Tutorial - Fabric Flower Garland

Fabric Flower Garland

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Materials

·         Scissors

·         Needle

·         Thread

·         Fabric scraps

·         Something circular to make a template (cotton reel, ribbon spool)

·         Yarn or embroidery thread for stringing the garland

STEP 1

Use the spool of thread to trace a circle. Then cut the circles out. Cut as many as you want

 STEP 2

Take one circle and fold it in half and then take the half circle and fold it in half again

STEP 3

Then take your circle and stitch through the bottom. Continue this step, adding at least 6 circles on top of the first

 

The more circles you add the fuller your flower will be. However the density of the fabric will alter this. Felt and mid weight cotton will only require 7-9 pieces, chiffons may require 12 or more

NOTE: The bigger your circle is the MORE circles you'll need to make the flower puffy. The above circle is about 8cm in diameter

STEP 4

Once you have sewn all circles, connect the petals together by stitching through each one at the corner and then tying off the thread with a double knot

STEP 5

Cut 2.5 – 3 meters of yarn or embroidery thread and add on the flowers one by one. I spaced my flowers 10cm apart and secured them in place with a knot before stringing and after stringing so they wouldn’t slide around

STEP 6

Hang over a doorway, window, on your Christmas tree or on your table

I made mine using christmas colours as mine is part of the demonstrations I'll be doing at work but you can make one of these for just about any occasion. Especially now it's spring and tea party season!

Feel free to repost this but link back here if you can. The design itself is not copyrighted but the words and images are so please be thoughtful :P

xoxo
K

Tutorial: Bottle Bag ... great Christmas gift!

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This is something I'm putting together for work but will gladly share it here first!

Do you want to make something for someone special but hard to buy for this Christmas? Why not a bottle bag?

BOTTLE BAG

Materials:

• 17cm (6 ¾”) of 110-115cm (44-45") wide holiday or novelty print fabric 23cm (9” of fabric for a larger bottle)
• Approximately 50cm (19 ¾”) of 2.5cm (1")  wide or narrower ribbon
• Bodkin or safety pin
• Taylors chalk
• Scissors
• Thread

STEP 1

Cutting the fabric

Cut a 17cm (6 3/4") wide band of fabric leaving the fold intact. Measure 46cm (18") from the fold and cut so that you have a 17cm x 46cm (6" X 18") piece of folded fabric.

STEP 2

Marking the fabric

Working with the fabric folded and the right sides together, mark both sides of the fabric, with a dot 26.5cm (10 1/2") and 29cm (11 1/2") from the folded edge on each side.

STEP 3

Stitching the side seams

Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch the side seams, leaving the 2.5cm (1") area between the blue dots un-stitched. Backstitch where you stop and start stitching to reinforce the seam.
Press the seam open, clipping the seam allowance at the fold.
Apply a seam finish to the seam allowance raw edges.

STEP 4

Square the bottom of the bag

At the bottom of the bag, fold the fabric to match the seam line with the bottom fold line, creating a triangle.
Measure 2.5cm (1") from the point in on the seam allowance.
Stitch perpendicular to the side seam, as shown in the diagram.

STEP 5

Preparing the top of the bag

Turn under 1/4" on the top of the bag, bringing wrong sides of the fabric together. Press well.

Step 5 cont.

Fold the top of the bag, wrong sides together, so that the turned under top edge is just below the bottom of the opening in the side seam.

Press the top folded edge keeping the fold even across the top of the bag. 

 

STEP 6

Sew the Ribbon Casing

Stitch on each side of the side seam opening, to create a casing for the ribbon.

 

STEP 7

Drawstring, Alterations & Tips

Press the bag as it was sewn. Turn the bag right side out and press.
Use a safety pin or bodkin to thread the ribbon into the casing. Thread the ribbon around the casing twice, bringing the ribbon in opposite directions through the front casing, with one end out each side.
Place the bottle in the bag. Gather the casing by pulling the ribbon. Tie the ribbon, enclosing the front of the bag.

