After my first reupholstering 9 years ago, these charity shops chairs needed refreshing.
Quick and simple upholstering involves removing the staples from underneath, using the old fabric as a pattern to cut new and then restapling.
I find the staple gun a bit fierce but if the fabric is pulled tightly and you work from opposite sides to avoid wrinkles this is an easy project.
This premium vinyl is much better than the economy version I have used before and I am surprised how well it melds into the canvas fabric. Let us see how the boat flag survives its outdoor life.
The other projects created from this crafty session with the trusty scan n cut (the whale is a standard supplied svg) will remain a Christmas surprise for the lucky few!
So quick yet makes such a difference…
I laid the bottle on the fabric, traced round it leaving a half inch seam allowance then cut out a matching pair of fabric pieces.
With wrong sides facing, I sewed the sides from neck to bottom before flipping fabric right sides out and sliding in the bottle.
On one version I hand stitched the bottle in permanently, on the pictured version I used kam snaps to close up the bottom. With IKEA fleece I don’t have to worry about hemming the exposed edges.
This is a huge success as it keeps the bottle water hot for longer and is nice and cuddly too. Great return on the time spent on this one.
Easy zip sew.
fabric 10” x 5” with matching lining piece and batting or fleece, zip at least 5” long
optional 4×2” fabric folded lengthwise in quarters and top stitched to make loop
method;
1. fix fleece/batting to outer by fusing or quilting
2. Pin zip between one short end of outer ( pretty side of fabric facing top of zip) and lining fabric and then sew in place using zipper foot. Repeat other short end to form a tube.
3. turn fabric tube with outer side showing and top stitch either side of zip to keep fabric away from the teeth
4. switch to normal foot, turn tube inside out with zipper positioned half way, if using pin loop inside and sew bottom edge of tube closed then trim seam close – also trimming excess zip – then zig zag over seam edge to tidy
5. twist fabric so zip is the side of tube. Pin or clip remaining raw edge and open the zip (or you won’t be able to turn fabric) then straight stitch, trim seam close to stitch- cutting off zip excess again- then zig zag up to, but not across, zip teeth
6. turn right sides out.
Done!
following the instructions from a borrowed fat quarter project book this was designed to be a pencil case but will now hold sewing notions as it isn’t quite good enough to give
the zip was hand basted to the curved seams and should have been hem stitched but I cheated and top stitched it with my zipper foot, I then put bag inside the lining and attempted to top stitch again over the same line, no joy but it doesn’t show tooo much
the box bottoms were French seamed which makes sense for this sequence of construction – and for the intended pencil case use and abuse of the lining, but can’t see myself abandoning my simpler form of zip bag making permanently
and the fabric was a page from an upholstery samples book that was scavenged for me, if just cotton might have needed quilting or stabilising
a whole suite of place mats, napkins and runners to add colour to the kitchen table
Simple mitred corner napkins
quilted table runner
a set of place mats
a lined bread basket
napkins rings using buttons and the last remnants of the fabric
thank you for the lovely Provençal fabric gift
This does fulfill the ‘Use what you have’ New Year’s Resolution
Just two minutes to make and sooo cute.
Cut a square of fabric so that the diagonal is the same length as your dog’s collar. Fold the fabric, right sides together, on the diagonal and press. Unfold the fabric and leave right side down.
At either end of the diagonal and fold a triangle about 5cm back to the middle so when you refold on the diagonal you get this shape, albeit inside out
sew the raw edges from just below one side fold round to just below the other and then turn right sides out through one of the gaps
done , just thread the collar from gap to gap and it is ready for wearing
if you want a more tailored finish you can run a line of stitching parallel to the top fold to create a channel for the collar
if you have a friend with a posh sewing machine why not add a little monogram or name as here …
A batch of mini sews, together make a little handbag set
first a round earbud holder, two 4″ circles of outer fabric and two of lining, a 2″X 1.75″ strip folded to make a tab and a 5″ zip.
next a mini tissue holder: a 7″ X 6″ piece of fabric and a 8.5″ X 6″ for the contrast lining
then a loyalty card holder: 4 pieces of 4.75″ X 6.75″ fabric ( one of them interfaced) and one piece of .75″ wide elastic about 5″ long
and a glasses case that takes two 7″ X 4.5″ pieces of fabric and lining in two 7.5 X 4.5″ pieces, both outer pieces interfaced
finally ( not pictured) a lip balm key ring holder 1.75″ X 8″ outer and the same of lining
all sews from popular tutorials and covered in earlier posts – only the earbud holder is new here
Scraps leftover from the fat quarter (which was actually a freebie from an upholstery fabric samples book) and lining from the spares box so just the zip to purchase for the next set I make.
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
Discovered a dozen magnetic bag clasps in my sewing box, so decided to use one and follow a Debbie Shore tutorial. I made this bag with three squares of fabric, it is a quick and easy project.
I cut two 11″ squares of the floral fabric and one of a plain lining material. I cut a matching square of wadding which I free motion quilted to the back of one of my floral squares and a half square piece ( 11 x 5 1/2″) which I quilted to half of my other floral piece. I had a 15″ piece of cord for the wrislet and a spare button for embellishment. Vintage brooches would be perfect for this sort of bag embellishment.
Debbie’s tutorial is, as always, easy to follow. I top stitched at the end to give it a bit more finish.
Next time I will put some stabiliser on the lining and maybe round or angle the corners on the top flap. I might even put a pocket in the lining as this is such a quick and easy project.
A learning project.
janecrafts 