Thank you for the sweet post :O) I keep saying that this is the perfect pattern for those of you who want go dust off that old machine at the back of your closet. Here is just one more testimony.
Sewing patterns~
August 07, 2009
June 23, 2009
Redo and save those old bath towels!
Jacob is away at summer camp this week. I am currently really missing my little guy. Jacob and I went to the fabric store the week before his departure to gather the fabric that his new laundry sack would be made from and thankfully I know to get extra fabric when you have a planned project. You do not want to run short and if you like the fabric then you will find more uses for the extras somewhere. Jacob needed to bring along two towels for his week long outdoor adventure SO I have to share this new towel redo with you. No matter if you have new or old towels and scraps of fabric or coordinated yardage this project is quick and a wonderful way to personalize your towels. I took the ratty old towels I had saved for "god only knows" and made a binding out of the extra camping fabric. Not only will he have matching towels but most important he will be able to grab his in a hurry knowing the look of the binding in a heap of other towels on the side of the lake. I put on a hoop on one edge so it also could be easily be hung up as well. Better yet if they are lost I really do not care :O) Cool Beans!
Towel Redo Step by Step~
Old ratty towel edge~
I cut 3 inch strips right off of the the purchased yardage. To make one towel and you will want 5strips. They will end up 3"" long. You will need two strips longer for the longer towel sides. I take one of the strips and cut in in half. This makes that one strip now two strips @ 3"x 22" each. You will need to attach one of the 22" long to one of the long 44" strips. Match up the short edge and place right sides together and sew straight across. Repeat for the other. Now you have strips long enough to make it down the sides of your towels with nos fuss. Now lets Press~~I take the strips to the iron and fold in half the long way making a center fold that is the pretty sides out and 44"long. Open it up and see your center fold. Next fold both raw edges into the center of the fabric. You now have your binding :O) Do the same to all four strips.
See how it all opened up? I lay the towel down and put the strip opened up on top. Match the edge of your towel and the strip of fabric. Now use the first folded crease line as your sewing guide line. Sew all the way down the edge of your towel.
Wrap it around your towel edge~
Sew down the length of the towel again only this time you are top stitching sewing into place the entire sandwich of fabric and towel. Do this for the two long sides and one short side.
When you come to the edge cut off the extra and leave 1/2 inch to fold inside and stitch over. It forms a cap of sorts. Don't worry about how pretty your stitches are. This project is to give new life to old towels and to save your good ones for the house perhaps?
OK so for that forth edge. Take a scrap of the binding left from the other sides and make your loop. YOu can see from the picture I ran the stitched up one side and down the other. I think I cut mine about 4 inches long. But you can make yours however long you like :O)
I marked halfway down the towel with a pin so I knew where to put the loop when I came to it while attaching the binding. Start your binding like the other sides and when you get to that pin just place your loop up under the binding with the loop facing left, toward the towel. You can see the raw edge will get trapped into the binding as you finish the side and wrap the edge. Top stitch again like you did with the other three sides. There that's it. You are saving the world with your repurposing and some money at the same time.
I'll show you that laundry bag as soon as it makes it home. Happy sewing~
May 08, 2009
Sewing Patterns ~ Market Tote and Fancy Drawstring Bag
Good morning! I have just added two sewing patterns to my shop. The ever popular Market Tote and the great project ever to get started and to be productive, the Fancy Drawstring Bag!
If you downloaded the Pillowcase pattern a few posts back you were able to see how my patterns read. I am on the quest to get them all sewing again. I cannot even go into the millions of reasons why everyone should be doing it so I won't. I'll just show you some examples of what the patterns will make~ :O)
This is the Fancy Drawstring Bag. Pattern Here.
This is the Market Tote. The pattern is here.