 

Additional Ideas

• Use machine embroidery on the centre of the bag before assembling.
• Appliqué an image on the front of the bag before assembly
• Use glitter and metallic fabric for a special New Years Eve gift bag.
• For a larger bottle, such as the 1.5 litre bottles, change the width of the 17cm (6 ¾”) measurement to 24.5cm (9") and make the bottom corner stitches, 5cm (2") in from the end of the triangle.
• Leave out the casing and simply use a ribbon to tie around the outside

Leave out the casing and attach a handle to the bag on the outside (see instructions below)

BOTTLE BAG WITH HANDLE

Materials as for bottle bag

STEP 1

Fabric cutting as for bottle bag

For the strap cut one strip 68CM (26 ¾”) from fold and 6cm (2 ¼”) wide.

STEP 2

Marking the fabric

Working with the fabric folded and the right sides together, mark both sides of the fabric, with a dot 29cm (11 1/2") and at 27cm (3/4” further down) from the folded edge on each side.

STEP 3

Stitching the side seams

Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch the side seams.  

Press the seam open, clipping the seam allowance at the fold.
Apply a seam finish to the seam allowance raw edges. 

STEP 4

As for the bottle bag

STEP 5

Preparing the top of the bag

Turn under 1/4" on the top of the bag, bringing wrong sides of the fabric together. Press well. 

Fold the top of the bag, wrong sides together, so that the turned under top edge is just below the bottom of the marks made at the side seam.

Press the top folded edge keeping the fold even across the top of the bag.

STEP 6

Preparing the handle

Fold the fabric strip in half lengthways and stitch together.  

Using a bodkin or loop turner turn the handle right side out.
Press and fold back 2cm of each end. Press these flat.

STEP 7

Attaching the handle

Attach the folded back ends just under the stitch line at the top of the bag.  

Reinforce the handle with a cross stitch.

STEP 8

Tie the top of the bag with a ribbon

 

Please note I am happy to share this. It is not exactly something original! If you do use it please refer back to me and remember all images and words are mine.

If you do make one please let me know, I'd love to see it and also would love to know if the instructions are ok :)

The Handmade Expo - Birthday Cake?

FROM QUEST PAPERS 

Liesa Gifford wasn’t sure what to expect when she launched The Handmade Expo with her mother and sister in 2008.

So with second birthday celebrations planned for the upcoming expo at Ipswich Turf Club on Saturday, Ms Gifford said the overwhelming success of the monthly “handmade-only” market had come as a welcome shock.

“When we first started, we never expected that it would be as popular as it is. And we never thought that in our wildest dreams it would make it to its second birthday,” said Ms Gifford, who established the expo with her mother, Miriam Bain, and sister Micky Hasted.
“Hand-made is the new black. People are turning to making things at home. We support a lot of micro-businesses and stay-at-home mums and retirees.

“We’re giving an opportunity to these people to sell and promote their products, and sell and promote hand-made.”

Ms Gifford said the expo featured hand-grown, hand-baked and hand-picked products.
“The first 500 people (at the expo) get a free birthday cupcake, and a majority of the stallholders are having birthday specials.”

The expo will run from 8am to 2pm. Entry is free. 

The Handmade Expo

Ipswich Turf Club

8am - 2pm

Saturday 21 August

Basic Embroidery Stitches

I love embroidery.
I love vintage embroidered clothes. I love machine embroidered clothes.

When I was pregnant embroidery was my favourite craft. I could sit there with my big belly and watch the idiot box, listen to music, sit inside, sit outside, sit on the bus, sit on the train etc etc.

I embroidered so many things. The baby clothes, a crazy quilt, my clothes, my shoes and my jackets.
It is such a lovely thing to do and the results are always so pleasing.

 

Now unfortunately it seems embroidery is what I do to mend holes in clothes, so I thought I would revisit my love for it here and share a few basic stitches. As my love is rekindled I'm sure I'll add more!

Look for the links at the bottom to more wonderful embroidery places :)

 Click on the pic to make it bigger - then print it for easy reference.

