Mini art with appliques

New pieces of mini fabric art i made.

These are two nature/environmental conscious pieces. Want expand on this idea a bit more, making notes in my idea journal as we speak. Both images are part of an illustration i did a while ago "I think Green". Transferred them onto white felt and turned them into appliques.

I also did two pieces with big eyed girl illustrations i made. I don't think i have showed those here before, they are from a series i did. Oh, a pink version of the girl on the left was featured here, on sort of cherry notepaper like illustration.

Fabric mini art

I'm working on a bunch of these fabric mini art pieces. The base are 3"x3" canvasses with fabric wrapped neatly around them. I sewed on the appliques that i made from my own illustrations transferred to white wool felt.

The yellow deers i did for a pattern of which i wanted to have fabric printed from. (Maybe a great idea to go and try my Spoonflower account)

These deers come from the illustration i did some time ago for a birth announcement card for a friend of mine. I think used as appliques here they would make a sweet babyshower gift. Yes, did give my friend the first edition of these mini arts to put in her little girl's room.

Happyness

My work in progress is making me happy today.
Prepping ismoyo illustrations to be transformed into felt appliques.

Pay it forward #3

I never did show the last Pay it Forward package i had sent out. I made two small fabric mini art pieces and two vintage image bottle cap magnets. They went to Sabine Brandt, just before she went on a trip, so i had to wait with showing it here until she would get back and see them first, then i kinda forgot to post and show off. Better late then never?

Mail sent and mail received

Yesterday was a wonderful mail day. I got some mail sent out and there was some mail received. By me and by people who were waiting to get something from me.
First of all, Suki has been sent on to the first part of her journey!

Then there was the email from Mandy saying that she received my Pay it Forward crafts. I made her two mini (3"x3") fabric art pieces. One with one of my illustrations turned into a felt applique and one with a felt flower on the front. I added two bottlecap magnets with images taken from my vintage postcard collection.
More surprises arrived at new homes. I did a cute and crafty swap with Roxanne and she got the goodies I've sent her. I don't have a picture of all the goodies i put in the box, but do have a picture of what i made for her. I felted this little bear like animal for her. I found this pretty box which made a perfect little home, it fitted like a glove!


Last month i was the very lucky winner of this gorgeous milk glass set from the wonderful blog at happydash! It took awhile for it to arrive here, due to the wonderful service at my local post office (yes, this is sarcastic).
But let's say it was just to build up anticipation and my joy was even greater when it finally did arrive! It is soooo gorgeous i can't even explain. The two cups and plates with their lovely prints and the shape of the plates resemble painters tablets. Oooohhh... loving it, thank you Tonya for spoiling me with these!
And i got even more spoiled when i opened up a surprise package from Jonah of Maluhia Designs. The prettiest and cutest fabric! I really needed to catch my breath for a second. I can't think of any crafty project that is so wonderful that i will be able to really cut in these fabrics. But i'm also aware they are meant for me to use. Maybe one day i'll think of something. Thank you sooo much for this amazing treat!

Quick project: Doilly Pillows

2 purple pillows, some fabric glue and 3 vintage doillies = quick weekend project!

Guitar appliques

When Love came back from his European tour a couple of weeks ago, he brought home a couple of new patches from the cities he had visited. I had sewn on a few on his guitarbag before, which was already not a joy to do. But these, further down the bag were horrible to do. Especially since my current craft space doesn't involve a lot of actual space. And you need to turn the bag totally around while sewing, meaning the whole thing has to go through the open area of the machine. How? Well i don't know either. With a lot of energy, persistence and a bit of cursing along the way.
But my Loves excitement and happy smiles made it all worth it in the end.

Secret Sneak Preview

A lot of my creative time lately has been going to a project i can't actually say anything about yet.
I would really love to show what i did so far but i must leave it at this secret sneak preview picture for now.
What will actually come out of my work for this project isn't sure either. So pray for me will you? Thank you.
As soon as i can disclose i will update on this!
Don't you love secrets?

Fabric collage wall art

This project was a work in progress for a long reason. No particular reason, you know, sometimes you just have a project that's just there all the time waiting to be finished but never really gets the priority to finish up. Finally i have. I think the girl turned out cute. Since one project leads to another, i'm thinking of doing some more smaller pieces with only cute girls. With this project i didn't have a set idea of how i wanted it to end up when i started. I've put some fabric on a framed canvas and opened my fabric scrap box and let the fabric pieces lead the way. Next time i will draw a sketch first and start cutting and sewing next.

Would be nice as nursery art, but if your anything like me, always a kid at heart, you don't need a nursery to put it up on the wall! hehe

cute as a button pouches

I thought i had already posted about these. Just realized i hadn't yet.

