craft book challenge - february

For this month's Craft Book Challenge I chose to try something new.

Something I've never done before...hand smocking. The project came from One Yard Wonders and it was called Smocked Pillow in the Round. The directions and illustrations were very clear which made it easier than I had anticipated.

The problem...well, the problem was me. The fabric I used was from my stash and wasn't the correct width. Being too narrow made the pillow too small. The smocking part was tedious, but it was a good, quiet thing to work on in the evening after my girls were in bed. It would also make a good on-the-go project. The smocking part actually turned out quite nice and on a tiny scale it would be stunningly beautiful. My favorite part, and also something new to me, was making my own covered buttons.

It's such a quick and easy thing to do but with wonderful results. I want to make more things that require buttons or at least embellishments just so I can make more covered buttons. Yes, they're that great. I may try this project again in future but only on one condition...that I have the correct size material to make it look as fabulous as the finished product in the book. Aim high, right? Striped fabric probably wasn't the best choice for this project so maybe I'll go with a small print next time.
Now for a sneak peek at something else that has been keeping my hands busy during ballet and art this month.

I'm just about ready for the reveal, but you'll have to wait for one more day. I'm hoping for some sunshine to get a proper picture of the finished product. Happy Wednesday. xoANG