A Peaceful Dragonfly

Here's the second prayer flag I made for a partner in the Prayer Flag Swap Round 3 on Craftster (the first one can be seen HERE). As soon as I read that she liked dragonflies I knew that would be the central image on her flag; and the word "peace" was the most fitting one from her list.

I'm not happy with the way the word "peace" turned out though...I printed onto fabric using my computer printer, then stitched around it; maybe if it wasn't sewn on crooked I would like it better!  (I wasn't thrilled with my word on the other prayer flag either. I think I need to go back to my rubber stamps!)

All the fabrics were cut free-hand and machine sewn in place, leaving the edges raw.  The finished size is 5" x 8".  There is a hanging sleeve on the back.

After this swap I will have quite a nice collection of prayer flags; I intend to string them together and display them indoors (I haven't decided exactly where yet; I guess it will depend on the length of the string!) I will post a picture here when that is done.

Creative Birds

My first partner has received this prayer flag I sent her in our Craftster swap, so now I can reveal it here:

She loves birds and one of the words she chose was "create".  As soon as I read her questionnaire, this image of two birds building a nest popped into my mind, so it came together very quickly.  Since we both love bright, bold color, it was easy and fun for me to make this for her.

I printed the word "create" onto fabric using my computer printer.  If I could change one thing about this flag, it would be to add some hand stitching around the letters--I feel that they look too flat compared to the rest of the prayer flag.

The nest is composed of torn strips of fabric that I sewed end-to-end, then wrapped around my hand into a nice little bundle that I glued to the background.  I didn't want to flatten it out with stitching, so fabric glue seemed to be the best option.  Everything else is machine stitched in place, and all the fabric edges were left raw (I think it's more "artsy" that way!) The size is 8" tall and 5" wide, and there is a hanging sleeve on the back.

If you would like to know more about prayer flags, there is a wonderful blog you should read called The Prayer Flag Project.  People from around the world submit photos of their flags.  It's very inspiring!

Another Swap, Another Prayer Flag

As I thought about starting a third round of the Prayer Flag Swap on Craftster this week, I was inspired to make a new prayer flag...FOR MYSELF!  This is the only one I have that I actually made myself. It started with a tutorial I saw online at The Decorated House for fabric flowers; I've made simple coiled fabric flowers before, but hers have a couple of extra layers that make them look extra special. I highly recommend Donna's flower tutorial, but...once I got started crafting my prayer flag, I was in too much of a hurry to follow her directions (I'm really bad at following directions!) so my flowers ended up being my usual simple coils of fabric, with the exception of the larger one in the center which has a barely-visible layer of lace.  Then I added some other simple flowers, and heart-shaped buttons, and it all suggested the word "grow" to me.  Here's how it all came together:

I think the word "grow" is especially appropriate at this time of year, as Easter is approaching, and Spring is getting closer. I like having this word to think about and to consider how I can apply it to my life.

The Prayer Flag Round 3 swap is now open for sign-ups on Craftster.  We would love to have YOU join us!

Hope for the New Year

I hope for 

PEACE 

for all

 in the new year.

This is the second prayer flag I made for the current Prayer Flag Swap on Craftster.  It was inspired by something I saw on my partner's Pinterest.

To add some interest to the bottom, I left the threads long and dangling after sewing the flower stems, and tied beads to the threads at random intervals. If this flag is hung outdoors, it will have a lot of movement. The word "hope" was done just the same way I did the word "love" on the prayer flag in the previous post.

My partner, Jen Sews, is very pleased with it--and that pleases me!

I wish everyone a very happy and blessed 2013!

All You Need is Love

Earlier this week I sent prayer flags to my two partners in the Prayer Flag Swap Round 2  on Craftster
(which I just happen to be coorganizing, with my friend Susan). One flag reached its destination yesterday, so I now can reveal it to the world!

My partner, StickerChic87, loves the Beatles, and one of the phrases she likes is "All you need is love", from one of their songs.  She also loves images of houses, so I used both of those to make her flag.

