jewelry

Bug has the heart of a knight... bound by honor and tradition... well, most of the time :) He is a history buff, fascinated by the Middle Ages. He participates in sports, archery and fencing, that would have prepared him for knightly duties. This year he has also begun "dramatic sword play". His coach has mentored actors requiring sword skills for movie roles. In several years I could easily see Bug getting involved in our local Renaissance Festivals. (Which, BTW, they will be attending soon :)

A couple of weeks ago I shared some BBF Birdie Pendants that I made for Fairy/Pixie and for Little Lady/Sweet Pea. Since everyone was getting one, I wanted to make something for Bug that I thought he'd like to wear. I made him a shield, with a brown cord, and he loved it. Just follow the directions for the BBF Birdie Pendants. The pattern includes a shield. The directions and pattern can be found HERE.

Of course, knights had mottos... a code they lived by... often a family motto passed down through the generations. I included a motto often used by knights of yore. After all, a knight is as a knight does :)

Back when Michelle was in high school, her and a group of her friends decided to have a "formal" girls night out. Most of the girls had boyfriends, but they decided it would be fun to get all dressed up, go to a lovely restaurant, and party WITHOUT boys. And, just 'cause, they decided to MAKE each other corsages or wrist corsages. The creations ranged from gaudy and outrageous, to tasteful and lovely. But it didn't matter, they all had a wonderful time, enjoyed wearing their corsages, and had an evening of memories they would never forget.

As I was making this Felt Flower Bracelet, I couldn't help remembering that night, and thinking how lovely one of these bracelets would have looked on the girls. Wouldn't it be different, lovely, and a permanent keepsake, to make a Felt Flower Bracelet for a special event? Of course, they would look just lovely too with a sundress or a tee and flip flops!

Using The Basic Felt Bracelet, these can be made for adults or children. The one in this tutorial was made to fit my wrist. When Pixie came over, she immediately made it her own, having us tie it on her upper arm, and calling it her Fairy Armband. Yep... it worked out great! Below are the directions on how I made this Felt Flower Bracelet BUT this is just a suggestion, and hopefully a starting point for your own personal creations.

Materials:
wool felt
embroidery floss
Basic Felt Bracelet pattern
Flower Applique Block pattern - reduced 50%

Directions:
Follow the directions for The Basic Felt Bracelet. When the two pieces and holes have been stitched together, you are ready to apply flowers.

IMPORTANT: Remember to reduce the Flower Applique Block 50%.

Cut out 3 petals, 3 flower centers and 6 leaves.

Position the flower petals on the bracelet, slightly overlapping the petals, leaving room for a leaf on either end. Place a flower center on top of each petal, and pin in place. Blanket stitch to flower centers to the petals AND the bracelet using 3 strands of floss. Note: You do not need to go all the way through the bracelet with each stitch, but you need to 3 or 4 times to insure the flower is securely fastened to the bracelet.


Using 6 strands of floss, stitch a French knot in the center of each flower.

For the 4 center leaves, tuck them in behind the leaf petals and stitch to the bracelet along the base of the leaf.

For the 2 end leaves, tuck the base under a petal, then using a running stitch, sew to the bracelet using 2 strands of floss.

Following the instructions on The Basic Felt Bracelet, add the ties.

Have fun wearing your new Felt Flower Bracelet!

We all have a collection of "basic" things. The "basic" black dress, the "basic" muffin recipe, and the "basic" sock pattern. These "basics" have proven to be dependable, familiar, and most importantly, adaptable. "Basics" can be altered slightly, tweaked and accessorized to create a different look or taste. "Basics" are the "tried and trues" that we return to again and again.

Today we are sharing directions on how to make a "basic" felt bracelet. Once you know how to make one, the possibilities for embellishing are endless. Given in 2 widths, with instructions for getting the perfect fit, we hope it becomes a "basic" that you return to over and over, a starting point, so to speak, for the creation of many lovely and fun bracelets! And with the sizing variations, it works for everyone in the family.

Materials:
pattern
wool felt
embroidery floss

Directions:
Make a copy of the pattern.

Decide which width you prefer and cut out the template.

Wrap the template around your wrist to get an idea of size. You want the two ends to be about 1/2" to 3/4" apart on your wrist. To size, fold along one of the lines, fold it back on itself to shorten the length of the bracelet. Use a paper clip to hold it in place. Try the bracelet template on again. Continue refolding until you get it sized properly. When you are satisfied with the fit. 




NOTE: Another way to get a proper fit is to measure your wrist, subtract 1/2" - 3/4" and measuring the template, cutting or folding it to the proper size. (My tape measure was upstairs when I was doing this so I used the first method :)

Using the "How to Cut Felt" tutorial found HERE, use the template to cut out 2 pieces of felt.

On the template, cut out the 2 holes, then position the template over the felt pieces, mark the holes, and cut out the holes using sharp, small scissors.



Pin or staple the felt pieces together and sew the 2 pieces of the bracelet together. You can either blanket stitch the edge using 3 strands of floss or sew a running stitch around the edge using 2 strands of floss.

Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss, finish the edges of the 2 circles.

NOTE: If you are embroidering a design or sewing on appliques that do not extend beyond the stitching line of the bracelet, you can do that before you sew the 2 pieces together, hiding all threads.

To make the ties, cut 3 pieces of floss for each side. The length of the floss depends on whether you simply want to tie the bracelet on using a square knot or if you'd prefer to tie it on with a bow. You will need to cut the floss 12" to 24". If in doubt, choose the longer length then cut it to the desired length later.

To attach the floss to the holes, insert a crochet hook through the hole from the back. Fold 3 pieces of floss in half creating a loop and hook the floss at the loop.

Pull the loop through the hole, then slide the ends of the floss through the loop. Pull gently on the floss until the loop is snug against the bracelet.
Divide the floss into thirds (I did mine by color but you do not have to) and braid. Tie it off at the end. Try the bracelet on and determine the desired length of the ties. You may need to retie the braid and cut off extra braiding.

Your bracelet is now ready to embellish. Next time I will share directions for a flowered bracelet.