No-sew appliqué 101

Little H needed a hat for her summer camp party. We found this blue velvet cow-boy hat she really liked. Only problem: it had a not so interesting patch glued to it. Can't we replace it?
Uh?! Sure!  With a home-made, totally improvised, appliqué star patch fixed in no time with stuff we just had lying around. A nice alternative to a store bought appliqué patch, if you ask me.




Want to give this a try too?

Here's how:

All you need is a piece of paper,  a printer, a (textile) marker, a small piece of fabric, glue, sparkles and scissors.



1. print a star shape or any other shape, adjust size by reducing or increasing print size
2. cut out shape
3. trace shape on a piece of fabric
4. flip over fabric and apply modge-podge or any other craft glue - yes, on the wrong size of the fabric - and such that the area covered is larger than the actual shape.
5. generously sprinkle sparkles over glue - flip over to see if the entire shape area is covered
6. let dry
7. turn over and cut out on the lines traced in step 3 - you now have obtained an appliqué patch
8. apply glue to the back of the patch and stick to the hat! Done!

Cheers!

P.

Getting ready...

We're almost there! Tomorrow we can start packing for real. Only a few more things to label and we're done!
As you may know from previous posts, little H. has food allergies. This means she has to take some medication with her on her trip too, just in case. Most likely, she won't need any of it, but you never know. Because I didn't want to send her away with her meds in a plain plastic bag I decided to make a bag instead - very last minute, I know. To make it even more last minute I couldn't really figure out what I wanted it to look like exactly. I wanted it to be very basic and handy for the teachers (easy access to medicines as well as posology and other useful information). So, this is what the 'allergy kit' ended up looking like - a very basic drawstring bag indeed. The beauty of this bag, however, is in the detail I believe.

I used a red cross picture, found on the net and printed it on iron-on transfer paper together with her name. On the back, I made a little transparent pocket finished with a fabric flap and Velcro closure. It perfectly fits index cards with all necessary allergy information and the posology for the different medicines - right within eye sight whenever needed. To make this pocket, I used the vinyl envelope some new panties came in. I have been saving up vinyl packaging ever since I came across this interesting project through Whip Up. I used French seams as described here and made boxed corners. In order to keep the bag from opening I added a small fabric "stopper" to the drawstring, which slides up and down accordingly.

This project took me way longer than intended and necessary, but it's so much nicer than a plain plastic bag - don't you think??

Now, one more thing before I sign off: make sure to come back next week as I'm planning a small giveaway here - just to say thanks to all of you for the support, the encouragements, the compliments, the cheers... I felt/feel deeply touched when reading all of your comments... Thank you so much!

In the mean time, I'm wishing you a very nice weekend!

Cheers,

xo, P.

Another Tutorial :: 3-way laundry bag

You can't believe how happy I am with the response I got so far on two of my latest tutorials. The headband tutorial has been a big hit - literally, as it drew a lot of blog readers to my blog and many links have been created to that particular tutorial. It even got translated!! And the French seam drawstring bag has been quite successful too. Thank you everyone for stopping by and liking these projects and for linking and referring! It's nice to know that I put something together which seemed useful in one way or the other to so many of you!

That said: I have another tutorial ready for you today! It's a spin-off of the drawstring bag but not quite: a laundry bag. M. is needing one as she'll be going on "classe verte" soon. We just got the list with all the stuff she needs. A fabric laundry bag is one of them, among many other items (the French are really good at putting lists together...really! I mean it!). I couldn't find our usual laundry bag when we left to the mountains two weeks ago and it still hasn't shown up . No idea where it went... But, hey, I can make one, I thought. A fancier one even!

So here's a tutorial for a laundry bag: one bag - three different looks and uses.



I won't be going through the steps for making the bag - the bag as such basically boils down to the other drawstring bags I made - I just refer to the french seam drawstring bag tutorial for that part.

The fancy thing about this laundry bag is in the details: the clothes hanger pocket in the back. I don't like, when we're on vacation, how our laundry bag always sits on the floor somewhere or tucked away in a closet resulting in everyone just throwing everything on top of it or next to it. So I wanted the new bag to have a "clever suspension system with easy access". So that's why I designed the clothes hanger pocket in the back. That way you can hang the bag either on a hook in the bathroom, in the closet, on a door knob... By putting the clothes hanger pocket not entirely at the top of the bag but slightly lower, the opening becomes easily accessible for tucking away things. And additionally: once the bag's full, you take out the clothes hanger in the back and pull over the pocket so nothing can fall out of the laundry bag. One bag - three uses.

