7 Layer Studio

Tutorial for Custom Valance With Multiple Variations

 
 
Here's a basic How-To for making your own customized valances!  They are non-functional, meaning that they don't draw up and down, which makes them quick, easy and inexpensive.  I like to mount these atop windows that are already fitted with blinds so they can hide the top of the blinds and your window will still have coverage flexibility.

Start out by measuring your window.  Take the width of your window (including trim) and add a total of 4 1/2 inches (which gives 2 extra inches per side, plus 1/4" seam allowance).  If you want more fabric on either side of the window, add more inches to this measurement.  This is your cutting dimension for the width of the window.  Now decide how tall you wish to make the valance.  I usually place my valances 4 inches down from the top of the ceiling.  Having it so high provides a nice sense of height in your room.  So start at the top (where the top of your valance will be) and measure down to about 5 to 10 inches below the top of your window.  Take that measurement and add another 12 to 15 inches so you will have plenty of extra fabric to gather or roll once the valance is in place. 

For valances such as this one, you will also need to cut 2 rectangles of fabric to cover the ends of the valance support.  I made mine about 5" x 7" in this example, but in retrospect, for a valance as big as this one is (the cutting dimensions were 44" x 40") I would recommend making the rectangles 6 x 8 and orient them differently (more on that later).

A word about fabric:  Heavier-weight home dec fabric works best for these valances.  If the fabric is too lightweight and flimsy, it will tend to sag and hang unevenly.

Now that you have your cutting dimensions, cut one each of both your valance fabric and liner fabric.  I recommend cutting your valance fabric out first, then placing it face down onto the right side of the liner fabric and cutting the liner fabric out to exactly the same dimensions.  Do this for the valance piece and the 2 little side pieces.

Pin the sides and bottom of the 3 different rectangles, and stitch a 1/4" seam down one side, along the bottom edge, and up the other side of the rectangles.  Leave the top side open.

Trim the 2 finished corner edges on each rectangle as shown so that when you turn the fabric right-side out the corners won't have excess bulk.  Take care not to get too close to the stitching, but trim enough away so that it won't bunch up when turned.

Turn each rectangle right side out, pushing and wiggling the corners to get precise tips.  Press with iron, wiggling the edges so that the fabric and the liner are exposed to their maximum dimension right to the stitching line.  I lick my fingers (to create friction) and work the fabric back and forth with my fingertips while ironing the edge to accomplish this.

Mark where you want the top of the valance to be, and install 2 right-angle brackets onto the wall, about 6 inches in from each side of the window.

Hint:  Don't use the little screws included in the bracket packet for installing into the wall unless you use sheetrock anchors.  Instead, use a sheetrock screw that's about 1 to 1 1/2" long.  Since these are decorative valances only and won't be tugged on, it's not necessary to drill them into a stud - but the tiny little metal screws won't even keep it in the sheetrock.

 

 
Measure the side-to-side finished dimension of your valance and cut an inexpensive firring strip (or equivalent) to that dimension.  Place it on your brackets to make sure it's level and the width you want it to be.

Now take the little rectangles and staple them (using a heavy-duty upholstery stapler or equivalent) onto the ends of the stick as shown.  In this example, I oriented the rectangle horizontally so that it was wider than it was long.  I recommend orienting it the opposite way for your valances, as I think it looks better to have a longer valance cap than these produced.

Once the top is stapled, tuck the corner under itself and staple the sides of the cap onto either side of the wood as shown.

Now staple the top (the unfinished edge) of the valance onto the stick as shown.  This is the top of the valance, and it's so high up that nobody will ever see the staples.  Unless you're making these for windows on very tall walls that will be visible as a person goes up and down stairs.  If that is the case, staple the fabric to the thin backside of the stick instead.

Now you will need to sew the bands of fabric that hold up the valance excess at the bottom.  I usually wait until I get the valance stapled to the stick before deciding if I want one or two bands, and how wide they should be.  If the window is greater than 30" wide, I recommend using 2 bands instead of one.  These bands were cut to be 7 1/2" wide x 44" long.  With right sides facing eachother, I sewed the long edges together (with scant 1/4" seam) to create bands that were 3 1/2" wide and 44" long.  Turn right side out and press so that the seam is centered in the middle of the back of the band as shown. 

If you are using only one band per valance, I recommend cutting it slightly wider:  either 8" or 8 1/2" wide to yield a band that is about 4" wide.

Staple the band(s) onto the top of the valance as shown, making sure it's centered on the valance.

 

Place valance onto the brackets, making sure it is centered above the window.  Screw into the wood from the underside of the valance as shown.

This is what it will look like at this point.  

There are a few things you can do to the valance at the bottom; either roll it up or bunch it up.  I'll show you the rolled method first.

Take a wrapping paper tube that is a few inches shorter than the width of the valance on either side and simply roll it up inside the bottom of the valance.  If the valance is wide (like this one is) it's helpful to tape the bottom of the fabric to the tube to help you get it started evenly.  A tube with a wider diameter looks better, but I didn't have one on hand so this skinny one is what you see.

Once you get it rolled to the height you want, simply take the raw ends of the bands and safety pin them to the back of the valance at the correct height.  It's very helpful to have a friend hold the roll while you're doing this.  If not, you can tape or pin the roll in place on the ends until you get the bands in place.  This is tricky - I speak from experience - so I really recommend getting someone to help you, especially the first time you do this!

This valance looked a little boring to me, so I added some black ribbon to the bands with double-sided tape attached to the backside of the ribbon for added interest.  There are several black accessories in this room so the black ribbon made the valance relate to the rest of the room better.

Since I wasn't crazy about the skinny tube on such a large valance, I took the tube out (without unpinning the bands) and just arranged the folds in the bottom of the valance as shown.  It created a softer look that looked better with the dimensions of this valance.

Here is another example of this valance style, but these are fitted on the inside of the window casing and so they don't need the fabric covering the ends of the wooden stick.

These bands (or sashes) were done differently as well.  I used sashes on the front and back of the valance (so each valance requires 2 sashes), finished the ends on the diagonal, and tied a knot in them to establish the valance height.

I created the diagonal by folding the strip with right sides together, then I cut the open side (with the raw edges) 2 1/2" shorter than the folded side.

I sewed along the long edge and the short angled edge, then trimmed the angled edge and the corner very close to the stitching to reduce bulk.  After turning right side out, coax the corners out into a nice tip and press flat using the same method as described above for pressing the valance.

This is the same style of valance as the black and red ones shown above, except this one is mounted on the outside of the window frame.  I didn't use the metal right angle brackets to attach it to the wall; rather, I simply screwed the wood into the sheetrock (the stick was turned so the wide flat part was against the wall) and wrapped the fabric around the 1/2" edge of wood that was showing on the ends.

 
Here are some valances that I made for my neighbor when we lived in Hawaii.

 
These were in our breakfast nook in our house in Hawaii. 

This was Eliza's room in Hawaii.  You can see a bit of a valance peeking at you on the right.  This one was slightly different in that I made a little "skirt" thingy to drape over the top of the valance, and I used grosgrain ribbon for the bands.  I also used a printed quilting weight fabric for the liner fabric, which adds more interest than just a solid color.

As you can see, the possibilities are pretty much endless depending on style and pattern of the fabric you use and how you choose to embellish it.  Now go get sewing and best wishes to you!  :-)

  

Halloween Ornament Tutorial

  
  
Introducing a how-to for making quick little ornaments for your Halloween tree! (AKA dead branches spray-painted black)

These cute numbers would also look great bunched together in a wreath for your front door (I'll have to make some more and make a wreath to show you) or as gift tags. 

They would also be super for Christmas, with different colors, of course!

 
These ornaments are double-sided, which works out well for hanging on branches - you could also hang them, mobile-style, from a chandelier or other suitable light fixture.

To make them, you'll need ribbon, scrapbook paper, double-sided tape, needle/thread, and circle die-cutters in 2 different sizes. 

In this example I used 3 strips of ribbon about 6 inches long.

Using the same technique I described in my tutorial for the Ribbon Bow (see sidebar to the right), loop the 3 ribbon strips and sew in place with a few stitches of thread.  When all three loops are secure, tie off and snip thread.

Using double-sided tape, on one side of the bow attach a large paper circle.  Attach the small circle either with a tiny piece of tape or a dot of glue.

Flip the ornament over.  Attach another piece of double-sided tape to the other side, and place an 8-inch strip of skinny ribbon onto the tape as shown.  Put another piece of double-sided tape on top and

place the other 2 circles in the center to cover the skinny ribbon ends.  That's it!  In about 5 minutes or less, you have a darling little decoration.

If you have ribbon that is the same on both sides (as opposed to a design printed on one side like the example above), an alternative way of making them is to use short strips (these are 3 inches long) of ribbon, notch them as shown, and

 
 

stitch them together in a similar fashion as the first example.  With ribbon that is notched (instead of having the raw edges hidden), I like to treat the cut edges with a liquid stop-fray product to prevent the edges from fraying.

Two great looks, one simple method!

Happy ornament making...and watch out - they're addictive!

This tutorial was approved and paid for by Mr. Owl, whose tree is now bedecked with cheery spots, stripes, and circles.

 

Tutorial for Girl's Sundress/Romper

 

 

Because I had so many compliments on the little sundress rompers that I made for Hazel last week, I thought I'd post a quick tut on how I put them together...hooray, just in time for summer!  As you can see in the photo below, I used a pattern for the bloomers.  This one happens to be Simplicity #9784, but there are many many options out there.  I lengthened the legs about 2" so they would fall below Hazel's knees, and instead of hemming them I sewed bias tape to the bottom raw edge before sewing the sides of the legs together.

