Tuesday 20 December 2016

RED EMBROIDERED SWEATERS: BEFORE & AFTER

Hi!
 
Vacations really catch you up! Had been wanting to post this since last week...
 My kids moved to a different school and so different school uniforms. Had to do something with the school sweaters. They are almost new and well fitting.

 Here is the sweater, to begin with I simply picked out the stitches holding the school logo, very neatly.

 This is my son's sweater with a potted Christmas tree. The decorations are sequins just stuck using fabric glue. The star on top and small ones on sleeves are embroidered.

 This is the first time, am embroidering on knitted garment. Believe me it's very easy, especially if you are using wool. Use very simple basic stitches.

 Here is my daughter's sweater. Logo out. Sketched a pine tree branch in pen, amd also snowflakes on the sleeves.

 Using pale green wool to sew in some pine leaves/needles. Did the branches and stem in Grey wool

 Here is this sweater complete with pines (which are silver and golden sequins glued in clusters) and snowflakes on sleeves.

This sweater is so appropriate for the season and time of festivity, that these have become Aarotrika and Adhrit's favorite sweaters. They wear them everyday to park..

Hope you enjoyed my little venture and will pull out your own stuffs and embelish them and upcycle them and restyle them..

WISH YOU ALL
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND
HAPPY NEW YEAR

Thursday 1 December 2016

GOOD FOOD to WARM SOUL!

Hi! Hope everybody is excited about up coming festive season and holidays!
Today I have a simple yet flavorful dish for all of you..
Cook and enjoy to with your dear ones..
 

Humble ingredients:
One medium size fresh cabbage
One medium to big onion
One big tomato
Green chillies to your taste
Half an inch ginger
Turmeric power 1/2tsp
Indian garam masala powder 1/2tsp
(I prefer it homemade my style: roast and grind equal amounts of green cardamom, clove and cinnamon. You can store it in a small air tight bottle.)
Roasted cumin powder 1/2tsp
Salt to taste
If you like extra heat, you can add pepper or red chilli powder as per your taste
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Oil 2tbs
A frying pan to cook

 Cut the cabbage radially, as seen in the above pic with a little of its inner stem so that the architecture is not lost. Each wedge should be about an inch thick in the middle.
Cut onion and tomato also into strips.
Jul lien or make thin strips of ginger or may be grate it
Cut the chilli into thin long strips.

Method:
 Heat the pan and let the oil heat up.
Add Cumin seeds and chill in the oil
As the cumin fries, add in the onions and fry till translucent
Now add the ginger and fry for couple of more minutes.
Lower the flame medium to low heat and carefully place the cabbage wedges neatly over the onions. Sprinkle salt, turmeric and cumin powder over it and let it cook.
After about 4 to 5 min using a spatula or flat spoon turn over the cabbages. Add tomatoes and cook till all the cabbage is cooked.
Add roasted cumin powder, garam masala and sugar.
Gently stir and remove from heat.

Serve hot with your choice of bread.
I learnt this recipe from a very dear and senior friend Sushmita. She is an excellent cook, does lovely needle work and a wonderful friend.
To friendship and festivities..

Saturday 29 October 2016

NAPKIN HOLDER in GOLD!

Hi!
Wanted a napkin holder in golden colour..

One day I found some scarps of wood
Measured them and cut them in the size little smaller than the width of napkin
These are scarps from the left overs of a picture frame

Have stuck a piece of wood about 2cm wide in between the frame scraps at the base, for the napkins. Paste the pieces together well with PVC glue and let it dry well.

Mix some wood filler which comes in form of tinted dust along with PVC glue to form a thick paste. Apply the paste on the bare surfaces well filling up every gap crack hole.. Wait till it dries up well.  Now use a sand paper to sand away extra coating and get smooth napkin holder..

Now as you got your napkin holder
May just varnish it, or
Paint it
Here is a simple elegant version with just a line of rhinestones..

Or jazz it up
Here I used some gold paint, rhinestones and sea shells to decorate..
Now I have my own custom made napkin holder
Hope you like it..
Make one for yourself too...
See you....

Friday 14 October 2016

EMBLISHED T-SHIRTS

Hi! A few days back I stumbled upon a folder in computer with some pictures of my adventure in turning bland T-shirts into funky ones. I took these pictures some four years back maybe..
See how I jazzed up two plain high neck T-shirts..
 My kids four years back
How time flies...

OK, I started by buying plain high neck full sleeves T-shirts in sunny yellow and lemon green for my kids. I still do so: buy plain Ts and jazz them up to get a customized unique wardrobe member.
Note in the next image I drew some outlines with pencil on the T

All I did was simple patchwork or appliqués,  simple stitches as stem, back, chain or button-hole, a few buttons here and ribbon there, and sometimes acrylic paint..
Here is a scene of kids having fun on a sunny day near home

I don't spare any surface :)
Here is a scene inspired from The Ratatouille animation movie, on the other side of T

Now the next T-shirt
Here are my kids cycling up a small hillock upto an apple tree
See the apples are small buttons

On the other side of T...
The shoes lace are red satin ribbon stitched up sparingly on to the T

My kids
My Kids saying cheeese
Hope you all enjoyed my early venture into photographing from my early days of blogging.