Ready? I hope you're still following.

For this project you'll need:

- a rectangular piece of fabric corresponding to the desired size of your laundry bag (I used a piece of oatmeal natural linen (of course!) of about 65cm x 150cm (to be folded in two, so 65 x 75cm when folded in two) - the bag turned out slightly big, so you might want to make it a bit smaller)
- a smaller piece of fabric for the pocket, roughly twice as big as the clothes hanger you want to use
- a clothes hanger - I used a metal wire one, like the ones you get at the dry-cleaner's; they're standard and flat so they fit easily in a suitcase if you're intending to use the bag for traveling.
- twill tape: 4 smaller pieces of 7-8cm each and one bigger piece, about twice the width of the bag plus a bit extra for knotting
- sewing machine
- ironing board
As you may have noticed I transferred a picture again onto the bag. This is of course totally optional. If you plan on decorating the bag in one way or the other, do so before you start sewing!

1. Tape the hanger onto some paper and trace the outlines of the clothes hanger omitting any indents in the hanger, just draw a straight line instead ... Cut out.





2. Pin the pattern onto your double folded smaller piece of fabric - trace the pattern including a 2cm seam allowance all the way around. Cut out fabric.



3. Pin the fabric right sides together. Sew together about 1cm from the edge leaving a small opening at the top for turning.



4. Trim corners and make small cuts perpendicularly to the seam on the curvy parts. Turn inside out, shape and iron flat. Top stitch the top closed a couple of millimeters from the edge. Also, top stitch the bottom.



5. Twill tape binders to secure clothes hanger: Cut four pieces of twill tape of the same length each (7-8cm). And position two of them on the clthes hanger pocket piece at the same distance from the sides near the bottom edge - We'll do the same with the other two pieces on the back part of the bag. (Don't do like what I did: wait till the very end to add these to the clothes hanger pocket...). Sew them into place with a small zig-zag stitch.



6. Position the clothes hanger shaped piece onto what will be the back of your bag - about 15cm from the top (such that after folding in the fabric for making the drawstring tunnel, the top of the pocket will be about 9cm from the top edge). Also, position the two remaining pieces of twill tape perfectly across from the ones on the clothes hanger shaped piece. Sew them on, the same way as you did with the other ones. Now, sew on the clothes hanger shaped piece onto the back, leaving the middle top part open and also leaving open the entire length of the clothes hanger at the bottom. So, you only sew the sides!! This will allow you to slide in and out the clothes hanger. Use a small zig-zag stitch at both ends on each side as that's where the strain will be when the bag gets heavy.



4. Now, continue making the bag as explained in the French seam drawstring bag tutorial, which you can find here. The only difference here being that you have two side seams to sew, instead of one side and bottom seam - everything else remains the same. Though I'd like to make one remark, something that has been pointed out by one of the readers (thanks, Linuxwitch!): in order to obtain a really clean French seam, press the first seam selvages open, then press the right sides together before stitching the second seam. I kind of forgot when I was doing the drawstring bag - too much in a hurry as I had to make three of those! - but you'll see this will result in an even better finished seam!

Finally, to make the bag hang nicer, I tucked the corners a couple of inches in and secured them to the bottom of the bag with a couple of stitches.

And that's it!! Slide in the clothes hanger, tie two little knots and you're ready!!

As usual, if things are not entirely clear or if you see room for improvement, just let me know.

Good luck!!

Please note, this tutorials is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form without permission. Thanks for understanding!

Drawstring bag - French seam :: a tutorial

Here's a short tutorial for the drawstring bags I showed you here, on Friday.
If you know a little bit of sewing, then I'm sure you know how to make a drawstring bag. Don't stop reading yet, however, as I want to show you how you can use the "French seam" to finish off the bag neatly on the inside. I used this technique primarily as I didn't want to line the bags - something you might want to consider if you want the fabric to be able to breathe like for linen bags or laundry bags. Yet, I wanted the bags to look "clean" on the inside. As I have a very basic sewing machine, with a not so great zigzag stitch for finishing seams, I prefer this method. And even with a decent zigzag stitch, the fabric still might start fraying (especially linen) when the bag is heavily used.

