Download free sewing themed wallpaper

Joann's has free wallpapers to download. This month has a cute sewing theme.

Currently using this one for my laptop right now!

Fabric bracelets

I stumbled upon a simple yet adorable Mamma Gioca's fabric bracelets tutorial on the G+ sewing community and instantly knew I had to try to sew some!  My toddler wanted to give some to friends, so this was the perfect opportunity to try this tutorial out.

With some leftover fabric and some buttons I purchased, I explored creating bracelets with a single button, mixing and matching multiple buttons, using ribbon, and just plain fabric. I’ll write about the buttons I’ve purchased in another post.

Ok, so I do have to say the hardest part of the tutorial is turning inside out the fabric, but the safety pin method the tutorial mentions does make it easier. Make sure to iron as you go, so it’s nice and tidy at the end. 

Overall, what a great and fun accessory to sew up and interesting use of buttons. This tutorial is a keeper.

Baby bibs

If you have a baby or toddler at home, you can make your own one-of-a-kind bibs that will not only catch drool, but look good too. Perfect for baby showers gifts too!

From my last fabric haul post, I had bought discounted bundle/packs of fat quarter fabric from Jo-Ann's Fabric store. This was perfect for this project, because 1) you can make 2 bibs per fabric 2) these packs have patterns/colors that work well with each other.  So if you don't want to think too hard in choosing which fabric/colors will go with what,  I highly recommend purchasing fabric in bundles.

Here are some cute bibs I made for my little one:

I made the bibs double-sided: the front has a cotton pattern and the back has soft thin flannel. For the first three below, I added more structure using an iron-on Heat N Bond Extra High Loft Fleece Fusible 20"X11 Yards-White. The last one (the kitty bib) just had fabric and fleece.  The good thing about the iron-on fleece is it adds an extra layer of absorption and the bib doesn't wrinkle in the wash (who wants to iron bibs!?). I used VELCRO Brand - Sew On Soft & Flexible - 30" x 5/8" Soft & Flexible Tape - White for the bib closure.

Close up of one of the bibs:

And on the back, flannel:

Close up of more bibs!

If you are just starting to learn how to sew bibs (like me),  I recommend using this free bib pattern from nanaCompany design.  I followed the instructions that is printed on the pattern. Super easy! Here's what it looks like and how I put it together (via tape):

These bibs get plenty of use in my home by my adorable drooling / teething baby. She can now drool in style and comfort. :)  In a future project, I'd like to explore different backings (chenille, terry cloth, waterproof fabric) and maybe add more types of fabric patterns in one bib. Until next time!

Fabric Haul!

I recently went to Jo-Ann's Fabric store and as I was browsing all the fabric, I was stopped by some of the cutest patterns in the fabric bundles (fat quarter) area. And, it was on sale! Of course I had to snag a couple for future projects. As they are fat quarters, they are a good size for bibs - something I hope to soon make for a teething and drooly baby.

The fat quarter fabric bundles:

The first bundle I saw was the the light flannel, which is soft to the touch and perfect for absorbing baby drool.

Next I saw the kitty patterns and thought the matching vivid colors and adorable patterns were too good to pass up.

The last bundle I saw caught my eye because of it's varied patterns that are beautiful and bold.

This is my favorite pattern in that bundle.  Almost has that free hand drawing style.

I can't wait to use these fabrics for bibs and other small sewing projects. Until next time!

Summer placemats tutorial

It's summer and my kids love the seasonal fruits: strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and watermelon! Since I know some messy eaters (truth be told, I am one of them), I decided to make my own placemats that matches the season and most importantly, be easy to clean.  I realized that I could repurpose a vinyl tablecloth to create placemats. Vinyl is easy to wipe down and is flexible enough to bend and roll up. After sewing one placemat, I went ahead and created three more for the rest of my family:

I love the print of these placemats, and they are very functional - we are using them everyday.

Interested in making some too?

Needle Tips

I am always on the search for new sewing projects as well as tips and tricks to improve my sewing. I really enjoy video tutorials because you can follow better and see certain details of a project that you can't always capture when reading a blog or book.  I recently found the "Man Sewing" channel.  The channel name always gives me a good chuckle.  The instructor, Rob Appell, is very articulate and entertaining, and his tips and tutorials are excellent.

His latest video, "Needle Knowledge Quick Tip" is a good one. I consider myself still a novice, and I now believe if you want to really get better in sewing, one of most important things is knowing your equipment and how to use them. Trust me, or else you may end up with a needle shard in your eye like this blogger *points to self*. Another story for another time.

Know your needles! Enjoy the video:

Doll pocket holder

Motivated to be organized and clean in my home and inspired by existing shoe/jewelry holders, I sewed up this 4 x 3 doll pocket holder for my little one. It was a very impromptu project and in my haste, definitely not perfect, but I'm happy with how it turned out. And it's functional (no more missing and smashed up dolls)! One day I'll recreate this project and make improvements (bias tape to make clean edges, better pockets, use interface for sturdier backing). But for now, my little one loves it, so I love it!

I made a pillow case!

