Michele's
Art
&
Apparel
Where talent, imagination and caring come together to help you look great.
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Hand Cozies
Introducing...
Sylvia (meaning 'wood nymph') Hand Cozy
Keep your right hand warm while you are using your computer mouse. A complete set can be made as well.
Fashionable & Smart.
Sylvia Hand Cozy "Front"
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photos
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This Hand Cozy covers between the center of the middle finger and thumb up to the bicep of your right arm. Sort of a sleeve, yes.
More length and involved than my littler hand cozies below. 19"
right thumb here
My life is enormously busy and this beautiful project was very tedious and time-consuming and I ADORED every second of it.
Once I'm inspired, that's it. The concept IS created. It IS manifested. It's
Done!!
Before the crocheted fingers/bicep
cuff were added.
This Hand Cozy, Sylvia, from concept to fruition, I believe, is a very interesting story.
Pretty and complex.
Fashionable. She makes quite a statement of boldness by simply being so unique.
Everything I create also has the purpose of versatility. If it isn't being worn it is still a work of art that either of its as TWO sides would be displayed.
Was this an awful lot of work?? Absolutely. A labor of love. Every second. A million decisions for every stitch. And I ADORED EVERY SECOND OF IT.
19" long
After the crocheted 'fingers' & bicep cuff were added
Here are photos of the original look of the fabric before embellishment. (This piece took roughly 7 months to create).
And here is a sneak peek at the other beautiful and tedious project also in the works at this same time period. It is 80% done as of today.
Sylvia Hand Cozy "Back"
19" long
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photos
to
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Concept: keeps your hand warm...
Tips!! ORGANIZE!! I can't stress this enough. AS you're working along, ...
How I Came Across these Particular pieces of Fabric.
The fabrics were so luckily and cleverly found from...
Connie
Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
These are all $25. Tons of work goes into each one of them. Coordinating fabrics, adjusting the patterns and design of each one depending on the types of fabrics and elements of the design, well, it all goes into each one. I adore making these and if you have ideas of your own or suggestions, please feel free to let me know what I can do for you.
Yes, Men's styles are coming soon. Again, more of these are in the works, they will be finished soon. Once they're posted work will resume to get the Men's added.
*Concept, pattern/design/finding fabrics, mock-ups made, etc.. Lots to do to get these done. Your suggestions help so, in advance -- THANKS!!
Palm side
of Hand Cozy
Side view of Hand Cozy - gusseted with the top, flowered fabric.
Raquel Hand Cozy
A longer cuff and ruffled.
Repurposing just works so well so you can work stylishly.
Palm side
of
Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Elese
Hand Cozy
..
..
Palm side
of
Hand Cozy
Inside lining of
the Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Erin Hand Cozy
gusseted area
in blue
Sometimes a gusseted side is
nice to give you a bit more room.
If you want to wear it over a sweater it won't get in the way or be cumbersome.
And it's cute, too.
Remember, you can make up any design you like. I've got a truck load of fabrics and so many ideas I'm lucky I can make some time to get to posting all these pictures.
..
Palm side of Hand Cozy
Palm side of
Hand Cozy
Addie Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Nadia - Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Palm side of Hand Cozy
Penelope Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Palm side
of
Hand Cozy
Rosetta - Hand Cozy
Palm side of Hand Cozy
..
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Laine - Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Palm side of Hand Cozy
Baroness - Hand Cozy
Palm side of Hand Cozy
Wooden "fingers" are for placement only.
Gemma - Hand Cozy
Palm side of Hand Cozy
Linden Hand Cozy
Palm side of Hand Cozy
Gita Hand Cozy
,
Palm side of hand cozy - the leaf
is just something I've made up quickly. It will be used on another cozy. Probably on the one below - Vevina.
leaf I've crocheted
for Vevina, below
"Gita" is short for Margherita
Vevina Hand Cozy
Vevina = Angelicized form of the Gaelic Bebhinn (Sweet Lady). A World of Baby Names Teresa Norman
Palm side of Hand Cozy
getting creative here...
Vevina Hand Cozy (this was photographed as a work in progress)
I must add here that this is one of the Cozies that is NOT finished. There is no flower or adornment as, for some reason, I do feel it still needs something. The button? the leaf? something to be different.
The Button - I was considering either adding a design with embroidery floss to embellish the button itself or COVERING the button with fabric and embroidering a design on the
button.
