CLOSET DIVA

Here is a sassy little gift you can make in no time at all.   My daughter designed this one.  It is for hanging in your closet to keep your clothes smelling wonderfully fresh and lightly scented.  You could stick one of these little babes in your drawers too.  
Dresser drawers that is............. 

She found vintage napkins at a thrift store for this one.
Four of them for a dollar!

Wild Diva!

Then she dug around in my stash and found some slinky black.  I have no idea what I used it for in the first place but I do know it was NOT something slinky for me.  It did work for this little Diva though.  When she first made it, it just didn't have enough going on.  I looked at it and decided it needed some WOW factor.  I put on some rhinestones and a little belt and buckle and some fringe at the bottom of her dress and she looks like she is ready for a wild night on the town.  (Maybe I should have made something similar for myself!)  

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Downloaded Pattern - Click Here
• 2 pieces of fabric about 6 x 8 in. or use a vintage embroidered napkin or handkerchief.
• 1 - 15 inch piece of ribbon or cord for hanging
• Any embellishments you may want to add     

Print out the pattern and cut apart on dashed line. DO NOT cut out the pattern. 

Place fabric with right sides together. Place ribbon on the inside, making sure it is not twisted and leave the ends exposed through the top.  This is only so you know where to put the shoulder points of the pattern.  

Pin on the pattern making sure that the ribbon ends
will be centered on the shoulder points as in the picture.

Your pattern can be positioned over a fancy corner on a napkin or any part of the fabric. You can take into account any of the design elements in the fabric you are using.   Again DO NOT cut out the pattern or fabric until later.  

Now you can sew directly on the black lines using a very small stitch,
being careful not to catch the rest of the ribbon into the seam.  Also note on the
pattern where NOT to sew.  See arrows!

Sew the ribbon into the seam only on the shoulder points and I stress again...don't catch it in the seam anywhere else.  Be sure to leave the bottom open where designated.  

When you have finished sewing you can then cut out around the entire body
preferably with pinking shears about 1/4 inch away from the black line. 

Tear off excess paper.  Clip the neckline and curves being careful not to cut through the stitching. You don't want to get too close to the stitching on this...just a little trimming will do or your ribbon will pull out and the neckline will tear open and you will toss it in a corner and you will get all huffy and no one will get a Diva.

Turn right side out and iron but not the ribbon.  It is at this point
that you may want to add some rhinestones, especially if you use the
heat set glue back ones.  Even if you glue them on,
now would be the time because it is nice and flat.

Stuff the top 1/3 with stuffing very firmly.  You must have a firm bust don’t we all? Fill the rest with flax or rice, lavender flowers and lavender oil. You can use any scent you choose and you can use just stuffing but the flax or rice do add some nice weight to the Diva and she hangs so much better.  You can glue the bottom shut or sew it.  

I put it upside down in a can while I filled it and added the glue to the edge.
You don't have to turn in the seam when gluing, no one will see it once
you add the lace or fringe.  Just glue it shut...nothing fancy needed here!

Glue or sew on lace or fringe to the bottom to hide the opening.  I prefer to glue it as it was a lot easier to do.  I use Unique Stitch Glue, also called Liquid Stitch glue to close the opening but I use a glue gun to put on the fringe.   If you iron that Unique Stitch Glue, it dries immediately and it is a done deal! I have no idea why they would want you to wait 24 hours to let it dry when the iron will do that in seconds!  That same company also makes an iron on glue but this works just the exact same way...they are not fooling me...or you now!

Well, here is the latest little Diva.  

She will fit into my closet just fine.  

  

Have fun with this and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

OH CANADA!!!

We spent a most wonderful week over July 4^th on a little piece of Heaven called Prince Edward Island. For those of you who were like me and asking....Where the heck is that?  Well, it is one of Canada's providences and one of their best kept secrets. It is between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and New Foundland. What a place of ultimate beauty! Red, yes, RED sand beaches and cliffs, beautiful green fields and the bluest of skies. It was like living in a picture.

Last Winter, I met a most friendly lady on an online quilting board that was from Prince Edward Island.  She was so instrumental in making our time there so much fun.  She told us everything we needed to know right down to what clothes to bring.  I called her once I was there and we texted and I know we would have talked for hours but with a 70 cents a minute calling price, I had to limit myself.  It was good to talk to her and maybe just maybe next time we can meet.  (I want to go back already!) She was recuperating from an accident and I am sure would not have needed company at that time but even so she was still ready to meet us!  It was always too late in the day to get together with her when we were done sightseeing so we put it off and I so regret it!   Thank you Louise…you were so wonderful!


Well, I know you all wanted to see a picture of me at the beach.  This is the best I could do.  Sorry you missed my cute beach outfit!

My hubby thinking he is sitting on top of the world.  We later had to tell him it was a rock but he still felt like a king on this beautiful island.  He didn't bring anything to wear on his feet that would be "beach" worthy so my daughter bought these for him at a gas station.  He wouldn't be caught dead in them around his buddies.

These beautiful flowers grew all over the island.  They were just beautiful and grew along the roads and fence lines.   They call them weeds! They are called Lupines and I am definitely going to order the seeds and grow them in MY fence line next year!

So I hope I have interested you all in visiting our wonderful neighbors to the north.  You have no idea what you are missing.  We hope to go back because it had to be one of our most relaxing vacations we have ever taken.  You cannot beat the Canadian people for friendliness and we felt so warmly welcomed wherever we went. 

Thank you Canada for being a good neighbor and a good friend!  We will visit you again!