I was going to start this post off with a rousing "Raise your hand if you like pie!" shout... because I have pie on the hips... errrummm... I mean brain... but let's not go there again.
A while back I shared a few pics of some stacked chiffon and taffeta flowers I made. You can see them HERE. I am seriously in love with them... not a RonChops of kind love - but the kind where if they blew me a kiss I would blush feverishly and blow them one right back.
I was making up a massive batch of those lovely flowers as part of my giveaway goodies from two weeks ago and I got to thinking about how to apply that same principle to other shapes (still following the stack-em-up and fray/curl/distress the edges methodology) and POOF... I had a brainstorm (I dunno about you, but it's always a piece of pie that makes these moments happen for me... try it sometime and let me know how it goes).
Enter the butterfly (we'll get to the turkey hiney part of the post later)
I used my Stampin' Up! Sizzix butterfly die again (if you don't have one I am giving you a little template at the end of this post so you can trace and cut out your own). The thing I really love about that Sizzix contraption is that you can use it for more than just paper. I have cut cork, felt and paper with that sucker! It's the coolest thing since a slice of hot pie (ok well maybe not).
The How Tew...
Below are the steps I took to make that little fella you see up there at the top!
You start with your shapes.
I used 4 butterflies in two contrasting colors in regular cotton fabric.
This next step is EXTREMELY complex.
It takes careful calculations
(you will need to use some of those math symbols that make your eyeballs hurt)
It's so scientific that you might need a protractor.
...and a handmade pocket protector.
...in a color coordinating fabric (of course).
So you ready?
You squish the fabric like it's a bug!
SMOOSH
Viola... the project is complete and you can go have your pie now.
Kidding (about the being done part... not the pie).
Keep eating.
Smooth them all out
(as much as you are going to want to... do not iron them)
Wait... I was kidding about that part too.
You can iron them if you want.
But...
Only if they are all squished up.
Ironing them while they are all squished up helps you to get some really fancy creases.
Think of them as Vogue creases.
The whole ironing thing is not required.
Honest to peanuts.
I say that phrase a lot and I am not entirely sure how honest peanuts really are.
But they seem like they would be honest to me.
Don't you think?
I digress.
I know I showed this step already.
I forgot to include the rest of the directions before I went off on my little tangent.
You smooth them out a little AND stack them up.
Alternate your colors.
If you have 4 of each color and you want one of them to be on the top...
...start with the OTHER color as the first one on the bottom.
Ca-peach?
Next... you call MomChops and get her to help you with the sewing.
She can be reached at 1-800-MOM-CHOPS (24 hours a day - 7 days a week).
If the line is busy or if she's hanging out with DadChops...
Sew those puppies together yourself and have more pie.
I just sewed up and down them a few times.
I am not sure if that's legal but it seemed to work for me.
Can I get an A-HEM!
Look at the beauty that is that line!
My sewing skillz are so mad...
...that it makes me happy!
After completing this amazing line of sewing accomplishment...
I KNOW I am ready to move on to sewing my own clothes now.
Right?!?!?!?!?!
enter the cone of cricket silence
ok so maybe not
So where were we...
oh yeah... I made a Christmas Tree using the same methodology too!
(I actually can branch out of butterflies every now and again...see!)
I'll share more on that little tree feller closer to the holidays.
Sew then I sewed a little button to the center of each one.
It was easy.
No MomChops required.
I am sew ready to make my own clothes now.
I swears.
Time for our regularly scheduled LollyChops reality check
Now that I have fooled myself into thinking that I can actually sew...me thinks it's time for a giveaway!
I am feeling a little sneaky about this one. If you made it this far down the longest post ever (and you are actually reading this) AND you have confidence in my abilities to make my own clothes (after my amazing sewing feats from above it's a sure thing)... give me a "howdee lollee" in the comments and I'll pick one of ya's to send this little butterfly cork board feller too (I have used "feller" twice in the same post... I'm fixin' to be gettin' my Texan on). I mean seriously... I can't keep all the stuff I make. It's piling up in the craft room!! I'll pick someone by next Sunday evenin' and announce the winner on Monday (this is one of them laid back giveaways)).
But wait... there's MORE!
Last week Tricia from Hippie Family asked me if I could make some of those pie tags with turkeys on them (for more of a Fall theme). I thought that sounded like a terrific idea so I made up one more batch of pie tags to go with the pies from Our Best Bites. You can get all the details on how to make mini pies in a jar HERE and see the other tags I made to go with them HERE.
Get the turkey hiney tags by clicking on the image below:
But wait... there's even more (I told you this was the longest post ever)
I also made up some little butterfly shapes so you can print, cut and trace your own butterflies!
They have some tendrils and pokey parts on them - but you can cut them down to be real simple shapes.
Enlarge or shrink them as needed!
Get the butterfly shapes by clicking on the image below:
Last little bit... and then you can go take your naps!
Some of the flowers I made using the same method as the butterfly squishy stacks!
I just used circles in different sizes.
I seriously loves them.
(these are going to the onion giveaway winners)
AND LASTLY...
This is what the craft room looked like after I was done crafting all day long.
It looks like someone took a blender to my fabric stash!
I circled a little CharlotteChops dog fur mound in the picture.
She deposits about 42 of these per room.
Daily.
She was having a slow shed day evidently.
I am off to clean up the craft room now!
I hope you guys have a terrific week!
P.S. Give me some time to get over the whole "good pie hugs" thing. I literally laugh myself silly every time I even think about it.
P.S.S.T. Good pie hugs & kisses. xoxoxo (hahahahahahahaha... ok sorry)
O.M.T. Kaye from Miss Print left me a little peep about a contest that Sew, Mama, Sew! is having. It's a little Scrap Buster contest that's going on now through Oct. 23. You can read all about it HERE... I decided to enter this little project into it! We'll see what happens. There are a TON of amazing projects already submitted! Make sure you go check them out!
