Category: Tutorial

Woven Easter Basket - for kids too!

3/12/2018

Kraft-tex woven Easter Basket Tutorial - Happy Okapi

There's something so therapeutic about the weaving process: creating and then repeating a pattern to make a larger, stronger piece - it's just plain fun! Kids love it too, so today's tutorial includes an invitation to the kids to join us. I used Kraft-tex to make Easter baskets and since it's a non-fraying, double sided, strong material, it's the perfect "fabric" for these baskets.

Let's get started!

Here's what you'll need:
roll of Kraft-tex - grab a couple different colours to mix it up, or you can colour on it to add variety to your basket
scissors/rotary blade
sewing machine
optional: rivets and setting tools

You may be able to find Kraft-tex at your local sewing shop, or you can find it online at C&T Publishing. In Canada, Flare Fabrics has a great selection of beautiful colours.

Begin by cutting the main panel, you'll need a piece 9" x 24"
Once your main panel is cut, mark a 1" border all the way around, you can use a pencil and erase it later (remember this is paper we're working with) or you can use any other removable fabric marker.

Now mark long lines every inch as cutting guides.

Now cut along those lines, making sure to stop 1" from the short edge previously marked out. For this step, I used the rotary blade for the middle of my cuts, and then used scissors close to the end for more precision.

Remove your marking lines, your panel should now look like this

Prepare the strips to weave in: you'll need about 20 9" x 1" strips. I added a few pieces of glitter vinyl because it reminded me of sparkly Easter eggs. Note: Math says we need 22 strips, but unless your weaving is extremely tight, you won't be able to fit 22 strips in there.

Here's where the kids come in! We just did a simple weaving pattern of "over one, under one" but feel free to experiment with other patterns.

All done!

Once the weaving is done, sew a basting stitch at each end of the panel to secure the strips in place. Then trim off any excess to bring the panel back to 9" x 24"

Bring the short panel ends together and overlap one end 1" over the other, clip in place and sew together, forming a tube. This is the trickiest part. You may need to stop half way, and start again from the other end.

Now cut a circle of Kraft-tex matching the size of the tube (I just traced around the tube).

Clip the circle to one end of the tube and sew in place with a 1/2" seam allowance.

(If you've only used Kraft-tex, then your tube doesn't have a right way or wrong way yet; if you've used one-sided materials - like glitter canvas - then you'll want to turn the tube inside out before attaching the circle)

Once the circle is sewn on, the basket will be inside out, so turn it right side out - this is easily done by folding the tops down and then pushing the bottom out. Once the basket is right side out, the bottom seam won't be visible from the outside.

We're almost done! To finish the top, fold over the top inch toward the inside and sew in place with a 1/4" - 1/2" seam allowance.

For the handle, cut a strip of Kraft-tex 1" x 17" and sew or attach with rivets from one side of the basket across to the other. I placed the rivet 1/2" from the top of the basket.

Now you're ready to go on your Easter Egg hunt!

If you're looking for some new ideas to fill the Easter basket, how about a custom Easter Egg for the wall? Remove it and reuse it each year. Use code REECE to save 10%

Oliver's Labels - Personalized Easter Egg

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Easy Cork Coasters

2/16/2018

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Want to know a quick and fun project to use up some cork scraps? Or maybe you want an easy project to try out cork? I thought up these cork coasters and they are so fast to make. Here's a quick tutorial.

You'll need for a set of 4 coasters:

2 different pieces of cork 7"x7" (If you're part of the Cork Club, the sizes work perfectly for this project)
Plastic canvas or firm stabilizer (like Stiff Stuff or Peltex) 6"x6"
Optional: Metal Corners
Optional: Wonder tape

Cut the cork into 3.5" squares, and the stabilizer/plastic canvas into 3" squares.

I used a small piece of Wonder Tape to hold the plastic canvas in place so it didn't shift. Center the plastic canvas on the wrong side of one piece of cork, leaving a 1/4" all the way around.

Now take another piece of cork in the second colour and sandwich the plastic canvas between the 2 pieces of cork, clip together and sew! I used a longer stitch length than usual for a nice smooth look, and a scant 1/4" seam allowance.

Once they're sewn together, you may want to go around each edge and trim to make sure the edges match up from each side. If you want to add the metal corners, check out the listing page for a simple tutorial.

I've got some fun ideas for these too, like reverse applique with fabric underneath peeking through, or fancy stitching... so many possibilities and with a project this quick, you won't take long finding a way to add your own creative spin!

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Hello With Love - Reverse Applique Tutorial

1/29/2018

2 Comments

This tutorial was originally released in the digital sewing magazine One Thimble, Issue 10. You can find loads of other articles and patterns there, but for now, I'm able to share my contribution with you here. Just in time for Valentine's Day, this one counts as a seasonal craft!

