Commemorative Eclipse Necklaces....(Leather and Embroidery)

So. . .my grandma is coming to stay tonight for the solar eclipse tomorrow, because I live in the "Path of Totality" for the 2017 solar eclipse. I've known she would be coming for a while. 

Like. . .six months at least.

So. . .why did I get the idea to make these eclipse necklaces for her and me late Saturday afternoon???

Your guess is as good as mine.

I didn't take step-by-step pictures, because I was in a hurry, but this is how I did it in a nutshell:

I grabbed some black chiffon, went to my computer and picked out a sun embroidery pattern, and with my Brother PE500, embroidered the sun on the chiffon with wash-away stabilizer.

While, the suns were stitching out, I went to my Cricut and grabbed some brown and black leather. I designed the trapezoid and the circle on Cricut Design Space and had the Cricut cut out the leather pieces. Then, I cut the suns out and glued them onto the trapezoids. Then, I attached the chains and stuff.

The (overly simplified) End.

These can be worn for eclipse occasions, but don't have to be. You can flip the little circle part to the back if you just want a sun necklace.

But I like the eclipse dangle. I think it's pretty dang neat! I mean. . .it's not like I'll have a lot of chances to wear this, but. . you never know! It's commemorative!

I added semi-precious stones to the extender parts in the back. Stuff like turquoise, jasper, and onyx. . .

Because leather likes to buckle, I glued a small piece of foam to the backs.

I still need to post a picture of my grandma and me wearing them, but she isn't here yet. However, I wanted to post this in case you had some spare time and wanted to make one of your own. You have less than 24 hours!!! Better get crackin'!

Here we are!

The End!

Making Leather Jewelry - Necklace and Earrings

I've been addicted to "leather jewelry" lists on Pinterest, and a friend had a birthday recently, so I thought I'd try my hand at making some.

So. . .like some of my projects, I forget to photographically document until I'm already well into the project, so. . .let me catch you up.

I used my dressform as a scale model for drafting a paper pattern.

So. . .this is where there are pictures missing. I traced the pattern onto leather using disappearing ink (which. . .a word about disappearing ink: It disappears REALLY quickly! So make sure you don't use it and then go get something to drink, because it WILL be gone!) 

Then, I cut it out with scissors, and then I cut the fringe part with a rotary cutter and a ruler. (You can see I'd already finished the fringe in the picture below, but this was my attempt at going backwards and photo documenting. You're welcome.)

This picture is when I actually realized I needed to take pictures, so I'm trying to give you the basic idea with this picture.

I cut a reinforcement piece for the top of the necklace and then glued it on.

1. 

2.

3.

While that was drying, I started on the earrings.

Those little strips are reinforcement pieces I glued to the tops.

See?

Back to the necklace. I gathered some jewelry pieces to use to attach the necklace together.

Using a leather punch, I punched two holes at the top of the necklace.

And magically, I have already attached the hardware! (This took a lot longer than it seems.)

Then, as further embellishment, I took a flower. . .

 . . .and sewed a safety pin to the back of it.

Then, I attached the flower to the necklace. I used a safety pin in case my friend didn't want to have a flower on the necklace. . .and she can use the flower by itself as well.

Then, I punched two holes at the tops of both earrings.

The hardware for the earrings.

A finished earring.

The finished set.

And without the flower attached.

(Don't you wish you were nicer to me so I would make you these things too? Ha!)

The back. (It's adjustable.)

And I even made the bag (out of a perfume ad in a magazine)!

I'm so crafty!

The End!