The leaf - it was actually created to embellish a Sunflower (fabric) Cozy. Both are in the works. Well. back to WORK. I just love making these. It's like playing with a favorite recipe.
the leaf, crocheted
the Button idea...
Palm side of Hand Cozy
Hewney - Hand Cozy
(green!!) I automatically opened to the perfect page in the 575 page big, big book!
Palm side
of Hand
Cozy
Construction Begins here:
What I did with This piece of Fabric to make Sylvia (Hand Cozy):
Using piece(s) of fabric found in a Chindi rug, I cut them along the width.
The fabric print varied along its length. Each section was adorned either with ribbon embroidery (flowers), ribbons, crochet, embroidery (floss).
Concept: keeps your hand warm and fashionable while at the office working with a mouse. (MY hand gets cold for whatever reason). So... instead of cutting the tips off of a glove and it unravels, why not make a Pretty Hand Cozy??
Fabrics used on Sylvia Hand Cozy:
Organza fabric, Layered Light Fabrics from a Chindi rug, cotton for the lining, silk, organza and cotton ribbon. Embroidery floss.
Sylvia's beginnings. Looking at this is like the start of packing to go on a journey across the sea - an ion of time to pass and the adventure just begins.
Here I'm sewing the two layers of fabric together. Originally I hadn't even thought of doing any embellishments on it but I was so taken with how pretty the fabric itself was. A great find from a Chindi rug.
Just a different area of the front of the cozy before any embellishments. The print here is larger and lends itself nicely to the flowers I've added as well as the embroidery. The difference creates a lovely dimensional piece.
This is the bottom (bicep area of the Hand Cozy) before I had any idea, whatsoever, what to do here. I knew it provided a great opportunity for some beautiful accent piece. I had just finished the Love Knot Hand Cozy so I had some pretty good ideas in mind, though.
My mother's birthday is in January. Here, this is November, 2 months prior and I have to move yet again. Starting this piece I knew would be a labor of love in itself. But it gave me an idea for my mom's birthday gift, which, along with the shawl I was making, moving, this project, I was one busy girl. 2023-2024 to give dates to this.
Oh, my Gooodness. Ugh. What to do?? Hmmm. The meandering yarn (flower stem) got started. Mom and I are famous for brainstorming-tear apart-start-at-the-top-tear apart-start again. Here, I actually took pictures. Nah. Go ahead, a TAPESTRY, why not?? All of these layers and the denseness of the stitches really makes this piece quite a bit heavier than those original separate layers.
Here are the photos of the fabric before embellishments, I hope you enjoy them.
Click on the gallery to get it started. Sorry it looks so incredibly cheesy. I do what I do on my end. I use Wix.com for creating this site. More and more they are getting horribly worse instead of better with their features. If I weren't 10 years deep in working on this site....oh, man, am I irritated....
Usually I'm all Unicorns and Rainbows, but not about Wix....
Chindi Rug - click to enlarge
How I Came Across these Particular pieces of Fabric.
The fabrics were so luckily and cleverly found from a Chindi rug that I purchased at Ollie's Bargain Outlet.
Simply pop a stitch that binds the rug together. Carefully remove each rolled up strand of fabric and you'll find a treasure trove of super fabric scraps. Yes, some are just solids. Some are printed. Many are roughly treated and the edges are 'raw.' It takes quite a bit of time to separate each rug but, I feel, it's entirely worth my time. I even keep the long strands that bind the rug and roll them up to use on other projects. Why waste anything?
Stay ORGANIZED...THAT'S THE KEY.
Chindi Rugs - tons of ideas will spring to mind while you unravel this bit of treasure. Yes, it's a lot of work but much worth the time.
Below are some tips that will be enormously helpful with use and care.
Tips!! ORGANIZE!! I can't stress this enough. AS you're working along, separate the fabric pieces into categories that make sense to you for the reasons/projects you have in mind.
Hang onto:
**Long Binding Strands holding the rug together. They are pretty strong and will be very useful later...somehow.
**Those Yucky Pieces --Make Your Own Stuffing!!
Use the yucky-looking pieces to chop into very tiny pieces of fabric. These are absolutely fantastic for stuffing.
One of those zippered, plastic pouches that new pillow cases come in (Ollie's/Walmart, etc) are great for holding this treasure until you need it.
It also is a lot of work, I won't lie, but while you're watching tv or even sitting outside in the sun, do something else.
(I like to let someone else drive while I get my work done. No minutes should be idly spent).