 

For the top, you will need at least 3 coordinating fabrics.  Hazel is a size 3T, so if you're making a smaller or bigger outfit you will need to change the sizing accordingly.  Basic rule of thumb for the bodice:  make it at least 5 or 6 inches wider (bigger) than the trunk (waist or chest, whichever is bigger) measurement of your little girl.  For the bodice I cut a big rectangle measuring 27" x 9 1/2".  The ruffles were cut from a full width of fabric (selvedge edge to selvedge edge, about 43" wide).  The top ruffle is 4", the bottom ruffle is 7".  Make sure the ruffle pieces are exactly the same length, because it will matter later on.  The ruffle strips need to be at least half again as long as the bodice.  (In this case, the bodice is 27", the ruffles are 43").  The straps are 10" x 2 1/2".  If you want to add the ruffled caps to the straps, go here for the tutorial on how to do it.  I cut out 2 rectangles measuring 5" x 10" to make the ruffled cap sleeves for this outfit.

 

Stitch the ends of bodice and each ruffle together (to itself, not linking different fabrics together) to create a large loop or tube out of each rectangle.  Press under 1/4" on the bottoms of the ruffles and the top of the bodice.  Press under another 1/4" so that the raw edge is completely hidden.  Do this while the loops (tubes) are inside out, as shown.  If you need further clarification, click on the twirly skirt tutorial in my sidebar and it will explain this process in further detail.

Turn each loop (tube) right side out and stitch the hem about 1/4" away from edge.

 

Now that both ruffle pieces are hemmed, place the shorter ruffle on top of longer ruffle, aligning raw edges.  If they are exactly the same circumference, they will fit together exactly.  Using the long basting stitch, baste all along the raw edge of both ruffles at the same time.  Be sure to leave the thread "tails" when you're done so you can pull on the thread later to gather it.

 

Using the same technique that I explain in detail in my twirly skirt tut, attach the ruffles to the bodice.  The ruffles should be inside-out, the bodice right side out and inside the larger loop of the ruffles, so the right sides of the bodice and ruffles are facing eachother.  Line up the seams on the ruffles and the back of the bodice so the seams will all be in the same place on the finished outfit.

Here is another view of what it should look like after it is pinned in place.

Stitch the ruffles to the bodice, then serge or zigzag stitch over the raw edges, because it will be quite messy by now.  You don't want all those loose threads hanging down and tickling your little one's tummy!

Turn right side out, and make sure that the bulky seam you just serged is pointing up toward the top of the bodice.  Topstitch about 1/8" from seam where ruffles and bodice meet, making sure the stitching catches the underlying bulky seam.  This will make the bulk much flatter and the ruffles more attractive.

 

If you would like to sew a band of ribbon at the waist, now is the time to do it.  For tips on how to start and stop the ends of the ribbon, refer to my twirly skirt tutorial.

 

Now you're ready to sew the shirring.  With the seam in the middle of the back of the bodice, place pins or use a washable fabric marker to mark where to start and stop sewing.  I placed my pins just an 1 1/2" from the ends, as you can see.   For details on how to do shirring, you can go to Sandi Henderson's very helpful tut about it here.  The only thing I do differently is that, because I am not sewing around the entire bodice, the stopping and starting is not the same.  I start at the top of the bodice (with a big backstitch action at the beginning to secure the threads), and when I get to the end of that first row I backstitch again, leave the needle in the fabric, and pivot 180 degrees.  I then carefully lift my needle up, move the fabric over 1/4",  backstitch again, and sew the opposite direction.  I backstitch at each stop and start of each line.  Do this 7 to 10 times across the back of the bodice.

 

 

After stitching the shirring, hold a steaming iron over the stitches to make them shrink and bunch up even more.  It should look like this.

Sew the little straps together and attach to bodice.  For the straps, you can either sew a skinny tube and turn it right-side out, or turn the raw edges under on each long side, then fold it in half and stitch it shut.  I used the latter method because I wanted to encase the raw edges of the cap sleeve inside the strap.

I strongly recommend that you pin the straps where you think they should go with safety pins first and try it on your little girl before stitching them onto the bodice, just to make sure they are in exactly the right place and that they are the right length.

I always like to add some little button or doo-da to the place where the strap and bodice meet.  It adds a lot of extra interest.

These bows were stitched on by hand.

And there you have it!  A darling little summer outfit for your young sweetie.  Happy sewing!

 

Hooray!  Mommy's about to put the camera away!  I spent an unbelievably long time trying to get a front view of this outfit while Hazel was wearing it.  She doesn't like posing, and would turn around and run whenever I pulled the camera out.  She would even turn around and walk towards me backwards because she knew that I was trying to get the front of her!  I have no less than 20 back shots, and 2 front ones.  What a character!

Run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me with a camera in your hand!

A Word (or two, or 1000) about Craigslist

 

One less piece of furniture in the garage, one step closer to Steve getting his garage back!  This is a darling dresser, purchased for $60 from Craigslist, that I repainted.  It's now Grand Central Station for the kids' art supplies in the basement...for now, at least.  It's so lovely I can see it in Eliza's room the next place we move (hopefully her bedroom will be bigger next time) or even in a bathroom, space allowing.

Here is the "before" shot, which still isn't half bad, but the finish was worn, dirty, and chipped, and there was a crack in the front molding.  And, of course, there was the ever-popular formica top detracting from the beautiful lines of the piece. 

I like this dresser much better in blue and white, don't you?

I left the knobs just as they were (I LOVE those knobs!  The paint chipped away just adds to the charm) but the two bail pulls had to be updated.  I don't know if you can see from the photo above, but there was a tacky decal of cartoonish flowers covering the front of the bail pull.  I scraped all that away and then repainted the parts that got messed up, being careful to leave the chipped away paint on the actual handles just as they were. 

It took me as long to paint 2 or 3 coats of the white detail lines all around the piece as it did to prep, sand, and paint the rest of the dresser, but I'm glad I did.  It accentuates the lovely lines this dresser has.  I normally don't pay any more than $50 for a dresser, but this one was in such good shape that it was worth it.

I've had a lot of people tell me that they can't ever seem to find the kind of deals on CL that I have found, or they don't even know how to begin looking.  With that in mind, here are some tips that I have accumulated in the past several months as an avid Craigslist junkie (now reformed, by the way...I don't allow myself to buy any more furniture, as our house is full):

1) SAFETY FIRST!  I personally would never deal with the Personals section on CL or any other site, even if I were single.  Not a good idea, as evidenced by those poor victims of that college guy/murderer.   I only use CL for purchasing furniture, and we have also bought and sold vehicles using CL in the past.

I try to always go see furniture in the daytime, and I find out as much as I can about the location before going.  I googlemap it and look at a bird's eye view to see what kind of neighborhood it's in (for safety reasons and practical planning).  Find out if the seller lives in a house or an apartment/condo (is there convenient parking nearby?), and if the furniture needs to be carried up/down stairs.  Will there be anyone at the house to help you load the furniture in your vehicle if you don't have a helper with you?   What are the dimensions of the piece?  You should make sure it will fit in your vehicle before picking it up (another reason I LOVE my Honda Odyssey...it can haul practically anything).  Knowing those things beforehand  can really help you plan better.

By the time you have made arrangements to see a piece of furniture, you will likely have spoken with the seller on the phone.  This is a good opportunity to get a "feel" for what the person is like...and if he/she seems really creepy, cancel the appnt and/or walk away.  Better to miss out on a deal than act contrary to your intuition if you feel you may be in danger.  If you're uneasy at all, make sure you have a friend with you = safety in numbers!  Use your intuition "radar" when you arrive at the seller's location as well...if you feel uncomfortable, just drive away and cancel the appointment.

I always make a point to tell the seller early on that I have a family, a husband, and that people at home know exactly where I will be going and at what time.  If I am selling something, the same information is passed on, and I try to have someone at home with me when the person arrives, or at bare minimum make sure that the furniture I'm selling is in the garage so the buyer doesn't go into the house at all. 

Now, with all these cautionary measures, let me just say that I have never had a creepy or uncomfortable experience with CL.  It's been a very positive resource so far, and the deals I have found are just great!

2) THE SEARCH.  Rather than just open up CL to the furniture category and start reading down the random assortment of things for sale (it's a time waster and a potential money waster, because you'll inevitably find things that you never thought you needed but suddenly HAVE to HAVE!), I use the search function and type in the keywords of specific things I'm looking for.  Be sure to use all words that the seller might list the item as; for example, dresser/ bureau /chest of drawers, etc. 

PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOCATION.  Most sellers will publish the general vicinity that the item is in; if they don't, then ask where they're located.  When I first started searching I wasn't picky about how far away something was, and I'd waste half a day (and a lot of gas) picking up an item that, had I known how far away it was, I wouldn't have bothered.  You have to weigh the convenience factor with the bargain value factor, taking into consideration that if you want something that is really rare or an exceptional value, it may be worth it to you to drive a greater distance.

TIMING is everything on CL.  When you find something you love, you have to be one of the first people, if not the first, to respond to an ad or chances are it will be sold already.  The good deals go quickly, so check CL multiple times a day (as in at least 6) if you're serious about finding a specific thing.  If you use the keyword search function, checking it will only take a couple of minutes each time. 

INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF BUYING A PERFECT FIND by letting the seller know you are not a scammer.  There are countless people out there pretending to be buyers wanting to buy your item, but what they really want is the seller's personal info, bank accounts, etc.  When inquiring about an item, tell the seller a little bit about you or why the item would be so perfect for you to have.  This creates an emotional advantage between you and the seller, as most people tend to want their furniture to go to someone who will love and care for it.  Name the item in your email so that the seller knows it's not a generic form letter.  Scammers don't bother to add personalized info in their emails.  Include a local phone number so that the seller knows you're not scamming from somewhere in Timbuktoo, but don't give out your last name or address.  Until you get to know the seller a bit better, it's not safe to volunteer too much information.

Arrange to see the item as soon as practically possible.  I've had sellers sell things out from under me, even when I had a specific appointment set up, because they received multiple inquiries about the item and had no qualms about selling it to the first person who showed up at their door.  Pretty rotten, but it happens.  Usually people will state if they plan on selling it "first come, first served" or equivalent, but if you have an appnt with someone, make sure to verify that they'll hold it for you until you get there.  Also, if you can't make it to an appointment, have the courtesy to let the seller know.  So many people just don't bother showing up, and it's very annoying to the seller.