Hello With Love Reverse Applique Tutorial | Happy Okapi Blog

Reverse Applique Pillow

My kids always come home with artwork with their handprints on them, often made into animals or other shapes. I love seeing them, and I try to keep most of them, but I wanted to find a more permanent way than just paper and paint to capture that moment in time. I decided to use their handprints on a pillowcase, which will be treasured in our home for many years to come. Rather than a regular appliqué, I chose a reverse appliqué, for that extra special touch. The extra work is so worth it.
Tutorial for pillowcase:
You’ll need:

½ yard fabric for pillowcase
assorted scraps (for handprints and heart)
¼” fusible webbing (Wonder Tape)
½ yard lightweight-medium interfacing (I used Pellon Shapeflex 101)
other basic sewing tools and sewing machine

I have 2 kids, so my project has 2 handprints. Really though, you can have as many or as little as you like, but you may need a bigger pillow if you add more than 4 handprints.

You can trace the handprints onto regular paper if you like, or simply take a photocopy and cut the copy out! Make sure when tracing or photocopying, that the hand is splayed enough that the fingers are not touching each other.

Pick some scraps big enough to overlap each handprint by about 2” – maybe have each child pick their own scrap to help personalize it even more!

Start by cutting out the main fabric for the pillowcase. My pillow form is approximately 15”H x 16”W and I used the formula of H+2 x 2W+5 to get the size of my fabric, so in my case, I cut 17”H x 37”W. For this tutorial, these are the numbers I’ll use, but if your project size is different, you’ll need to adjust accordingly.

Once you’ve cut the fabric, lay it out and, on the wrong side of the fabric, mark a line parallel to the short sides, 9” from the left, and another line 25” from the left edge – you should have a 16” section now, slightly off centre. Fold the outer edges in (wrong sides together) to overlap over the middle section and press in place along the lines you marked.

Now cut out the handprints from the paper and lay them in the centre section to help decide on your desired layout. I cut out a heart as well, and moved it around at this point too, as a visual aid for the finished project. Once you decide on your layout, trace one handprint where you’d like it onto the wrong side of the middle section of the pillowcase.

Now draw a line about ½” inside the outline of the print, but only for the palm of the hand (it may help to use a different coloured pen for this step). Draw lines in the centre of each finger, meeting each line to the centre. These lines will be referred to as the seam allowance.

At the ends of each finger, draw small diagonal lines, meeting at the centre line (seam allowance).

Draw small notches at each curve.

Add small pieces of Wonder Tape all around the outline of the hand, as close to the outline mark as possible.

Now we’re going to start cutting out the centre seam allowance. It’s important to note: DO NOT CUT the main outline of the handprint, only notches up to the outline. Starting with the palm of the hand, cut out the seam allowance.

For the remaining seam allowance, we’re only making slits for the fingers, and small clips for the curves. If you haven’t already, remove the backing from the Wonder Tape and start folding the seam allowance up and over, wrong sides together, securing in place with the Wonder Tape. Take your time here; you may need to make a few extra notches as you go. Where the fingers meet the palm, cut a triangle-shaped notch to reduce bulk in seam allowance. You may need to use Wonder Tape on top of one finger’s seam allowance to lay down the seam allowance from the finger next to it (this is why I mentioned earlier to make sure the fingers are splayed). You may also find it helpful to fold up the bottom point (the space between the fingers at the palm). Fray-Check might help here too if you had to cut many notches at one small area.

Once all the seam allowances are folded out of the way, add another couple pieces of Wonder Tape around the outline of the hand, and lay your scrap over the opening, so the right side shows through the opening. Turn over and inspect; make any adjustments at this point if necessary.

Cut a piece of fusible interfacing that is about 2” larger than the scrap you just placed, and place over scrap at back of project (wrong side) so that fusible side is against wrong side of scrap and main fabric. Fuse to secure scrap in place over outline.

Repeat with remaining handprint(s) and heart.

The final part of the appliqué is to stitch all around the shapes we’ve formed. I used my regular foot and a slightly longer stitch length, at 1/8” from the edge of the shape. I used a thread to match my main fabric, but a contrasting thread would also be a nice look. For this step, take your time and go around each curve carefully. Leave your needle in the down position and lift your foot to help pivot and reposition around sharper corners (like the fingertips).

Once the stitching around is done, all that’s left is sewing the pillowcase.

Fold in each short edge by a scant ½”, press in place and fold in again, hiding raw edges inside the fold to create a “hem” on each short end, then stitch in place.

