Sewing

Which came first?

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In this case it was the chicken.

A pair of paper cut outs (calligraphy paper aplenty in my drawer) were sewn to sandwich a crème egg inside. Ready for little Easter gifts and tucked away so we don’t inadvertently nibble them.

Then a few eggs were made using up magazine papers and washi tape (will I never use it up?) again sewn shut and packed away for Easter.

The basic shapes were cut from my scan and cut to the maximum size of my papers. I can see this working with other stock shapes for single sweet treats throughout the year – hearts, cars, stockings …

Must remember to keep the sewing machine needle with my papercraft projects as the paper blunts the needle quickly.

Slow stitching, quick joy

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I have gathered all my embroidery and cross stitch supplies together and realised I have a lifetime’s supply. So I was delighted to find inspiration from Mistikomakes on YouTube.

Not only did this give me lots of practice on fly stitch, chain stitch and French knots it inspired me for little makes that are satisfyingly fast to finish.

Thank you Misti Ko!

Placemats converted

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A quick and straightforward sew converted elderly placemats into storage bags and pots.

I folded a mat in half so that the fringed edges became the top hem then seamed both sides to make a simple bag. Then I boxed the bottom corners to give it structure.

Because these are heavyweight mats the finished article stands up well.

Smaller bags were made by chopping a mat in half and following the same simple sew.

Upcycled, re usable cleanser pads

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A clear out of surplus hand towels too good to dispose of led to today’s make. Sets of make up remover pads to pair with my diy cleanser.

Sandwich the towel (bindings cut off) between sheets of cotton and pin. Then draw circles using a jar of glass as template. I use a Frixion heat removable pen.

Zig zag around the circles. It doesn’t matter if you go off piste a bit.

Then cut around the lines with pinking shears. Voila.

Pillow to cushions – simple upcycle

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Time to replace those tired pillows? It is a good excuse to use the old filling to create smart new dress cushions.

Just cut the (washed) old pillow in half and sew the open edges closed. I used my machine but hand sewing won’t take long.

I covered one with ticking style denim to match the recovered seat pad and the other with off cuts from an IKEA net curtain (which I decorated with fabric pens outlining the fabric weave design).

No buttons or zips for me just a simple envelope cover in both fabrics and job done.

Handy pouches

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These lined pouches are made unusually following a crafts channel (Corinne Brad) tutorial. I used a pony tail band rather than the fabric loop suggested so I could stretch them around dog leashes and never forget pooh bags again.

To make sew the two short ends of lining and outer fabric rectangles together (wrong sides facing) then press over the flap to mark a crease. Sew from crease to top end on each side then manipulate fabric to fit the other seam into the crease and sew the remaining sides (leaving a turning gap in one lining side and tucking in the loop or band in one of the outer sides). This makes a weird three flapped object but when turned and pressed it is a tidy, quick clutch.

To finish I top stitched in places and put in a snap. At last, I am using my bargain bag of pony tail bands.

Shirt conversion quickie

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Blame me if the weather breaks … I have just converted his shirts (some of them) to short sleeved.

A simple chop and hem job using a ‘proper’ short sleeve shirt to get the length right. Just cut off an inch and a half below the intended hem line. Keep the chopped off bits for crafty projects.

Turn shirt inside out, press a hem along the intended length and then turn under the raw edge about a quarter of an inch. Press again, pin and stitch around the sleeve.

Tip: remove the bed from your sewing machine so you can turn the fabric as you sew. Tip 2: start stitching at the under arm seam so if there are any gathers (if the sleeve tapers) they can be hidden underneath.

Hand stitched cards

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A labour of love but deeply satisfying. Inspired by the excelllent Craft World blog I sketched, punched and stitched on to some strong paper.

This is a great ‘use what you have’ project especially if you have time!