White Bling? 🤨🤔😁

 

So-called “white” jewels such as diamonds and pearls are not my favorites, but last year I made Black and White Bobbles to match my Polka Dot Dress. Could I further venture into more white accessories to go with my August black and white ensembles thanks to a pack of $10 howlite beads?

More of the clearance black wood bead garland used previously and some large grab bag gold beads alternating with the smaller howlite beads made for a very chunky, actually somewhat gaudy necklace. Big earrings and a thick bracelet complete the tacky set, but if I'm going to ritz up my Black and White Polka Dot Tank to beat the heat I may as well go big or go home, amirite? A handful of black fireball beads mixed with the howlite and the last of the black wood beads made for more simple dangle earrings with a matching gold cross necklace as I inched further from my black wheelhouse. I have noticed that some black beads or fake metals discolor and rub off with sunscreen at higher temperatures. However, that's what one must expect if you're going to work with cheap, fun, found materials, and I'm not about to give up my SPF 100!

The howlite beads and their matching white cross spacers made for more bracelets alongside cheap gold beads taken apart from another Goodwill garland. Here, I went bold for a mirroring majority howlite collar necklace with gold teardrop beads and small cross earrings. Because I also wear red accents with my black and white for a dash of fifties style pop, vintage thrift red and gold beads were next to join the howlite. Like my previous Bling Binge, I went a little crazy in finishing these red beads with three bracelets, earring bobs, and a necklace with a dangling howlite cross pendant. Determined to use all this howlite to fill the white accessories hole in my collection, I continued with more aged gold chunky beads and leftover rose shaped beads for another necklace. The small white crosses and more cheap gold beads made for the last of the howlite beads in a matching bracelet. There are still some of the small sideways howlite cross beads in two sizes which can be used for future bracelets – my own spiritual trademark against this so-called Christian yet totally corrupt regime that has forgotten Jesus's actual teachings on compassion. Otherwise I've pretty much made all the white and gold jewelry combinations I'll probably need. Huzzah!

Does some of this me-made jewelry look the tacky and junky that it truly is? Absolutely! Apologies to Dolly Parton, but it only cost pennies to look this cheap. I have fun, seemingly lightweight looking accessories thanks to the white howlite color – a new concept to me, a long-time wearer of black. I'm looking forward to mixing and matching these bright, summery sets with my black and white clothes, a moderate success with an alternative white stone, if I do say so myself!

Visit the Kbatz Krafts Archive for more jewelry made by me or see more bling photos on the Kbatz Krafts Facebook.

DIY Holiday Adventures

Still catching up post-Covid, I didn't get to all the DIY December ideas on my list this year. No scrap ornaments nor holiday banners like my Celestial Banner for Search Magazine! What I did do came down to the wire, and the reactions to this trio of festive projects were...mixed?

The Jewelry Treasure Chest

I saved this top opening gift basket several years ago but forgot what I had wanted to do with it – until I saw it again this year, that is! I thought the flip top made it the perfect treasure chest for my niece. She's been sorting through some of my jewelry making supplies for the beads she likes, so I made as many bracelets and necklaces as I could with her favorites, the pink bead discards I don't like, and all the odd, low quantity, fun beads that don't match anything else. Many of the bug and butterfly charms and unique bobbles came from three cases of beads I found at Goodwill earlier in the summer for $8 each. Unlike some of my seemingly elaborate Black and White Bobbles, these were all done with simple elastic cording that can grow with her or can be taken apart later if she wants to do her own creations. More plastic Mardi Gras necklaces and fake pearls removed from other cheap costumes supplemented the chest along with her play masks, tiaras, and folding fans. I also put some of the jewelry sets I made in smaller boxes or little velvet bags within the chest to make them seem even more fancy. This was seemingly the biggest hit of the holiday when my niece didn't want to open anything else on Christmas morning because she had to go through the entire chest claiming she wanted to wear twenty pieces at once. Unfortunately, she only wanted the pink and later red jewelry – refusing to consider any other color even when playing with the mask and fan. So... I guess it was worth it?

Potter Scrap Pumpkins!