Now fold the shorter edges (the hems) in to the centre again along the lines you marked previously at 9” and 25” so one hem is overlapping the other and right sides of the pillowcase are out and you’ll have raw edges along the top and bottom of the case. Make sure the hems are laying nice and flat.

We’ll be doing French seams, so you want to make sure your edges match up. If you need to square the top and bottom, do that now.

Sew each raw edge (top and bottom) with a generous ¼” seam allowance. Clip corners and turn inside out. Make sure all corners and seams are pointed out and flat. Sew top and bottom seam with a scant ½” seam allowance to encase the previous line of stitching and hide the raw edges.

Now turn right side out and admire your new pillowcase!

I hope you enjoyed this idea and I'd love to see if you use it; if you do, please share with me! This would make a great gift for grandparents but works as functional art in the home too.

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Free Cup Cozy Pattern and Tutorial

7/16/2016

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Free Insulated Cup Cozy Pattern from Happy Okapi

When I first started sewing, I was so intrigued with Kam Snaps - they looked so enticing, with their rainbows of colours. Most of the people I saw using them were making diapers though, so I wanted to find a use that would suit me. I came up with this insulated cup cozy. I had seen cup cozies before, but they were usually closed with buttons or hooks, or made out of something else entirely. My design allows the cozy, or sleeve, to be completely reversible, so you get 2 for 1!

A friend introduced me to the reusable Starbucks cups a few years back, and I use mine daily. I designed my pattern to fit these cups; if you are wanting to fit different cups, you may need to adjust the pattern. I get a lot of requests for my pattern, so I finally got around to making it in a shareable version for everyone. I'm offering it here on my site to you for free!

free_happy_okapi_cup_cozy.pdf
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Go ahead and tell all your friends about the free pattern, but please don't redistribute; just have them come here for pattern. Thanks!

It's a perfect project for beginners and experienced makers alike. It's a fun, quick project and makes a great little gift.

Tutorial

To make the cup cozy, you'll need less than a fat quarter of 2 prints each. I like to use quilting cotton, but a linen blend could work too. You'll also need some insulated batting; I use Insult-Bright, available at Funky Monkey Fabrics, and Connecting Threads. You also need 2 complete sets of Kam-snaps and the pliers or press, and awl to install them (4 caps, 2 studs and 2 sockets). You can find Kam-snaps at Stay-Home Fabrics. You might find a point turner helpful too.

Start by downloading and printing the pattern. Make sure to print at 100%. You can check the test square to see if it measures 1" square to make sure the pattern printed at the right size. Cut out the pattern and tape together at the dotted lines to get the full piece.

Cut out a mirror image set of your exterior fabrics. You can do this by either placing fabrics right side together and cutting out the pattern piece once, or just cut out one fabric from the pattern piece, then flip over to cut the mirror image. Then cut one Insult-Bright piece.

Place fabrics right sides together and the Insult-Bright wrong side against one of the fabrics, matching the shape of the pattern, then pin or clip around the edges. Starting at the bottom of the cozy (where indicated on pattern piece with turning gap) sew around the perimeter, leaving a small turning hole, with a 3/8" seam allowance, making sure to backstitch at start and stop. Trim corners and seam allowance, except leave seam allowance intact over turning gap. Trim away Insult-Bright over turning gap.

Turn right side out, making corners nice and sharp. Tuck in seam allowance and press all over. Topstitch around cozy 1/8" away from edges, closing up turning gap.

To add the snaps, you can use the pattern placements (4 circles on the pattern piece) as a guide, but I suggest trying it out on the cup you're going to be using it with before piercing holes with your awl. I do this by wrapping the cozy around the cup, nice and snug. One end should overlap the other, it doesn't matter which one since the cozy is reversible. Once I have a placement I'm happy with, I hold the cozy where the ends overlap and quickly slip the cup out. If you aren't confident with doing this, you can pin or clip the cozy in place before you remove the cup; a bobby pin or paper clip would work well here too. Now while still holding the overlapped ends, I take my awl and pierce the top and bottom, through both ends of the cozy. Note: For this step, you need to make sure the hole you're piercing is well within topstitching on both layers, otherwise your snap may miss a layer.

Once your holes are pierced, you can let go of the overlapped ends and install the snaps. You'll want one set of caps showing on the left end of the cozy and one set of sockets on the right end for side A, and when you flip the cozy over to side B, it should have caps (the other side of the sockets from side A) on the left and studs on the right (the other side of the caps from side A).

You're done! Rinse and repeat for all those teacher/neighbour/coworker gifts. It's great for scrap busting too! I would really love to see your cup cozies! Please tag me @reecemontgomery and use #HappyOkapiCupCozy on Instagram, or share on my Facebook wall.

If you aren't a coffee drinker, they double as power cuffs!

