers. It was lovely.

Susan in her favorite 18th century ensemble

To coordinate, I made a Pierrot jacket using an incredible antique 18^th century silk fabric in brown with a woven stripe. I trimmed the jacket with white silk organza ruffles, two 18^th century metallic trims (one ruffled, the other serpentine), and ribbon and thread buttons from the Victorian era. It wasn’t the most ornate or structurally complex costume I have made, but I felt totally at home in it and it remains a favorite.

What project is next?
At present, I am preparing for an exhibition of my costumes, which will take place November 11^th through 15^th at the Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater at the University of Washington. The show will feature more than 50 costumes, ranging in date from the late 17^th century (Cavalier era) through the 1920s.

In terms of costume, I have several works in progress: an embroidered 1920s coat and the bodice to the Edwardian ball gown skirt, among others. I plan to finish the Edwardian bodice next.

What do you love most about Nancy’s?
The quality of the staff and the quality of the merchandise. And the Ribbon Room, of course! The Ribbon Room and I were made for each other.

Thank you Susan! We are all so excited to see your costumes on display in November. To learn more about Susan’s exhibit, including glimpses into her incredible historical wardrobe, please go to the event website: Art of the Costume.

All photographs in this post courtesy of Nancy’s employee Susan and may not be used without express permission.

Embroidered ‘Guest Book’ Tablecloth

Today we are sharing a fun project that makes a fabulous keepsake to commemorate weddings, new homes, and more!

Inspired by one of our customers, who uses a linen tablecloth to remember all the visitors to her house, we decided this project would make a unique and fun guest book for a wedding reception! One of the best parts: this can be added to throughout the years!

Our guest book tablecloth is a very simple project; it just requires time and basic embroidery skills (though it can certainly be made more challenging if you prefer 😉 ).

We start by embroidering a pretty heart motif, along with the couple’s names and their wedding date to the center of a tablecloth.

At the reception, guests use a washable ink pen to sign their names and well wishes on the tablecloth.

We then make their signatures permanent by embroidering over them for posterity. The result is a lovely keepsake tablecloth!

Interested in making a guest book tablecloth? Follow our quick tutorial below!

Guest Book Tablecloth Tutorial

We love all the opportunity for customization this project provides! This would make a lovely housewarming gift for a first home, including the tools needed to make it an ongoing project! It would also be fabulous for a 50^th anniversary party! Making one for newlyweds? Incorporate their wedding motif or monogram and colors into the cloth! If it’s for someone who loves color, do the signatures in different hues! Alternately, use embroidery floss in a shade similar to the color of the cloth for a sophisticated, textured monochrome palette.

SUPPLIES

• Tablecloth for ‘guest book’; can be store-bought or hand-made (we made ours from 60” wide Essex, a linen/cotton blend, in white)
• Embroidery pattern (commercial or your own motif)
• Embroidery floss (for our central motif we used four shades each of leaf greens and rosy pinks-to-reds, plus a variegated brown and for all lettering we used a dark grey)
• Washable ink pen for reception

TOOLS

• Embroidery hoop
• Needles
• Iron

NOTE: We used an iron-on commercial pattern transfer for the heart motif and created our wording on the computer. If you want to use your own motif (e.g. your wedding motif or couples’ monogram) and do an iron transfer, be certain to make a mirror image of your motif to ensure you transfer correctly. You can also print as normal and trace your motif by hand using a light-box.

1. After determining where you would like your motif placed on the tablecloth, transfer your embroidery pattern.

2. Embroider the motif.

A note: some commercial embroidery patterns include specific color guides, but ours did not. We found the perfect inspiration in a tea saucer!

We used satin stitch for our floral heart motif and the couple’s names and backstitched the date.

When embroidery is complete, iron tablecloth in preparation of the event.

3. At wedding, lay out tablecloth with pens available for signing. To ensure no guest’s signature would impose on our main embroidery, we made a dotted outline around it.

4. Using a simple stitch, embroider over guests signatures. We used a backstitch, which has a clean look and really allows the personality of each signature to shine.

Once your embroidery is complete, wash out the ink (according to the pen’s instructions when applicable), dry, iron. Your new tablecloth is ready for use!

Get to know a Nancy’s employee: Kitrina

Today we “get to know” our talented and prolific assistant store manager for Nancy’s Sewing Basket! She is the person responsible for the incredible 1927 Cloud Cape that we featured earlier this year. She also teaches our fabulous embroidery class: Hand Embroidery Basics! Who are you? Hi! I’m Kitrina. How long have you worked at Nancy’s? I started when my youngest went to kindergarten. She turned 21 last week, so I’ve been with the store for 16 years. Although, before she was even born, I taught smocking classes at Nancy’s when we still had a classroom space.

