Make Your Own Lace and Embellishments..cheaply!

I have been steadily working on my Fabric and Lace Memory book for a few weeks now. I was a bit concerned when I suddenly noticed I was not looking forward to working on the pages! When I say "I'll work on it after I do the dishes"... I know for certain...something is wrong!!! I realized I was kind of bored with the pages. Why was that, I asked myself? I realized I was using the same laces and trims and doing the same thing with them! I was just tired of using and seeing the same laces and trims. A sure fire way to crush the creativity! I had been checking the 2 thrift stores in my town for craft and fabric supplies, but neither has had anything for a few months. So...I forced myself to get my coupons together and make a trip to Joann's. Yeah, right. That was a hard thing to force myself to do! I was out the door in minutes!

We all need Trims, Lace and other Embellishments - at a "cheap" price!  So I say.. make your own! Why pay $3.97 a yard for ready made lace, that you can make yourself for pennies?

At Joann's, I walked right past the fabric...(there's a first time for everything) and went right to the bolts of lace. I had 6, 40/50% off coupons so I started looking for lace yardage. I found these laces at $5.99 a yard and  figured 1/2 yard each of 6 different colors/kinds would keep me from getting bored for a little while!  I chose these colors....

These were $5.99 a yard and with my coupon...I paid $3 a yard. I figure 1/2 yard of each so that made the 1/2 yard $1.50. I got blue, yellow, rust and beige would make many gathered flowers, page ruffle and have some for the size of the page or other feature. And since I can use multiple colors on one page, I can use a little of each color on a page if I want to! I did get 1 yard of the beige as that is the best for the main ruffle on any page adorned by another color of lace on each page side. The blue and yellow and rust have a scalloped edge which I cut off about 2 inches wide to use as a decoration somehow on a page.




Then I saw these  >>>>>>>
Sparkley, shiney, gorgeous yardage! The sparkle shows a little in the picture, but for real...it is shiney and sparkley! It will be perfect for the same...gathered flowers, page ruffle or the size of a page similar as I did on the
Princess Dress page.    At $7.99 a yard, I got 1/2 yard of each of these and with coupon that was  $2 for 1/2 yard each

Then I wandered around the "lacey" bolts and found this...tulle or netting... not sure what it is called. I thought it'd be good for making the gathered flowers. Red, pink, yellow, white and green. I like multiple  "petals" on the flowers. I got 1/4 yard each and it was $1.49 a yard so...for 75 cents.. I'll take a chance on it working! However, when I worked with it at home...bit more trouble than it is worth! VERY thin and slippery and hard to see to gather etc. But I will work with it and figure something out

And then, as habit tells me to do, I wandered to the button isle...where the buttons were 40% off without a coupon! So I looked around and found these....

They are all a "tarnished" silver and three have a pearl in the center and the other 2 have a filagree pattern on them....and one of those is gold. These will go with any page in any fashion and they look "vintage-y" and memorable! I can sew them on or glue them on. These were $1.50 to $1.75 each and with 40% off that...I would have gotten more, but these were all they had like this!

Then turn around to the wall of lace and I looked ONLY at the red tag items... and specifically at the 50 cent a yard and found these.......

The two ric-raks were 25 cents a yard so I got 4 yards. Ric-rak is good for covering  lace edges. The black "tape" looking trim has gold in it and the white pearls.. I have used the silver ones I have and they look great so I know I will use these and for 50 cents a yard...got 2 yards. The sequins...pink...not sure on those but they will cover edges nicely and since they are shiney...they'll look great no matter how used! 50 cents a yard I got 1 yard.

I got some of that self adhesive Velcro in white as I intend to use that for envelopes or holding removable things in place and it was 50% off.

So I got enough to inspire me again and keep me going for  a little while!

Last night I made this flower.

Here's HOW TO MAKE A GATHERED FLOWER....