Want to make a cozy, but don't have snaps? My friend Rachelle used Velcro on hers; check out the changes she made for it.

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Cat-Eye Polaris

6/12/2016

8 Comments

Cat-Eye Polaris Bag Tutorial | Happy Okapi Blog

My youngest son got invited to a birthday party for a little girl and the first thing I thought of was "YESssss! I get to make a little girl's purse!" I really try to get my boys into liking bags, and they do like the lunch bags and other bags I make them, but they just aren't into the "pretty" stuff, so I rejoice when I get an excuse to make a fun, pretty purse. Right away I found out the birthday girl's favourite colours are yellow and blue. At the same time, I've been itching to make one of the Bag of The Month Club bags from this year. They're all now released and I hadn't made one yet because I always seem to have more urgent projects (well, as urgent as sewing bags can get, ha!)

The Polaris bag is the March bag from the club, it's bySara of Sew Sweetness, and the pattern includes an oval and a rectangle bag. I chose to use the oval Polaris as my canvas for the birthday purse. I think it's a great pattern when you want to be creative and add your own elements. I was inspired by the Cat-Eye Zippered Pouches (Thread Riding Hood) I'd previously made, but couldn't really construct the bag the same way, so I came up with a different way that should work for most patterns, and the best part is you only need a scrap piece for your center focus fabric.

How to Create the Cat-Eye

Start by selecting your focus fabric. It can be relatively small as long as there is about 1/2" all the way around the area you want to display (the mermaid in my finished bag). Place the full oval pattern piece (both halves taped together) on your work surface, then place a page protector or clear quilting template over top, and line up the focus fabric so it is centered with the center of the pattern piece. Now make an additional 1/2 pattern piece (half an oval in this case) and line up with original pattern piece (on bottom of pile) and center of pattern.

Now you can draw the shape of the curve that best suits your focus fabric. Just draw on the 1/2 pattern piece. Cut out the curved section and check to see if your focus fabric is how you'd like it, flip over to other half of the pattern to make sure it looks good from that side too, which it should if your focus image is fairly symmetrical and centered properly.

Once you have the center curve how you like it, create another full oval. Place the 1/2 pattern piece (with the center curve cut out) over top of the full oval, now you'll need to continue that curve along to the edge of the oval, on both top and bottom. You can use a French Curve tool, or just freehand if you like to live on the wild side, like me! My piece ended up looking a bit like a "C" with horizontal teardrop cut out.

Cut a mirror image set of both the exterior fabric and the accent fabric, which will act as a faux piping.

Sew one set of exterior and accent pieces right sides together; repeat with remaining set. Turn right side out. Then you'll need to press each piece, but before you press, roll the accent piece toward the center of the cutout, to reveal a scant amount, this creates the faux-piping look.

Place the 2 assembled overlap pieces over the center fabric and overlap one piece on the top and one piece on the bottom, so they're intertwined. I did this step on top of the page protector again to make sure I maintained the original shape of the oval. In order to have a nice topstitch around the center, and seal off any raw edges from your focus scrap, mark where your pieces overlap (pink arrows). Now take your overlap pieces apart again and start a topstich about 1" inside the overlap point (yellow arrows) and continue to past the overlap mark (you can go all the way if you like, but it won't be seen on the finished product). Bring them back to your page protector work surface and line up again with center focus fabric. I used some double sided fabric tape to secure my pieces once I was happy with placement. Now we'll finish the topstitch around the curve, starting at each yellow arrow and continuing along to the end of the curves.

Baste all layers in place along outer seam allowance and continue with bag construction as per pattern instructions.

I really hope that helps! If there are any steps that were confusing, please ask and I'll try to clarify.

Building Better Bags: Interfacing & Structure

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Zipper pouch tutorial and Fabric Spark Giveaway

4/3/2016

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Do you have a favourite type of project when you want to just play with small amounts of fabric? I like zipper pouches for that reason. They make great gifts and they're perfect for a couple different fat quarters or even scraps. They're also a great project if you're new to sewing, or new to zippers. Daryl from Fabric Spark sent me this gorgeous bundle to play around with, and she gave me an extra set so I could share with one of my readers - she even included 3 zippers! Details on how to win after the tutorial. Fabric Spark offers such beautifully curated fabrics. There are plenty of pre-selected fat quarter bundles to choose from, but if you'd like a custom bundle, just ask and it can be set up for you!

I made these 3 different zipper pouches and I'm sharing a tutorial on how to make each one. I'll give a detailed tutorial for the reverse applique pouch (shown with Tula Pink Eden), and then show the variations to make the gathered and rounded.

Reverse Applique Zipper Pouch

This technique is a fun way to change up a simple zipper pouch.

