SOS262: a stitch in time

this week's challenge at shopping our stash is pretty straight forward: we want to keep you in stiches! or rather, we want you to keep US in stitches. or at least, we want to see papercrafting projects which feature stitching. it can be hand embroidery, machine sewing, or even the ever popular faux stitching. here's what i made:

arguably the best project EVER for using up old-school paper flowers and leaves since you can combine just about any and every size, shape, color, texture, etc and get a completely different look every single time. in this case we've got a bunch of old school primas, a few bargain brand pink ones, a giant petaloo centerpiece, and a bunch of recollections and prima leaves; brad: recollections; cardstock: sei and doodlebug; adhesives: elmers gluetape (used sparingly to "tack" things down before sewing; 3m foam tape (to raise the center flower stack up a bit) and of course my valiant sewing machine, kenneth kenmore, loaded up with coats and clark heavy duty upholstery thread in white, set on the lowest stitches-per-inch setting so they really show up!

ok, yes, everybody knows i looooooove to sew on cards. i sew as a design element, and sometimes also for security, because there's nothing more depressing than a card that arrives at its destination minus its beautiful floral focal-point; or with a few of its chipboard letters laying at the bottom of the envelope. in this case, the sewing is almost entirely decorative, but i really think it adds to the mandala design. speaking of which... *HOW* is it possible that i've been "into" mandalas for at least five years, i've made punched ones, monsta ones and giant decor ones; i've even got an entire pinboard called "many mandalas" which contains examples in every conceivable media... and i've never thought to make one out of the gazzillion old-school, flat paper flowers i still have from the days when those things were an absolutely *REVOLUTIONARY* embellishment in terms of 3-dimensional coolness?? well, not to worry, i'm pretty sure i'll be making up for lost time now!

need some other ideas for incorporating stitches into your next project? check out the splendid work of the SOS dt, whose motto is, "sew far, sew good"! ♥