INSPECT THE ITEM CAREFULLY.  Make sure that any flaws in the piece are not beyond your ability to repair.  If you're planning on repainting an item, don't let the current paint color or quality of the finish scare you away; pay attention to the size and lines of the piece and try to visualize it in the color you are planning to paint it.  If the piece needs to be stripped and restained, be very aware of what a HUGE job that is!  I personally don't have the patience for it unless it's an easy project. 

A word about painting antiques...if the antique is in good, solid condition and would look fantastic with a new refinishing job, DON'T paint it!  If, however, it is already painted or it's in really terrible shape (ie cracked, broken off veneer, huge gouges out of the wood, etc) that nothing short of a miracle and a really skilled refinisher could successfully restore, then my opinion is to paint it.  Better to patch, fill, and paint the piece than have it end up in a dumpster somewhere.

Make sure that thejoints are solid or they can become solid with some TLC.  Make sure you know how to fix the joints before attempting to do so.  Look for termite damage, warping, drawers that stick, etc so that there are no surprises when you get home and really start becoming acquainted with the piece.

SCALE is VERY IMPORTANT.  Scale (or how big a piece of furniture is in relation to the size of the room and the other objects in it) is a critical factor in whether or not a piece will look good in your home or not.  If something is too big, it will make the room feel cramped or awkward.  Too small, and the furniture looks out of place and insignificant.  Decide where a piece is going to end up before you buy it, and measure it out beforehand.  Put tape on the wall to designate where an armoire or bookshelf would go, for example, to make sure it will look and feel right.  Do the same on the floor for a sofa or coffee table.

Don't hesitate to walk away from a piece that is disappointing to you in real life.  Sometimes the photo makes it look much better than it is, and if you realize it's in worse shape than you thought and/or it's not just what you're looking for, walk away or at least try and bargain down for it.  I didn't do this enough at first, and ended up with some things that I really didn't want, or I realized later I paid way too much for the item. 

BE PATIENT.  If you have in your mind's eye exactly what you're looking for, hold out for it until you find it.  I have looked for months to find certain things, but persistence eventually pays off.  At other times I have compromised, only to see the perfect item listed the following week.

If you are unsure about what is a good deal and what isn't, spend some time looking at all the other similar listings available.  The more exposure I had to what was available and what certain items were going for, the more confident I was in determining what was a good price for something.  Some people charge almost new prices for junk furniture, and some people have really high quality furniture that they practically give away.  Experience is the best teacher for that kind of thing, and availability and pricing will vary from city to city. 

IF YOU'RE SELLING something on CL, be sure to include photos!!  You know what they say about pictures.  Also include description, an accurate assessment of the item's condition, and dimensions.

3)  THE PURCHASE.  BE PREPARED to haul it home safely.  Bring blankets, cardboard, rope, a furniture dolly for heavy pieces, etc with you so that you don't damage the item you just bought (we learned from experience on that one, after the old piano we were bringing home fell off the back of the truck during the unloading process... trust me, it's a long story, but think of this: Steve + me + a car jack + late at night = piano disaster! It's a good thing it was only $40 to begin with, but those things are so heavy we had a hard time even giving that thing away.  We have now resolved to buy a digital piano.  Much more practical (considering how often we move), and a lot less dangerous!

Anyway, be sure to have enough CASH with you to pay for the item - most sellers will only accept cash. 

Well, gee, I think that about does it for my "little" rundown on tips for buying and selling on Craigslist!  If any of you had the patience to get all the way through that monologue, you definitely have what it takes to be a successful CLer.  Happy searching!

Tutorial for Fully Lined Tab-Top Drapes

 

Introducing my how-to for making your own, customized drapes!  These instructions are for a fully lined, tab-top style, although you could certainly make them without the lining (only recommended if you want a sheer look, or if the fabric you're using is extremely dense and won't let light show through).  Sewing your own drapes takes a surprising amount of time (not something to be whipped up in an hour), but it can be significantly cheaper than ordering them, or even less expensive than buying ready-made drapes if the fabric you use is not too expensive. 

These drapes were made from the fabric of a duvet cover from IKEA (recognize the material?) because I had a very limited budget and couldn't afford to go out and drop $15 to $200+/yard for home dec fabric (I made 6 drapes = 18 yards).  For $80 I bought two duvet covers and got 4 drapes out of one and 2 out of the other, with half the duvet fabric left over for whatever else I want to use it for.  The length of the duvet cover was too short for how long I wanted the drapes to be, so I added a strip of white linen (cut from a white linen store-bought panel that I had on hand and didn't have a use for) to each one and sewed black ribbons on for accent.

To begin, think about what style and "feel" you want for your room.  Formal?  Playful?  Casual yet sophisticated?  Light and airy or rich and bold?  In our front room, the carpet and walls are basically white, and the blinds are a dark faux-wood.  It's a rental house, so I can't do anything to change those elements (although I'm thinking I'll take down the blinds now that I have the drapes up) but I CAN add color to the windows and furnishings.  The armoire anchors the long, empty room (a CL bargain at $120, we use it for a computer station) and the dark furnishings provide contrast and visual weight, but the drapes really create a lot of playful drama.  I didn't want anything too formal or serious, so I used a graphic print, and I used red because, well, I just happen to love red!  As if you hadn't noticed....

Now all I need to do is paint those paintings I've been itching to do for months so that my walls are no longer forlorn and blank!

Anyway, if you want a summery and/or casual look, choose a fabric with a nubby texture such as linen or a cotton blend that looks like linen.  If you want to go more formal, choose dupioni silk, or a heavier material such as velvet, velveteen, microsuede, or thickly woven home dec fabric. 

MEASURE your window and the height of your wall.  I always like to install the curtain rod first so I know exactly how long I want to make the drapes, then add 4 inches to that length.  Do not install the rod so that the rod supports (the hooks that hold up the rod) are right at the ends of the rod.  With tab-top drapes, it looks better to have the hooks about 4 to 8 inches in from the ends of the rod so that they are hidden behind the drapes when the drapes are hung, and the drapes can extend all the way to the finials uninterrupted.  A word about curtain rods...they can get very pricey, so I like to scout them out at places like Ross, and if they're the wrong color I just spray paint them (I painted these ones black).  You can also buy a large dowel (the kind for closets) and screw finials into the ends of them, but I have found that by the time you buy the wooden rod supports and finials it can still get pretty expensive.

Back to measuring...make sure that the width of your panels is wide enough to cover your window when they are drawn shut.  If you're just using them as accents on the sides of the windows it doesn't really matter, you can get away with a width of about 40 inches.  The easiest thing is just to use the entire width of the fabric straight from the bolt, unless you're cutting apart a duvet cover like I did!

Allowing about 4 inches extra beyond the finished desired lenth of your drapes (if you want the finished drapes to measure 90 inches, cut the lengths to 94 inches), cut the drapes out.  Make sure that you have a straight cut that is 90 degrees perpendicular to the selvedge edge of fabric so your drapes don't end up being crooked.

 

If you want to add a contrasting band of fabric like I did, do it now, before cutting out the lining.  When your panel is the way you want it, it's time to cut out the lining.  Technically you should use official drapery lining fabric, but I usually opt for the less expensive option of using a $5 twin sized sheet from Walmart instead.  It's not as thick and insulative as drapery lining, but the printed fabric was fairly thick anyway and I didn't feel the need to pay for real lining fabric.  In retrospect I should have used the lining fabric, because when the sun shines through the drapes, the red liner imparts a pink "glow" to the white flowers.  Oops.  I never have the drapes drawn during the day, so it's not a huge problem, but still, it's something to be aware of.

Lay out the lining fabric on the floor (right side up, if it has a right side), smooth it all out, and place the panel on top, right side facing down.  Pin the top edge, smooth it all out, and cut the lining to fit the exact dimensions of the panel.

Using a 1/2" seam, stitch the top edge of the panel + lining together.  Turn right side out and press. 

Here's a tip for getting that seam to press nicely:  Lick your thumb and forefinger (or get them wet a different way) and rub the fabrics near the seam back and forth until you get to the exact spot where they are sewn together.  The moisture on your fingers creates friction and enables them to wiggle the fabric down to where it needs to be.

Press top seam in place all the way across the top, making sure the lining won't be seen from the front of the panel.

 

Now it's time to finish the side edges of the panel. Press the raw edge (or the selvedge edge, if you're using the entire width of the fabric) over to the back, turning over about 1" of fabric.  If you're working with a thick fabric such as velvet, turn over 1 1/2".

 

The lining fabric will also be pressed over at this point, but leaving it there will just create unnecessary bulk.  Carefully cut away the part of the lining that was pressed over, removing the folded crease of the lining.  When you get to the top of the panel where the two fabrics are stitched together, pick out the stitching 1" from edge so you can cut off the liner cleanly.

Now, to hide the raw edge of the panel fabric, fold it under itself and press again, so that all raw edges are hidden and the raw edge of the liner is tucked neatly inside the folded-over edge of the panel fabric.

 

Hopefully these photos will illustrate what exactly I'm talking about.

 

 

Pin the side seams every 8 to 12 inches or so.  It's time to sew!

Stitch side seams closed, taking care to catch the underside of the panel in the stitching.

I like to use my left hand as a guide as I'm sending the fabric though.  My thumb can feel where the folded-under edge is on the underside, so I can tell if the needle is going to stitch where it needs to in order to catch the folded-under seam beneath.

Now it's time for the tabs.  Since I had 6 panels to do, I got lazy (or is it ingenuity?) and used wide ribbon as my tabs.  You can make tabs from fabric by sewing a long "tube" of fabric and pressing it flat, then cutting it into little 6 inch pieces.  The ribbon method is faster.

My panels were about 40 inches wide, so I used 5 tabs per panel.  In retrospect I should have used 6 or 7, but I'm not bothered by it enough to redo them!  You want to aim for about 6 to 8 inches of space between each tab.

I didn't want the dots to show when looking at the backside, so I folded and pressed the raw edges of the ribbon under so that they faced the dotted side.  I used pinking shears and pinked the edges before pressing them under to help prevent fraying.