I got a pair of Gryffindor pajama pants for my husband that turned out to be quite long. Upon hemming them, I saved the excess inches intending to make something, but what? Once I knew making personalized scrap ornaments for each of my family wasn't feasible this holiday season, I realized I could still at least make Stuffed Pumpkins for my older niece with these pant ends. Once upon a time she was a big Potter lover, but this print is mature and subtle enough to just be regular autumn décor without screaming boy wizard. One end is gathered closed before the stuffing with fabric scraps and plastic bags. Rustic twine for the pumpkin sections, dollar store leaves, curly pipe cleaner vines, and a cinnamon stick stem topped off this gourdy pair. Upon seeing them on Christmas Eve, my niece first asked where I got the fabric and if they had been worn before they were pumpkins? Which I guess I could see as humorous because they hadn't been, and likewise, they weren't stuffed with dryer lint – although that is a perfectly viable stuffing option in a pinch. All gathered were very bemused and said that I was a very resourceful person. I'm not sure, however, if that resourceful was meant as a positive or just being polite, for I was also teased for saving all the holiday package shipping paper. Hey, man, it's good for painting drop cloths and scrap sewing patterns!

It's a Christmas Vacation Pillow

I get my husband a lot of character shirts at the thrift shop that he may like until they wear thin but sometimes the sizes aren't right. Usually I give away the too bigs and too smalls immediately or make pillows for the bean bag. This National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation shirt, however, I found again wrapped around loose ornaments when I opened my ornaments tote bin this year – meaning I must have intended to make it a pillow last year. Fortunately, unlike my Wonky Halloween Pillows, this was in good condition and easy to cut out the design square before running it through the machine. Again scraps and plastic bags were my stuffing – this is only a decorative pillow rather than needing to be soft and cozy. Its hockey playing Santa pillow companion was an earlier upcycled thrift find – I only have two Santas in my house and both are left shooting hockey players! There are more ready to retire shirts that I would like do as a quilt like my Memento Mori piece, but only my husband would probably get all the pop culture shirt references, for no one seemed to get, care, or notice the Christmas Vacation quote on the pillow. Oh well. Thankfully, everyone did eat all the pizzelles of course.

Visit Kbatz Krafts on Facebook for more photos or follow us on Blue Sky for the latest craft adventures! Peruse the Kbatz Krafts Archive for more projects including: 

Carving and Baking with Real Pumpkin

Mini Pumpkin Garland

Going Green Jewelry

Christmas Princess Upgrades

 

One expects changes as a child grows, which is why I don't usually go all out with the perfect finishes for my niece's Pastel Play Dresses. Such growth, however, is also an opportunity to upgrade our Christmas Princess with some ruffles, alterations, and new bling.

Having my first bout with Covid meant all my grandiose Fall sewing plans fell to the wayside, but these simple holiday embellishments have helped me get back into the crafting swing. Since its shape as a short caplet will not change, I starting by adding a gold fringe from a closing Joann Haul to the cape hem with a running back stitch using invisible thread. I knew I needed golden flair for my niece and shopped the Joann's clearance accordingly for some matching yellow threads handy now after pressing and pinning a cheap Wal-Mart gold satin as a shiny new cape lining. Unfortunately, I did struggle with tacking in this add-in lining numerous times. Like my long gestating brown housecoat set that I intended to have done before Covid struck, making sure the lining draped correctly with the cape took several adjustments both laying it flat and leaving it on the dress form before I was satisfied with several lining pleats in the back of the cape. Though I kept trying to convince myself it didn't have to be perfect, I also want this shiny fun to last for more holidays to come.

Next, a ritzy red fabric found at my local Goodwill this summer became a new foot long hem ruffle to lengthen the original Butterick B4319 tunic. They call me “The Woman in Black” there, and the store clerk asked me if it was a cape. I said I didn't think so but it was sparkly and that was what my niece said she wanted. I do have more of the original thrift Halloween capes from which I made the dress, but I'm saving that material for when I need to expand it with a new back panel or side gores. This ruffle took about half the glittery red; it's already cut width was just under doubling the hem length for the prerequisite gathering flounce. I did this new attachment by hand, for I didn't trust this slinky sheer metallic fabric to go through my sewing machine. Likewise, I initially stitched dollar store gold ribbon – the same as the silver trim used in the Cheap Frozen Costume – with my invisible thread at the original hem to further unite the two-tone reds. However, the invisible thread proved far too cumbersome by getting caught on the ribbon's metallic prongs so I went back to a yellow thread instead. I didn't double or line this deadstock mystery material for the ruffle, but did fold it over for shine on both sides upon expanding the dress sleeve with a fun little rectangular tippet. It was easy to open the gathering at the bicep and let the new tail drape, again with a gold Joann's trim setting off the new seam.