Thursday 22 September 2016

GOLDEN ORANGE HAND PAINTED CUSHIONS

Hi Everybody!
Did not realize that I haven't posted anything for quite some time.
Today I bring you some lovely self painted and sewn cushions

Lets begin form the begining
I started with golden orange satin fabric
Self printed off-white cotton 
Pale green fabric border
Muted gold and green lace
and Acrylic fabric paints

 I had long time back seen some lovely banana tree patterns in Good Earth decor store. Keeping them in mind I sketched two banana trees on the off-white fabric. The banana tree with flowers and fruits is the female tree, and the one with only flower is the male banana tree. Had to make both because both female and male together balance the nature.

Time to colour
In the morning when the house is empty after the kids and hubby go off to their school and office respectively, I find little time for me in the soft golden glow of morning sun

 The above pic shows the tree filled with colour..
The pic bellow shows detailing and highlighting of the trees

Next step was just sewing. Refer to my earlier post on cushions for how I sew them..
The female banana tree
 The male banana tree
 Now they look lovely in my living room adding the glow of golden yellow and also the nature's soothing green
 I believe you will love them too...

Thursday 1 September 2016

AUTUMN INVITATION!

Hi!
Season's changing!
Let us invite AUTUMN!
Today am going to make a folder in colours of Autumn..

Look at the lovely handmade papers
Great textures..
Rich colours..
 Materials needed:
Handmade paper in A3 size
(Used here are Deep red heavy textured, Deep red light textured, Saffron textured and Off white thin paper with marigold petals in it)
Deep red with white dots half inch wide satin ribbon
Craft zig-zag scissors
Plane scissors
Ruler, pencil, pen
and white craft glue

First take the heavy textured Deep red paper and neatly fold it into half to look like a folder. This can contain A4 size papers easily
Next measure and mark the Off white paper such that it is smaller than the folded folder by one inch or 2.5cm from all four edges.
Cut the off white paper with the zig-zag scissors.
Dab a little glue here and there and stick the off white paper on top of front side of folder neatly taking care so as to leave the same margin on all four sides.

Now for the inside pocket of folder
Cut a piece of less textured deep red paper which is half inch+inside width of folded folder+half inch in width and three inches+half inch in height.
Fold the half inches from all three sides to get a pocket.
On the back side of the paper draw few leaves just on the top open edge of pocket.

Neatly cut it out.

If you are making more than one folder or cards, you can use this cut out as stencil to make new designs.. 

Now take the saffron paper and cut it such that it fits in the pocket with about one inch peeping out of pocket.
Draw the rest of the leaves in continuity to the red paper.

Cut the leaves on the edge with plain scissors and the rest of edge with zig-zag scissors.

Put glue along the edge of the inside of red paper the stick the saffron paper

Glue the pocket to the bottom of the inside of folder on right side just half inch  from the bottom like this image bellow.

Task at hand now in to keep the folder or invitation closed when not in use.
Cut strip of saffron paper with zig-zag scissors one inch wide and double the folder width long.
Cut ribbon the double the folder width plus extra enough to tie a bow.

Neatly paste the ribbon in the middle of the saffron paper.

Keep your papers in the pocket, close the folder and neatly tie your new ribbon in the center..
This lovely design can be used to make folders to keep your important papers, invitation cards, menu cards or even greeting cards.

Saturday 27 August 2016

FAUX MALACHITE BOX under GREEN LAMP SHADE

Hi Everybody!
Today in the green series, am going to share with you how I made a faux malachite green box and recoloured my lamp shade..

Lets start with the malachite box
Materials used are:
A small wooden box
Emerald green, black and white acrylic colours
Little alcohol
Sand paper and a soft cloth
Flat fan brush or round tip brush

Start by sanding the the box with sand paper to remove any traces of polish.
Next dab a little alcohol on a soft cloth and clean the metallic areas to free them from any polish or dirt

Now there are two ways of adding colour:
1. Drop green, black and white in random array next to each other as shown, then using flat fan brush pick colour and swirl all around the surface of box in curvy motions to form a pattern OR
2. As the box is small I preferred to use a simple round tip brush to paint the pattern.

The images bellow show how the colour curves move in continuity from one surface to the other. Also neatly fill colour in between metal pieces, such that no piece of wood is seen.

My little malachite box now sits pretty here and there in my living room

Well long back I painted a fabric lined lamp shade in terracotta base colour with
Kalamkari style designs
Now the lamp does not stand out in my current room decor..
So I painted over to change the look of this shade

I used emerald green to cover the terracotta colour of the back ground

See the difference
My lamp shade got a new life

Here is a glimpse of my table top with the malachite box under the green lamp shade..
Hope you all like my series of green accessories..
Green has a lovely calming effect..

Vibrant Mushroom Botanical Watercolor Painting with Printable

  Vibrant Mushroom Botanical Watercolor Painting is a great Artwork to own. Watch me paint Bright Watercolor Mushroom and you can enjoy this...