Once all tabs are prepared, pin them to the backside of the panel, starting in 1/2" from edge as shown.  The fastest way to figure out the exact spacing of the tabs is to pin the two edges and the middle first, then fill in the other tabs accordingly.  That way you don't waste time doing a lot of unnecessary math (unless, of course, you want to!  Brain exercise is always good.)

Pin the top and bottom edges of tabs, making sure the tops of the tabs don't extend beyond the top of the panel (you don't want to see the tabs sticking up above the top of panel).

Now, turn the panel so that the backside faces up and stitch carefully along the very top edge of panel.  Try to stitch about 1/16" away from top edge, making sure the tabs are not shoved aside all skewampus as the presserfoot goes over them.  I usually have to stop, making sure that the needle is down in the fabric, and lift up the presserfoot slightly as it starts to run over each tab.  This way the presserfoot doesn't scoot the tab out of alignment.  Don't run over those pins!  Pull out the pin after needle has stitched a few stitches of each tab.

Once you are done with the very top edge, stitch along the bottom edge of the tabs, sewing in a straight line all the way across.  I just use the bottom of the tab as a visual guide and "eyeball it" all the way across without marking a stitching guide, but you could certainly use a yardstick before you begin sewing and lightly mark a line with a pencil if you're unsure of yourself.

Press all the edges of the panel, and you're ready to hang it!

 

I never hem my drapes until they're already hung.  Once they're in place, I pin them up where they touch the floor, then bring my ironing board over to the window and press the hem under right there.  Then I turn the raw edge under (just like I did for the sides) and use a fusible web (it comes in a little roll, and is designed specifically for hemming) to secure the hem with my iron.  And that's it!  Admittedly a rather tedious project (at least in my opinion it is!) but well worth the effort when completed.  Best wishes to you as you begin your own custom drapes, I hope this was helpful to you!

All Ribbons and Bows

 

I've been going a little bow-crazy lately, what with spring and all.  I get so excited to see all the fresh, tender colors of spring that I feel it necessary to mimic nature with my little textile creations.

 

Here's a little sneak preview of what my girls' Easter dresses will look like...a bit unconventional in the colors, but still within the spring spectrum, I think.  Tomorrow morning I'll try and get some good shots of them wearing their sweet little dresses.

 

Last week I made a bunch of hair bows, some for my own girls and some for my adorable little nieces.

 

I love these sweet and simple bows.  I hot-glued the appliques onto the ribbon.  Thanks, mom, for letting me go through your sewing collection when I was home this past winter!  Mom has had these appliques for years, it's good to see them put to use.  I've admired them for years, too, but just didn't know quite what to use them for.  Now I know.  :-)

That cute little heart button is from mom's stash too.

I adore the colors pink and red together.  When I was little, that combination was definitely NOT acceptable, but I sure am glad it is now!  I see pink and red together all the time now, and I love it.

I didn't want my darling little nephew to feel left out, so I made some dapper bow ties for him too.  I had made him some tiny ones when he was a baby, but he's growing so fast they're too small now.

I posted a tut on how to do these bowties awhile ago, for a quick reference click here.

For my tut on how to make the bows, click here.

 

I was getting very weary of sewing each one of these clips on to the back of my bows, so I gave hot glue a try and I'm very happy with the results!  Put a tiny dab of glue under the end with the large hole, and squish the clip down into the hot glue so that it oozes out the hole a bit.  This will prevent it from pulling away, as hot glue typically doesn't hold metal all that well.

Here's a closer shot of that ooze-glue effect.  On the other end, very carefully place a small dot of glue exactly where you want it and press down firmly, making sure the glue oozes up and over the edges a bit to hold the tip in place.  Just be sure that the glue doesn't accidentally ooze down toward the part of the clip that snaps open. 

This method is MUCH easier and faster than sewing those little doosies by hand!

 

The lighting is all wrong on this picture (can't wait to get a new computer that can handle the load of a real photo editing program!  Our computer is 7 years old, and the memory on it is completely FULL) but here is a hilarious picture of Hazel's bedhead.  This is why she needs those bows!

"Please, mama, PLEASE do something about my hair?!"

Actually what she's doing is begging for another treat.  Yes, I bribe my children into posing for the camera sometimes.  Whatever it takes, right?  This picture cracks me up.

I have more to share soon, so check back in a day or two!

Ribbon Board Thingy Tutorial

 

I've had a few requests from friends interested in making these padded ribbon boards, so while I made one for my own kitchen I decided to take some pics along the way and show you how easy it is to do!

 

First, you need a picture frame, a piece of flat cardboard to fit, a piece of quilt batting the same size as the cardboard, a piece of fabric an inch or two larger than the cardboard on each side, some ribbon, and some thumbtacks.

 

If you have some spray adhesive, spray (OUT OF DOORS, so you don't get tacky residue on your floor!) the cardboard and place the quilt batting over the sprayed side of the cardboard.  If any batting extends beyond the cardboard, trim it off.  If you don't have spray adhesive, no big deal.

Place the fabric face down on a flat surface, then place the batting and the cardboard on top.  Make sure there is extra fabric extending along each side of cardboard.

 

Then just gently pull the edges up and over the cardboard, fixing in place with some masking tape.  Note my highly professional and utterly neat application of tape (not).  If your fabric has an obvious design which has a definite linear pattern to it, take care to make sure the edges of the cardboard line up with the design so the fabric doesn't look crooked.  Fabric should be firmly pulled to the back, but not so tightly that the tape struggles to hold it in place.

 

Flip the board over and place your ribbon first from corner to corner, then mark the middle of each edge with a pencil and place the shorter ribbons so that they touch the midsection of each edge.  Leave extra "tails" of the ribbon around the edges so they may be pulled back behind later.

Using a glue gun, attach one end of each ribbon to the board, then when the glue is set you can gently pull the other end tight (but not too tight!) and glue the other end of each of the ribbons.  Just put a dot of hot glue on the part of the ribbon that touches the edge of the board.  Flip board to the backside and hotglue the "tails" of ribbon in place. 

 

Insert board in frame to make sure it fits and secure board to frame using framing tacks (a special tool sort-of like a big stapler) or just put some tape around the edges to keep the board from falling out.

 

To give it a quilted appearance and to make the ribbons snug, first take a simple straight pin and poke it down through the layers at each intersection.  When it is all the way down and poking out the back, bend the pin so it creates a quilted depression at the intersection.  Tape the bent pin in place on the back of the board.  Then, take a thumbtack and poke down at the same spot (mine were originally white and I spraypainted them) for a more finished look.  You could also hot-glue buttons or other decorative things at the intersections, but be sure to use the straight pin first to get the fabric to dimple down a little bit.

And there you have it!  Your very own, customized ribbon board thingy.  I'm sure these have an official name, I just can't think of it at the moment.

 

Now for all my photo-deprived relatives, here are a few shots of Hazel.  She's now chauffering me around town because she thinks I'm not a good driver, or whatever else the noise "muubwaaaaa" means in baby language.  One can only speculate.

 

Here she is checking the odometer to make sure we won't run out of gas.  I couldn't get that girl to turn and smile for me at all, no matter how many crazy noises I made!  Hazel is not a performer, and will usually not play into anyone's attempts to get her to do any given thing.  What a live wire she is becoming, and so rambunctious!  She is ALWAYS getting into something or climbing somewhere she shouldn't be.  Her curiousity never ceases.  It's a good thing she's so darn cute!  She can charm her way out of anything - it's impossible to get upset at her, even after she's broken something.  Cuteness is the saving grace of toddlers sometimes, isn't it?

Eggstravaganza!!!

 

Sorry for the cheezy post title - I couldn't seem to help myself!  Oh, how I adore Easter (because of the glorious celebration that it is) and all the lovely rebirth-themed, springtime traditional decorations that come with the season.  I've always enjoyed decorating Easter eggs and making bunnies and having egg hunts and all that, and now I'll share a few little decorating tidbits and ideas with you!

 

For this arrangement, I used a white cake plate, placed a small white, inverted bowl in the center, and put this darling little lambkins plate on top of the bowl.

 

I adore this little plate set, which I excitedly snatched up at a little thrift shop (I never saw so many little vintage Buddha statues in my life!) in Japan when we were visiting Steve's parents in Hokkaido last year.  I love these plates, I have a couple hanging up on my wall above the kitchen sink, and now these are gracing my dining room table centerpiece.  I'm in love with the increasingly popular blue-and-white color theme (it's so clean and fresh), so I decided to keep it classically simple for this arrangement.

 

I had such a fantastic time decorating these eggs the other night, when all the kiddos were sleeping soundly and I had a couple of hours of blissful uninterrupted peace.  My kids are extremely rambunctious and LOUD, bless their little hearts (and high-decibal voices), so when they're all in bed it's my rejuvenation time.

 

So I should probably be telling you how I achieved some of these egg designs, eh?  Unfortunately I didn't think to take pics of the steps along the way, so I'll just have to describe those to you.

1) First, if you want to keep these eggs for more than a few weeks, you'll need to blow the insides out.  Take a push pin and make little holes on either ends of the egg.  I usually make the initial tiny hole, then 2 other holes nearby the first one and start chipping away at the egg shell in between all 3 holes until there is one larger hole.  It doesn't have to be any larger than 1/8" in diameter.  Take a long needle and pierce the yolk, then shake the egg a little bit so it breaks the yolk up.

2) Using a baby nose-sucking syringe thingy (how's that for technical terms?  I think it's really called an aspirator, not sure though) AKA BoogerSnatcher, place the tip of the BoogerSnatcher over one of the holes and squeeze GENTLY (too much pressure will burst the egg open, as it did to 8!! of my 24 eggs.  What's up with chickens and their thin-shelled eggs these days?!) to expel the egg innards.  You may want to place the tip of the BS at a slight angle so as not to force too much air inside the egg at once.  Or make a bigger hole at the bottom of your egg, which I probably should have done after the first few busted eggs.  HINT:  DO NOT LEAVE THE BS OVER THE HOLE AS YOU RELEASE PRESSURE ON THE BULB OF THE UNIT.  Such an action will result in egg guts being sucked inside the bulb of the BS, creating an environment for bacterial growth that makes me cringe to think about (or smell in a day or two!).

