Making Fabric Roses

Hi, guys! Well, I had new obsession nowadays; for my art theme I have decided to make a huge (ok it is not that big) heart, covered with roses. With the intention of being creative, I learnt how to make those flowers. As you already know, my art 'style' is fiber art, so the medium for these roses automatically became fabric. Now, I'd love to share my experience with you. If you would like to a fabric rose like the ones above, please follow the instructions below (have fun:)).

Step 1. Preparation

You will need a fabric such as satin, organza, crepe, tulle or lace, as well as needle and thread (in colour that matches the fabric). Firstly, cut strips of your fabric. See the photos.  

Step 2. Process

Fold the fabric strip in half length-wise with the right side of your fabric (the side that you want to show) facing out. Roll the end of your folded fabric in 4-5 turns. Sew the ends of these gatherings and keep gathering and stitching until the rose is formed. Think about it as building layers (in art terms), in other words, making petals of your rose. See the photos to clarify this crucial step.

Step 3. 'Serious' part is over, have some fun:)

Now that you have made your rose, challenge your imagination and have fun. I am going to paint over it. My friend and I tried inks. It works. I will upload the photos as soon as I attached it to my art work. You can use these roses for decorative purposes as well. It is really up to you. If you have some crazy ideas for the Step 3, please comment or tell us via e-mail. 

Stay tuned with Not a Zebra!!!

making the needle holder jam jar!!

 ok, this was a very OMG moment,
 while reading through my darling FRANKIE i discovered these brillant ideas to recycle old jars and i am convinced i can some how incorprate this awesome idea into CAS and Blog.

stay in tuned for a step by step guid to make these little beauties

A new knitting project for beginners

Yes, I know you can't see my face but you see the shrug I am wearing, right? Being inspired by the magazine called "Creative Knitting", I knitted this pretty handy shrug by just following the instructions there. As a beginner, I spent about couple of weeks for making it and at the end I got a shrug (I call it a bolero...anyway) that is extremely useful when it is too hot/cold to wear a jacket.  

Now that you learnt the basics of knitting (if you still haven't, please check our video from the series of an easy-to-follow guide; you can find it either in utube or on our blog), you can easily make your own shrug. If I could do it, you can definetely do it!!!

O.K. Ready? Let's start!!!

What you'll need: Yarn of the colour you like (recommended 50g balls of the cotton thread), knitting needles 5.5mm and 4.5mm (equivalents for US are 9 and 7; for UK 5 and 7)

What you need to notice:  Please find your measurement and knit, following the instructions that suits to your measurement. You don't want to knit a shrug that you can't wear at the end coz it is either small or big in size, do you?

Woman's Measurements
                    S   M       L     XL
To fit size (cm)     8-10  12-14    16-18     20-22
Length (cm)          34      35           36         37


Girl's Measurements

Years                  2    4     6   8    10
To fit chest (cm)  50  55  60  65  70
Length (cm)         16 20  24  28  31

What you need to understand: You might have noticed from the knitting magazine etc, knitting has its own 'language', i.e. abbreviations. I will provide you with the glossary that in fact helped me to follow the instructions and hopefully, will be helpful 4 you.

Glossary: To be honest, I just copied it from the magazine "Creative Knitting". Thanks to the editors of this lovely magazine.

KNITTING ABBREVIATIONS



Alt - Alternate; alternately

Beg - Begin; begins; beginning


CC - Contrasting colour


Ch -Chain


Cm - Centimetre/s


CO - Cast on


Cont - Continue; continuing


Dec - Decrease; decreasing


Dk- Double Knitting


Foil - Follow; follows; following


G st - Garter stitch. If knitting back and forth, knit every row. If knitting circularly, one round knit, next
round purl.


Inc - Increase; increasing


K-Knit


K1 - Knit one stitch


K2tog - Knit two stitches together


Kb - Knit through the back of the stitch


Kwise - Knitwise


M - Make one stitch


MC - Main colour. When two or more colours are used, the main colour is the yarn that is dominant.


P-Purl


P1 - Purl one stitch


P2tog - Purl two stitches together


Patt - pattern


Psso - Pass slipped stitch over previous stitch


Pb- Purl through the back of the stitch


Pwise - Purlwise


Rem - Remaining


Rep - Repeat


S1 1 - Slip one stitch across from  left needle to right needle without knitting it.


S1 1 Purlwise - Slip next stitch off left needle onto right as if to purl the stitch.