Therefore: the French seam! I hope you're still reading!

For one drawstring bag you'll need:

- a rectangular piece of fabric, I used a 70cmx45cm piece of oatmeal colored linen ( this roughly gives you a 32cm x39cm bag), seam allowances included (7cm at the top - i.e. at the longest side of the fabric before folding, 1cm at the bottom and 1.5cm on each side at the shorter end of the fabric). You can adjust the dimensions for a different size of bag but keep in mind to add the same seam allowances.
- optional: if you plan on adding an iron-transferred picture the way I did, you'll also need, according to the size of the image, a smaller piece of fabric, in my case white cotton, an image and iron-on-transfer paper.
- twill tape, in length about three times the width of your finished bag (in my case about one meter)
- pin needles, safety pin, thread and a sewing machine.

1. Optional: iron-on-transfer your image (don't forget to mirror before printing); I used a drawing from one of my girls as we made two of these bags as birthday present for two of her friends. Once cooled down and paper removed, position the image on your bag piece of fabric, pin down, and sew about 5mm from the edge - you can use a contrasting color to add some detail.


2. Fold the fabric in two (width-wise) and pin the side and bottom seams, the right (!) side of the fabric facing up.



3. About 7cm from the top (which we leave open for the drawstring tunnel later), start sewing the side and bottom seam, about 7mm from the side.



4. Clip the bottom corner



5. Pin each of the two top side seams (the ones you left open for the drawstring tunnel) inward when the right side is facing - as to finish of/secure the entrance of the drawstring tunnel



6. Now, sew the top side seams as close as possible to the side, all the way down to where your side seam (step 3) starts (7cm)



7. Now, here comes the "French" part: Turn the bag inside out and again pin the side and bottom seams - the previously sewn seams nicely tucked inside.



8. Starting at the top, sew the side and bottom seams 1cm away from the side - this to make sure the previous seam is tucked nicely inside and to prevent fabric peeking out on the good side. If you didn't get this right from the first time, don't worry, just stitch another row next to it but a little further from the side, this time. Important: in order to have a nice finishing at the top (tunnel entrance) as well make a slight corner as shown in the picture.
This is all there is to a French seam! No fraying fabric is showing on either side of the bag!! We're almost done with the bag!



9. Pin the drawstring tunnel as shown in the picture and sew as close as possible to the bottom of folded-in side.



10. Insert twill tape using a safety pin - tie a knot and DONE!



11. The inside of the bag should look like this:



There are many other uses for this French seam. I've used it to get a really sturdy seam on a pouch sling. I've also used this method on the side seams of a light weight cotton skirt, again because I didn't want any ugly zigzag or fraying fabric to show... Just keep in mind to double your seam allowance when doing so!

Good luck! I hope this explanation is sort of clear! If not, please, let me know!!


Please note, this tutorials is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form without permission. Thanks for understanding!

Birthday party season :: ctd

I made it! About right in time! I just finished two more drawstring bags, for two of M.'s friends this time. These two are slightly different from the other one I made earlier this week - in that I didn't line them, but used a particular technique to finish them off nicely on the inside. If you're interested in finding out what it was that I did, you're lucky, as I plan to write down everything in a tutorial, hopefully somewhere next week.

Don't you like the drawing? It's from M.'s hand - I love her black pen drawings... She made this picture after seeing the fashion insert in a newspaper. In case you're wondering - no, I don't own a Chanel purse...

Need to go now as I still have a zillion things to get done before I'll go pick up the girls from school!

Have a great weekend!
P.

Birthday party season

It has been a crazy week so far. Busy as usual - just a normal week except for an emergency dental appointment on my behalf - but with K. gone for most part of this week things have been a little wild for me. Today he'll be back, though! Everything back to normal...sort of. The girls have busy calendars right now - with sports events dominating last weekend and birthday parties the weekend to come - three to be precise (good two of M.'s friends have decided to have their parties together!)! So, we'll be busy wrapping presents the next few days. We got all of the presents yesterday, so that's a good thing, and the girls will take care of the wrapping. They like to do this themselves. They love to decorate their friends' presents and to write little messages on them. I always keep a stock of (colored) plain wrapping paper or craft paper at hand. With that and colorful markers they come a long way in giving the presents a little personal touch!