You could also use your mouth and a good set of lungs to expel the egg guts if you don't happen to own a BS, but if you're doing more than a few eggs at a time I would have to warn you that extreme headache/dizziness symptoms might complicate things (been there, done that...my mom and I used to do all our eggs using the mouth/lungs method, and I sure dreaded it!  The price one pays for art, I suppose...unless, of course, you are in possession of the highly practical and versatile BoogerSnatcher).

3) When all egg innards are expelled from the shell, rinse off and place the egg upright so any excess moisture can drain.  Let eggs dry completely.

 

If you want to have the image of a plant on your egg, here's how (and by the way, this technique is not my idea; it's widely available in most crafty magazines around Easter time pretty much every year.  I'm sure there's a tut for it on Martha Stewart.):

1) Using a little brush (I used my kid's watercolor paint set brush), brush some egg white onto the back of the leaf and carefully place it on the egg, pressing gently until the leaf sticks to the egg.  Try not to smear any excess egg white around, as it could repel some of the dye later on.

2) I used fresh cilantro leaves and wilted green onion stems (the fresh, fleshy stems wouldn't work because they were too stiff to stick to the egg) that I slit open lengthwise and wrapped around the egg because it was cold and rainy and dark outside and I didn't want to go on an outdoor plant scavenger hunt at 10:00 at night.

The white band you see around this egg was achieved with a green onion stem.

The herringbone pattern was not; I'll explain how I did that in a minute.

3) Take an old pair of old hose or stockings and cut into 4 to 6 inch tubes.  Carefully place your plant-ed egg into the middle of the tube and draw up both raw ends of the tube.  Secure the ends with string, rubber bands, twisty ties, etc.

4) Prepare your egg dye per instructions on the box, OR you can make your own by mixing 2 Tbls vinegar, several drops of liquid food coloring, and 1/2 cup water into little cups.

5) Place your egg into dye, wait until desired color appears, remove from hose, carefully peel off plant, gently blot, and you're done!

For the HERRINGBONE TEXTURE, instead of nylon hose I took a pair of herringbone-textured trouser socks and cut into tubes.  I turned them inside-out so the textured side faced inward, then placed the egg inside and wrapped as described above.  I really had to dunk these eggs well because this particular fabric was rather water-repellant and didn't allow much dye to reach the egg, so that's something to watch for if you try this.  After soaking the egg for several minutes, I lifted it out and let it rest on the cardboard egg carton for AT LEAST half an hour while it was still in its sock cocoon.  This will ensure that the sock texture has a chance to do its thing uninterrupted.  Then just unwrap and blot dry as usual.

Other textures were achieved using little round garage sale stickers, the donut shaped circles were stickers to reinforce paper holes for use in binders, and this egg

 

was wrapped in printer-label stickers cut in half lengthwise and gently molded to fit the shape of the egg.  I love the areas where the dye seeped in underneath the stickers - it creates such a lovely and interesting texture.

If you do use stickers, I would advise that you remove them a minute or two after the egg comes out of the dye.  They're much easier to remove when they're still saturated with fluid.  You don't want to handle the egg too much immediately after the dye bath because you might mess it up, but don't wait too long (I speak from experience) or you'll be scraping sticker glue off for longer than it took to prepare the egg!

 

This egg is one of several I did many years ago.  I had wrapped large rubber bands all over the place before dunking it into the dye.

Here are more eggs from years ago...

 

So, when my kids awoke to all the eggciting (sorry, I promise I'll stop with the puns) new inventory on Saturday morning, of course they wanted to join in on the fun.  Hyrum has been asking me for weeks now when he got to decorate eggs, he loves doing it so much.  Last year he was up to his wrists in dye (no kidding - I'll have to dig out that picture of Hyrum proudly displaying his muddy egg with equally muddy hands - it's priceless) so this year I was very impressed that he was able to do it without any fist baths.

Here is Mr. Facemaker preparing one of his masterpieces for a dunk.

It takes a lot of concentration, you know, to get those stickers "just so" on that egg!

 


  

Here's Eliza, in the smock that Grandma made for her when Eliza was about 2 years old.  It's getting a little snug there, honey!  I used to have to roll up the sleeves, and now they're at her elbows.

The kids had a great time decorating their own eggs.  Eliza dedicated this one to Hyrum and Hazel.

 Sweet little Hazel wanted to join in the fun too.  She kept climbing on top of the table and almost tipped the cups full of dye over more than once.  Just look at that mischevious grin!

 

Here she is before she pulled out her little "tree", as we call it.  Hazel can't stand to have anything in her hair, but her hair is always in her eyes and it's got to drive her nuts.  I know it drives ME crazy to see her hair in her eyes all the time!  I don't want to cut her hair because it grows forward from the back of her head, so if I started cutting bangs she'd end up with a mullet.  Not the look I'm going for. 

So, until it grows out a little more we'll have to suffice with the tree vs. no tree look. 

 

....And now, for the pastel explosion of Easter Bunny stuff!

 

Over the years I've collected a lot of little Easter decorations that I usually display throughout the house.  With Hazel being the age that she is and considering her innate desire to climb on, pull off, rip up, and unwrap everything in her grasp, this year I put all the pretties on one side table.  I then used that foamy double sided sticky tape on the corners and edges of the tabletop to hold the tablecloth in place.  I kept having these visions of Hazel walking up to the cloth and yanking on it, thus sending all the sparkly doo-dahs crashing to the floor in a million little pieces, so this will hopefully prevent that scenario.

So far, Hazel hasn't shown a whole lot of interest in the Easter things (knock on wood) so we might escape with little or no damage this year!

 

My two older kids, on the other hand, got so excited when they saw these things on the table - they love to go over and look at all the decorations.  When I was growing up my mom had made an elaborate Easter scene, with felt-covered bunnies, hand-blown eggs covered carefully in dainty green and yellow polka dot fabric and trimmed with white ric rac, a little white tree to hang the eggs from, etc.  I was fascinated with that as a child, and I loved to stand there gazing at all the little details. 

 

I must admit, however, that most of the things on this table are store-bought.  With the exception of the 3 hand-painted plates, these are all things I have found at places like Tuesday Morning, HomeGoods, Ross, etc.  I suppose I could make a ceramic bunny of my own, for example, but why spend the time doing that when I can buy one for such a reasonable price at the store? :-)

 

Now, please don't get me wrong - I love making things by hand and usually prefer to go the handmade route; however, there are only so many hours in the day and it becomes a matter of prioritizing my time and energy to those projects which are most exciting and/or urgent for me, in the few hours each day that I have to work on such things.  I think I painted this plate 2 Easters ago...the colors are off and the focus is poor (oops) but I think you can get the basic idea.

I think this little trio of bunnies is so sweet, don't you?  The mama bunny got broken during the move, so they're a little sad about that (as am I) but I know they'll pull through.

 

 

I love this carved egg.  It reminds me of Jim Shore's little Christmas statuettes, with the quilted influence and carved appearance.

 

  

To make an Easter tree, simply go outside and clip a few branches from a deciduous tree that have relatively strong, upward-pointing branches.  Make sure they look good with the size of vase/flower pot/jar, etc, trim them as necessary to get the height you want and make sure the proportions are attractive. 

Twist a large rubber band around the bottoms of the braches to secure them together.

Spray paint them white, don't worry about the paint dripping if you get the nozzle too close because you don't have a large surface to worry about a drip showing up on.  Be sure to paint from all sides, plus from the bottom facing up and from the top facing down.  It'll take a lot of paint to get every little branch covered, I think I used a can and a half for this project.

I also tried spraying adhesive onto the white branches and sprinkling with clear glitter, which I wouldn't recommend because it doesn't show up that much and I wasted a whole container of glitter.  It all stuck to the spray adhesive which had collected on my scrap piece of cardboard that I had placed beneath the tree branches.

 

You have a few choices for how to get the branches to stay put in your container.  I placed a piece of green floral foam in the bottom of mine, then added some rocks for weight so my giant tree wouldn't get top heavy, then when it was still wobbly I added some crumpled newspaper to keep the trunk stable inside the container. 

You could also use Plaster of Paris and pour it into your container, stick the branches in and wait for it to harden.  Then you could cover the top with some Easter grass to hide the P of P.  If I were going that route, I would use a flowerpot and line it with plastic wrap before pouring in the P of P.  This way, you can slip the hardened base out of the pot and, if necessary for storage reasons, discard the branch stuck in the P of P and save the pot for next year. 

 

I adore egg cups, aren't they cute? 

 

Those glittery, sparkly eggs make me smile too.

 

My kids keep touching the sparkly bead eggs and asking if they're glass.  I'm sure they're not, but they sure look like it!

 

They just glow in the sunlight.

Happy Easter in advance, I have more Eastery things to post later on, but first I need to concentrate on St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!  We're going to have an ALL GREEN meal tomorrow, but shhh! don't tell the kids!  It's going to be a surprise.  Can't wait to see their expressions when they see the green mashed potatoes, green-dyed chicken, and all the green fruits and veggies.  Fun, fun!  I haven't figured out dessert yet, though...and since Eliza dislikes jello I may have to do green-colored lemon bars or a white cake mix with green food coloring (or pistachio pudding mix) in it.

Have a great day, and don't get pinched tomorrow!

Snowflake Tutorial

 

Well, despite the best of intentions, I haven't had a chance to get this tut done any sooner than now...sorry for the delay!  I'll save the litany of reasons for another time, but suffice it to say that it has been a CRAZY week and a very, um, memorable Christmas, to put it mildly!  If I have time later on I'll fill you in on some of the particulars, but while I have internet connectivity I'm going to finally post this tutorial!

 

Starting with a regular sheet of white computer paper, fold down one corner to the other edge, creating this triangular shape.

 

Cut the bottom piece of the paper off, creating a square shape that is folded in half on the diagonal.

 

Keeping track of where the middle of the piece of paper is, fold triangle in half for the second time.  I left the cut off rectangle in the photo to give you a sense of scale.