Like my Halloween Mystery Costume was meant to look like the personification of Halloween accumulated over time with its patchwork, this costume will indeed become piece by piece anew each Christmas. Obviously at some point it will no longer perfectly match, but the secret is making sure at least two items at a time coordinate. Here the red ruffle and the sleeve tippet go together. Next year I can stripe the top sleeve puff with more gold satin or do a matching full length sleeve – or gasp, add my niece's new favorite color: pink! Here the remaining gold sleeve trim was used for the drawstring of a little reticule purse. I could stripe this poof by stitching an alternating piece of the glittery red with the yellow satin, however these materials are both delicate and of different weights so that could look too wonky. Instead I simply laid the red strips horizontal on the yellow rectangle along with the last of the gold metallic hem trim and top stitched everything in place with a running back stitch. This turned out to be not exactly straight or symmetrical, but the top drawstring channel and the gathered closed bottom hide the imperfections. Yes, I could have been far more meticulous, but for a once a year use project like this, what would precision matter? This came together in a few hours, and the toughest part was trying to finagle the last of the gold fringe as some sort of tassel on the bottom that I ultimately left off to save for another future doodad.

Hot glue and clearance Wal-Mart yellow tulle made for an instant veil under the back poinsettias and bells of the existing Christmas wreath head roll in another simple yet oh so dramatic upgrade. I could have made a truncated hennin to go inside the roundlet, but my niece loves to precariously swing around my fifty cent pimp cane turned gnarly forest staff every chance she gets! Originally made for my Halloween Mystery Costume, this staff does double duty with my Mother Christmas Costume, so I decided to make my niece her own mini forest scepter more to her scale. A dollar store Halloween battery candle and empty tin foil roll combined with some backing cardboard, egg carton, and masking tape became the most magical yet cheapest make possible. Like my staff, stiffening hot glue creates that enchanted wood design as well as securing the egg carton strips around the faux candle flame like a mystical splintering effect. A black acrylic base coat and brown highlights finalized the branch motifs, and unlike my staff, this weekend project actually glows! I spoke to my niece on the phone during this multi step upgrade, telling her I was working on redoing her Christmas costume. “Thank you,” she said in her little five year old voice. I kept hearing this in my head thereafter, her appreciation spurring me on despite my lagging and any little imperfections or fudges and fixes along the way.

For Santa Lucia Day after saying, “Hi Kristin. Why are you dressed like that?” and “Who's Mother Christmas?” My niece grabbed her staff and said, “One of my own!” She kept running back and forth swishing the skirt and sleeves and refused to take her off dress for dinner. We had to compromised by letting her wear the cape at the table but she didn't want to share her scepter with her grandpop. My mother who taught me to sew (you can read my Legacy of Sewing article in the #FamilyTime issue of Search Magazine available now) was impressed with what looked like such a deceptively elaborate costume. The ruffle was actually a little long and the tie in the back was still loose enough for more room to grow. Had I gone straight through this project, it would have been done in a week but instead real world interference meant it took a month. However seeing her joy upon donning the costume, handing out the picture prints for others from inside her reticule, and waving her scepter about...this is why we do it amirite?

Follow the Kbatz Krafts Facebook for more photos or join us on Blue Sky for the latest craft adventures! Visit the Kbatz Krafts Archive for more projects including: 

Holiday Handprints

Green Velvet Skirt

Celestial Banner for Search Magazine

Black and White Bobbles!

 

In addition to my Black and White Polka Dot Dress, I made more assorted black and white bling – bang for my buck that looks a lot more classy and sophisticated than for what these totally cheap jewelry sets actually cost.

First came the seventy-five cent clearance cameos from one of my spring Joann Closing Hauls. I was finally able to utilize some flat black faceted beads in addition to dangling black bobbles and cheap gold beads that came from either a thrift grab bag or beaded holiday garland that I cut up for the beads. I don't remember which! The cameos made for earrings, a necklace pendant, and a bracelet with a small dangling cross to match. Obviously nothing here is more than plastic yet it's a posh looking set that adds instant elan to any little black dress.

