Whoo- Do you Love? T-shirt Pendant Tutorial

Don't you love how ideas come together? You're browsing a bookstore and something kind of tugs at you, later you're at the fabric store and you get another tug, then you're driving home and spot something out the window- another tug. Sometimes that's enough and sometimes this can go on for weeks even months as little bits of an idea just sort of fall into place. As if you're mentally sorting a puzzle while discovering the pieces along the way. You never know just when you'll come across one.

The idea for this tutorial came about in this way. I found a book on fabric jewelry at the library, then I was thinking about some fabric necklaces I'd made last year for the book, later I was cleaning out my basement and found a ton of old t-shirts. Then, sorting the laundry I found the owl t-shirt I'd been looking for. All seemingly seperate actions and diverse images that became the basis for this tutorial. So take a look and if you make one or something inspired by it I'd love to have you post them on my facebook fan page! Thanks!

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Owl Pendant: T-shirt Necklace Tutorial

Tools and Materials
knit t-shirt fabric in asst. colors ( I have light blue, darker blue, and cream)
embroidery floss to contrast with t-shirt colors (I used blue, brown, and orange DMC)
needle
scissors ( I like the small Ikea scissors for trim work)
Crop-a-dile
eyelet
jump ring

Step One: Cut from your material the basic owl shape. I cut this free hand but you can make up your own template.

Step Two: Cut pieces for the front belly of the owl, the wings, and the eyes. To get the exact shape of the wings I placed my large owl shape on top of my light blue fabric and cut following the edge of that shape.

Step Three: Using your needle, threaded with embroidery floss very carefully stitch the front of the owl, the eyes, and then add any extra decorative stitching you desire. I free-stitched the eyes, and added a little stitching to his head.




Step Four: Make sure any loose threads are knotted close to the fabric and trimmed on the backside of your pendant.

Step Five: Place your owl on top of another piece of t-shirt material that's slightly larger and stitch together by going around the edge of your owl shape. When you get to the spots where the wings should go add them in. Carefully trim around your shape.

Step Six: To finish your pendant use your handy-dandy crop-a-dile and add the eyelet. To add the eyelet you first have to cut a hole for it. To do this use the larger hole punch on your crop-a-dile. Then place your eyelet in and squeeze to secure. * variation below

Step Seven: Cut a strip of t-shirt material to your desired length. Add a jump ring to your eyelet and then thread your fabric through this. Tie the two ends together to make a knot and wear your fabric pendant with pride!!!

*Variation*- You can stop at step 4 before adding the eyelet and add a pinback to your owl instead. That option would look like this... For added embellishment you can also add some decorative stitching to the front cream part of the owl. I thought stitching on some overlapping antique shell buttons to represent feathers would be cute here too. Or stitch on a neck tie- it's up to you!!!

Aaah...Paree!

It's officially Spring now but today it's sleeting outside. Luckily I have my new and beautiful stamp set, Paris in Love, to focus me on much lovelier things and buoy my spirits! This is the third set Shelley of Singlestone Studios designed for her April 1st release. I LOVE this set. More than any of the other sets this one seems to speak to me. Yes I love the images but I love the way you can look at the images and see a story. As if they are illustrations to some great romance that has yet to be written. There is great music out that will paint a picture in your head while you listen to it. That is the best way I can describe how I feel about this collection of text and images. The rose tossed to the ground, the looming Eiffel Tower in silhouette, the swirl seems like a breeze, the postmark, they all point to a place and a story. Maybe there was a love letter? Maybe some secret assignation between two lovers who's hearts pound as they meet. They don't need to speak, they've written all their thoughts in letters. Now they only whisper little phrases that say nothing but that speak to each heart of a great love.

I don't know how Shelley chose the images and text she did for this set but I really do LOVE how it all comes together in my imagination and tells me this story. The first piece of artwork I did with this set is kind of a memory board of this love story that didn't actually happen. I chose postcard papers and pages from a French-English Dictionary to create the background. Then I added some ink, some paint, and the stamped imagery. I loved the scratched up, mixed media feel of the piece. So I really accentuated that. I added some paper patterned with script that made me think of the love letters I was envisioning. The red acrylic was to add a sense of passion and romance. I think the addition of the wire flower, because of the way it's attached, gave me the sense that this was a sign of sorts. In another form it would have been hanging over the entrance to a cafe but here, it merely points the way to my story of lovers. I really loved how this piece came together and I had a ton of fun creating it.

After this piece I thought it would be fun to make an invitation with the stamps. I created some ink blots, and used a credit card in black acrylic to frame the Tower. Then, because I was having waaayy too much fun with this set, I threw together this little clay pendant. Again it has the roughed up aged quality that just screams romance to me. The final project I have in mind I haven't done yet. But can't you just imagine a pair of white undies embellished with red lace and some of these stamped images? I have to try it! When I do I'll post so you can see what I mean. Trust me, it will be sooo cute you're gonna want your own!

The Paris set, the Tweet set, and the Butterfly Garden set all go on sale TOMORROW- April 1st! To purchase go to www. singlestonestudios.com! Then when you've done you're own projects I would LOVE to see pics!!