Thursday, March 19, 2015

Blogspiration: miss foxy notebook cover {sewing}

Sharing a sewing tutorial for you today.

Tutorial link: fabric covered notebook
Pin it: fabric covered notebook

Remember that cute foxy material you caught a glimpse of last week? It made for a super cute notebook cover. I followed the tutorial link above as I liked the extra little pocket on the front for a pencil or pen. (I did leave off the elastic.)

Once you have the measurements sorted for your notebook size, it works up fairly easy and quickly and it really is a good, snug fit.






With an extra notebook ready to be slipped in when the other is full, makes for a perfect gift.

For another simple notebook cover, check this one out! They worked up quick and easy for all our APV's.



L.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Make it Monday: Straight sewing {pillowcases}

This Monday I share with you how to make pillowcases. This was the way my mum taught us. It is simple and quick - and straight sewing!

A few weeks ago it was a special girls birthday and I love to pass on something handmade if I can. This aunty knows that she loves - LOVES - nothing more then flannelette pillowcases all year round. A little bit bigger so there is some more to snuggle. Her bed covers are duck egg and pale pink. There wasn't a lot of choice local, and I didn't want to make any with baby prints all over it. She wouldn't thank me for that.


So the little birdie print was picked and whipped up along with a owl and chevron one.



These are quick and easy. I'll even let you know how I do it:

This is for the plain one. If you would like a contrast panel, add it to the short side making your finished short piece the same size as indicated below.

These are fairly standard sized pillowcases. If your pillow is bigger, allow for it in your cutting measurements.

Cut 1 37"x 20" and cut 1 31"x 20" 
(I have allowed 1/2" seam allowance unless stated)
**Tip: I like to use the selvedge along one short side of both pieces. Just a little less bulk in the hem if you like to sleep on the edge of your pillow.

Fold over an inch of one short side of both pieces  (in this case it is the selvedge) and press.

Stitch with a straight stitch.

Lay both pieces RST (right side together) and pin well.

Fold the longer piece back over top of the short piece and secure well with pins.
 **Make sure there are no pins caught up underneath that will make for a nasty surprise when stitching or overlocking.


Stitch a 1/2" seam allowance along the three sides - do not stitch the folded side. Zigzag or overlock the edges. 

Place your hands under the fold and turn the right way out. Press and your done.


Two more pillow case tutorials to have a peek at:

Little bit of Thyme - Pillow cases with french flair

Little Bit Funky - 10 minute pillow case.

L.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

WIP Wednesday

5 WIP snippets for this Wednesday.

The sewing room is taking shape nicely and I have been able to enjoy spending little amounts of time here and there in the room. 






1. Hanging out with this cute foxy fabric was fun! Details up on blog soon.

2. A wee-skirt for a daughter. A zip, elastic and a hem to go. Will she ever grow out of her twirling skirts?

3. Hello bump. Good bye feet. Till we meet again. A miraculous WIP. Thankful all is going well.

4. As-you-go-stripey blanket still making progress. I had progressed further but then realised I had skipped one of the middle chevron rows. I do hate frogging. But if I had left it, I would see the mistake every time I would look at it.

5. 40 felt circles cut. Anyone up for guess what this WIP might be?

Linking up with Handmade and Home this week for WIP Wednesday. 
Go and have a sneak peek at her lovely cushions.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Make it Monday: Straight Sewing {mini bunting}

Mini bunting. Who doesn't like a bit of bunting?! 
And it is straight sewing.


Draw and cut out your triangular pattern from paper. My flag measured approx 9cm (long sides) and 7cm (top side) **tip: fold your paper in half, measure and cut.

Cut two pieces for each flag from your desired fabric. I used cotton scraps that I had available. Decide on the length of the bunting and how many flags you would like.


With right sides together, stitch the long sides, making sure you reverse stitch at beginning and end. Trim off point as shown. Turn each flag out the right way, using a blunt pointed object to push out the point (knitting needle).


Trim the top corners and threads and give a good press with your iron.


I used bias binding to join the flags together to form the bunting. Fold in half length ways, and press with your iron.


Lay out your flags in your desired pattern. I have made them touch, top corner to top corner. Insert them right up to the half way fold mark in the bias binding and pin firmly in place. (Photo below)



Straight stitch along the edge of the bias binding, making sure you catch the other side of the binding as well.  Give another press and it is ready to hang. 


Don't limit yourself to a small sized flag. The bigger your flag pattern, the larger your bunting!

Happy sewing. More straight sewing next monday.

L.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Make it Monday: Straight sewing {swaddle blankets}

Simple sewing. When you have a desire to sew but don't have the oomph for anything requiring brain power.
That happens here. More often then not.

As children, when mum started to teach us the basics of sewing, we got to cut up old sheets to approx 30cm square. We had to iron in hems, measured, straight and even, with out burning our fingers. Folded over again, and straight stitched. No overlocker/serger for us.

We made dust rags. And lots of them! Her cupboard was well stocked.


During the past holidays I purchased some flannelette (100% cotton). Buy 2, get 1 free. I like those specials. I made big dust rags baby swaddle blankets or bunny rugs or receiving blankets, as they are also known. This material came at 112cm/42inch wide, so I ordered enough to make square ones. On the larger side, but at least you can swaddle the baby with out it coming undone.


I enjoy making these up, and putting in the cupboard. They make good baby gifts for the celebration of a new birth or babyshowers. 

There are many tutorials online how to make a really easy and quick receiving blankets, that just have the edges overlocked/serged. I like the edges finished, but the corners can get quite bulky when you are folding all the fabric over each other. I found to mitre the corners gave a neat, non-bulky finish to the blanket.

Here is how I made mine. 

Tip: I like to have numerous cut ready to go, and do them all at the same time.

1. Square up the edges

2. Overlock/serge* all the edges esepcially removing the fluff from the selvedge

3. Iron/press your seam allowance. 
Place pins through the top fabric only, where they meet together.

4. Open up your corner and fold backwards, right sides together, matching pins together. 
Place a new pin where the two pins are meeting back to the ironed corner mark. 

5. Stitch where pin is and trim corner.

6. Turn out the right way. Use a pointed object eg knitting needle, to push out the corner if need be. Press.

Repeat steps 3 to 6 for all the corners.

Straight stitch evenly all the way around the blanket.
Another quick iron/press to smarten up the edges and corners and your blanket is done. 



 * Before owning a overlocker/serger I have zigzagged the edges or just double folded the edges.

Next Monday, some more simple straight sewing.

L.