Sts - Stitches


St st - Stocking stitch. If knitting back and forth, one row knit, next row purl. If knitting circularly, knit


each round.


55K - blip, slip knit. Makes a left slanting decrease. Slip two stitches knitwise, on at a time from the left to the right needle, then knit them together through their backs.


Tog - Together


WS- Wrong side


Ybk- Yarn back


Y fwd - Yarn forward - bring yarn under the needle, then over to the knitting position again, creating a


new stitch.


Yo - Yarn over.

Instructions

WOMAN'S SHRUG (BEG AT LOWER BACK)



Using 5.50mm needles, cast on 86 (98-110-118) sts.


1 st Row: K2,*P2,K2,rep from * to end.


2nd Row: P2,*K2,P2,rep from * to end.


Last 2 rows form rib patt for Back.


Cont in rib until work measures 16cm from beg, working last row on wrong side. Tie a marker at each end of next row to indicate beg of armhole.



Beg Armhole: Change to 4.50mm needles.


1 st Row: K2, 'M1' knitways, rib to last 2 sts, 'M 1 'knitways, K2 ... 88 (100-112-120) sts.


2nd Row: P3, * K2, P2, rep from * to last st, P1.


3rd Row: K3, * P2, K2, rep from * to last st, K1. Rep last 2 rows until work measures 36 (38-40-42) cm from markers, working last row on right side.


Next Row (wrong side): P2, K2tog, rib to last 4 sts, K2tog, P2 ... 86 (98-110-118) sts. Place a marker at each end of last row to indicate end of armhole.


Change to 5.50mm needles and cont in rib until work measures 16cm from second markers, working last row on wrong side. Cast off loosely in rib. 

TO MAKE UP

'Mattress St' method and a plain yarn to sew up your handknit are recommended. Join side seams to markers, reversing seams half-way to allow turn-back for collar.

Mattress Stitch method is as follows:



1 . Put the two pieces next to each other, right side up and edges together.


2. Thread a wool needle with along length of yarn.


3. Work one whole stitch (V shape) in from the edge and leave a long end before beginning to sew.


4. Put the needle between the edge stitch and the second stitch on the first row. Pass the needle


under 2 rows (2 cross bars), then bring it back through to the front.


5. Repeat step 4 on the other piece.


6. Swap from side to side, always going into the hole that the last stitch on that side came out of.


Always go under two rows - be careful not to miss any rows,


7. Keep the seam firm, but do not pull the yarn too tightly.


8. When the seam is finished, sew in ends.


GIRL'S SHRUG (BEG AT LOWER BACK)


Using 5.50mm needles, cast on 54 (62-66-70-74) sts.


1 st Row: K2, * P2, K2, rep from * to end.


2nd Row: P2, * K2, P2, rep from * to end. Last 2 rows form rib patt for Back.


Cont in rib until work measures 5 (8-10-13-14) cm from beg, working last row on wrong side. Tie a marker at each end of next row to indicate the beg of armhole.

Beg Armhole: Change to 4.50mm needles.

1st Row: K2, 'M1' knitways, rib to last 2sts,'MTknitways, K2 ... 56 (64-68-72-76) sts.


2nd Row: P3, * K2, P2, rep from * to last st P1


3rd Row: K3, * P2, K2, rep from * to last st, K1. Rep last 2 rows until work measures 22 (24-28-30-34) cm from markers, working last row on right side.


Next Row (wrong side): P2, K2tog, rib to last 4 sts, K2tog, P2 ... 54 (62-66-70-74) sts. Place a marker at each end of last row to indicate end of armhole.


Change to 5.50mm needles and cont in rib until work measures 5 (8-10-13-14) cm from second markers, working last row on wrong side.


Cast off loosely in rib.


TO MAKE UP


Work as given for Make Up for Woman's Shrug.

And, that's about it!!!
If you have any questions, contact us on notazebra@hotmail.com or comment on the blog....

Crocheting cute dolls

Amigurumi!!!

As the 'Not a Zebra' team, we feel so passionate about the Japanese doll making technique-amigurumi (ah-mee-guh-roo-mee). ''Ami is a shortening of the word amimie, which means 'stitch.' Gurumi is a shortening of the word nuigurumi, which means 'stuffed doll or toy'. Smoosh the two together and you get amigurumi.''

The crochet hook is a powerful instrument to make these awesome 'creations'. They are cute, challenging creativity and requiring little bit crocheting technique as well as passion and patience. However, the greatest thing about them is that these dolls are awesome for the gift ideas.