 

Now, with the middle of the piece of paper as the point, fold the triangle into thirds.  This is most easily accomplished by putting your fingernail right at the very tip of the middle point, and folding over one side and then the other without actually making the "official" creases until all three sections are completely equal.  Once you have come up with the equal sections (basically by trial and error) you can make the official creases with your fingernails, the handle of scissors, a bone folder (used in bookmaking), etc.  Just make sure all the creases are crisp and the edges are as evenly lined up as possible.

 

Trim the loose tail ends off so that all the layers of paper are equal.

 

Starting from the short side of the triangle, on the edge opposite the center point, cut your basic design that will establish the outer "arms" of your snowflake.  It usually looks best to have one "arm" longer than the other.  If you're unsure of yourself, feel free to pencil in a design before cutting. 

 

Finish cutting the design, taking care to hold all layers together as closely as possible so that they are cut accurately.  When cutting the design toward the center, I like to alternate cutting in shapes from opposing sides so they fit together in a logical fashion.  If you want the middle of the snowflake cut out, cut the tip of the center point off.  You can create a huge variety of shapes by cutting off the center point in different angles.

 

Begin carefully unfolding your snowflake, moving slowly so as not to rip any ends that are stuck together.  Press the folds open with your fingertips as you go along.

And there you have it!  A unique, one-of-a-kind bit of winter wonder. 

I like to carefully press the creases out with an iron.  They can be taped to a window with little bits of clear tape placed here and there around the edges, or the designs could be used as a stencil with spraypaint to create wrapping paper and/or cards, powdered sugar over a round cake, etc. 

I store my snowflakes from year to year between sheets of paper so they don't get tangled with one another, and they easily slip into a file folder to be filed away until next year.

Happy cutting!

From twirly skirt to grown-up skirt: Adapting my tutorial

 

 

Before reading through these tips, I strongly recommend reading through the twirly skirt tutorial, or this will likely not make much sense...

1)  MEASUREMENTS:  You will need precise measurements for your waist, the widest part of your hips/rear, and the width of your hips 5” below your waist.  You will also need to know how long you want the skirt to be.

2) Using the same method for designing the girl’s skirt, draw a diagram of your skirt, with these tips in mind:

If you want multiple layers, or “tiers” (meaning the skirt gradually gets wider and wider with many levels of gathers), you usually start out with tiers measuring about 8”, then 10”, then 14”(If you are tall, that is.  If you are 5’5” or shorter, start out with 6”, then 8”, then 12”, etc).

The other consideration in designing is the circumference of the loops you will be sewing together.  The waistband is going to be only slightly wider than your waist measurement, but you need to make sure it is wide enough to accommodate the measurement of your hips 5” below your waist.  (I learned that the hard way - the waistband fit at my waist, but it was too tight 5" below the waist due to my, er, pear-shaped figure)  Each succeeding loop needs to be at least 10” wider in circumference for it to look right.

 

For example, if your waist is 35”, then the waistband needs to be about 37” to 39” wide (not including seam allowances), making sure that it will fit 5” below waist.  If not, make the waistband wider.  The first tier (after the waistband) needs to be about 55” wide (make sure it’s wide enough for your hips/rear), the second tier about 70” wide, the third tier about 84”.

HINT:  most fabric is only 42-44” wide, meaning that the maximum width you can end up with for the bottom tier of your skirt is 84-88” wide if you want to keep all the side seams matched up on the sides of your skirt.  Here is an example of the finished dimensions and cutting dimensions:

 

 

 

I didn't write in the cutting dimension chart above that for every tier that has a circumference greater than the width of the fabric from selvedge to selvedge (usually 42" to 44") you will need to divide the circumference measurement in half and cut two strips of fabric to those dimensions. 

 

For example, in the diagram above, the waistband tier is cut in one piece.  The second tier needs to be cut 8.5" wide by about 23" long (half of 55") but 2 separate pieces need to be cut.  The third tier need to have 2 pieces cut 10.5" x 35" (half of 70"), and the fourth tier needs to have 2 pieces cut 14" x 42" (half of 84").  This way all the side seams will match up on both sides of skirt, and each tier has a circumference about 15" greater than the tier above it.  I hope that's a little clearer than mud...

NOTE: this method works for waist sizes around 45” or smaller.  If your waist measurement is larger than that, you will need to reduce the number of tiers so that the bottom tier is no greater than about 85”, or you will need to make it wider and not have all the side seams match up on the sides because you will have more than 2 strips of fabric to sew together on the bottom tier.

Sew skirt just like you did for the girl’s version, attaching and completing one tier at a time, starting at the waistband and working your way down.

 

 

 

As you can see, there are no set rules about determining the proportions of the tiers.  This skirt only has 2 tiers (plus waistband) because I didn't want to interupt the gorgeous pattern of the fabric.  This method of using white with just a small amount of designer fabric (it's about 17" wide) is a great way to stretch your budget too - it requires much less designer fabric than using the fancy stuff for the whole skirt.

 

 

Not every tier needs to be gathered, either.  It's hard to see in the photo, but this red, black, and white skirt is only gathered 3 times.  The rest of the fabric shifts are just sewn in strips to eachother.

 

Okay, this one was admittedly quite time-consuming.  I loved the way these fabrics related to eachother (Taxi Trio by Timeless Treasures) and I was getting tired of doing skirts in horizontal strips.  So I basically made a random quilt top (minus the quilting) and attached it to a skirt.  To give it a more random look, I constructed it by making 3 separate "tiers" that were each 6" wide and about 80" long.  I cut various widths of fabric and put them together so that the sum of them equaled 6" (4" + 2", 3" + 3", etc, plus 1/2" for seam allowances).  When each of the 3 strips were pieced together, I sewed each of the separate 6" strips together to create 3 separate loops, which I then attached to eachother so that there wouldn't be any obvious side seams.  Yeah, that took awhile.  I'm happy with the results, though - it's my personal quilt-on-a-skirt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These last two are from Heather Bailey's spectacular Pop Garden & Bijoux lines...and they do indeed pop!  I love the colors and designs of the fabrics.

 

And just in case you were wondering, I did NOT make all of these recently.  I finished the skirts with Heather's fabric in recent history, but the others have been gradually added to my wardrobe over the past 2 or 3 years.  My body type necessitates long skirts (to hide my ugly legs!) but you may find that making shorter skirts is your preference (uses less fabric too).  Just be sure to map out finished dimensions first, and calculate the cutting dimensions from there. 

 

A long skirt like mine requires 2 yards, a shorter one probably 1.5 yards or less.  Enjoy, and send me photos of your creations when you're done - I'd love to see them!

Twirly Skirt Tutorial - at last!

I finally buckled down and put this skirt tute together for you, complete with pics every step of the way.  About 6 months ago I gave a class here locally with step-by-step instructions, but with drawings instead of photos.  I think the photos will help a lot. 

And for those of you who aren't interested in learning to sew a skirt (I'm including tips for making grownup skirts too!) I'll apologize right now for the length of this tutorial.  I haven't taken the time to figure out how to do a separate file that you can click on in the sidebar, and my previous attempts at doing so were less than successful.  So, since I don't have the time or inclination to figure that out, be prepared for my longest tutorial yet! (insert cheer or groan here)

 

Before you know how much material to buy and cut, you'll need to measure the wearer.  Decide how long you want the skirt to be, and how many different fabrics you'll be using.  In this example, the FINISHED dimensions of the skirt parts are as follows:

waistband: 3.5" wide     cherry fabric:  13" wide   polka dots:  2" wide 

bottom red+white fabric:  3.5"           TOTAL FINISHED LENGTH: 22"

For a girl size 3T to 6T, the total finished length generally ranges between 17" to 22" for it to be at the knee or below.  Eliza is very tall for her age, so your skirt will likely be shorter than 22".

Establish the girl's waist size.

Decide if you want to add contrast fabric to the bottom of the skirt (I added 2 different contrast fabrics to the bottom of this one, but if you're a sewing newbie, you might want to simplify on your first one).  Draw a little diagram of what you want the finished dimensions of your skirt to be, and write those dimensions on the left side of the diagram as I have done below.

 

Now, to establish the true cutting dimensions.  The waistband will have a built-in casing from fabric folded over itself, so you need to allow 1.5" additional fabric to whatever finished dimension you want.  In the drawing, the finished width is 5" so it is cut 6.5" wide.  In the cherry skirt example, the finished width of the waistband is 3.5", so it needs to be cut 5" wide.

Always remember to allow 1/4" seam allowance in your calculations, so in the drawing above, the 12" wide piece needs to be cut at 12.5" (1/4" seam on top and bottom).  The fabric that is at the hem of the skirt needs to have 3/4" added because extra width is needed in the hem.

BEFORE YOU CUT:  prewash and, if necessary, iron your fabric.  Line up the selvedges so that fabric hangs nicely at fold (the raw edges will likely NOT line up to accomplish this, so fiddle with it until fabric doesn't bubble and buckle at fold.  The raw edges will be off; Just make sure the selvedges are parallel.  Only then will you have it truly on the grain.)  Use a rotary cutting mat and ruler for best results.

FOR WAISTBAND:  Cut 1 strip of desired width.  (in cherry skirt, 5")  Now open strip up and cut the length about 12" longer than waist size.  My daughter's waist is about 20", so I cut the length to 32".

FOR MAIN SKIRT:  Cut 2 strips of desired width (in cherry skirt, 13.5"). 

FOR CONTRAST FABRIC:  Cut 2 strips of each contrast fabric you use (in cherry skirt, 2.5" and the bottom fabric is 4.25" to account for hem).

Okay, are you ready to sew???  Remember that all seams are 1/4" (usually the distance between the needle and edge of presser foot).  If you feel more comfortable sewing a wider seam than that, be sure to allow for extra width when cutting, or your skirt will be much shorter than expected.

1)  Take the 2 strips of each fabric, face right sides together lining up the selvedge edge, and stitch ONE side together to create a single, very long strip of each fabric.  You may want to cut off the selvedge edge before sewing if it is really wide so it doesn't show on the right side.

