Picnic Blanket Workshop
My recent sewing was at a local free workshop and consisted of making a picnic blanket.
Sew a Wheat Warmer
I had some lovely leftover fleece from making one of my niece’s a leopard print cape last Christmas, so I decided to use it to make some lavender wheat warmers for myself and others. I find wheat warmers are really useful when you feel a bit sore or stiff and I had been using a very old shop bought one for years to manage my chronic health symptoms before getting round to making this one. Once you have made it, all you need to do is pop it in the microwave for up to 120 seconds if less than 800 Watt, or up to 100 seconds if your microwave is 800-1000 Watt. It can help to put a small mug filled with water in the microwave at the same time to provide a bit of moisture (just in the microwave with it, not poured over it!) What you need What you need: 45 x 29 cm (18 x 11.5 inches) fabric - I used fleece 750g of dried wheat 2 tablespoons of dried lavender In addition to the usual sewing items, you will need a funnel or something similar to fill the warmer with wheat (I used the cardboard in the middle of a finished toilet roll) as well as a bowl and scales to mix the dry ingredients. 1. Fold and pin the fabric Fold your fabric in half lengthways, right sides together, so that the long ends meet. Pin or peg along the raw edges. 2. Sew together the sides and ends of the wheat warmer With a 1cm (1/2 inch) seam allowance, stitch around the three open sides, leaving a gap at one of the short ends for turning right side out/ stuffing. 3. Trim and turn right sides out Trim the corners slightly and turn right side out. 4. Mark a line in the middle of the wheat warmer With a few pins, mark a line in the middle of the wheat warmer which is parallel to the long sides of the warmer. You may find it easier to then tack the line in place, especially when using a bulky fabric like fleece. 5. Stitch centre line Stitch along the marked line, starting and ending about 7.5cm (3 inches) from the short ends of the warmer. 6. Prepare the filling Mix around 750g of wheat with 2 tablespoons of dried lavender in a bowl. 7. Fill the wheat warmer Using a funnel and spoon, gradually fill the warmer with the mix. 8. Sew up the opening Slip stitch the opening closed. Variations: Vary the size and shape depending on how you wish to use the warmer – you may wish to make it circular or thinner – just remember to scale the amount of dry ingredients! These instructions include adding a line of stitching in the middle of the length of the warmer, but you could leave this step out. Alternatively, you could add another line or two of stitching or stitch lines the other way…
Sew your own dishcloths
Recently, my mum got into making her own dishcloths to be a bit more sustainable. Also, they’re great for using up scraps of fabric you have left from other projects!This dishcloth is simple to make. It uses a bit of hessian (burlap) for one side for when you need a more abrasive side which won’t damage any non-stick surfaces. The softer side is simply cotton, and can be made from any of your favourite remnants.To make them as sustainable as possible, you need to use 100% natural fibre fabrics and thread. This will ensure that the dishcloth can biodegrade. Here, I have used cotton fabric as I have loads of remnants of this, but another natural fibre such as linen would work just as well.If you’d like to make a few dishcloths, either for yourself or to gift to others, I’d recommend making a cardboard template to make it easier to cut out a batch. What you need The following would make a 9cm x 14cm dishcloth11cm x 16cm remnant of hessian / burlap fabric (for the non-scratch scourer side)11cm x 16cm remnant of 100% plain cotton (for the middle of the cloth)11cm x 16cm remnant of 100% cotton fabric (for one side of the dishcloth)100% cotton threadSeam allowances are 1cm 1. Layer the fabrics Place the fabric you wish to have as the soft side of your dishcloth right side down onto the piece of hessian.Next, place the plain piece of fabric you wish to use for the middle of the dishcloth on top so that the main cotton piece is now sandwiched between the plain cotton fabric and hessian.Pin or peg the pieces together. 2. Sew the layers together Leaving a large enough gap for turning right side out, sew all three layers together using a 1cm seam allowance. 3. Clip corners and turn right side out Clip the corners to reduce seam bulk, and then turn right side out, ensuring the corners are pushed out. 4. Top-stitch Sew two lines of topstitching. Stitch one line close to the edge – this will mean that you won’t have to slip stitch the opening shut. The second line of stitching can be parallel to this line, furth in from the edge. 5. Add a couple (or more!) lines of stitching across the cloth To keep the three layers secure in the middle, sew a couple of lines of stitching in whatever pattern you would like. Watch it on the Vlog I've linked my video for this tutorial below:https://youtu.be/jwKo74zz7uA
Review of the year: 2019
With the year drawing to a close, I thought I would reflect on my makes during 2019. Most challenging make - the black copley cardigan I've chosen the black copley cardigan as it is the make that took me the longest. I have made this pattern before but in a yellow colour, which was a lot easier on the eye! I can get quite impatient so the fact I persevered and finished it within a year is quite an achievement. I haven't worn it much yet - I think I have just got a bit exhausted from it. I'm sure I will start wearing it more once I've recovered! Most fun make - the beach towel poncho It was easy to select the most fun make - it's the beach towel poncho! My mum and I made this one weekend when she came to stay. She wanted one for when she visits us as we live close to the beach. I enjoyed this make as it was a collaborative effort, we had to work out how to make it as we went along, and it came out better than I imagined. Most useful make - the Debbie Shore office bag The most useful make has been this Debbie Shore Office Bag. I only made it in September but it is now my work bag. I made a matching water bottle carrier and zip pouch as well which have proved to be invaluable as well. Favourite gift made - the bear pjs I am fond of practically all the gifts I made this year, but my last substantial make has to be my favourite. I made Phill these bear PJs from pattern woven fabric from our trip to Hong Kong in 2018 