A couple of times I've also sewn a fabric bag to wrap the presents in. And that's exactly what I've been doing yesterday evening for H.'s best friend, whose birthday is coming up next Sunday. H. made a portrait, which I scanned and reduced and then printed on - yes, you've guessed it - iron-on transfer paper (I didn't forget to mirror-print this time - isn't that amazing?!). The result you can see above. I'm actually really pleased with the way it turned out. Making a drawstring bag like this is fairly easy. What makes this one special are the details, not in the least the nice portrait H. drew. She used opaque pigment markers which I got a long time ago. They're meant to be used on terracotta, tile, wood... but we've used them for many other "applications" as well, like decorating wrapped up presents... and now this portrait. They have this velvety look, almost like when using soft pastels, only they don't rub off like soft pastels do. And because of their opacity they are extremely well suited for scanning pictures, I noticed. Something to remember.

The bag was just hands-on sewing. Took the scissors - cut the fabric (linen and cotton, same as usual) - sewed the seams and that's basically it. I might write everything down, as I plan on making one for H. too. I did a drawstring bag for M. a long time ago (she liked it and is still using it!) but H. never got one of those. First, however, I need to make two more for M.'s friends. Though I think I might go for an even simpler version, without the lining to start with...

Easter :: Egg warmer - a tutorial

A bit later than promised, I know, but here it is: the tutorial for the egg warmers! The reason why it didn't get here earlier is because of problems with printers and internet connections and a computer deciding to install updates when I didn't want it to... and - I admit - some poor planning from my side... But, here it finally is!



For this project you'll need:
- scraps of fabric - I've used two different ones for the outside (linen) and inside (cotton)
- 4cm of ribbon or twill tape
- scissors, thread, needle, pins, sewing machine,...


Step 1: Print pattern (when you click on the image it will/should open in another window) - when I tried this on my printer, I had to print at 50% to obtain the correct dimensions which are 12cm in height and 13cm in width, measured at the base - I suggest you check first (with an egg if you like) before you start cutting. The pattern takes into account seam allowances already. Cut the pattern from your fabric - twice for both lining and outer fabric.



Step 2: Sewing - Pair up one piece of outer fabric with one piece of lining, twice. Place the two pieces on top of each other and sew together at the base about 5mm from the edge. Fold open and flatten the seams a little on both pieces. Now, put the two pieces obtained on top of each other - making sure you have lining on top of lining and outer fabric on top of outer fabric - right sides together. When doing so, sandwich your piece of ribbon in between the two outer fabric layers, squeezing the "loop" inside at the top.





Next, sew the two pieces together 7mm from the edge, leaving a small opening in the lining for turning inside out the egg warmer.



Make small cuts around the curved edges, perpendicularly to the seam.



Turn the egg warmer inside out through the opening. Whipstitch the opening closed.
And ready!

Step 3 - optional: Decorate the egg warmer. I've used some iron-transfer (make sure to print in mirror if you use text!). But you could use stamps to decorate, embroidery (better do this before sewing everything together), or you could just use colorful fabric for your outer fabric...

Et voilà, an egg warmer!

Please note, this tutorials is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form without permission. Thanks for understanding!

A glimpse...

Yesterday, I had a terrible off-day as I call it - nothing of what I tried worked out the way I wanted. At the end of the day, however, I thought of this: an egg-warmer! Don't ask me why, since we don't eat any eggs... However, I fixed this little thing in less than an hour and a half, including the pattern design and pictures! And the good (?) thing about it is that I want to share this little project with you, as maybe this is something you might want to try for Easter. I will have a tutorial ready, probably by Monday. If all goes well, that is!

In the mean time, take a glimpse at this cute little egg-warmer...



Oh, and in case you were wondering about the egg-holder: it actually is an egg-poacher which I got at merci...
I had to buy something, right!? Not that we poach that many eggs...

March giveaway :: a feather basket

W e l c o m e t o m y f i r s t g i v e a w a y ! !
Yesterday, I mentioned I was working on something.
Well, here it is: a linen basket with one of my feather pictures. Our short break at the seaside has inspired me in many ways. When I photographed those little feathers on the beach, I just knew I would do something with those pictures. This is one thing and there might be more...

