HEY! WHAT HAPPENED TO DAY #15? YESTERDAY WAS 15, TODAY IS 16! WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Yeah, sorry to disappoint. I know some of you are following along, relying on me to help you make a new gift every day to fill those last 24 blanks space on your gift list.
Uh-huh.
Well, industrious stitchers, we’ve had no phone for almost two days now, and thus no DSL Internet. At this moment, we have only the DSL part. Welcome to rural Alaska!
I have to admit I rather liked being offline. I think I’m going to impose a weekly No-Internet day in 2011.
But back to Idea #15…let’s see, where were we? That’s right, I was going to put these oak tag tags to use. I’ve got a few, eh? How about an oak tag holiday tag?
Have you ever stitched on card stock or oak tag? We need to prep the card before actually stitching, make it like perforated paper. That is, we put holes in it.
I made a pattern and taped it to the front of my tag with painter’s masking tape. With a size 22 needle and a tiny hammer (and my handy-dandy cutting mat so as not to put holes in my table), I poked a tiny hole at each dot on the pattern.
After removing the pattern, I opened the holes further by putting the needle all the way through each hole. The needle must go front to back because a burr forms where we’ve torn the paper.
And then I stitched through the holes and glued a piece of felt to the back. Compound cross stitches for the star, a gold running stitch around the border wrapped with green Fuzzy Stuff, and a couple of long cross stitches for the name-card bands. Easy peasy. A one-sitting project.
Tags are a great way to use leftover scraps of fiber, and a great opportunity to use sparkly, feathery, and all sorts of interesting fibers.
If you want to do what I did, you can. I posted the pattern on the Funk & Weber site. Any card stock will do. Or how about an old oak tag file folder?
Categories: Needlework
I’m glad you are back!
“card stock or oak tag” – Is it made of hard paper/cardboard or is it wood?
I like the idea of making my own perforated paper, since I haven’t seen it before you mention it. (It is something for my next Treasure Box, right!)
It looks beautiful, even though I like the complete embroidery tab (from one day of this 1-24 crafting days) better because of the material is more long lasting? But short lived beauty has a meaning as well…
And I like the idea of using hardware tools! I like mixing contrasts in life: Tough and sweet in crafting (like sweat and sour in food) Enough philosophy from Up North!
PS did you read about our Rudolph’s are getting reflectors on for safety! Yes! (more on FB) 😉
Yes, Harriet, the “card stock or oak tag” is heavy paper, not quite cardboard. I may have sent you some squares of card stock.
You’re making a list for your Treasure Box, right?
Yes, I think fabric would be longer-lasting, but I also like stitching on different ground materials.