and then made a top in a black knit fabric. Once made, I couldn't resist making a little bear motif for the top. I tried to replicate one of the bears on the patterned fabric and created the outline with chain stitch, using a french knot for the bear's eye. Favourite make - the Cleo upcycle The Cleo pinafore stands out in my mind as it is probably the make I wear the most. As I made it from two pairs of jeans that were given to me, it feels so substantial and lovely to wear. My #2019makenine Molly Dress - completed Bibi Pinafore - completed Copley Cardigan - completed (see above) Kinder Cardigan - completed Toucan T-Shirt - did not start but will rollover to 2020 list Bag for swimming or yoga - no longer required (but I did make that office bag instead) Vinyl travel bag - did not make but may carry over to 2020 list Art of Knitting throw - Did not continue as the cardigan took so long Sew House 7 Dress - did not make Other key achievements and lessons learned I can survive on my fabric stash without buying more fabric - and I now appreciate my stash rather than feeling overwhelmed…
DIY Fabric Gift Tags
I couldn't resist the temptation of one last Christmas DIY before the main event! This time, I decided to explore making personalised fabric gift tags. Now it is worth noting that in order to make this a bit less wasteful, it's best to make tags for people where you can retrieve the tags back from them after they open the gifts (unless they really want to keep them) so you can use them annually. As a result, I would only make them for close relatives. The tools I used for the ones I made: Fabric remnant in desired colour (I used a scrap of bleached calico) Thread - matching and contrast for design Sewing machine Free machine foot (as I embellished with free machine embroidery) Embroidery hoop (again due to free machine embroidery) Eyelet tool and eyelet (but you could do a button hole instead) Short piece of twine 1.Decide on the size of your gift tag and create some designs I decided to make my tags 9cm by 5cm rectangles, but you could create them a different shape. Remember to allow space for the hole you will punch at the end for the string or twine to thread through. I used the internet to come up with some design ideas. If you are not too confident drawing your own designs, you may be able to find some downloadable templates online. Ensure you have enough of a border around the edges to sew the front and back pieces of your tag together so that it won't interfere with the tag design. 2. Transfer your chosen design onto fabric Depending on your chosen design, you may with to use applique, fabric paints, or machine stitching to transfer it to fabric. I used free machine embroidery, which you can watch in the video linked below. 3. Create your message on the other side of the tag You could use a fabric pen to write on the other side of the tag, or if you have a sewing machine that does embroidered letters, go for it! I used free machine embroidery, as I like writing freehand with stitch. 4. Sew the two sides of the tag together (wrong sides together) With both sides of the tag decorated, it's time to stitch them together! Place the two sides wrong sides facing and stitch around all four sides (or all the edges depending on your chosen shape). I left a very small seam allowance of about 3mm from the raw edge. I used matching thread but I think you could go for a contrast with a decorative stitch. 5. Neaten the edges (optional) Entirely optional, but I felt mine looked a bit better by neatening the raw edge with pinking shears. 6. Add an eyelet, then add your twine! I used an eyelet tool to create the hole for the twine (see video). However, you could create a small button hole if you don't have this resource. Repeat to make as many as you wish.…
Pattern Review: So Sew Easy Serger Scrap Catcher
Today I am sharing my thoughts on a free sewing pattern you can follow on the So Sew Easy website - it's the Easy Serger Scrap Catcher! Details Pattern name: Easy Serger Scrap Catcher Variation/Style: N/A Design House: Pattern from So Sew Easy website Size I made: made according to the pattern's suggested measurements Fabric I used some remnant fabrics to make this - I would say that the toucan fabric pictured is quilting cotton weight. From the image below, you can see I had two colour ways of this fetching fabric. I also added fusible fleece to it to give the final mat and pocket structure. Difficulty I found the bias binding element (all around the top of the pocket and all the edges) particularly challenging on this project. Usually, I opt for machine sewing one side down and then hand sew the other side in place, but I didn't have the time on this occasion and opted for top stitching by machine. It is not my finest piece of work as a result as the tape dragged a bit, so if you haven't used bias binding much, you may need to work carefully at this step! Clarity I printed a grey scale copy of the instructions and struggled, so I would recommend either reading off your screen or using colour! I am not sure whether I just wasn't feeling great at the time or I had a fixed idea on how it would work, but I did struggle a bit with comprehension and may have veered off from the instructions on occasion. The linked guide on how to create mitered corners with bias binding was really good. Design and Fit This pattern fits my overlocker perfectly - however it is a gift so I hope it fits the machine of the recipient!! I love the big pocket for scraps at the front as well as the fact that it protects the table I am using while I overlock. Time Taken The longest aspect of this project was cutting all the sections out. I didn't quilt (just ironed on the fusible fleece) so if you do this element, it will take a bit longer. You could do this in a day, including cutting out, particularly if you are a savvy bias binder! Conclusion Love the concept, but I may have a play around next time to tweak the design for my own machine. https://youtu.be/3GLoWCk8bGY
Make a mini Christmas Brooch!
Here's a mini tutorial on how to make a little Christmas brooch if you don't fancy going full out jumper crazy or want to add more flare to your bag or pinafore!
Personalised cushion with a zip
Recently, I made a cushion as a birthday gift.
DIY Water Bottle Carrier (Tutorial)
Need something to carry your water bottle in? I've got just the sewing tutorial for that!
DIY Zipped Purse
Here is my simple tutorial on how to make your own lined zip purse.