Bobbi and Sybrina over on Words2ScrapBy asked
me to design a card for the month of September. I've known Bobbi a very long time - wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for her pushing me along ... She knows my birthday falls on National Talk Like a
Pirate Day – September 19 - so the subject became AHOY MATEY. I’ve had to learn to speak pirate – but I admit my 6
and 7 year old grandkids are better at it than I am.
I wasn’t sure where to
begin. I design appliques not cards. I
have added an electronic cutter supposedly to help me cut fabrics for my
designs but mostly because I love gadgets! I have collected a lot of paper but
fabric still wins so I decided to stick with my passion – fabric applique. And here she be ...
I
had a lot of fun creating Cap’n Pegbeard, my pirate persona. ARRR! is a pirate exclamation fitting most situations. ARRR, how ye be doin? ARRR! Blow me down and shiver me timbers! ARRR! Be it ye birthday??? So this card can be used for many occasions.
My favorite
embroidery software – Embird – made it really easy to take this design from an embroidery design file to a cutting file. I actually "draw" my designs in Embird Studio. I created an applique design in the style of my Peggy's People designs. I used a line of topstitching around the edge instead of a satin stitch. I also made each piece separate so I could layer the pieces of the card, giving it depth. I exploded them to make separating them in the cutting software a lot easier too.
Embird now allows me to create SVG files in Editor. I created SVG files in Editor. I created one for the pirate pieces and one for the background, which also has topstitching around the edges. I imported the SVG files into MTC! What is really great is
the shapes come in at the exact size I need for my embroidery machine – no
fussing around with size.
I cut fabric shapes for the background, body, head,
and scarf from quilting weight cottons backed with HeatNBond Lite. The eye
patch is pleather and the hat is actually flocked fusible vinyl.
I cut medium weight cardstock for the background, body, head and hat and fused the fabric pieces to
one side.
Then I hooped tearaway stabilizer and stitched the applique pieces to
it, much like I would a patch. The stabilizer pulls away easily afterwards.
Then it was just a matter of
gluing everything together onto a black card base. My favorite adhesives are Beacon FabricTac and my Scotch tape runner with permanent tape.
I used yarn for the hair and
a large silver jump ring for the hoop earring.
The letters are cut from a glitter
paper I got in a DCWV collection called What a Trip! (I love it because the
glitter does not flake off.) I used a font called Ravie and created it in MTC!
The
finishing touches were a pink bow and stick-on jewels – no self-respecting pirate would
be seen without either.
The stitch files/instructions
for the Cap’n Pegbeard appliqué can be downloaded from http://www.pegboardcrafts.com/Zips/CapnPGBRD4.zip
. The SVG files can be downloaded from http://www.pegboardcrafts.com/Zips/SVG_CapnPBRD.zip
. I hope you enjoy them! Cap'n Pegbeard will make her appearance in the Peggy's People collection one of these days! I can't say when.... she might make we walk the plank.
And don't forget to make your way over to Words2ScrapBy or I might have ye swabbin' the decks!