Yes, I'm very excited about this project! I was very intimidated at first, but after making a bunch of pillow cases, I started getting the hang of it. I followed the "Basic" style pillow tutorial at DIY Bed Pillow Cases: 3 sizes and 3 different styles and I found it really good in terms of instructions and sewing finish. As usual, I made mistakes along the way (somehow didn't sew straight, measured incorrectly, my first few times doing french seams were horrible causing me to redo my stitches, sigh). But practice makes perfect, and look at some of the basic pillow cases I made (woo hoo!):

Per my experience, some tips I'd like to share:

• If you're just learning to sew, buy cheap fabric and start practicing with it. I bought my fabric from Fabric.com (From a past Black Friday sale at $1.99/yard!). This way if I messed up, I wouldn't feel too bad.


• Because I found measuring and cutting fabric a bit of a tedious process, I decided to make a "pattern". It wasn't fancy - just a bunch of white paper, taped together. This pattern was constructed with 1/2 of the actual measurements, because it was easier for me to fold the fabric in half, measure once, and cut. You might want to do this too. Decided to also purchase a rotary cutter and a cutting mat soon (hoping this speeds up my cutting and reduce crooked edges, etc).


• As you follow the tutorial, pause multiple times and check that your work-in-progress pillow case fits with the actual pillow you will be using. Even with the right measurements, my first pillow case came out shorter with a flat pillow, but turned out fine on a puffy pillow. Both were standard size pillows.


• The tutorial probably assumes that one already knows french seams. I didn't. So I did some research and came upon a simple but awesome teaching video on YouTube on creating french seams: 

Here's a pillow case I created that was a birthday present for a special Batman fan:

And here's another pillow case that a certain My Little Pony fan loved:

They make such cute and unique presents/home decor! Now that I'm more comfortable with this project, I'd like to try sewing different types of pillow cases, such as the Burrito or Hotdog method (don't you love the names). Would love to sew a complete bedding set (pillow cases, duvet, sheets)... hopefully one day! Now go create some cute pillow cases!

Valentine's Day Hearts Tutorial

I started looking for a Valentine's day project that was quick, simple, and easy to sew. I was inspired by this soft heart tutorial. With about 2 hours or less to sew, a pile of scraps, and determination, I sewed up some stuffed hearts that turned out surprisingly nice. Here is the tutorial for creating a two-sided hanging stuffed heart. You'll find that after you make a few, you can't stop. Enjoy!

What you'll need:

• Fabric
• Paper (to cut out a heart shape pattern)
• Ribbon
• Poly-fil stuffing
• Pinking shears
• Fabric scissors

Steps:



1. First, cut out a heart from paper. Mine was bout 4.5" wide and 3.5" tall, but go with a size you like. I've selected two different fabrics and cut accordingly, making sure the heart fits. You can tell I didn't iron the fabric, because later I stuffed it and the fabric stretched out. See, saving time already.

2. Next place the fabric "wrong" side together. Meaning, the pretty/good fabric sides face out. Place the heart on top. Create marks on one side of the heart, about 1.5" in length. For the first round of sewing, you will skip this area, as this hole will be used to add the stuffing.



3. Because I want to hang this heart, I added some ribbon. Note to self: I need to find a sale and buy a bunch of colorful ribbons to use for future projects.

4. Insert the ribbon between the two fabrics. Now pin the paper heart pattern, fabrics, and ribbon together.

5. Time to get sewing. Start to sew around the heart, beginning from one of the end points you marked (making sure not to sew through the 1.5" area) and go all the way around the heart, stopping at the other end point. I suggest going slow around curves. Make sure to backstitch to make sure the thread doesn't get loose while you are stuffing the heart.



6. Get a handful of poly-fil stuffing to fill the heart. Since the hole is small, use one finger to poke and push the stuffing into the heart. Make the heart somewhat firm so the heart holds its shape.

7. Now return back to the sewing machine and close up the hole (remember to backstitch again).

8. Sewing is complete! Looking good.



9 & 10. To add a pretty edge to the heart and minimize fraying, use pinking shears to cut around the heart, but don't cut through the stitches. Stop when you get to the top near the ribbon.

11. Finish up by using fabric scissors to slowly cut around the ribbon.



Ta-da! Now you have a beautiful heart you can hang or give to someone special for Valentine's Day! I love how easy it was to whip these up.

I hope my valentine enjoys my special Batman Valentine's day heart!



Have a great Valentine's day!

A Beginner's Project: Sewing Coasters

This awesome coaster project was one of my first sewing projects and it was super simple and quick. I think it took me about five minutes tops per coaster. This is definitely a great starter project for those who want to learn to sew.

Tutorial: Sew Your Own Cocktail Napkins

Tips:

• Don't forget to leave a sizable hole so you can turn it inside out.


• When you turn it inside out, use something pointy to help push out the corners. I used a chopstick but I am thinking of getting a point turner and seam creaser tool to do the job after I watched this helpful YouTube video, How to Use a Point Turner & Seam Creaser.


• Want to get more creative with your coaster? Try using a different fabric on the other side.

This was such a fun and easy project to do, and the coasters are used quite often in my household. Next up...a table runner? A placemat? We shall see!