Notice that I'm using a serger (I LOVE that machine!) but you can also treat your edges after straight stitching on a regular machine by zigzag stitching over raw seam or using pinking shears on raw seam (but don't cut too close to stitching!).

2)  Now, take contrast fabric and line up the seam with the seam on main fabric (right sides together!).  To ensure that the side seams line up exactly (because the lengths of the various fabric strips will all vary slightly), start stitching strips together where the side seam is instead of at one end (this eliminates the need for pinning as well).  Stitch, making sure edges are flush, until you reach the end.  Now clip the thread, turn it over, go back to the side seam, and stitch the other direction to the other end so that the two strips are now sewn together into one big strip and the side seams line up exactly.

The side seam will look like this (it would have looked better if I had ironed the fabric before cutting!) 

Do a thorough job ironing all the seams at this point, first on the back side and then on right side to make sure seams are pressed open all the way.  Press seams all in one direction.

 

The loose ends of the strip will be uneven, like this.

 

3)  Cut off uneven selvedges from both loose ends of strip. 

4)  Now, with right sides facing eachother, sew the ends of the strip together so that you now have a giant loop of fabric. 

 

Press the sideseam you have just sewn.

 

5)  For the waistband, join the two short ends together and stitch (right sides together) so it forms a loop.  Press.  Turn inside out.  On one edge of loop, press under 1/4" all the way around edge.

 

6)  Now, on the edge you just pressed under 1/4", fold over an additional 1"+a little bit, so that a piece of 1" elastic can easily slip through but not wide enough that the elastic will easily get twisted during wear.  Press this measurement all around edge, checking for accuracy from time to time.

 

7)  Once top edge is pressed, turn right side out and stitch all along top edge to create casing.  Take care to catch the underside of fabric but make sure you leave the casing wide enough for elastic. 

Take your time, you can feel where the fabric is underneath with your fingertips before it's fed under the needle.  When you have come full circle with your stitching, backstitch.

Now your waistband is ready for attachment to skirt.  Set aside.

 

8)  It's time to do the gathers on the skirt!

Turn skirt loop right side out, and at top edge you will need to stitch a scant 1/4" away from raw edge with a basting stitch.  The numbers vary by machine, but increase your stitch length number to as high as it will go (on my machine, a #5) so that the stitches are very long.  I also like to increase my bobbin tension so that it begins to gather even as I stitch it, as you can see in the photo. NOTE:  be sure to leave a long "tail" of thread both at the beginning and end of stitching.  DO NOT BACKSTITCH when you come full circle, as this will make it impossible to gather.  Do not gather stitches yet.

9)  Okay, now take your waistband and turn it upside down.  Turn the skirt inside out.  Locate one of the side seams on skirt and line it up with the side seam on waistband, and put one pin there at the side seam, making sure the skirt is right side up (but inside out) and the waistband is upside down (but right side out).  How's THAT for confusing?!

Hopefully a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

 

10)  Now locate the other side of waistband (there won't be a side seam) and pin that to the other side seam of skirt.  You will now have it pinned on both sides, and the skirt will be all floppy.

Grasp one of the bobbin threads that you left tailing out (right?) and GENTLY pull to begin gathering one side of skirt.  Some machines make the top thread easier to gather, but on my machine it's the bobbin.  Just experiment and you'll figure it out.  Work the gathers (patiently so you don't break the thread) down the whole length of the side until it matches the length of that side of the waistband. 

   

11)  Pin gathers in place every 3 or 4 inches or so.

Now, grasp the other bobbin thread and repeat gathering procedure to other side of skirt.  Pin in place.

 

12)  Your skirt should look like this -now you're ready to stitch the waistband to the skirt!  Hooray!

 

13)  Making sure your machine is switched back to its normal stitch length, stitch carefully around the entire loop, readjusting gathers as necessary and making sure you don't accidently get extra fabric caught beneath the needle. 

DO NOT RUN OVER YOUR PINS!  It could break a needle or, worse, damage your bobbin casing.

Backstitch when you have come full circle.  Inspect to make sure no fabric got caught underneath.

 

14)  Treat the seam with a serger or zigzag stitch, or it will be an ugly mess.

Turn skirt right side out.

 

15)  Topstitch seam where gathers and waistband meet, taking care to ensure that the bulky seam underneath is facing UP so it gets caught in the topstitching.  This will make your seam lie much more flat. 

As you are topstitching, make sure that you are using both hands to pull the two fabrics apart so that the true stitching line is seen and you won't have any bubbly and wobbly problems with your topstitching.  Go slowly and carefully, as it can be a little tricky to sew over the bulky seam underneath.

 

This is what the completed topstitching will look like.

 

16)  Using a seam ripper, rip out about 1.5 to 2" of casing seam near side stitching. 

Cut a piece of 1" non-roll elastic about an inch shorter than actual waist size.  Hint:  stretch out the elastic to "break it in" before cutting it, as it gets more stretchy with use. 

Attach a large safety pin (I use a diaper pin) to end of elastic and draw it all the way through casing, easing the gathers around the waistband.  Take care not to let the tail end of the elastic get drawn through as well - or you'll have to start all over!

 

17)  Lap one end of the elastic over the other end about 1 inch, and stitch back and forth a few times over the lapped edges as shown.

Insert elastic and adjust so that it is fully inside the casing and all the gathers are distributed evenly around waistband.

If possible, make sure that it's a good fit on your little girl.  Readjust length of elastic if necessary.

 

18)  To stitch the casing shut, make sure elastic is where it should be and the loose ends of the casing are where they should be.  Position the needle over the point where the stitching was ripped out, backstitching over a little of the existing seam.  Gently pull elastic tight in that area using both your hands, so that the casing area to be stitched has no wrinkles or gathers.

Carefully stitch casing all the way closed, backstitching at the point where original stitching starts up again.

 

19)  For the hem, turn under about 1/4" (or less, if it's not too tricky) all the way around the bottom edge.

 

20)  Turn under one more time, so that the raw edge is completely hidden.

 

21)  Stitch hem, making sure that needle catches the folded-under edge underneath.

Press hem.

.....and you're done!  Unless you want to add some ribbon embellishments.  If so, follow the instructions below.

 

Decide which ribbon you want and where you want to put it.  Lay it on the finished skirt to visualize what it will look like, paying attention to color and width of ribbon.  Step away from it to look at it from across the room to see if the ribbon you're considering is the right choice.

Make sure you have enough ribbon to go all the way around your skirt, but don't cut it to exact length yet!

 

22)  Place the ribbon about 3/8" beyond the side seam and sew all along one side, paying attention to where the ribbon is in relation to the seam of fabric that it is covering.

 

23)  Just before you come full circle, stop stitching and cut off the ribbon about 3/8" beyond the side seam so there is about an inch of overlap.

 

24)  Carefully fold under end of ribbon so that the fold happens exactly where the side seam is on the skirt. 

Finish stitching that side of the ribbon, backstitching once or twice at the fold.

Lift up needle and presserfoot and bring needle over to other edge of ribbon.  Begin stitching just after the fold, so that when you come full circle the fold will be the last thing you sew over.  Backstitch over the fold a few times at the very end of your stitching.

 

25)  With needle still inserted in ribbon, lift and pivot presser foot at edge of fold so you can stitch the fold completely shut.  Backstitch before needle runs off the ribbon.

Press ribbon, and now you have finished your very own twirly skirt!

 

Since this post is already a mile long, I'll write directions for adapting the skirt into a grown-up skirt in a separate post.  Please let me know if something is confusing to you, and I'll rewrite it or explain it further.  Also, I'd love to see what you end up with, so feel free to send pics my way!  Enjoy your new skirt!

Open Pocket Pouch Tutorial

 

Are you ready for round two of the pouch tutorials?  Thanks for all your enthusiasm about my Purse Pouch Tutorial, by the way - it's fun to see it put to good use! 

The Open Pocket Pouch is actually my preferred method of storing things within a larger bag (such as a diaper bag or tote bag) because it sits stiffly upright and there are no closures to mess with.  It's absolutely perfect for holding diapers and a small container of wetwipes, changes of clothes for your baby, small toys, snacks, keys, etc. because it doesn't slouch over and spill its contents.  Unless, of course, your child decides to conduct an experiment on the effect gravity has on an open container.  But whose child would ever dream of doing that?

By changing the dimensions you could make cute, quick little box/baskets to hold your favorite things in (I'll have to make some and show you the possibilities).  But for now, here's how I made this pocket pouch for my friend's upcoming baby shower:

 

FOR A POUCH MEASURING 9"high x 5"wide x 3" deep:

1)  Either cut a single rectangle measuring 20 1/2" long x 8 1/2 inches wide, OR to achieve the look pictured in the sample,

cut 2 pieces 20 1/2" x 3 1/2" and a contrasting piece 20 1/2" x 2 1/2"

2) If using the contrasting strips as shown, sew together now and press seams outward as shown below:

   

3) Now, using this outer piece (or the single rectangle piece of fabric already cut) as a template, cut out a piece of heavy fusible interfacing (I use DuraBond by Pellon) and a piece of liner fabric the exact dimensions of the original piece.

Following manufacturer's directions, fuse interfacing to the backside of the fabric intended as the outside of the pouch.  In this case, it's the one sewn in strips.

 Now you have two identically-sized rectangles, the stiff one being the outside of the pouch.

As you can tell, I should have done a better job making sure the red+white fabric was squared up before cutting the strips - the design wanders all over the place.  Oops.  I was in a hurry to make this while Hazel was sleeping, the big kids were playing with our next door neighbors, and before it was time to start dinner.

 

4)  Fold each rectangle on itself, right sides together, and sew a 1/4" seam along both side edges.  I recommend starting at the loose corners and sewing down to the bottom where the fold is.  This will ensure that you won't end up with uneven edges at the top.

Now you have two separate bags.

 

5)  Using the same method as described in my previous pouch tutorial, square off the bottom corners of the two bags.  If you're unsure of yourself, you can draw a line that is perpendicular to the side seam to follow as you sew.  Just make sure it's sewn the same way on each corner.

