Surrounded - Part 2

Since last week, nothing much has changed:

• I still don't have agate slices
• I still don't know how to crochet

But my first attempt at making a Surrounded-inspired necklace didn't go very well. When I wore the necklace, I saw that the white glass bangle was overcome by the black rope and silver rope chain and you could hardly see it.

So I decided to try again.

Those rectangle pieces are made of some sort of shell set in resin. They were once part of a cuff (8 pieces held by elastic to form a cuff). I guess I must have found use for 4 of them before because there were only 4 of them in my stash.

It's not very visible in the photo but those rectangle pieces are actually pale peach in color. I used white rope to surround the pieces to make this bib necklace.

Here's a closer look?

I bought several colors of rope and I still have those 4 pendants I showed you in my previous post. So if I find time... more to come!

Oh by the way, we are having another guest here tomorrow for our weekly Creating Success Around the World blog hop.

 

I interviewed another talented lady from Asia and tomorrow, you will get to know her too so check back again. Hope to see you!

I am linking to the following parties:

Made By You Monday at Skip to My Lou | Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings | Take-a-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts |  Show Me What Ya Got at Not JUST a Housewife | Tuesday To-do Party at The Blackberry Vine | Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie | Tuesday Party at Running With Glitter | Confessional Link Party at Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy | Link Party at Tea Rose Home | We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado | Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts | Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish Whims | Weekend Wrapup Party at Tatertots and Jello |

Pleated Tie Necklace from Maybe Matilda

On one of my usual blog hops this week, I saw this project by Rachel over at Maybe Matilda.

I loved it and I knew instantly I was going to make one. When I got home later that night... I hunted around for one of my husband's unused ties. He has this small collection of ugly old ties from his college days (a long time ago) and I picked one with a sort of nautical print. In my heart, I wanted to use one of his nicer ties to make a nicer necklace... but I didn't want to start a war so... :)

I followed the instructions on Rachel's tutorial. It was relatively easy... except for one thing... it required a button hole! I have never tried sewing a button hole using my machine before and I couldn't figure out how just by looking at the sewing machine's parts so I did something I should have done a long time ago...

I busted open the sewing machine's user manual and started reading it.

And after a while...

My first button hole!!! *screams of joy*

It was not as bad as I thought. I had visions of complicated twists and turns while sewing and surprisingly, you just position your fabric and the machine pretty much sews the button hole for you.

Here's my finished pleated tie necklace:

I didn't have the tutorial open while I was sewing so I sewed the button on the wrong piece. Too late to do something about it when I saw the original again since the button hole is already there. Anyway, I guess it works too. If you want to make one, check out Rachel's tutorial.

Click here to go to the tutorial.

My husband saw me wearing it when I met him at the mall after work last night.

Taken in front of the mirror so the necklace looks reversed.

Me: Look what I made! Oh by the way,I used one of your old ties, can I have it? I hope you don't mind me taking it.
Hubby: You ask me after you destroyed it already?
Me: Excuse me??? Destroyed it. I rescued it!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Linking up to the following link parties:

CraftOManiac Monday at CraftOManiac | Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative | Making Monday Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T. | Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do | Made with Love Monday at Sew Chatty | Made By You Monday at Skip To My Lou | Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple | Craft Couture Monday at Craft Couture | A Round Tuit at Creating My Way to Success | Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Inspire Me Monday at Singing Three Little Birds | Manic Monday at Sew Happy Geek | Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle | A Marvelous Mess at Marvelously Messy | Take a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts | Tuesday To-do Party at The Blackberry Vine | Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie | Tuesday Party at Running with Glitter | Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings | Sew Cute Tuesday at Creative Itch | Show Me What Ya Got at Not JUST a Housewife | We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado | Show & Tell at Blue Cricket Designs | Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish Whims | Hoo's Got Talent? at Night Owl Crafting | Will See It Wednesday at Fabric Bows and More | Weekend Wrapup Party at Tatertots and Jello | Friday Favorites at Inspiring Creations | Lovely Crafty Weekend at Lovely Crafty Home | Show and Tell at Be Different Act Normal | Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes | K.I.S.S. at The Tattered Tag | 

CSI Refashions Challenge

Flower Applique Bib Necklace

I was passing through the mall on my way home the other night when a bib necklace on a store window caught my eye (sorry, wasn't able to take a picture because my phone died). I checked the price and uh-uh... no thanks. I decided to make several one instead.

My new necklace!

Here's what I did. I looked around my supplies to find what I can use and found this.

  

I posted about this scrap fabric last November here.

Anyway... I cut off 10 of the flower appliques from the fabric. They weren't all perfect but that's ok.

And then I stood in front of the mirror with a paper held in front of my neck. Using a pencil, I traced the shape I wanted my bib necklace to take. I cut a pattern from the paper and used that pattern to cut my necklace base from cream colored felt.

Using a glue gun, I started gluing the flowers to my base. First, one at the center, and then 2 flowers on each side. So that's five flowers for the first layer. Then I glued a second layer of flowers over my first layer. Then I glued cream-colored pearls at the center of each flower and attached ribbons on both sides. Done!

Some cream colored felt was showing around some of the flowers so I cut them off around the flowers making scallops around each flower:

When I tried it on, I also found out that the felt base I made was too wide for my neck so I made small cuts on each side of the center flower and glued them (like tucks when you're sewing) to bring both edges of the bib closer together. You can see the tucks I made in the photo.

And here's my new bib necklace which cost me close to nothing:

This post is linked up at the following link parties:

• Somewhat Simple 
• Tea Rose Home
• Tatertots and Jello
• CraftOManiac
• Sew Can Do