pieces of flare

Since you probably won't be able to screen your bag,

I highly recommend making this very hot home version

of the same bag..

As I mentioned before, I took my 1 yard of lightweight canvas

and dyed it with Rit Dye. I actually used the dark blue color,

and only half a packet's worth. The yellow color from the canvas

made it this cutest vintage blue color.

Please for both of our sakes, DO NOT dry cut canvas after you

dye it and wash it. It will unravel into a shell of itself.

Just hang it dry and iron it damp or dry.

Adding pieces of flare is entirely up to you. If there is a specific easy

image that floats your boat, super. I am going to show you

how exactly to achieve the super rainbow urchin skeleton.

You can pretty much use any easy image you like.

Here is the said rainbow urchin, below is a nice

rough sketch.

Start by cutting a nice fat top heavy circle out of

lightweight felt. The big circle is roughly 3 1/2" wide.

The little guy is 2" wide.

You will need some nice fat embroidery needles.. don't go looking

for these specific needles, these were apparently sold at

Safeway for 95 cents.

You will embroider with regular embroidery floss,

start by splitting the 6 threads into four and two.. you

will use the four for the embroidery over the felt.

Knot the end of the floss and thread the other end (composed of

four small threads.)

Now, let's have a small tutorial in easy

embroidery, shall we?

First we are going to stitch the felt patch down with a border stitch.

We are going use a simple split stitch.

Unfortunately, using a thick fabric like canvas, you have to

just eyeball your work as you go. But, you can do it.

So, make one 3/16" wide stitch and for the next stitch, you

will feed the needle through the first stitch, splitting the

threads in the middle with two on each side.

Make another 3/16" stitch and keep going all the way around.

Flatten the felt with your hand so that it stays nice

and flat while you stitch it down.

Use this stitch also for any large detail inside the image..

like the segments of the urchin.

Instead of fancy french knots, we are just going to use a

fake impostor.

Pull the thread through and knot it to the bottom .

Then, feed the needle back into the felt right next to the knot.

Use these easy knots to make the Urchin bumps.

You will have to follow the sketch and try to eyeball it.

There is just no good way to transfer images onto felt.

Use the same split stitch if you want your urchin to be a glowing

Urchin from rainbow paradise.

Use whatever thread colors you want..

each color on mine is 1/16" apart.

Rainbow urchins.. The star of my bag. What deceased sea creature

will be the star of yours? Too, notice I added buttons to my

bag... feel free to add whatever you like

(I am thinking iron on flocked letters that spell

your name?).