Silver Smithing Class

I took the hubby to a silver smithing class the other day at The Bead Place, which is an awesome bead and yarn store in Fairview Heights, IL. The class was taught by Ruth Leech.

I was a little afraid that he wouldn't have a good time during the class, but it involved playing with metal, tools and a small torch, so he had a great time. I did too, though the torch was a bit intimidating, even if it was a small torch. We used the torch to solder a decorative bezel onto a silver blank so that we could frame a cabochon onto it. It doesn't sound very involved, but there is a lot of precision and patience required. Especially when you're trying to get the little bits of solder to stay still when you're trying to melt it with the torch. I think we both did pretty good though. First is my cabochon, which has a girlier bezel on it. Apparently girlier doesn't mean easier to work with because those fine little designs on the bezel were kind of a pain to get lined up.

 Next up is the hubby's finished piece, which has a manlier touch to it that I really like.

 I can't really decide which one I like best. I think I like the time we got to spend with Ruth learning how to make these pieces. Now I just need to buy a bunch of soldering tools and get cooking.

If you would like to visit Ruth's website to check on future classes she will be teaching or on craft shows she will be attending, you can go to www.jewelrywithatwist.com or www.ruthleech.com.

Burberry Plaid Fleece Jacket

I know I've been a terrible blogger lately and I hope this post helps to make up for it. I've been busy at work and working on projects such as my fantastic new fleece jacket that I recently finished.

Everyone seems to be making those fleece no sew tie blankets lately. There is nothing wrong with these blankets, but I just don't have the patience for them. When I saw this fleece material, my first thought, instead of a blanket, was to make it into a pea or trench style jacket. It reminded me of burberry print with the large plaids on it. I could have gone with a black liner, but I thought the dark grey felt a little less formal and a lot more fun.























I especially love the buttons. I added the little tab on the back for looks. I don't necessarily like a belt, but I like the idea of a belt so I thought this little bit on the back would work for that.

Like my purses, I had to add extra pockets since I seem to love pockets. Each side has an exterior pocket lined in grey and an interior welt sort of pocket, also lined in grey.























I may still tweak the sleeves a little, since they're bigger than I would like, but other than that, I LOVE this jacket. It's fabulously warm and other than the frustration I had with matching up the plaids, the pattern was a breeze to use.

I promise I will post more of my latest projects. In fact, the hubby and I just got done taking a silversmithing class tonight, so I am anxious to share my creation with all of you.

Featured on Sew Mama Sew

My bicycle panniers tutorial has just been featured on Sew Mama Sew's Gifts for Outdoor Adventurers posting!

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