Each pouch has cute inside lining and it's own matching button. Either on the pouch or attached to the zipper as a cute zipperpull.

Blank cards + Fabric

Blank cards + Fabric and a little bit of embroidery = Animal fabric collage postcards

mini art

mini fabric collage, felt chick with tiny embroidered eye and feet on small canvas frame (4x4" / 10x10 cm).




I have one more of these small canvasses. I'll surely be on the lookout for more. I think they're sweet and i have more ideas for them!

Fabric Collages

Very much inspired by the fabric wall art i had in my room as a little little girl during the seventies. I remember it vividly. It wasn't padded like the ones i made, it was a heavy off white/yellow fabric with loops and a stick on top to hang. It was lovely decorated with scraps of fabric shaped as a sun and two playing kids. I wonder where it's gone.

The one i like the most is the one on the right, and that's double good since that was the last i made (always learn and get better each step you take, love your last work) and it's good since that one i want to give to my girl who is pregnant right now. It might look cute in the nursery. (i'm guessing she currently has better things to do and other things on her mind than to read my blog, hoping it stays a surprise) The little one might even play with it. Don't know what she could do with it, but there are no rough parts or parts that can come off, everything is stitched very securely. And best thing is the soft back, done in supersoft white flannel. Still my original purpose for them wasn't to end up as a baby drooling pad but to be put on the wall. Baby's first piece of art. ;)

New wallart

I was thinking my work area could use another inspiration board. And you can never have enough wall art if you ask me. (i am aware there actually are people out there who like to keep their homes and walls 'neutral'. who wants to live in an all white house? i don't understand...)

With both I started out with a plain canvas frame. For the inspirationboard i added some padding in between the canvas and the yellow fabric. I used an applique stitch (if that is how you call it) to sew on the other pieces of fabric that are basicly just there as decoration. It also has a corner pocket and a pink elastic band with tiny pegs.

The other is mainly a combination of fabric and trims with a vintage flower brooch on it. It kinda reminds me of a garden.

Potential progress

When i close my eyes i see the potential. I see how i want this work in progress to end up.
Making a white and brown vinyl bag. I did all i had to do, drew up the pattern, cut all the pieces out, did all the preparations. And now i feel stuck. Maybe because when i close my eyes i see a gorgeous bag and with my eyes open I'm not totally sure how to do it...
The thought that i might mess it up and all the prep work was for nothing scares me a little bit. Oh i wish i had it finished already.
Got to do what i got to do, take a deep breath and do the best i can. Hopefully it will work out and i'll be able to show the new bag soon!

Quilting the fog away

Update on the patchwork blanket I'm making for my love.
Made some good progress but doubting if i get it finished within the next days.

Today with every block i finish i wish that the fog will go away above London.
Why?
Love is going to be flying from NY to Amsterdam tonight, with a stopover in London tomorrow morning. Problem is that there seems to be too much fog above London so almost all flights are being cancelled today... Hope tomorrow the sky will have cleared.

>> update: the fog didn't want to move, so my love was stuck at heathrow way too long, but eventually got on a plane and made it over to Amsterdam! It's a merry christmas!

Nano cozy

I've made this ipod cozy for the daughter of a friend of mine. I hope she likes!! I was a bit nervous about the sizing, since it's for an ipod nano and i didn't have one of those laying around to try and fit it in there. But i took the measurements and it's very small so it should fit. I made it a little bit broader on purpose. Could always make it smaller if that would be necessary. But i haven't heard anything about it, so i guess it's all right like it is. I made another simple, pretty ipod cozy to work out the sizing, forgot to take a picture of that one.

Another quilt in progress

Since I'm not all selfish and i enjoyed making my pink quilt so much, i have started on another one! Making a green/blue-ish version this time.
For my Love, hope to have it finished in time for our 7 year (!) anniversary in January. Hope i can find enough green scraps of fabric in between all the pink piles i have!!

I am making some progress already. The little owl has already found it's place in between the squares.

I'm currently being surrounded by squares and squares of green and blue.

In need of some pink....

hihi

Fabric wallhangings

Still catching up here. I have been wanting to put up these pictures, and I don't know why I couldn't find/make any time to show them. So finally.

They are fabric covered canvases. Can't have enough wall art. I was reminded of them by Meshell's creations a while ago. It took me awhile to get to take pictures of them.


I've gone wild sewing on buttons, fabric, trims and other decorations. I enjoy making color compositions. It feels like everything has it's specific place, even before I even start, their own spot where it belongs. My task is to get them there. Sometimes it works and I get it, but sometimes I don't and that makes me sad..

