DID YOU EVER SEE A MAPLE LEAF THIS SIZE?

Finished Leaf Waiting for the "Fairy Face" to be added

MY TUTORIAL ON CREATING

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100% SILK "MAPLE LEAF FAIRY" WALL ACCENT

STEP ONE - The Leaf

What you will see here are the steps it took me to create a fiber sculpted "maple leaf fairy" wall accent using my original template of one of the biggest maple leaves I ever saw.

I designed the template from a real maple leaf my husband and I found while taking a walk two years ago during a gorgeous fall day in Lake Geneva, WI. It was the most amazing size maple leaf I ever saw!

This huge leaf, was laying among other regular sized leaves which had fallen from the tree. I was so thrilled at this find I had to rush back to our car and press it between paper towels so that I could perserve it until I got home. The leaf measured 11.75" long, and 11.25 wide by the time I got it home. It had shrunk just a little bit.

Below you will see the steps taken to create this 100% silk, leaf. In another post I will show you the steps taken to create the fairy's face, also out of 100% silk, and finally the completed creation! This is only the third "Maple Leaf Fairy" I have created using this huge maple leaf. There is so much work to it!

The photo below shows the template after I traced the actual leaf onto white posterboard. It was quite difficult tracing all the little peaks on the leaf without ruining the leaf.

The next step was to trace the leaf template onto the silk fabric which I used. I used "tussah" silk. Tussah silk is a silk that is derived from wild moths, whose main diet is oak leaves. I also use this same silk for all of my fantasy creation's faces, as well as the mermaids upper bodies. The natural color of tussah silk can be anywhere from a very light cream to a darker tan. When I plan on dying the silk, I use the very light colored tussah. In order to trace the template onto the fabric, I use an iron on interfacing.


Below you will see the leaf after I have sewn it. Let me tell you....it takes a LONG time to sew around all those little peaks, but the hardest part is yet to come....turning the leaf inside out!!

I think you can see from the photo above, where there is a tiny opening at the base of the leaf. That is where the trouble begins...trying to get the whole big leaf through that teeny, tiny opening. I use a long "alligator forceps" tool to manage this, but it still took me almost an hour to turn the leaf right side out! How is that for patience!

The next step is steaming and pressing the leaf to get all the many wrinkles out that were incurred pulling it through the tiny opening. The photo below shows the leaf after it has been stuffed with acrylic fiberfill.

The next step is to "top-stitch" a design onto the leaf. The photo below shows the leaf after I have completed this step. I always sew all of my creations using a clear quilting thread.

Now is the part I love best.....painting the leaf using Jacquard's liquid Dye-na-Flow fabric paint. It flows on so nicely, but you have to work very quickly with it so that you don't develop lines in the coloring. Below are several photos taken in the process of painting the leaf.

I used several different shades of Dye-na-Flow to achieve the colors I wanted for the leaf. Below you will see the finished leaf....waiting to dry! The next step will be creating the "fairy face" , which will go on the center of leaf. The final creation will be a delightful, colorful wall hanging. Be sure to stop back to see the how the whole Maple Leaf Fairy turns out. I will be doing it in another post later this week.

The center of the leaf and the stem are a bit off center, but this won't show when the creation is entirely completed. Be sure to stop back to see how the completed creation will look!

FEATIRED ETSY SHOP - SEW BETTIE

The SEW BETTIE shop out on Etsy is run by Mark Cesarik and Cara Angelotta, who are the designers, writers, crafters, shippers, and business managers behind SEW BETTIE. Mark is a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a practicing oil painter and multi-faceted designer. Cara went to Swarthmore College where she studied history. She also studied fine arts at Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy. Now she is a medical student at Northwestern University. To stay sane, Cara makes stuff (lots and lots of stuff). Read below to hear what Cara has to say about the work that is being offered by SEW BETTIE. Below is a photo of the dog BETTIE, who inspired the name given to Mark and Cara's SEW BETTIE shop.

BETTIE

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have always been a maker. I can't remember a time when I didn't make stuff. I've done everything from oil painting to weaving to jewelry making.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

The Sew Bettie product line is a combination of my love for sewing and Mark's (my partner) graphic design skills. I started sewing again a few years ago and found traditional sewing patterns really hard to follow. We started making our tutorials so that we could include color photos of each step. My sewing craze led Mark to create fabric because I was so tired of spending so much time creating unique creations just to see the same exact fabric everywhere. Our fabric designs are printed in limited editions of 100 yards.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

Every aspect! One favorite part is brainstorming an idea for a pattern, and then working to make the idea a reality. I also just love the actual sewing process. It is so relaxing. I get lost in the process.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

Hmmm ... I would have to pick a pineapple because pineapples are delicious, happy, and bright.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

It is really important to price your work so that you actually make a profit from it. Otherwise, you won't enjoy selling your work. I write about business topics on my blog "Craft Yourself Rich". http://craftyourselfrich.blogspot.com/

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

I've always wanted to learn to blow glass.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

Mark and I hope that Sew Bettie inspires creativity in other people. We hope that people are able to use our products to make things they will always treasure and love.

THANKS, CARA for taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with us. Be sure to check out SEW BETTIE to see what products Mark and Cara have to offer, which might just inspire the "creative streak" in you!

CRAFT YOURSELF RICH BLOG

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