But lets get back to the order of the day: this feather basket could be yours! How? Just leave a comment to this post. Deadline for this giveaway is Sunday March, 15th 12:00 pm CET. The winner will be announced on Monday, March 16th. A couple more details maybe: the basket measures 9cm x 6.5cm x 8cm and is made out of natural colored linen, and lined with cotton. The picture is iron-on-transferred.

So, leave a comment and good luck!!

Remark: No need to leave your address here. I will contact the winner to collect the details!

Valentine :: wrapping up - ctd.!!

After I posted my previous post - the braided necklace with portrait - I started thinking there had to be a different, more kid-friendly, way for closing the necklace than a clasp. A button maybe? I immediately went checking my box with little treasures, and yes! There I found, of all things, a red heart-shaped mother-of-pearl button!! Exactly what I needed! It took me five - well, maybe ten - more minutes to finish off the necklace. This completely erased my earlier worries about not having a little mommy-made present for my little girl yet...

So, here's what it finally looks like:


Cute, not?

Want to know how I did it? Keep on reading, then!

Here's what you'll need for this last minute project.

for the braid:
- 3 strips of fabric or ribbon, about 1 yard long (that's a rough guess) and 5mm wide. I've used two strips of left over fabric, each with a different print, and a piece of silk (embroidery) ribbon. When cutting the strips, don't worry too much about cutting it straight or getting a ruler, just cut! You won't see the imperfections once braided.
- a chopstick and something to hold the chopstick into place while braiding (I've used a cutting board with handle; you could also use a ring binder,...) - this is just for practical reasons, i.e. to keep the braid from twisting and slipping away while you go, and it will help you to make a nice and evenly spaced out braid.

for the ornament:
- a template - this could be anything. I've used a flower. A heart would be nice too. It's Valentine's Day after all!
- two small pieces of fabric
- a small amount of batting or fiberfill
- a picture and some colored pencils. (Note: you might as well use stamps for decorating, instead of a picture. Use your imagination and creativity!)
- iron-on transfer paper

for the closure:
- embroidery floss
- button

further decorations (optional): beads, colorful buttons, etc.



1. Make a braid, using the three strips of fabric. I'm convinced this doesn't need any further explanation... Tie a knot at both ends when done, to secure.

2. Prepare the picture. For this step, I refer to this post. I've used the exact same procedure.

3. Cut out your template from both pieces of fabric. Did I say one had to be of a light color if you want to transfer a picture on it?

4. Transfer picture onto light colored fabric

5. Squeezing a small amount of batting or fiberfill in between, with a contrasting color, sew the two pieces together using small stitches.

6. Cut the braid to the desired length, taking into account an extra margin for making a loop at one end later.

7. Sew the ornament into place onto the braid. Do the same for the other decorations you chose.

8. On one end, sew on the button. A useful hint: when sewing on the button put a tooth pick or match between the button and the braid. The little space you'll get, will make sure the loop (see next) will stay put under the button. (I'm not sure I express myself clearly here. If not, let me know!)

9. On the other end: fold over the braid to make a loop. Secure with a couple of stitches using embroidery floss, don't cut off the thread but twist it around the braid a couple of times and then secure by slipping the needle under and back to the beginning. (Again, I'm not sure this is clear. Let me know!) Secure, cut off and ...


DONE!!

Valentine :: wrapping up!

With only three more days to go and one project completely gone wrong, I felt a little pressured. That was until last night! I still didn't have a little mommy-made present for little H. after the Black-Apple-Doll-mishap. So, I had to come up with something new - and preferably something fast as well! And I did.
So, here' a little sneak-preview. I'm not completely done yet, but it's just a matter of minutes now. A colorful braided necklace with portrait...

Valentine :: a gri-gri

I mentioned this project a while ago and I also said I wouldn't disclose until after Valentine's day. Well, I changed my mind as I'm too excited about this one. I really like the way it came out! It's one of my favorite projects, so far. I keep my fingers crossed M. won't read my blog in the coming days...

I got the idea for this one on "one of my walks through Paris" (you've heard that line before), when I ended up at the boutique "Les Fleurs" -- they've got some really nice stuff there, though a little expensive in my opinion -- where I spotted these lucky charm dolls. Somehow, these stuck to my mind and then I came up with this "gri-gri"-idea. These are the kind of things that keep me from falling asleep at night or going to bed at a decent time... but this totally aside.