The girl with the geese on the checkered fabric is a picture I found on one of my vintage children's postcards. I got her onto the fabric trying out the freezer paper fabric printing for the first time. The border under the ducky, or is it another goose? are three different trims stacked on top of each other. The flowers on the right fabric canvas were printed on iron-on paper. Used some scraps of white felt to iron them on to. (think I'll make more of these 'appliques', I like!)

More decorations on fabric. It's like making a collage. One of my favorite pastimes! The lady on the right canvas is my mom. I used the same image on my very fist handmade bag too! And same as with the flowers above, ironed the image onto white felt.

Promo banner/table cover

Not very much to tell about this. My Ismoyo banner/table cover that i was working on, is now as good as finished. It makes me so happy entering my livingroom and seeing the pink banner! It came out almost like i wanted it to. I just need to figure out if, and what i want to put in the center of the flowers.
For now, I'll leave it like it is.

New glasses and flower appliques

I had to make myself happy with a little something something today. I picked up my new glasses. And although i use them only early morning and late night, the rest of the time i use contacts, i just don't feel pretty right now. I have to get used to them since i haven't had a pair of glasses in a long time and now it's making me nauseous too...
The optician happens to be close to a market where i don't come often so i strolled and found these gorgeous embroidery appliques. They look like iron on, but they aren't.
Does anyone have a tip for me how to best use these? Do i have to sew tiny stitches all along the sides? Do i use fabric glue (never a really big fan of)?
For now i just have them to look at and be happy about.
Forget about the glasses.

Another summery sweet bag

I wish i had this fabric in loads of more colors. I love how my crafty project come out when using it.

This is a rather large size messengerbag (15 1/2" x 11"). It could have been a bit smaller, but now at least it fits all my large notebooks. Which can come in handy too.

The front has a handmade print on felt applique of circles and some ribbons sewn on. The inside front pocket is decorated with a collection of cute buttons and closes with a strip of pink (!) velcro. The inside is strongly lined with flowery vinyl plastic and the main pocket closes with a zipper. I should have done the top part (where the zipper is) a bit more neater. I'm not totally happy with how that came out. Like, i wouldn't be able to sell it this way. But for myself, I'm not too picky. I will use it with pride!

Easter Messenger Bag (or Everyday Bag when u love green bunnies)

Inspired by spring and Easter I made this new messengerbag.
I could have added some extra fusible interlining inside. My bad. I was hoping that the brown vinyl might give it enough shape by itself.

The girl and the bunnies i've used one of my vintage fabrics which i showed on other projects before. Just cut them out and sewn them on the different parts of the bag. Front, inside and backside.

I have the brown fabric laying around because I'm working on a pattern for a guitar bag. I'm planning to use brown and orange vinyl fabric to make it. Ofcourse I bought some extra fabric so I could use it for other ideas too.

Two Hobo Bags

I really like hobo bags, so what's a girl to do? Make herself a pattern and start sewing!













The first one turned out a little bit bigger then I was planning it out to be. It's almost 13 inches wide (32 cm). The girl is one of my little friends from Brooklyn. I once made a picture of her and used that as the base for the illustration. I do like how that came out, i think i will use it on some things in the future too!


I like the size and shape of the second one better. Although it's just a bit more than an inch smaller, the lining adds shape. It just looks a bit better this way.
For the second bag I used a checkered cotton as inside lining. The inside edges are finished of with purple velvet bias band. Also on the inside of the bag is a small ismoyo.com illustration. It kinda resembles the illustration on the front page of my website.

But then I'm not totally happy with the way the Chinese take out box came out on the front. But hey, they're just trial bags, so decorations are not as important.
When I finalize the pattern, then I'll focus on the decorations. If they turn out to be great on a trial bag, it's just an extra bonus!

Felt Chihuahua Journal

I've already showed the felt hippo journal, now I can finally show the chihuahua version because I gave it to my friend yesterday. So no risk at ruining the surprise by posting it on my blog!


And on another note, thanks to all the sweet ladies at Craftster for commenting on my vintage fabric bags!

Vintage Fabric Messenger Bags (3x !)

Three times original vintage fabric!
How happy was I with these great finds on the market the other day! I can hardly choose in the morning which bag I'm going to take with me for the day.

Pink goes with everything! The flower is on a pin, so it's removable and or replaceable.


I totally fell in love with this vintage fabric. You remember Sarah Kay and Holly Hobbie?
The birds and the bunnies are just too cute!


I especially get a lot of positive feedback on the strap I've put together.
The green works really well with the brown color of the bag.