You'll need:

8" W x 6.5" H accent fabric (exterior back)
scrap piece accent fabric
8" W x 6.5" H solid fabric - cut 3 (2 lining and one exterior front)
8" W x 6.5" H fusible fleece or batting (optional) - cut 2
8" W x 6.5" H + scrap piece woven interfacing - I like Pellon Shapeflex 101 (optional) -cut 1
1/4" wide sewable double sided tape or fusible webbing, such as Wondertape (optional)
7" zipper
hexagon template or ruler (about 3")

Once you have the pieces cut, fuse the interfacing to one piece of the solid fabric. On the wrong side (the interfaced side) trace a hexagon where you'd like it, keeping at least 1/2" away from the edges. Draw a second line about 1/2" inside the hexagon; this inner line will be the one we'll cut, so mark it as a dotted line or use a different colour so you don't accidentally cut the wrong line. Now cut the inner hexagon, then make notches at each corner, meeting the outer line, but don't cut through the main hexagon shape.

After the shape is cut out, press the cut edges back, so wrong sides are together. Here is where using Wondertape can come in handy. Turn over your main piece and make sure the cut opening looks nice and even, adjust as necessary. Now cut a piece of your accent fabric larger than the opening, so a 3.5" hexagaon would work here. Place the main piece over your cut piece so the (hexagon) hole is filled in with the accent fabric. You can use a bit of Wondertape here again to help hold the accent fabric in place.

Once you're happy with the placement, fuse a scrap of interfacing over the back to help secure and stabilize before you stitch in place. This step is optional but I prefer it. Now topstitch from the right side. I chose a contrasting thread and increased my stitch length.

You can go ahead with construction of the zipper pouch now, but I thought it would be fun to add another hexagon. I cut out a small hexagon, folded in the raw edges and stitched in place on top of my main fabric. If you chose to add fusible fleece, fuse it to both exterior pieces now.

Construction of Zipper Pouch

Place one lining piece right side up on work surface, then place zipper right side up centered on top of lining piece. Place your exterior front panel (the one with the applique) right side down onto zipper. So now your zipper should be sandwiched at the top of one exterior and one lining piece, with fabrics right sides together.

Using your zipper foot, sew along the top edge with 1/4" seam allowance. Now place those fabrics wrong sides together so the zipper is at the top, press and topstitch.

Now repeat these steps to attach the exterior back and remaining lining panel to the other half of the zipper. Just make sure to keep right side of zipper (top of teeth) to the right side of the exterior.

It should look something like this before you topstitch the other side along the zipper.

Open your zipper about halfway. For this step, we need to match exterior to exterior, and lining to lining, right sides together, with the zipper in the middle. Pin or clip all the way around. Your zipper teeth will need to point toward the lining. Leave a 4-5" gap at the bottom of the lining; this will be the turning gap for later. Starting at one side of the turning gap in the lining, sew all around the perimeter, back to the other end of the turning gap, making sure to backstitch at start and stop. Use a 1/2" seam allowance here. If you are using a 7" zipper, you should just miss the metal stops with this seam allowance but be careful as you sew over the zipper to avoid the metal stops. If you're using a longer zipper, just trim the zipper tape once you've sewn around.

Trim your corners, being sure not to cut your stitching. Use the turning gap to bring the pouch right side out. You'll be glad you had your zipper open at this stage. Tuck the edges of the turning gap into the lining, press and pin or clip in place and stitch with a very small seam allowance and a matching thread. You may choose to hand sew with blind stitch instead.

Tuck the lining back into the pouch and give it a final press, then fill it with goodies or give it to a friend!

Gathered Pouch

Gathering is a quick, easy way to create an elegant look. Pair a busy print with a solid colour to make a fancy zippered pouch. For this pouch, you'll need

12" W x 4.5" H (or wider for more gathers) of bottom exterior fabric - cut 2
8" W x 2.5" H top band fabric - cut 2
8" W x 6.5" H lining fabric - cut 2
8" W x 6.5" H fusible interfacing - cut 2 (optional)
7" zipper

Cut out all pieces and fuse interfacing to lining pieces. Run a basting stitch (very long stitch length) 1/8" along top and bottom of each bottom exterior fabric, keeping threads long. Gently pull bobbin thread on the top of one side of the bottom exterior piece while keeping the other side in place. This will "gather" the fabric. Move the gathers as you like and match up the width to the top band fabric (8"). Repeat for the bottom, and then on the other exterior bottom piece.

Now place the top band right sides together with the top of the gathered piece and sew together with a 1/2" seam allowance; press seam up toward top band and topstitch along top band. Repeat for remaining gathered piece and top band. Put together zipper pouch following directions under "Construction of Zipper Pouch" above.

