Silk box - first and last!

[pamd]

silk-box by pamd8, on Flickr

So, here is the silk box I made from two hankies. After it dried, I cut out the pieces (should have thought it through more and made less cuts). Then I stitched the sides and top and bottom together. I took scraps of the silk and cut out leaf shapes, rewet and shaped on the lid. I added a bead I made from more scrap silk and molded around a large needle. I then added the beading to the lid. That's it!

To make it easier, I should have had more silk available to cut the pieces from (or made the box smaller). I could have saved myself a lot of problems if I had cut the lid in one piece, instead of cutting the sides and sewing them on. I could have also cut the box with the bottom attached to one side. Oh, well, live and learn!

[Shepherdess]

It turned out great. If it works and you learn something what more can you ask.

[MTRuth]

Pam - it is gorgeous! You can cut the box and sides all in one piece. It looks like a big fat cross. You then fold up each side at the bottom and then you just have to stitch the short sides together. Same with the lid.

[pamd]

You know, Ruth, I thought of that (after the fact) for the lid, but never converted it over to the bottom. Thanks so much. I may try it again after all.

[lyn]

It looks fab!

Live and learn applies to most of us I should think. Nearly everything I make I can see a better way for next time!

[jufergu]

I always have to make something more than once to get things the way I want them. Actually maybe, more than twice.

[christiewn]

That looks great Pam. Is it very lightweight?

[pamd]

Thanks, everyone.

Christie, it is very light weight, but the beads helped anchor the lid more, and it is pretty strong, actually. I was thinking of putting a little felted pillow inside, but.....I think I have put enough time into this project and need to just let it go.

[zed]

It's gorgeous, Pam!
You need to upload bigger pics though, I always want to zoom into your photos

[pamd]

Oh, Zed, don't you know I do that on purpose so you won't see the mistakes? Really, I'm so used to putting up small pics for the internet, I didn't even think about larger ones for flickr. I will try a larger one next time.

And I'm glad you like it.

[karen]

Well I LOVE it Pam, i think its beautiful, silly question and as i havent played around with much silk how do you get that to stay sturdy, and maybe another silly question only if you wanted to attempt another one lol but would or could you do a tutorial on that one day ?

[pamd]

Oh, Karen, you are so sweet, but I guess I could try to take pics as I make one, assuming I make another one - lol.

I used Sulky water soluable stabilizer. So, what I did was really simple. I took two hankies, one on top of the other, added silk threads, some angelina I had laying around and there are actually some curls that I decided to throw on - don't know what kind. Put a sheet of the Sulky on top and flipped it over, did the same on the other side, added the Sulky to make a sandwich. Sulky is the bread and silk is the meat. HA. Starting in the center I stitched using the sewing machine, freeform, all over the place. After it was covered in stitching, I took it to the sink and rinsed it, not well, so that you leave some of the Sulky in. When it dries it is really stiff, like cardboard. That's about it, cut it out, sewed it together and added beads. Okay, now that I went over it again, I HAVE to do another one! It sounds soooo easy.

[christiewn]

If you google "box templates" and look at images there are a heap of designs for different shaped boxes so you could have all sorts of fun with this technique. Oh dear, another item to add to my ever expanding to do list...

[zed]

I've had felt boxes on my to do list for ages, maybe, I'll add a silk hankie to the outside and pretend it's the same

Pam, there are no mistakes in felting

[pamd]

Thanks, Christie, I'll do that.

Zed, if there are not mistakes in felting, then I think I have a problem!!!!