It's Tuesday! Time for Another Tutorial!

Sherry is a friend I came to know over the holidays while participating in the Countdown to Christmas Matchbox Swap at A Swap for All Seasons. Her blog, Sherry's Simple Blog, is anything but simple. It's LOADED with one amazing mixed media project after another. She recently introduced me to an altered matchbox flickr group that I can't wait to swap in. (Scroll down a few posts when you visit. She has a couple of very special boxes featured in recent posts.) But I digress...
I was so excited when Sherry offered a tutorial and even more excited when I saw what it was. I've been dying to try fabric collage-even gifted myself with an inexpensive Singer this past Christmas so I could give it a whirl (have never sewed in my life). Now here's the inspiration, and instruction I need. I'm pleased to share with you,
Sherry's Fabric Collage Tutorial
Start off with the cross stitched cottage
Cut a rectangle of cotton for the baseand re-inforce it with something sturdy - I had this roll of strong hessian type stuff which was ideal.
Machine stitch the hessian strips onto the cotton base (sorry the photos are a bit dark)


I machine stitched up and down each row and top and bottom, this is what the back looked like when I'd finished.
Stitch a narrow edging of lace around all four sides

At this point I machine stitched a handwritten label on the back

That's the base done, now to start decorating the top.
I decided to use some paper - sheet music and aged it around the edges with Distress Ink.
The next stage is the most time consuming, but also the most fun - sorting out what layers to use. I laid the various lace and fabrics onto the base before stitching anything down to get a rough idea of what it'd look like.
When happy with it, start stitching!
I coloured a bright white lace flower from a curtain edging (thanks Mum!) with Distress Inks so it blended in better.
I also added a few beads to the cross stitching, a vintage button for the centre of the flower, some hanging beads at the bottom and a horseshoe for good luck at the top right hand corner.
I gave it a simple hanger of twine (braided three lengths together and knotted them at the back).
Here's what the finished back looks like.

I attached rusty keys to the first two fabric collages

Beautiful, aren't they? And these are Sherry's first fabric collages ever!!!!!
Many thanks to Sherry for being this weeks guest artist. If you have some technique, craft, project, anything you'd like to share, click HERE to learn how.
I can give you a hint about next Tuesdays tutorial-think Valentines.