Next I made two odd, ball style sets by supplementing a handful of unique but low in quantity beads. Two random white fireballs were done up with gold crosses for a pair of earrings shiny enough to match some of my heirloom pearl and gold pieces. More creamy pearl-esque balls of several assorted sizes combined with more cheapy black and gold beads for a full suit of earrings, necklace, and a sideways cross bracelet. These faux pearl beads ended up being very tricky thanks to a very small threading hole, forcing me to use a lesser gauge beading wire for the necklace. I have trouble crimping the ends of such wire properly, thus I generally just twist, knot, and wrap the wire but it always seems to hold. Jinx! When I wore this graduated ball set, my dad asked why I was dressed so fancy. I said, “Thanks. I made it!”

All of these random grab bag beads came from the sadly now closed local Carnival of Collectables Antique Mall and have been in my stash for sometime. In my previous Bling Binge, I was trying to use as much of my stash as possible to make jewelry sets whether they were in my seasonal colors and wearing window or not. Here however, I used miscellany pieces to make what I wanted and needed right now – filling in gaps with black, white, and gold that I only wear in August. Regardless of outdated Victorian and Edwardian classism, I don't believe in wearing white after Labor Day. It's autumn people move on to fall colors! Of course, that's not going to stop me continuing to use up many of my black bobbles as well as the black wood bead garland seen in my Haulloween 2024 video.

Simply cutting this bead garland strand made for a long, opera length necklace before a matching bracelet and ear bobs. In contrast to the imitation pearls, because these string holes are so large, I was also able to use up some smaller millimeter beads to finish the earrings and prevent the larger beads from sliding off the ear wire. Because who doesn't need more black wood bead necklaces, I continued with a smaller collar style necklace – this time alternating with other black beads for a tone on tone set again with a matching bracelet. Next, leftover silver Christmas garland beads combined with more of the wooden beads made for a sophisticated cross necklace set. Finally it was time for some large plastic gold beads with the black wood beads, matching dangling earrings, and a cross bracelet. Whew!

Believe it or not, I still have MOAR of the black wood beads, and I'm tempted to experiment in alternating them with more autumn colored beads. September was formerly my time to wear red (a color understandably retired for political reasons), but moving up silver and black or all black in chunky, cool tone sets goes well with this transitional weather, crisp black and white buffalo check scarf, or my black and white plaid skirt. I love thinking outside the box in making accessories that go with any outfit or season but don't break the bank. The most expensive materials here were probably the elastic cordings, beading wire, and earring hooks that a jewelry maker should always buy in bulk and have on hand for when colorful inspiration strikes.

Visit Kbatz Krafts on Blue Sky for more crafting or follow our Facebook and Instagram for project photos. Revisit the Kbatz Krafts Archive for more bobbles including:

Green Holiday Jewelry

Jaunty Autumn Hat

Jewelry Making Basics

Drab to Glam Lampshades

Green Velvet in July?

 

I've been endeavoring to both sew items I need as well as whittle down the unfinished to do pile encroaching upon my work table. Sometimes my project reasons are practical. Working on a green velvet skirt in July just because the green thread was still in my machine after making the Minecraft Ottoman...we'll call this a whim.

This leftover intention from my Mother Christmas Costume has been waiting on my table since 2022, and my notion to make as many skirts as able as seen in my 5 Skirts, 1 Pattern Video persists. Here the center panel and the two back pieces from the Butterick 6196 source remained to size while each side panel was folded and reduced to fit the remaining green curtain fabric. Although the front is its own panel, I cut the back and side pieces as one continuous back. This isn't the most super quality material and it doesn't fray, however I wanted as much fullness with as little seams as possible. While the skirt was laid out flat on the floor, it was easier to pin the hem with several turn under folds before bee-lining every thing through my machine. I surprised even myself when this entire cutting and sewing process only took several hours! If your machine cooperates on decent material with a pattern you know, sewing can be pretty quick and easy, who knew?