A smocked dress, with detail.

How long have you been sewing?
I’ve been sewing since I was six years old.

Do you have a special focus?
I like handwork. I love embroidery and embellishing, though I do all kinds of things. What do they say? ‘Jack of all trades, master of none.’

[editor’s note: I don’t agree. I feel like Kitrina is very much a master of anything she does.]

I’m adopted and my family of origin didn’t really keep stuff, but creating keepsakes for my own family gives me a charge. I have this embroidered piece that my great-grandmother made when she was eight. I put my spirit into the things I make, hoping that my work will keep me alive long after I’m gone.

I’ve had several focuses of interest, including heirloom sewing, smocking, and different kinds of embroidery, including crewel work.

The christening gown Kitrina made for her daughter using washed silk dupioni. She says at the baptism, the priest asked how long this had been in the family and she was delighted to say, “About two weeks!”

The hand embroidered inscription on the gown lining.

The full set: christening gown, bonnet, and booties.

A cotton dress and under-dress featuring heirloom sewing techniques and trimmings.

A sweet embroidered inscription on the under-dress.

A fun example of crewel work with applique and embroidery.

The bodies of these incredible sheep are made from french knots!

Another blanket featuring crewel work.

Love the texture on the butterfly!

This bumble bee is three dimensional!

Check out that glistening snail trail!

What was your first sewing project?
Pre-printed pillowcases that my aunty gave me to embroider. She said, very seriously, ‘you can embroider these and give them to me for Christmas,’ which I did. This arrangement continued for many years until the one time I didn’t give them back and she stopped providing them to me. They were a great way to keep my hands busy.

What is your most recently completed project?
I take on projects for clients and I recently completed custom construction and alterations for four different brides. It was a fun and exciting spring wedding season, but I’m happy to have more time to work on other projects.

In my personal work, I recently created a keepsake memory pillow for my daughter’s twenty-first birthday. She had asked for us to have our portrait taken together, but I wasn’t really feeling it. Instead, I found lots of pictures of us from her lifetime (special thanks to my husband for always having a camera around!), which I printed onto fabric and then embellished with handwork.

Do you have a most memorable or favorite project?
Most memorable was the first play that I costumed: The Lion King, for a local school. I’d never really done something of that scale before – there were 40 students in the production and zero budget. I soft sculpted headdresses out of fabric to make giraffes, elephants, a zebra, the lions, Rafiki the baboon, Timon the meerkat and Pumba the warthog, the three hyenas, and a chorus of singers. It was all very effective.

Simba’s headdress

Two of the three hyenas. Kitrina put Ed’s eyeballs on springs so they were especially erratic looking (on the left).

Timon was a favorite costume.

In my personal work, I have a number of favorite, ongoing projects. I make boxers for my sons using the Italian shirting cottons offered at Nancy’s (I don’t think my sons have worn store-bought underwear since they were children). The quality of the fabric is incomparable; the elastic breaks down and the thread wears out, but the fabric remains intact. It’s awesome.

I also have eighty 10” x 10” crazy quilt squares that I work on little by little. My intention is to make the squares into four different throws: one quilt for myself and one for each of my three children.

Working at Nancy’s over the years, I have had opportunity to collect beautiful scraps of fabrics. One of my favorite things about crazy quilts is that small scraps are very effective.

When I decided to start working on this project, I went through my stash and started pulling anything in a palette of browns, golds, soft blues, and pinks. I began each block with a brown center, and then built around it with fabrics and embellishments.

Nine of Kitrina’s 80 (!) crazy quilt squares

A single block, chosen at random.

The brown center provides a subtle foundation for the embellishment and colors surrounding.

I work on a block until I’m tired of looking at it, then move on to another. Sometimes I will ‘audition’ a trim or an embroidery motif to decide if I like it; on occasion, I remove an embellishment.

Here are a few detail shots from different blocks:

What project is next?
A beautiful iridescent chiffon gown for a Mother of the Groom. I am using a muted palette of mossy greens and soft golds. It’s for a destination wedding in Napa Valley. It is going to be such a fabulous event and I’m happy to be making something so incredible for it.

For myself: a new summer wardrobe! I am in love with the tunic pattern that is used in the DEF class and I’m currently working on renditions five, six, and seven.

What do you love most about Nancy’s?
The visual beauty of the store; it’s very nurturing to my spirit. And the women friends. I also really appreciate the owner of the store; it’s nice that they appreciate their staff.

Thanks so much to Kitrina for sharing her gorgeous work with us! Any questions for her? Leave them in the comments!

All photographs in this post are courtesy of Nancy’s Sewing Basket employee Kitrina and may not be used without express permission.