Also keep in mind that the deeper you make your pouch, the shorter and narrower it will end up being.  This example is sewn with a depth of almost 3 inches.

6)  You are now ready to sew the two bags together.  Turn the stiff bag right side out; leave the liner inside out.

Slip the liner over the stiff bag, so right sides face right sides.  Pin at side seams so they align properly, as seen below:

 

 

7) Stitch the two bags together all the way around the top.

Using seam ripper, rip out stitches on one of the sides of the liner, toward the bottom of the bag.  Create a gap about 1 1/2 to 2" wide.

You could also just leave the gap there in the first place, but you don't want to have the hole get too close to the squared off corner.  Also, if it's already been stitched, the seam has a little bit of "memory" and you can be sure to stitch it back up again without alignment problems.

 

8)  Gently pull the stiff bag through the hole you just created, until both bags are right side out.  Before you tuck the liner inside the stiff bag, you need to stitch it closed.

 

9)  You can do this by slipstitching by hand, or by carefully stitching it along the very edge with the machine.  Since I have a fairly deep-seated aversion to sewing things by hand (takes too long), I always opt for the machine method, as seen at right.  It doesn't really show because it's at the bottom of the inside of the bag.

10)  Tuck the liner inside the stiff bag, and to get the top edge to look all spiffy, carefully press all around top edge.  I end up licking the tips of my fingers (for friction) and wiggling the 2 layers to work them down to where they're actually stitched together. 

You could staystitch the top edge for extra security, but I have not found that to be necessary with these little bags.

 

And there you have it - a tidy and darling little workhorse for your big bags and totes!

 

Here are some examples of some other pouches I've made. For the pink and orange one below, I simply sewed a wide ribbon onto the fabric before sewing the rectangle up into a pouch...an even quicker way to add some fun detailing!

Purse Pouch Tutorial

 

Introducing the quick-and-easy Purse Pouch!  It's a way to keep your things organized within a larger bag, or this cute little satchel could even be used as a fancy gift bag for a special friend.  My daughter likes to use them as little purses, and she just loops the drawstring ribbons over her wrist to carry it around.  Whatever you choose to use it for, it's a fun and useful way to use extra fabric scraps. 

   

To start, you'll need 2 coordinating fabrics, a bit of 1" or wider ribbon, and about a yard of narrow ribbon.

The bags can be made any size or proportion, just be sure to take into account the seam allowances and the "ruffle" area at top of bag. The important thing to remember is to cut the lining and the outer fabric to the exact same size, so they'll fit together nicely. 

1) In this example, I cut 2 rectangles measuring 7 1/2" x 10 1/2" out of each fabric (so 4 rectangles total). 

 

2)  Placing the fabrics right sides together (ie. red facing red, blue facing blue), sew around bottom and both sides of the two separate bags using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Leave the top open.

 

3)  If you don't want pointy corners in the bottom of the bag, you can do the following OPTIONAL steps to square off the corners:

At one of the corners, take the front and back of bag and pull apart, flattening the fabric into a triangle and making sure the seam is in the exact center of the triangle, as seen in photo at left.

 

4)  Stitch a line perpendicular to original seam, backstitching at beginning and end of the new line of stitching. 

Repeat procedure on other three corners of the bags, so they are all stitched the same way and the same distance from the tips of the triangular pointy corners.

 

5)  Now you will have two separate bags with squared-off corners.  Decide which bag will be on the outside, and turn that bag right side out. 

Leave the liner bag inside out as shown.

6)  Slip the liner bag over the bag that will be on the outside when completed (in this case, slip the red liner bag over the blue bag).  Make sure that the right sides of the fabrics are facing eachother.

Pin bags together at side seams.

 

7)  Stitch liner and outer bags together all along top edge. 

8)  Using a seam ripper, rip out about 1 1/2" of bottom seam of the liner (red) fabric.  You could also just leave a gap in the original seam, but this is just as easy for me.

Sticking your fingers into the hole, gently pull the outer (blue) fabric out so that it is right side out, and so is the red liner.

 

9)  Close the hole in the liner by either slipstitching it by hand or sewing it closed with a machine, making sure the seam is very close to edge.

 

10)  Tuck liner inside the (blue) bag.  The edge where the two fabrics meet won't be very cleanly defined, so you'll need to press it carefully at the top seam, so it will end up looking like this:

 

11)  Position the bag under the sewing machine presserfoot.  Turn under about 3/8" of the ribbon end, and place it at the side seam of the bag about 2" below top edge of bag. 

Make sure that the raw end of the ribbon is tucked exactly beneath the top of the ribbon, so none of the raw edge will be seen from the top.

Stitch the top edge of the ribbon, taking care to make sure the distance between the ribbon and the top of the bag is equal.

Stop stitching before you get the the other side seam.

 

12)  Cut the ribbon off about 3/8" beyond the side seam.

 

13)  Turn end of ribbon under so that it aligns with side seam.  Stitch to end of ribbon.

 

14)  Using the same methods, attach the ribbon to the second side of bag the same way.  Backstitch over ribbons at each side seam for extra reinforcement.

 

15)  Repeat stitching for bottom edge of ribbon.  You will now essentially have a decorative and functional casing that is open at both side seams.

 

16)  Attach a safety pin to the end of the narrow ribbon and draw it through, all the way around the bag.  Don't pull it through the opening opposite the entry point - make the ribbon come full circle, as seen below:

17)  Leave desired amount of ribbon trailing out of casing.  Tie off to create a loop; trim ribbon ends and treat with Stop-Fray or heat seal with open flame.

 

 

18)  Now, starting at opposite end of the casing, repeat procedure with safety pin and ribbon.  You will now have 2 separate ribbon loops, each with their own entrance point in casing. 

Simply pull on the ribbons to tighten, and your bag is finished!

Bow Tie Tutorial

     

I'm finally ready to post the bowtie tutorial I've been talking about.  Hooray hooray!  Here's Hyrum sporting his Mickey Mouse version.

To begin, you'll need some 1.5" wide ribbon (or around 1" wide if you're making one for an infant), a bit of twill tape or grosgrain ribbon for the part that wraps around the neck, a little piece of velcro, and a needle and thread.

 

1) Cut the ribbon into an 8" piece and another piece that is a little over 2".  If making a tie for an infant or a grown-up, you'll want to decrease or increase the lengths, respectively.

 

2) Form a loop with the long piece of ribbon, overlapping the edges about 1/4" in the exact middle of the loop, as shown above.

 

3) Using your needle and thread, make large stitches where the ribbon ends overlap across the width of the ribbon and back again.  Make sure your needle passes through all layers of ribbon.

 

4)  Pull thread gently to form gathers in center.  Set aside, without finishing off thread.

          

5)  Take the little piece of ribbon and press under the edges to create a strip that is about 1" wide.

 

6)  Work the needle and thread back toward middle of gathers, then sew the center piece of narrow ribbon onto the back of the large ribbon.  Make sure the narrow ribbon is facing right-side-out, with the pressed-under edges hidden underneath.

 

7) Wrap the narrow ribbon around the front of the bowtie, bring it around back and stitch the ends together.  As you can see, I'm really not worried about how neat and tidy it looks from the back, as it will be glued to the ribbon that goes around the neck and "no-one will ever know..."  (must be said in a whisper for the proper effect) 

Just be sure that this final bunch of stitches doesn't accidently show through on the front.  Because then they will know.  :-)

This is what it should look like from the front. 

8)  Measure your boy's neck WITH a collared shirt on for proper fit.  Cut a piece of twill tape/grosgrain ribbon that is about an inch longer than that measurement.

 Now, take the glue (I have found this Quick Grip to be very effective - can be purchased at Walmart - but hot glue works too) and your twill or grosgrain ribbon and glue the bowtie to the middle of the twill tape/ribbon.  Don't fiddle with it for about 5 minutes or so if you're using a non-hot glue product.

 

9) Cut a little piece of velcro for the closure.  I like to cut the sharp corners of the pieces off at an angle, as shown.

10)  Attach, either with glue or a sewing machine, the little pieces of velcro to twill tape.  I like to put the fuzzy piece on the underside of the tape (the side that will face his neck).

 

11)  Attach the "pokey" side of the velcro to the other side of the twill tape, facing up as shown on the left.  If using glue, be sure to let glue dry completely before wearing.

 

And there you have it, folks!  Your very own adorable, custom-made bowtie.

Scrap Savvy Bookmark Tutorial

 

These bookmarks came about for 3 reasons:

1)My daughter has turned into an avid reader, and 2) she's always asking me to make/buy bookmarks for her, and 3) I can't stand to let beautiful scraps languish in storage.  Sooo, here is a quick and easy way to make good use out of your tiny scraps and give a little bit of handmade love at the same time.

 

Start by cutting 2 complimentary pieces of fabric into whatever size you want your bookmark to be.  This black and white one is 7 inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide.

Cut 2 pieces of interfacing the same size as the fabric (I used Pellon Durabond).

 

Following manufacturer's directions, fuse interfacing to the BACK side of both fabric pieces.

 

Place pieces together, right sides facing out, and stitch 1/4 away from edge all the way around fabric, EXCEPT leave an opening at the top of the bookmark to insert your ribbon "tail" into. 

Using pinking shears, pink the raw edges all the way around.

Cut whatever colors and combination of ribbon you wish, and insert it into opening at top of bookmark.  Stitch top of bookmark, making sure that the stitches secure the ribbon that is tucked inside.

Cut the ends of the ribbon in a V, then seal with Stop-Fray or heat seal with an open flame, making sure not to let the flame actually touch the ribbon.

 

Here is the coordinating flip-side of one of the bookmarks.

And there you have it!  I'm thinking of making Halloween-themed ones for all the students in my kids' classes to pass out at Halloween in lieu of the over-abundance of candy everyone always gets.  We'll see how much time/energy I have when it gets a little closer...I always have the best of intentions about stuff like that, and then life happens and I end up doing whatever is the quickest and easiest thing.  I'm sure some of you can relate to that, right?  Please say yes.