Rounded Pouch

This rounded pouch comes together quickly and is so cute and fun! The size of fabric you need will depend on what you use to create your circle - two 10" x 10" squares should be big enough for the bottom. I used a plate to make a circle, then drew a line at the top of the circle that was 8" across. Cut along that line and use the bottom of the circle as your "pattern piece" and cut 2 fabric of that shape. Also cut 2 top bands (I like coordinating solids for these) 8" W x 2.5" H.

Just as directed in the gathered pouch instructions, attach the top band to the bottom round piece with a 1/2" seam allowance, press seam up toward the top and then topstitch. Use these pieces to trace your lining and optional interfacing pieces.

Continue making pouch as per instructions in "Construction of Zipper Pouch." Sewing up the turning gap is a bit tricky on this one because you'll be tucking in the lining on a curve.

Now for the Giveaway!

Good luck everyone! If you enjoyed the tutorial, I'd love to hear about it and see pictures of your finished projects. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

63 Comments

Free Valentine Printable and Mini Tutorial

1/29/2016

6 Comments

Every year I want to make fun Valentine's crafts, but sometimes the nice ones take too long to make lots of, and I don't like leaving anyone out. So I decided to make up some key fobs: they're quick, and pretty, and useful too. I made this cute free printable to turn this quick sew into a gift for your Valentine!

It's super cheesy, I know, but hey, isn't Valentine's Day the perfect time to be cheesy? You'll find download links toward the bottom of this post.

Key Fob Tutorial

For this project, you'll need

Key fob hardware (I get mine from Emmaline Bags)
scrap piece of fabric at least 5" x 11"
scrap of fleece or foam

My key fob hardware is 1.25" wide, if your hardware is a different size, just adjust the measurements accordingly (cotton will be 4 times the width of the hardware).

Cut your fabric 5" x 11" (it can be slightly longer or shorter depending on your preference, I find 11" is just right for my wrist)

Cut a piece of foam (Flex Foam or Soft & Stable for example) or fleece interfacing 1" x 11" (or whichever length you decided on)

Fold the fabric in half, matching long edges, and press.

Open the fabric up, fold the raw edges in to meet the center crease, and press again

Now insert the foam or fleece into one of the folds, and bring folded edges together; press in place

Sew each long side 1/8" from the edge, starting with the edge that has the folds meeting. I like to use a longer stitch length here. If you like, add an extra row or two of stitching.

Fold in half, matching short, raw edges. Sew short edges together - I like to do a zig zag stitch here.

Insert into key fob hardware and clamp closed with pliers or a vice. If you're using metal pliers, make sure to cover the key fob hardware with something like a tea towel or scrap fleece, to prevent scratching from the pliers. You may also choose to add a small amount of glue before squeezing the hardware shut.

Once your key fob is done, print and cut out your Valentine, punch a hole and take a pretty ribbon to attach it. Voila! A unique and useful Valentine!

I'm including 3 downloads: 1 with pink text, 1 with black text and 1 blank, so you can fill in your own sentiment. The ones with text are PDFs and include 2 keys, side by side. The blank is a jpg, so you can plop it into a Word doc and add your own text or print as is. The PDFs should be printed in landscape.

pinkheartkeys.pdf
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heartkeys-black.pdf
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heartkey-blank.jpg
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I'm happy for you to use these files! Please do not distribute or claim as your own; a link back to my site instead would be awesome, thank you!

As I mentioned above, I get my hardware from Emmaline Bags. If you're in the UK, you can find them at Bobbin Girl.

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How to Make your own Invisible Magnets

12/6/2015

2 Comments

How To Make Your Own Invisible Magnets - a mini-tutorial

I recently tested the newBlue Calla Freesia Foldover purse, and realized I needed some "invisible magnets." They're not really invisible of course, but they're sewn into the interfacing and not seen from the right side of the bag. I could have used traditional magnetic snaps, but decided to try and make my own invisible magnets.

It ended up being really easy, and significantly cheaper than buying them. So, I figured I'd share with you how to make them.

I bought a pack of ceramic magnets from Michael's and used a coupon to get the pack of 4 pairs for about $2. Then I pulled out my vacuum sealer and a small piece of vacuum bag material.

Start by making a small bag about 2 1/2" wide.

Insert a magnet and seal it up as close to the magnet as possible.

Repeat for second magnet.

I recommend marking the matching sides so you know which way to sew them into the bag

I don't recommend trimming too much off the edges, so you have some plastic to sew into.

There you have it. I told you it was simple! Plus, for only a fraction of the pricey store bought ones. From here on, it depends on the pattern how the magnets are sewn in.