I found a semi-large scrap of this thick fabric underneath a very large pile of raggedy scraps. It really does pay off to take a little bit of time and rummage through the pile. You might find something gorgeous!

I used plain black lining with fusible. Didn't want the lining to distract from the flowers, so i kept it simple like that.
At the same time i didn't want to feel overwhelmed by all the flowers coming at you all at once when looking at the bag. That's where the application came in. I used photoshop to make the words and printed it out on transfer paper. Ironed it on yellow colored felt and sewn that onto the front of the bag.

All bags have an additional cardboard bottom in between the outer fabric and the lining. This gives the bags more shape and strength.
I like my messengerbags to have straps which are a bit longer then they regularly are. These three have straps of approx. 100 cm. (40 inches or so?)

Hippo Journal

I mentioned making something with a hippo and something with a chihuahua a while back already.

I wanted to make something for two friends of mine, but I was procastinating. Well, just couldn't find the time to squeeze it in between other projects. But now I really had a reason to say THANK YOU to them, so I gave making these gifts a much higher priority.

I can only show pictures of the Hippo version currently, since I still have to give the other gift and I don't want her to see it on here before she receives it.



I have never tried journal making before. And I didn't make the journal from scratch. It started out as an ordinary composition notebook.

The pink felt gives it an extra soft touch. The elastic band keeps the journal closed.
I made the hippo application by using transfer paper and sewing it on the felt before I put it around the notebook.

Links: Earlier related blog post

My first zippered pouch

I kinda never dared to put in a zipper somewhere before. It was just time to face the fact that if i want to be versatile, at least i have to know how to put a zipper somewhere!
After taking a close look at the zipper foot of my sewing machine i decided it couldn't be too scary, so i grabbed some green/grayish fabric and some bright pink, took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Well, not really, but i started sewing.


The pink applique with green stones isn't too great. I didn't want to spend too much time on this little bag, since it really is just a try out. But to leave the front entirely empty, well that's just not my steelo.
The flower is on a pin, so i can take that off if i would want to.


Right now the bag is on the dresser in my bedroom. I've put in all kinds of small thingies that were lying around there.

Furry Pink Pillow

I had some furry pink fabric laying around and thought of making a super soft pillow from it.
But why make it a plain, square one if you can make it into the shape of a sweet character?



My boyfriend called me a danger to myself: I cutify everything!

I like making Bags! (a 'deer' one)

I'm so happy with this one! It looks black in this picture, but the felt like outer fabric is very dark grey. The inside lining is pink cotton.

Collecting tiny embellishments (and having a mom who collects for me too) finally pays off. I think nobody ever really understood why i wanted to have all those small thingies and beads and stuff. I loved looking at them and i love using them now even more!

On this bag i used some tiny 'pearls' tied together forming the eye, a sparkly bow around the neck and two small pink butterflies to finish it off.

Inside the bag i've put two smaller pink pockets for extra handy storage.

Felt Flower Applique

Don't know where i will use it yet, but just finished this yesterday.
I made it from scraps of colored felt with an iron embellishment that i still had laying around.

Pink phone cozy

Inspired by my ipod cozy's i thought i could make something similar for my mobile phone.
(didn't want to make it feel left out...)
The red 'blub' on the front is supposed to resemble cherries. Halfway i thought, what did i start? hihi... it didn't came out like i wanted it to...
Anyway, it ended up cute nevertheless.

Front Back
Cherry detail

Crafting for Boyfriend's Birthday!

October 18th, the day my boyfriend was born! *doing a happydance*
But i'm not too happy, since we're not spending the day together this year, him being in New York, me in Amsterdam...
But i did make him something he can really use. As a musiscian he always carries cd's around. No cases, just loose cd's in his pocket. So based on the idea of the ipod cozy, i made him a double cd cozy. I wanted to use felt again since it's so soft and strong at the same time. Most of my felt scraps are in the pink, purple range and i didn't want to do that to him. lol. So the cozy has a retro feel to it due to the orange/brown colors.
Oh yeah, obviously, his name starts with a G.

I know not to put too much embellishments on it because they will come off eventually when he puts it in, takes it out of his pocket much. But i just had to place something for good luck on it, so i used the holy maria for it.

Inside is where the cd's go. I don't want to give it empty, so i'm making him a cd with concert recordings of some musicians/dj's which i know he likes.
Michael Franti, Gangstarr, Mr. Wix, Brainpower, Pete Philly, haven't made it yet, but it will be something like that.

Hoping he'll love it!

New Ipod Cozy

I sewn my second felt Ipod cozy and i think it came out better than the first one.
I'm having so much ideas for other designs and additions, so more will follow!


Click here to see my first ipod cozy