I had a customer ask me to make some bird wings. These ones: http://llevoelinvierno.blogspot.com/2011/03/make-alitas.html

I love the look of these but as I am a free spirit and hate patterns, well, I had to do them my way. I have a large stash of thrift store fabrics, maybe bordering on hoarding but that's another blog altogether. Anyway, I cut a half circle that was 44" wide and cut it again in half to have two triangles, just like the instructions on the other blog only a little larger. I free hand cut the feathers from scraps of fabric about 2-3" wide, the only difference from the instructions was I used pinking shears to give it a more textured edge. After I was finished with the wings, instead of adding bias strips for the neck, I made fabric strips wide enough to fit the velcro strips I had and then added the velcro to the ends sewing it all together to make a simple collar and cuffs. I then added 3 buttons to the middle of the collar and one to each cuff. After that, I added rayon cording loops at the neck and arm of each wing so that the cuffs and collar can be buttoned at different points on the wings as the child grows. It turned out great and my customer really loved it. Here's some pictures of the finished product. 

collar and cuffs are easy release velcro

I can do it by myself!

wings overlap while the child is small

buttons on the collar make the wings adjustable

The search for displays

I have been searching and brainstorming for good ways to display my jewelry at the festivals and craft shows I am entered in. I have seen some really awesome wooden display stands online and really want to make something myself to save money and make my jewelry stand out from the huge masses available out there (pun intended).  I have lots of logs and wood that is nice and seasoned in my backyard from before we put the gas logs in our fireplace.  (A side note on gas logs: I miss the crackle and smell of the wood fire but the gas does heat better than wood.) But back to the topic at hand, I am fairly handy so my plan is to try to create something that will reinforce the fact that my jewelry is one of a kind.
In the past I have used copper wire and seasoned wood to create lovely display pieces but I want something more substantial than the slim trees of my earlier designs. Therefore, I am entering the world of creating in wood.
After a trip to the wood working capital, Gatlinburg's Arts and Crafts Trail
in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee just a few weeks ago, I am brimming with confidence that I can create something just as spectacular as the amazing pieces there! (They make it look effortless, but I think it will take more than just effort.) I have built some pieces before, taken a few classes in carpentry and worked a little in a shop, so of course I can create something awesome right?!


Wish me luck!!!