This is how I made it:

I used:
- a small piece of light colored fabric for the front - it needs to be light colored in order for the transfer to work
- another small piece of fabric for the back (did you recognize my backing fabric? - it's the same one as I used here)
- a clasp or key-chain ring
- a photograph to transfer onto the fabric
- iron-on transferring paper (freezer paper might work too I guess, though I have no experience using it as I can't find it around here)
- markers, pencils, crayons, soft pastels...
- needle and thread or sewing machine
- a photo-copier-printer
- a small amount of fiber fill
- a little piece of ribbon (mine is blue-ish velvet)

for the decorations (optional):

- a small end of narrow ribbon (I used embroidery silk ribbon), or anything else that might work to attach the decorations to - use your imagination
- a large bead (mine is crocheted, but you could use a felted bead as well, glass beads,.. again, that's totally up to your own taste and liking)
- a glass bead
- a little heart-shaped charm
- two headpins and jewelry making pliers


That may seem a lot of things, but it isn't, really. I had everything here except for the clasp and the crocheted bead.

For the first and most important step: choose a picture. This could be anything. Just make sure it has a good resolution. I chose a color photograph and changed it to sepia. I did this because I wanted the final picture to have a vintage look and I wanted to color it in. I've tried both, sepia and B&W, but sepia seemed to work best in my case. Print your picture, bigger than you intend to have it transferred later on. I used 8x10. This allows you to color it in more easily, as that's the next thing you'll need to do. So, take your markers and start to color in the accents you want to show up (I did mouth, hair and the details of the dress in marker, the cheeks with soft pastel.) This step is critical and a bit trial and error. When you're satisfied with the result, copy the picture, but this time reduced to the size you want to end up with on the gri-gri. You might have to repeat the coloring step a couple of times (if you don't want to waste too much paper and ink, print on the back of the paper and use a low print quality setting - this should be OK, except for your final print out). When happy with the result, cut out the outlines of the picture and next copy again, but to a white background this time. Check again for the result. Next, print onto some iron-on transfer paper. A little note here: if your picture has words or letters in it, don't forget to print in mirror-view (this is an option available on most printers these days). Cut out along the edges of your object. When done, take a deep breath as you've just finished the hardest part of this project!

Next, take the light colored fabric and iron-on the transfer you've just printed (read the instructions on the package for the right temperature settings and time needed!). Cut out the desired shape, taking into account a margin for sewing. Do the same with the fabric for the backing.

Time to start sewing, now. Put the pieces together as shown in the diagram below, the right sides of the fabric facing, and the loop with clasp sandwiched in between. The reason I have the clasp sewn in that way is because it didn't come with an opening to slide on the loop after assembling - unfortunately, I found this out the hard way... If you're using a regular key-chain ring you can leave it out while assembling and slide it on after. You can do the sewing either by hand or on the sewing machine. I used the sewing machine as it's faster. Also, I stitched back and forth a couple of times at the level of the loop to secure. Make sure to leave an opening at the bottom so you can turn inside out the gri-gri. If your piece is curvy, make sure to make little cuts perpendicularly to the stitches on the curvy parts.



Now, fill up with the fiber filling. Whip stitch the bottom closed.
We're almost done!



Now, comes the decoration, which is totally optional and up to your imagination. I used a crocheted bead, a glass bead and heart-shaped (Valentine's day!) charm.
If you don't know how to make a wire-wrap loop using headpins and pliers check here for a tutorial.



Tie, slide or loop the decoration around, on or through the key-chain ring.

Et voila! A gri-gri!

For the photographs, I borrowed M.'s little purse so you can see what it looks like when attached.
I'd better go check if I took it back off again...!!




A little note on the photograph I used for this project. The original picture was taken by the photographer Nancy Trapp-Chen, a couple of weeks before we moved from California to France. The pictures she made not only represent a nice memory of our life in California, but have been a great source of inspiration to me, as well. I've incorporated them in some of my favorite crafts... Thanks, Nancy!

The Shaka-train :: revisited

I didn't just have my beach pictures printed at MOO's (see previous post, see for promotional code also) but I also ordered a couple of postcards with the Shaka-train on it. This afternoon I sewed a little pouch to put these and some of the beach postcards in -- everything is ready to be sent off tomorrow to a dear friend in California.
For the print on the front, I played around a little with the original photo (revert the colors, mirror image in order to do the transfer, ...) and then transferred it onto some transparent, stiff fabric I still had.

A fast and easy little project...