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Ryan's Case for Smiles | Pillowcase Tutorial, Kit Giveaway and Challenge

8/18/2015

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You know what I love? Fabric, friends, and coffee (plus my kids and all that good stuff, of course). So when my sewing friend Kelsey, a volunteer for Ryan's Case for Smiles, suggested we meet up for coffee to discuss this blog post, I thought it was a great idea. Kelsey shared with me her favourite quick method of making a pillowcase, and she talked about her experience with Ryan's Case for Smiles, formerly Conkerr Cancer. She told me about the heartfelt letters she receives, thanking the organization for the cheerful pillowcase that really made a difference. She also told me about the trips her and her mother took to the hospital, bringing fabric and machines along, and allowing the kids choose their own pillowcases to make with them. I want to help this great cause, so I'm going to show you a really quick way to make a case to donate. I'm also happy to report that one of my amazing sponsors, Daryl at Fabric Spark, has set up some specially priced kits to purchase and is offering a giveaway of a Tula Pink pillowcase kit!

Here's some info Kelsey has shared with me to pass along:

"Ryan’s Case for Smiles (formerly ConKerr Cancer) started when Cindy Kerr’s son was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and she began making pillowcases to brighten up his hospital room and to put a smile on his face. He loved it and so she began making pillowcases for other children on the Oncology Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Since then the pillowcase project has grown in amazing ways.School groups, sewing circles, church groups, and fabric stores have all pitched in and are making pillow cases to comfort children in hospitals around the world. Thousands of Ryan’s Case for Smiles volunteers in over 120 cities dedicate themselves to brightening children’s lives through the simple act of sewing a bright, cheery pillowcase. As a result of their love and generosity, Ryan’s Case for Smiles has delivered more than 1,000,000 pillowcases in just seven years to 330 hospitals across the globe. In addition, Ryan’s Case for Smiles volunteers visit hospitals to sew with the children and their families, breaking up the monotony of long, frightening hospital stays.

Ryan’s Case for Smiles has been able to make amazing progress towards fulfilling our goal of making hospital stays as pleasant as possible for chronically ill children and their parents. A simple pillowcase means so much to a child while they’re in the hospital and away from home. It helps cheer them up, gives them something soft to snuggle, reminds them of the comforts of home, helps calm their fears and brightens up their hospital room. Simultaneously the pillowcase project has fostered a spirit of community and volunteer service in communities across the world. Unfortunately there are always new little patients who need our love and support, and we must continue our efforts to help brighten patients’ lives and raise awareness about childhood cancer and other childhood illnesses.

Information on how you can help Ryan’s Case for Smiles and help kids feel better so they can heal better can be found at www.caseforsmiles.org"

Quick Pillowcase Tutorial

This super quick tutorial may be a new fave! Use it to make some for charity, but for your own kids too! You can make each pillowcase with just one yard total of fabric! You'll need 26" x width of fabric for the main part of the pillowcase, and 10" x width of fabric for the side band of the pillowcase. I don't have a serger, so I used my overcast foot for this project. If you don't have either of those, a zigzag stitch will work in a pinch.

Overcast Foot

Start by folding the 10" wide piece in half, wrong sides together, matching the long edges, and press.

Now place the folded (narrower) strip, on top of the wider piece of fabric, matching the long edges, right sides together. Pin or clip in place and sew along that edge.

Now fold in half, right sides together, matching selvage ends. You probably need to trim a small amount at this point, otherwise your selvage will show through. Leaving the folded end open (yellow in my example) sew up bottom and remaining side.

Turn right side out, and you're done!

Kelsey tells me each and every case is appreciated, so if you can send 5, 10, or 1, they all count, and truly make a difference. Do you have friends that sew? Why not get together and challenge yourselves to see how many you can make? My personal goal is for this post to generate 100 cases. Can we do it?!

Giveaway Details

The giveaway will be a challenge: each pillowcase sent to Kelsey as a result of this blog post will count as an entry to win a Tula Pink Pillowcase Kit from Fabric Spark, so the more you sew, the better your chances! Be sure to let Kelsey know I sent you, so she can include your cases toward the giveaway. You will have until September 30 to get your cases to her to be entered. Also make sure to leave her your contact info. I'll announce progress and the winner of the kit on my facebook page, so be sure to follow me there to keep in touch.

Kelsey may be reached by email at ryanscaseforsmilesbc@hotmail.com
You can mail your completed cases to:
Kelsey Funk
19467 67A AVE
Surrey, BC
V4N 5T4

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How to Make your own Vinyl Bag Handles

8/16/2015

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If you're joining me from Mrs. H's blog for the Companion Carpet Bag sew-along, welcome! As mentioned over there, here's my tutorial to make your own vinyl handles. I've found a few tutorials on Pinterest, but none of them were exactly what I was looking for, so I decided to experiment a bit and come up with something on my own. I'm really pleased with how they turned out, and I think you'll be pleased with your own pair too! They came together quite quickly and easily too! Please read all the way through before you try it yourself. If you have any questions, I'm happy to help as best I can, just send me a message through my contact page.