After stay stitching the top line, I pinned and pleated the skirt to size on my dress form. Cutting a short back line created a place for my opening skirt placket, but these pleats and folds did become a little too thick for the machine. Fortunately, the original six tab top curtain pieces came in handy as the waistband! After seam ripping them all open, I sewed them all together as one continuous length – retaining their folded seam lines for the waistband and adding a double strip of thrifted black bias tape for reinforcement. The waistband was pinned and basted before a tight running back stitch in front and a final inside stitch encasing the skirt waistband. Black on black sewing I expect to be tough, but the worst part here was the dark green on dark green tiny stitches making my eyes go wonky! I turned to my Giant Button Jar for a unique green button before a finishing press. Initially, I was tempted to do a black velvet trim from my recent Joann Haul but thought it might be too heavy. However a day later I decided to turn up the hem again with some supporting tape and do a wider black velvet panache with some Dollar Store Halloween ribbon. I like the idea that my boots would show underneath with a coordinating black sweater and belt – even though it will probably be a mild 60F in December when I eventually wear this!

It's actually quite tempting to add even more rows of trim, maybe even some black fringe to match the green velvet dramatics! Of course, I intend to do a matching vest with the last remaining material, too, and those future trims should also coordinate with the skirt. Then again, I am but one person doing one impulse project at a time and I have more seasonal summer tops to make. Although this wasn't my next intended project, this unique, feel good look from thrifted curtains is a simple can do that inspires me to continue on those more immediate wardrobe needs. With no second guessing, mistakes, or re-dos thanks to previous pattern use and sewing know how, it's pretty amazing what wearable in a day can be accomplished. So what if it's holiday green in July?

For more project photos, visit Kbatz Krafts on Facebook or Instagram and join us on Blue Sky. Read about further sewing shenanigans in our Kbatz Krafts Archive including:

The Orange Tablecloth Skirt

Black and Orange Polka Dot Skirt 2.0

Reversible Red Skirt

Another Halloween Dress

Making a Minecraft Ottoman

 

My Husband may not want more pillows for the office bean bag (spoiler alert: he got them!). However he does need an ottoman under his desk to alleviate the 9 to 5 leg fatigue as well as the work-from-home perils of cats determined to be in his lap making for some surprisingly uncomfortable positioning. Now at last, my Stuffed Pumpkin Ottoman expertise can be put to good use thanks to some Minecraft themed fabric!

Seen previously in my Treat Yourself Haul three years ago, these two full Minecraft bolts were $14 each at Goodwill. While the blue sword print material has already been put to use as a duvet covert with matching pillowcases, these aren't the softest cotton and this green bolt actually says it's not intended for children's pajamas. What then was I to do with it? Alas, this green print is ideal for a square ottoman design befitting the game's grassy building blocks. Initially I intended this as a no-sew, all hot glue one day project. However the shorter fabric width meant I couldn't cut out three downward blocks and three sideways blocks to create a six sided square to stuff as one whole piece. Instead, two pieces were required with four panels that would be the bottom, back, top, and right side while a separate piece would be the front and left side. Thankfully, unlike my original Black and Orange Polka Dot Skirt Attempt, the direction of the Minecraft print didn't matter. Although I originally wanted to do a twenty inch square, the eighteen inch cardboard piece I used to measure, trace, and base my block panels turned out to be plenty big enough! Maybe even too big – if one's office wasn't already a slightly comical area of video games, collectibles, and Minecraft Curtains.

After cutting my shapes, I realized that if my sewing machine cooperated – unlike with the Cheap Elsa Costume – sewing these straight lines would be a lot faster then folding all the seams and hot gluing them slow and pretty. Fortunately, these quality materials went smoothly with no tension issues, threads breaking, or jams. After turning the giant square right side out, it was time to put in the simple cardboard base and stuff this mother! I used the last of the leftover recycled denim packaging I saved layered with more random Styrofoam and plastic bags. Sometimes trash comes in handy! My mother had also previously given me foam blocks from before she retired as a manager at TJX. These were actually boot packing supports that she thought I might like to use as more Candy Cane Christmas Candles, teehee. While I was in this stitch and stuff phase, I also used two odd rectangle panels from my two piece cut out and put them together to make a matching pillow, because why not? The world is harsh, we need more pillows – especially cute ones that work out unlike my Wonky Halloween Pillows.

