Commissioned wristlets instead of refashioned skirt

Well, you see what my last post was about. I've gotten a little sidetracked since then by a... *trumpet trill* Commission!

A week ago last Tuesday a bride purchased my frilly wristlet in my etsy shop and asked me to make some for her bridesmaids. How could I say no?

I offered her a few fabric choices, and she chose the blue and white. So cute!

First, I made a pattern, remembering as much as I could from putting the first one (the bride's wristlet) together a month or so ago. I traced this onto poster board and cut it out, so as to have a more durable pattern. Next, I cut out everything: fashion fabric, lining, batting, batting backing, interfacing, etc. I figured I'd do everything in an assembly-line way to save time. It worked pretty well.

Next I made quilt sandwiches out of the fashion fabric, batting, and backing. I then quilted them together using a straight stitch and my walking foot. To make things a bit easier, I just followed the lines on the fabric.

I finally put my ruffler foot to use on this blue satin blanket binding.

At first I stitched the blue ruffles to the gold ribbon, but then had to pick it out once I decided I wanted the blue ruffles on each side of each wristlet. I had used some rayon binding that I had in my stash, but ran out. The satin blanket binding that I picked up at Joann's was a bit glossier and smoother, so I picked out the rayon stuff and added the poly satin back in.

Here I am putting the lining together.

I've figured out a way, with my laptop hooked to my camera, to use my cordless trackball mouse to take photos. I then just have to angle my arm so I can click the left mouse button with my elbow. LOL. In this way, I can (hopefully) start doing tutorials!

Getting ready to put the zip in after I've stitched the pleated bottom to the flat top.

I stitched both the outer fabric and the lining to the zipper. I then pinned the lining in place on the inside of the outer fabric (wrong side to wrong side) and topstitched just on the outside of the zipper seam for a more finished look. After that, I hand-stitched on each pearly button (knotting each one separately).

After the buttons, I threaded the gold organza ribbon thru and around the button shanks in a decorative way. After that, I hand-stitched the gold ribbon down in a few strategic spots around the buttons, then used a faggoting stitch on my machine to stitch it down in more visible areas.

Here's a photo of all four wristlets, showing off their different linings.

A shot of all four wristlet fronts. I later added a simple zipper pull of a pearly shank button on a bit of organza ribbon, knotted after passing through the white zipper pull "eye."

I hope you've enjoyed browsing through my process. These were quite a bit of fun to make, and I plan on making more wristlets from the same pattern soon.

Maybe I can get back to that skirt first, though. :)

Marie Antoinette Frilly Wristlet Featured!

My little wristlet has been featured as item of the week at Sunspot Hemp Wears Blog! A big thanks to Kali for choosing it! Go check out her blog to see previous items of the week including a yummy body scrub and a crocheted purse.

Frilly Marie Antoinette Wristlet Done!

I put the finishing touches on it tonight!

You can see more photos of it in my shop. I've got to get to bed now because I'm sleep deprived, but I hope you all have a great Tuesday!

Flowers and a bag!

This past week I've been a busy girl! I sold my first bag and a few vintage patterns. *insert happy dance here*

I've also been crafting quite a bit. Last weekend, I bought Crafty Pod author Diane Gilleland's book, Kanzashi In Bloom. Her step-by step photo illustrations and concise instructions make this book very easy to follow, and encouraged me to dive right in!


Below are her book and my first two victim, er... volunteer fabrics!

Here are my first three blooms. The top (all red) uses the pleated petal technique, the dark flower is folded in the rounded petal style, and the dual-colored bloom is a mix of rounded and pointed petals.

I'm still busy finishing up a few bags, so I haven't finished and embellished them yet, but I will soon, and I'll make some more colorful friends for them to hang out with!

Speaking of which, here's one of those bags in process. I'm defining it as an "art bag." It will be a wristlet, but it's my first, and I'm making it up as I go. I knew I wanted something pretty and a bit frilly when I picked the little fabric scraps out of my stash. The flower and ribbon fabric was from a friend who was giving away some of her scraps. It's just darling, isn't it? It turns out that this fabric was actually a fabric sample from a little French Linens shop here in town. It made me feel extra good about this purse to know that I was re-using something that otherwise might have gone in the trash.



I decided I wanted to throw some purple in there, so I quilted the bottom in a harlequin-style diamond pattern. I also used up the last of the purple ribbon that decorated my SIL's purse.



The lace I recently found at a former gas station now crammed full of estate sale finds in a tiny little town 15 miles north of me. It just screamed, "Put me on the frilly wristlet!"

Ok! Ok! Who am I to say no? Sheesh!



The pearls and the ribbon wanted to be part of this particular pretty, so there they are, on the little wristlet. The pearl buttons were from a vintage lot of buttons I purchased a while ago on Ebay.

I've got to get back to it, so thanks for reading, and ta ta for now!