Supplies

You'll need vinyl of course. I used marine vinyl, but this same method should work with other vinyls. You'll also need:

16/32" cording - I don't know they don't just call it 1/2" haha!
leather sewing machine needle
fusible web tape (like wondertape) - this is optional but very helpful
wonder clips, or similar - pins won't work, since they'll leave holes in the vinyl
zipper foot
4 x 1.5" O-rings or rectangle rings
fabric glue (like Beacon's fabritac)
Fabric paint to match your vinyl (like Tulip soft fabric paint in matte - don't use "puffy" paint)
small paint brush
rivets and punch (optional)
scotch tape
thread to match vinyl
sewing machine and basic supplies

This sounds like a big list, but don't let it intimidate you, many items you'll already have, and others you can use with other projects.

Getting Started

Note: The size I'm using is just a personal preference. Please feel free to experiment with what you like best. I found that cutting the vinyl 6" longer than the cording yields the best result.

Cut 2 12" pieces of cording and wrap up each end with scotch tape.

Cut 2 strips of vinyl measuring 4" x 18" and place a strip of wonder tape about 1/4" away from one long edge of vinyl, then fold vinyl, matching long edges, with cording centred vertically inside. Use wonder clips to secure edges together. Repeat with remaining vinyl and cording for second handle.

Sorry! This picture doesn't show the wonder tape. I didn't think about that step until after I took my pictures, but I tried it on another handle, and I loved the result.

Now bring your handles over to the machine, and, using your zipper foot with the needle position to the left, sew along the vinyl lengthwise as close to the cording as possible, starting at one end of the cording and stopping at the other end. Don't forget to backstitch a bit and start and stop too. Also, a longer stitch length is better with vinyl; I used 3.4 for for mine. Depending on your vinyl, you may have troubles with your foot sticking to the vinyl. My regular zipper foot had no problem, but if yours sticks, try laying wax paper over top of the vinyl and rip it away when you're finished. I'm not sure if you can get a teflon zipper foot, but if you can, it should work too!

It should look like this now, with loose, unsewn ends beyond the cording.

Now you can trim the excess long edges, leaving a scant 1/4" beyond the stitching. You may want to trim more, this part is just personal preference.

This part is tricky to explain so I hope I do an ok job: You will need to trim the loose ends of the handles, along a tapered curve for about 1.5", then straight for the last part of the loose end. I found it easier to put a wonder clip at the very end, to keep my pieces folded nicely and so my cutting was symmetrical. If you're using 1.5" rectangle rings, you'll want the folded end to be just under 3/4" wide (folded). It may be easier to cut 3/4" away from fold, for 1.5", then curve out toward the cording. Once you have that cut out, make the end slightly curved. Your piece should look like this pictured below. Repeat for remaining 3 ends (other end of this handle, and 2 on the other handle).

Now we feed the end through the ring, fold down and fit into open end at cording, this step is just a practice, to see if it fits, or needs additional trimming. The end should now look like this:

Once you have a good fit, lift up the end and stick some glue under there, and fold it back and secure with a wonder clip until the glue dries. Repeat until both ends are done on each handle. At this point, you can add your rivets if you choose to use them. Once the glue dries, bring the handle back to the machine, with the zipper foot still in place and continue the line of stitching as far as you can to the end, being careful not to hit the ring with your needle.

The final step is painting the raw edges of the cut vinyl. It doesn't fray, but most of the vinyls have a backing that shows when it's cut. If you look closely at store bought vinyl handles, you'll notice they're painted too! I used Tulip matte finish fabric paint. I couldn't find a colour to match, so I mixed some and I'm pretty pleased with how well my first attempt matches! I bought the cheapest set of paint brushes I could find and they worked just fine for this job. The trickiest part to paint is around the ring, so you may actually decide to paint that part before you glue and sew it up. I didn't want to risk it because I knew my mixed colour would dry up, and I didn't think I'd get a perfect match a second time! If you get it on the vinyl, just wipe it while it's wet. If you choose to do a second coat, make sure the first coat is fully dry first.

My haphazard attempt at mixing these colours paid off!

Once the paint is dry, curve your handles and store them that way to help form the curve of how they'll be on your completed bag. Now you're done!

If you follow this tutorial, I'd love to see your handles! Upload your picture at my contact form, and I'll share them here!

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