Here's a few embroidery designs for you to try ... let me know if you use them!

http://www.sublimestitching.com with Jenny
http://www.needlenthread.com with Mary
http://needlework.craftgossip.com with Denise

don't wish to make anything but just want to buy some yummy embroidered things

http://www.edwardandlilly.com
http://little-chrissy.blogspot.com
http://michelleclement.typepad.com/blog
http://www.mexicantextiles.com
http://toffeeappledesigns.com

Sundress Heaven

Just a glimpse of some of the new stock I'll have this weekend ... upcoming markets are in the sidebar

Plus some new lines of skirts for this coming Spring/Summer ...

 Gorgeous pleated skirts in fun prints (only got 6 completed but there are another 8 in stages of completion)

Tulip skirts made from silk dupion

keep an eye out for the new line of stunning tops for the Spring/Summer

Busy in Brisbane

This weekend sees Kitty Boo Boo at 3 markets over the City and Northside.

I'll be running a giveaway for a voucher of $20 to be spent at Kitty Boo Boo.

All you need to do is come and say HI at one of the following markets and ask me for the codeword.

Then simply follow the instructions to go into the draw. Easy.

FRIDAY

 

BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market

King George Square

Brisbane City

Fri 30th July

5pm - 9pm

SATURDAY

 

Red Hill Fair

Woolcock Park Red Hill
Hawthorn Terrace, Waterworks Road and Mossvale Street

Sat 31st July

10am - 3pm

SUNDAY

South Bank Young Designers Market

Little Stanley Street

South Brisbane

Sun 1 Aug 

10am - 4pm

My little heart

The last week has been a bit full on.

My little man had an appointment with a surgeon for the removal of his adenoids and tonsils, also known as an Adenotonsillectomy.

Apparently this is quite a simple procedure with most worries concerning the anesthetic or bleeding or post op infections.
I was a bit freaked about the anesthetic as I have had some bad experiences with one kind but even though he took a little longer than they thought to regain consciousness, he seemed okay when he came up to the ward. (They don't let you hang out down in Recovery).

He was talkative and devoured an ice-block (poor kid hadn't eaten in 12 hours) but then his blood pressure dropped and there was a mini scramble of nurses. He came around again in about 10 mins.

With a tonsillectomy the pain increases as you heal. Apparently at it's worst on days 3-5. After day 5 you need to watch for signs of bleeding as the (gross) scabs start to come away. This is why eating as many regular foods as possible is good as it helps minimise the build up of the scab. UGH.

Unfortunately for us that night after the operation my little heart developed a fever. It was regulated after a while but it also meant we couldn't go home. Home = eating, drinking and no fevers for 24hrs. The next day he spiked again so I knew I'd be in for another night. That night he reached 40 degrees (C) for the third time. He was now on antibiotics but they didn't seem to be doing much so tests were ordered. His temp was maintained at 38 degrees (C) for 2 days.

Blood tests, urine tests, chest x-rays, and a possible nasal aspirate were ordered. The head paediatrician dropped by and determined it must be a post op infection. The main pain and fever relief at the RCH is Panamax. A concentrated version of Panadol. My kids loathe it. They spit it out. We usually use nurofen but can't for this adenotonsillectomy because it's aspirin based and this thins the blood and if he bleeds we could be in trouble. Panadol has a contract with the RCH so that is all they have. Try giving it to a kid who hates it every 4 hours when he has trouble swallowing, has a fever of 40 (delirious) and it's the middle of the night after you wake him. Hmmmm

On day 2 I bought a frozen dinner as parents aren't fed in hospital. I left it in the fridge in the ward kitchen and someone else ate it. (dark clouds)

On day 3 after 6 hours sleep total for the last 3 days and sleeping on a recliner (not enough room for trundle/cot beds) I was done in. Pete stayed that night while I went home and had a shower and slept - after getting my other little heart from school and getting her dinner.

Luckily that night he took all his meds, kept his temp down and the next day I brought him back home.

He seems to have some fond memories of the hospital. 

I don't.

The nurses on the ward were terrific. One in particular was my angel. She was about my age and kind of used me as a resource. She listened and my little heart did whatever she asked. There was another nurse there who just kept taking things away from him to get him to take his medicine. I tried to explain it wouldn't work - but what did I know.

The RCH is a great hospital ... if you like hospitals.

I don't.

Now I need to prepare for three markets this weekend so excuse me while I go freak out.