After pinning the top, this giant ottoman was easy to hand sew closed just like a pillow. I refer to the top, but this fun block can really be tossed and turned in any direction. The soft lines and comfortable filling make for a fine place to sit or put up your feet as intended. The cats have already given it their seal of approval, and that seemingly too large size means there is enough room to put up your feet and have a cat sit on it, too – if they let that happen, that is! It does bug me, however, that thanks to the two wrapped panel corners, this isn't a perfect looking square as per the game. Had I sewn all six panels individually and maybe lined each of those seams with a thin cardboard strip, this might have been a more rigid design. If this was a formal living room piece, I probably would have gone all out with the curved upholstery needle, wood supports, piping, and fancy trims. Fortunately, that's not necessary for this fun under the desk comfort. Besides, I don't have to live with this project – my Husband does, hehe.  😁

Follow Kbatz Krafts on Facebook and Instagram for more project photos or join us on Blue Sky! Browse the Kbatz Krafts Archive for more sewing and crafting adventures including:

The Orange Tablecloth Skirt

How to Make Stuffed Pumpkins

CardboardHalloween Banner

Memento Mori Sewing

Wonky Halloween Pillows Deux 🥴

 

Thanks to my Haulloween '24, Spring meant it 'twas time to clean out my Halloween pajamas drawer and turn my threadbare shirts into more Halloween Pillows! The sound upcycle idea, unfortunately, was better than the askew execution this time.

Previously, those retired shirts made for some cute, sturdy decorative pillows. However, like my dress turned Tie Dye Pillow, these shirts have seen their day – resulting in stretched seams and frustrating hand sewing. Working within their shapes took finagling, too. Preserving the fun Halloween designs while avoiding soil spots and the cat claw pinpricks that apparently proliferate most of my clothes was not easy, and I even resorted to matching material cut from the discard sleeves to disguise some of the tiny holes. Because of such threadbare inferiority, the plastic grocery bags and fabric scraps used in my Stuffed Pumpkins wouldn't do without a layer of smoothing PolyFil to hide these sheer when stuffed pillows. During this venture for me, I also recovered some of my husband's toss pillows on our me-made bean bag with some of his formerly beloved t-shirts. However those Pixar and Doctor Who pillow transformations turned out beautifully – perhaps a statement on the superior quality of men's t-shirts versus the fast fashion of women's Halloween cheapness. Typical!

An older bed pillow was also used to stuff the paw print material from one of my Joann Hauls for an easy cat bed – which true to the Attempted Cat Cushion, none of them like. Unfortunately, even I disliked my own Boo! Padded sign creation. I don't care for the causal Halloween adoption of “boo” and “spook” ignoring the previous inflammatory nature of these terms, and initially I was unsure how to re-purpose this design – if at all. The very old glow in the dark shirt lettering was the only salvageable portion, so I added a small black ribbon – mistakenly basted the wrong way inside first – before using some scraps from the Cheap Elsa Costume to pad the hanging rectangle. Although I may repeat this idea with better materials in the future, this was not the bemusing glow in the dark pop art I had hoped. It's a hideous, crooked little thing that can't even be excused as intentionally primitive or childlike or saved by it's glow in the dark fun. All I see are the stitching mistakes, and I actually wondered if it's even worth sharing such a shitty, embarrassing, waste of time project.

Fortunately, even failures teach a sewing lesson. These wonky Halloween pillows will float around my basement studio and my niece's kid station, so their potential to not survive and end up as inserts for the next round of Halloween pillows is okay. I'm the one who has to learn not to wear something low quality until it is falling apart and then try to upcycle it! I've carried numerous other pillows from house to house that have been recovered over time – including sports team t-shirts redone as lumbars with the $1 luxury fabric swatches from before the Pandemic when the nearest Joann by me had closed. Do I need more pillows? My husband would say I'm the lady in the insurance commercials that has left nowhere to sit for all the pillows. However, the easy upcycle preservation of a charming design or sentimental shirt remains paramount. This is great sewing practice anyone can do. I don't share my goofy sewing and craft adventures to be instructional perfection. Failed Halloween pillows such as these are more about inspiring a not what it is but what it could be ideology and making it happen. Even if that's not on this project.

For more sewing updates, join me on Blue Sky or for project photos follow Kbatz Krafts on Facebook or Instagram. Browse the Kbatz Krafts Archive for past projects including: 

The Orange Tablecloth Skirt

A Black and Orange Polka Dot Apron

Halloween Shoe Wreath

Mini Pumpkin Garland