Month: October 2017

Clean and simple Christmas cards

~ guernseyjane ~ 2 Comments


I love making clean and simple cards, these use scraps from the seemingly everlasting Docrafts Folk Christmas kit.

I am trying to use it up before I let myself buy anymore paper but there is still lots still to work with.

I used an image from my scan n cut inbuilt library to cut 11 trees, each cut 2 cm high and mounted on small foam pads, so easy – 10 for the front and one for the insert.

I reckon this would work as well with a punch maybe in star or holly shapes if you didn’t have trees …

Here is a quick video on how to diy an insert for a basic card blank. Let me know what you think of my video efforts …

Wine glass tags

~ guernseyjane ~ 1 Comment

I ve made sets of wine glass tags today, using up Christmas paper and ribbon scraps. Feels good to have some mini gifts made ready.

I cut bauble shapes 65mm wide on the scan n cut and welded a central circle 17mm in the middle to create the gap for the stem.

To fit the tag around the Stem, I cut a slash from edge to centre (by hand as it was quicker than going to the software to set it up) and threaded scraps of ribbon through the bauble tops.

I added stickles to some of the less decorative papers but for a disposable mini gift, they really weren’t necessary.

In some sets I added napkin holders, (from scan n cut canvas projects , just a strip of paper with angled slashes at either end to loop round a serviette) with Christmas elements added to make a little Christmas buffet kit.

Presented in vellum envelopes, these would make a great craft fair goody. How much would one charge for a dozen tags in a set though? though

Robust drawstring bag

~ guernseyjane ~ Leave a comment

This bag has the drawstring channels stitched on the outside so they create a nice ruffle top

outside fabric one piece (mine was 22 x 9”), lining fabric two inches longer to create the contrast border, two strips of outer fabric about two inches narrower than the width of the bag and three inches high, scrap of contrast fabric backed with heat and bond for appliqué monogram and one metre cord

method: press raw edges of strips under then fold in thirds to create thin channel to thread cord through,

fold outer fabric in half and pin strip to outside about two inches from upper edge on each side – you want there to be an equal ish gap at either side of the bag. Sew top and bottom of both strips in position, leaving sides open

If sewing appliqué monogram, position and stitch now

now turn fabric inside out and seam both sides closed, if you want a boxed bottom cut a 2 inch square  out of each bottom corner and then bag it out

seam lining fabric sides , leave a gap for turning, use same seam allowance as for the outer, and box bottoms or not to match your outer

with right sides of bag and lining together pin upper edges together, match seams. The lining will be a bit baggy as it is longer than the outer, that is deliberate but the top edge of lining and outer should match as you pin it. Sew around the top.

reach through the turning gap and pull the inside out, then push the lining inside the bag so the bases match and the longer lining top poking out. Press. Reach inside and sew up the turning gap in the seam

top stitch around the top, use decorative stitch or hide in the seam if you prefer

cut cording in half, thread from each side all the way round and knot ends to secure

iron appliqué at end if you are using iron on

job done

 

Personalised cushion

~ guernseyjane ~ Leave a comment

A unique creation made for a particular person!

aiming for a 15″ cushion I cut 3 x 16″ rectangles of red base material, one for my front and two for the back panel

For the decoration I filled a 12″ white fabric panel with heat and bond backed fabric shapes (cut on scan n cut from basic shapes library) and ironed them in place when I was happy with the layout. I then satin stitched around each shape to complete the panel.

I cut four strips of 2″ wide brown fabric – aiming for a wood frame effect and sewed them around the panel then ironed under the raw edge and stitched the whole onto my red front rectangle

to make up the cushion I folded 2″ under and under again on each of the back panels and top stitched the turned hem in place. I put the finished front piece face up and laid the back panels outside down on top so that the hems created overlapped in the centre. With lots of pins to keep everything square, I then sewed a half inch seam around all four sides.

turn inside out, press, job done!

Handy lip balm key ring holders

~ guernseyjane ~ Leave a comment

Scrap buster quick gifts to make a couple of key rings that hold convenient ‘Burt’s bees’ lip balms

Method: cut two rectangles of fabric, contrasting if you want a different lining or the same if you don’t. My rectangles were 1 3/4 inches wide by 8 inches tall. Sew face together around three edges (leave one of the widths open) with a tiny seam allowance then turn inside out. Poke out the corners. Press if you can.

With the open seam at the top, and whatever you want to be the lining face down, fold up about 2 1/2 inches from the bottom, just enough to form a pocket for the lip balm. Sew each edge of the pocket, again with the smallest seam allowance you can manage. Check the balm will fit snugly or seam with a bit bigger allowance before you flip inside out so the pocket seams are concealed.

Now take the open edge and fold 2 inches over a key ring, turn the raw edge under again and top stitch so that the raw edge is hidden. Make sure you keep the key ring well away from the machine needle or ladder stitch by hand if too fiddly for machine work.

job done!