'Not a Zebra' presents you our 'humanoids'; they are original in themselves-totally, the product of our imagination! Oh yeah, that's another great feature of the Amigurumi-you can crochet whatever you like, once you got used to the technique:)))

Our visual guide on crocheting is coming soon and hopefully, in our later posts, we will be showing how to these cute dolls:)

4 for Now, We Have a Question:

 Have you been inspired?

If your answer is YES, please do not hesitate to comment or e-mail us on notazebra@hotmail.com.

Thanks to the helpful book, 'Amigurumi' by Elisabeth A. Doherty.

crochet

WE heart crochet pieces

crochet lamps.

  _{instructions to this awesome crochet light} 

<3 crochet stones creative way to decorate lovely water weathered stones. 

Crochet Plates!!!

this is soo cute,  finally my stone collection can keep cold during winter. thanks to resurrection fern : http://resurrectionfern.typepad.com/resurrection_fern/cats-and-dogs/

ok, says aili finally i know how to incorporate aliya's theme of textiles to change: apperance change, experimenting with concealing the outsides of things with crochet thus changing the aesthetics of the object .

 Snowflake pendant

Nahanni hat

Fabric covered button badges

Vintage lace earring display

Favorite things embroidered sampler

Liberty and a holey stone necklace

Merfish and Merfish necklaces

Rockfish

Pussy willows

Vintage hankie bunting

Heart of stone in ice

Beeswax heart garland

Sugar plum doilies in ice

Felt and Knitted Mushrooms

Knitted and Patchwork container

Knitted Rooster

Knit a Rag Nest

Knitted Bunny

Rock Babies

Crochet Covered Acorn Necklace

Crochet an Orb

Fabric Snail

Felt Embroidered Berries

Printing with Leaves and Flowers

Knit a Scarfette with Vintage Buttons
 Lazy Girls Guide to Felting Rocks

Crochet Trees

Vintage Button Mushrooms

Knit a Forest

Felt Stump

Folkloric Felt Bonnet

Crochet a Polypore

How to Whittle Gnomes from Branches

Crochet Acorns

Ice Wreaths

Floating Flower Stones

Fabric Scrap Trees

Knit a camera case

Knit and Felt a Bangle Bracelet 

Knit and Felt a Coffee Cosy

< crochet helpers also borrowed from resurrection fern. 

A pompom wreath, u say.

How to make this awesome wreath:

 

Aili and Aliya have been working very hard to bring you our first little Do-it-yourself creation, a pompom wreath, to brighten up any door or wall.

 

Materials you will need:

  

1. white or any colour of fabric
   
2. polyester fibre (the cotton-like  material that is used to fill the pillows etc.)
   
3. different colours of yarn
   
4. cardboard
5. scissors
6. threads and a needle
   
    

Step 1.

Making the ‘wreath’

You don’t have a wreath. No worries, you can make one out of fabric. First, you will need to cut a circle from the fabric, you like. 

 sew the outer edges of the circle and then turn it over the other side.

start filling it in with the polyester fiber. Sew the inner open edges of your circle and surprise, you have the basement-‘wreath’. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look like a real wreath because it will become invisible under the pompoms that you are going to make.

Step 2.

Making pompoms:

Cut two cardboard circles to desired size of finished pompom. In the centre of each circle, cut a hole. Place the circles together.

Make a knot around the two circles. 

Wrap  the yarn around the circles. 

You should continue wrapping until the central holes are completely filled. leave the ends dangling at the outer edges.Cut through the yarn around outer edge.

Ease the circles slightly apart and wrap a length of yarn tightly around the central strands a few times. Secure with a firm knot.

Pull off the cardboard circles. 

Fluff out pompom and trim with sharp scissors. Try making new pompoms in the different colours to make your wreath more colorful. we have used green and red.

Tip: to make the process faster when wrapping you can halve the wooden string and wrap double the amount of wood around the circles.

Step 3.

 Attaching the pompoms

Use dangling threads of the pompoms and attach them to your wreath first attach the green/larger pompoms then attach the red/smaller pompoms on top. if you have cut t off the strings too short when making the pompoms ,you can attach the pompoms by sewing them on with needle and thread. 

After all pompoms are put on the wreath cut of all remaining thread on the wreath .

now you can hang it up on a door or on the wall as decoration:)

helpers: Sasha Kagan (2004) Knitting for Beginners. Penguin Books. Australia. Page 37.

            and  http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/diy-pom-pom-wreath.html

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