So there you go, get to sewing will you! :O)
April 29, 2009
Sewing Bean Bags Project
Jacob's Birthday is coming up and we are having a party at the park. There is a wonderful park by our house and May will be the perfect time to throw them all outside. Sooooo... I am making games to play for the kids. The start of these projects is the bean bags. I thought you might like to throw some together for your little ones. Not only are they fun and have many many playtime events scheduled but they are not full of lead from china. You can let your little ones put them in their mouth and not worry about the ill effects :O) Nuff said
I love the 5" x 5" square but you can easily change that. You'll need two for one bean bag. I know baby steps here right?
Right sides together. I pin nothing. Fearless or lazy? probably both.
Start on one edge about 3/4 of the way down on one edge of your beanbag. sew all the way around the beanbag stopping about 1/4 of the way in. I see now that I should have used a contrasting thread so you can see this better I am so sorry. But the idea is to leave a hole to turn and stuff but you have to leave it in the middle of the bean bag so you have crisp and easy corners on your bean bag. Clip the corners off being careful not to get to close to your corners or they will rip through when you turn your beanbag. This takes away some of the bulk and helps the corners look right. Sorry again for the white thread.
Turn your beanbag right side out. I LOVE medical hemostats. You can get them in the quilt section of the fabric store or any medical supply company. They are about $5 and will become one of your favorite tools. Push the corners out pretty the the hemostats or a chopstick, pencil, ect.
I use the little plastic doll filling pellets to fill my beanbag half full. You can use beans or rice but I use the pellets because I can throw them in the washing machine and not end up with bean or rice soup :O)
My favorite stitch!! The ladder stitch. It will close things tight and so you cannot tell where the opening ever was. It takes a little practice but you'll get it and LOVE it! First step is to hold that opening now with you fingers and thumb. It has a natural fold in it because of how you left the that gap to fill in the middle of the one side. Try it and you'll see what I mean. Take a hand sewing needle and thread and tie a knot in the two loose ends of the thread. Slip you needle up underneath one side at the start of your opening. Pull the thread through so your knot is hidden. This is the start point of the stitch.
ON the opposite side of where your stitch came up (your start point) push your needle down into the bean bag and be careful to slide a little bit of the needle under the fabric to create a new start point. you will be doing this over and over down the edges of the opening. until you reach the end of your hole.
See it is easy but trust me it'll take practice to get it not noticeable to others.
When you reach the end tie it off! If it looks horrible don't worry My great grandmother taught me to sew when I was very tine and she always said every great seamstress uses a seam ripper everyday. I know you'll begreat ot this because you care about the small stuff and every one knows that practice makes perfect!
OH by the way.... Make the squares bigger and stuff with fluff and there you have my very fancy throw pillow pattern as well. Pincushion pattern, lavender sachet for your undie drawer. Wowsky's the limit! Just think about the shape and construction of things and you'll be making so many things soon :O)
I would LOVE to see your pictures of your finished projects. Please post a link in the comments for all to see and I'll go try and figure that flicker thing out ~ Happy sewing!
April 24, 2009
Free Pillowcase Sewing Pattern
Most of you know that I spend a great deal of time writing patterns. The reason I do this is I want people to sew. Not only is it super fun but it can be money saving as well. The patterns I write are very graphic and very plainly written. All of them focus on a particular skill for a new sewer or for people who have sewn but want a "quick construction method". I am posting today the pdf file for my beginning pattern, the pillow case. I know you sewers know how to do this is your sleep but I want you to print it off and show a newbie the ropes. After you print it off I want you to note that the details like a very easy to understand cut list. Again, I know this is a no brainer but what about the girl scout troop? They have no idea what this, a cut list? How do read it, what does it mean to me? I know we have all gone into the fabric store and handed over the pattern to the lady behind the counter muttering "help me". I for one think we should nip that in the bud for the newbies! I don't follow patterns. I sure can with the right amount of yoga before and after so why in the world would I expect anyone else to do it? So please, download this pattern and pull in that newbie. Remember, I offer kits on my website as well as more patterns and more on the way. They are all written in this easy to use style. HAPPY SEWING!!!!