I used the pink sparkley FABRIC and cut 2,1/2 inch wide strip BY 12" long. I found that to be the best for me, but you can make your sizes whatever you want. The beige lace cut 2" wide and the pink in the middle was 1,1/2" wide lace strip and of course, the pearl button in the center. All you do is fold the strip in half, gather the raw edges and pull the gather threads until the fabric is all gathered and then make a few stitches to secure and then tack the two raw end edges togetheR...and you are done! You can wiggle the gathers around to make the flower "even. Then just stack them and either sew together or you could use a glue gun on this.

It looks better "for real" and I can't wait to add it to a page! What I am going to do first tho.. is make several flowers in different colors...one for each girls book. I don't want one of these flowers on every page, but since making so many books, I am using my "can't look at this stuff again" times to make up some embellishments to have ready to use when I am back in the saddle again! I am going to look for a new style/pattern of fabric flower to make...or maybe a bow of some kind!

So.. check the sales and the coupons and know that you don't have to buy as much as if you were
quilting or making something big. If you are making one book...it would be even cheaper! I think this "stash" will last me for awhile! I am also using more print/pattern fabric from my quilting stash instead of solid white (bleached muslin) fabric...and that is working well!

Hope I was able to inspire you all to either get started making or continue making your own version of a fabric lace memory book! If you have any pictures.. I'd love to see them!
  Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!
If you'd like to start from the beginning or refer to a previous post, here are all the related posts to my adventure in creating a   Fabric and Lace Memory Book.

Princess Dress - Love This Page!
My First Page and some Tips
It's Coming to Life and so Much Fun!
How I Organized my Supplies
Shabby Chic and I Am Hooked!


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What is the coolest thing EVER???? Needle Nannies

I won a giveaway in the Grow Your Blog blog hop from  Reflections of a Desert Rat. It was a surprise when I entered, and I was REALLY surprised when I got the package! It was several little gadgets...and I love gadgets....to help and assist hand sewing...mostly embroidery. Well, I am not embroidering at the moment, but...I am doing alot of hand sewing on my Fabric Lace Memory books. I was totally shocked and thrilled when I opened the Needle Nannie package! I have NEVER seen anything like this before!


This is what the giveaway I received was.
Thanks so much, Bette, from Reflections of a Desert Rat

This is what I received I hope the picture shows up!

My most favorite gadget in the package was a Needle Nannie. It helps keep your needle close at hand without worry of loosing it...check it out!!!

NEEDLE NANNIES

A "Needle Nannie" (and the name fits me perfectly as I am after all, the Quilting Nanny!) is a needle keeper or needle minder. It is a decorative metal "piece" with a magnet on the back...and an additional separate magnet...and you put the metal piece on the fabric you are sewing and the other magnet on the back and it snaps together and then because it is now fully magnetized... you just put your needle on the piece..and it stays there! When you are done with the needle, this little gadget holds it for you! Never a lost needle anymore. I have a pin cushion near, but always fiddle between the pins in the cushion and the needle. This is strong and holds the needle until you need it again! And the magnet is strong so no worry of  it ever loosing its strength and falling off your fabric piece! They are about 1,1/2 inch circle size. Large enough to hold the needle and still find it yet small enough to not get in the way!  I know it sounds silly, but I started using this Needle Nannie with may hand sewing of my fabric books and I don't see how I ever did hand sewing without it!


Made and sold at Puffin and Company, they merge the art of crafting, the beauty of nature and the benefits of innovation to provide you the best in needlework, knitting & quilting tools.  You can read about how this idea started as one of those "AH-ha!!!" moments and these ingenious gadgets were born and created to help all us thread crafters in our endeavors to create our "something special's" from now till the end of time!!!

They have scissor "sitters" and "keepers" to hold your scissors close and handy!

An item I am thinking of getting should I go back to embroidery... is their fabulous
Thread Separators. This tool keeps those strands in line with no tangles or knots! And your embroidery, cross stitch or needlepoint time will be just a bit more fun…simply fabulous. Watch the viedo on the page and see how it works.

There are so many cool little HELPFUL gadgets to choose from.. I book marked the store and plan to make a purchase... the scissor sitters and the thread separator are in mind first. But they have several other items I want too!

If you are interested...you can purchase Needle Nannies here. They are the coolest gadget I have seen in a LONG time.. I love mine! Don't know how I hand sewed without it!




Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!



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