I left all the edges raw, and cut the fabrics free-hand, so everything has a "wonky" look.  I think the secret to keeping a project like this from looking poorly-made is to include an element that is carefully crafted.  In this case, it is the top section.  I made the word "love" by setting cardboard letters on white fabric, and then spraying the fabric with Tulip Fabric Spray Paint. After removing the cardboard letters and letting the paint dry, I stitched around the letters with white embroidery thread, and added embroidered seed stitches (using a rainbow thread) all over the red area. Then I machine-stitched it to the flag.

I find prayer flags to be enjoyable and satisfying to make, because they come together rather quickly and easily for me. Since they are intended to be ephemeral (one way to use them is to display them outside and let them gradually deteriorate, thus releasing the prayer into the world), exquisite craftmanship is neither required nor expected.

StickerChic87 says she loves her flag and that it was just what she was hoping for--which is exactly what I was hoping to hear!

Hope Prayer Flag

Recently, I showed you the hope-themed prayer flag I received in a personal swap with fellow Craftster member Tina.  Here's the flag I made for her:

I used the first verse of Emily Dickinson's poem "Hope" as my starting point.  The fabric with the bird printed on it was the perfect centerpiece, and I used the color palette of that fabric for the entire flag.  It's a bit unusual, but pretty, I think.  I couldn't resist using the heart with wings (my logo) at the top!  I added balance to the piece with the three little scrappy squares at the bottom.  As always, after I'm done with something I look at it and see things I could have/should have done differently; in this case, the three random charms I used on the squares could have advanced the theme better if they represented the three virtues of faith, hope, and love (I could have used a cross; the word "hope" in charm-form, which I have on hand from my hope hearts project; and the heart, which I did use).  Oh well, as I always say, NEXT TIME!

How to Make a Great Swap Package

I've been doing craft swaps on Craftster for about a year and a half; I love it, and I always have at least one swap going on.  Making something specifically for another person, and receiving something she made just for you is fun!  But there's more to it than just making your item, packing it and mailing it.  A great swap package includes some extra details, all of which can be found in the package I received today from Tina.  We arranged to do a personal swap of a prayer flag.  Here's how to make a great swap package, Tina-style:

1.  Thoughtfully make the crafted item you have agreed to swap.
We decided to use "Hope" as the theme for our prayer flags.  Tina used bright Fall colors, and an acorn, to symbolize hope for the future.  Everything is hand-stitched, and there is a lot of stitched detail on the acorn cap and the letters.  This pretty flag is going up on my front door!

2.  Wrap the crafted item nicely and include a card.
Tina used pretty yellow tissue paper and tied it with baker's twine.  The card she included is really cool--it's a print from one of her art journal pages.  She had it printed at Ink Garden.

3.  Surprise your partner with some unexpected goodies.
Tina generously included some vintage linens she had been given, plus some small pieces of fabric and ribbon.  I can't wait to think of ways to use these wonderful gifts!

4.  Before mailing, be sure your package looks FUN!
Yep, this envelope passes the "fun" test!  The front is embellished with stamped stars, decorative paper, and the phrase "Beauty surrounds you because you create it."  She also made my name and address special by drawing a starburst around it.

Front:

Back:

I've never received a more exciting swap package, and I'm never going to send another one without following the four steps of "Tina Style"!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSAN!!

Today, August 9th, is Susan's birthday!

You know--susanab on Craftster; Susan of the blog The Sloppy Sewer, Susan, whom I mention on this blog all the time--Susan, my friend!  Go over to her blog and leave a little birthday greeting in the comments; I know she will love that!

Susan, I hope you like these goodies that I made for you, which I know you received yesterday:

--your birthday card, in ATC (Artist Trading Card) form.  (We both love cats!  And cake!)

--A prayer flag.  Since we just finished coorganizing a prayer flag swap on Craftster, I NEEDED to make one for you.  This is my new favorite thing!  I suddenly love fabric collage, and leaving every edge of the fabric unfinished, and leaving lots of dangling threads!  It is so fun!

The picture below shows a close-up of my favorite area.  It is supposed to be the odds and ends that might end up in a birds nest (I guess it would have to be a crow's nest--aren't they the ones that pilfer all kinds of junk?)  I chose the swirly metal charm because you love spirals.  The words "Trust Him", which I stamped on polymer clay, are self-explanitory.  The glass bottle is filled with tiny glass beads and slips of paper that say "be still".  The two brown buttons on the right were made by my partner in the matchbox swap last year--they are made mostly of cinnamon!

--Speaking of matchboxes...I decorated a matchbox for you and filled it with...

...a wool felt scissors fob!  (I also managed to cram into the box a pair of beaded bobby pins, but they didn't make it into the picture.)

Have the happiest birthday ever, Susan! 

You are a beautiful, creative, smart and fun person, and I am proud to be your friend!!

Two Prayer Flags

I have recently discovered that I LOVE doing fabric collages!  Here are two examples of my recent work in that style, which I made for my partners in the Prayer Flag Swap on Craftster.  Both of these flags are 5" x 8", with a hanging sleeve at the top.

For this swap, we gave our partners several words or phrases to either use as a guide or to actually appear on our flag.  We also mentioned themes and images that appeal to us.  For my first partner, alteredmommy, I combined the phrase "be still" will her love of nature/birds and antique-looking colors.

The egg and the words "crested lark" were printed on fabric that I already had, so I chose the other fabrics to go with that.

I love this little "pile" of textiles.

I filled a glass bottle with lavender buds and the theme phrase printed on a slip of paper, and hand-sewed it in place.  (You might notice that this bottle is different than the one in the first picture.  I realized that the bright green beads I used inside that bottle didn't go with the rest of the colors.)

All the fabric edges are left unfinished, and most of the sewing threads are long and dangling.

My second partner, Phizzychick, likes earth tones and insects, so I started digging through one of my bags of scrap fabrics, and almost immediately I pulled out this fabulous bee!  I had to use it, even though there isn't much of a connection between the bee and the word "thankful" that I already planned to use for the theme.

I found out that this partner also likes bells, and I happened to have these tiny ones on hand.  I simply tied them onto the bottom with string, leaving the ends of the strings showing.

I made this flag like the first one, by simply cutting the fabrics, arranging them so they looked good to me, then machine sewing them onto a heavy piece of canvas.  All the edges are left unfinished.

 Leaving all the edges raw allowed me to work quickly, so it didn't take more than a couple of hours from start to finish for each prayer flag.

I am so pleased with these that I feel like making a set of them for myself!

My First Prayer Flag

My friend Susan and I have started a new swap on Craftster called the Prayer Flag Swap.  There was a recent article about prayer flags in the magazine Cloth Paper Scissors that we are using for our guide. 

There is a cool blog called The Prayer Flag Project  that is dedicated to these flags if you want to read more on the topic. The original idea is that the prayer flag is a small banner to be hung outdoors, that slowly deteriorates and releases your prayer into the world. With that in mind, you can see that it is not expected to be a masterpiece of perfect stitching. Rather, it is an art piece that is thoughtfully and prayerfully made.

One of the participants in the swap happens to be my partner in another swap, and she suggested that we also exchange prayer flags.  I liked the idea because it would give me a chance to practice before the actual prayer flag swap started!  I decided to make it collage-style, with all the edges left unfinished.  Since my partner has a picture of a field of lavender for her avatar on Craftster, I used that as my inspiration as I gathered fabrics from my stash, and started cutting.  Here is an in-progress shot, before anything was sewn together:

We exchanged some possible words to use on our flags, so I used rubber stamps to write "prosperity".

I used machine-sewing to anchor all the fabric, and then I sewed on buttons and coins by hand.  I am extremely pleased with this first prayer flag!  I love the freedom of cutting and sewing without worrying about finishing the edges.  After this one I made two more, which are currently in transit to my swap partners.  I will show them to you next week.

 If you would like to make a prayer flag yourself, here are the simple instructions:



How to Make Prayer Flags
1. Cut pieces of fabric to 5" x 11". Use materials you already have on hand.

2. Fold the top down on each piece of fabric and stitch in place to create a 3" sleeve, making the flag surface 5" x 8".

3. Paint, stitch, embroider, appliqué, or collage the flags.

4. Add words, journaling, or symbols as desired. You can appliqué letters, add hand stitching, stencil with textile paint, or just write with a permanent marker.

5. Thread the flags onto a string or cord and hang them outdoors so the breeze will catch them and spread your intentions.

It's all up to you as to what surface designs or stitch techniques you want to use on your flag.