Holly: November 2012 Archives

A while back, I mentioned on the blog that a scrap of fabric has to be at least as big as a piece of paper for me to keep it in my stash. I'm pretty good about holding to that rule, but I have a much harder time with deciding how big a scrap of elastic or ribbon or other trim has to be to make the cut. The drawer of my sewing table is riddled with little bits of debris that I should have thrown away long ago, but I've always known in my heart that there must be some use for them. I think I've finally found it: easy little wrist cuffs!

For each cuff, I started with a 1-inch wide scrap of elastic, just 2.5 inches long. I'm using regular waistband elastic for these, but you could use a colored elastic or a fold over elastic, too. Really, the key is working through those scraps!

For the rest of the cuff, I used either a piece of ribbon 5.5 inches long, or a scrap of fabric 5.5 by 2.5 inches. My wrist is 7 inches around, so adjust as needed for your wrist size and desired tightness. 




For a fabric cuff, I sewed my 5.5 by 2.5 inch piece into a tube along the long edge of the fabric, and then turned it right side out and pressed it lightly.
 

If you're using quilting prints or other lightweight fabrics, I suggest running a piece of grosgrain ribbon through the body of your tube to give it a little extra stability.

Then, it's just a matter of stitching the ends of the elastic scrap to the ends of your tube, wrong sides together. Flip it right side out and ta-daaaa! Instant cuff!

But wait! There's more! These little cuffs are so quick and simple that I've come to think of them as tiny canvases for creativity. (If I don't like how one turns out, no big deal -- it's just scraps!)

I made a ruffled cuff by simply pleating some leftover ribbon to a grosgrain base, and then stitching some elastic lace trim on top of that.

Winter is here! OK, I know it's technically not winter yet, but the low in Atlanta today was 27 F, which is abysmally cold as far as I'm concerned.

As each winter approaches, I think to myself that THIS will be the year I make a super yummy coat. But then, I get busy with other commitments and before I know it, I've shuffled through the cold season layering hoodies and less-than ideal jackets, and my coat never materialized. But this year, I'm getting out in front of it, largely because I fell in love with a faux fur we got in stock not long ago.

I'm an animal lover and could never be comfortable wearing real fur, but I am always on the lookout for a faux fur that will delight me. And when I first saw this fancy feather faux fur, I gasped at its loveliness. I knew I had to make something with it, but what? And then the solution came skipping across my neurons: Make that coat!

The pattern I chose is Simplicity 1732. I love the shape of it, and that it's got a little of an other-era feel to it.

 
For the main body of the coat, I chose an Antique Cotton Velvet. I am deeply enamored of this fabric, and because it's designed for home dec use, it's got a luxurious feel, but it's also rugged. (Seriously, this stuff has such a soft texture -- I can stop running my hand across it.) Perfect for a coat!

I made the knee-length version of the coat, and used my exotic faux fur for the collar and cuffs. This is definitely a statement piece!

Working with the antique cotton velvet was heaven. It simply doesn't have the same slippage issues that other velvets often do. Working with the fur was a little bit of a challenge, but nothing more than one would expect -- and because of the simple shapes of the fur pieces on this jacket, there wasn't a lot of tricky manipulation needed, just a bit of handling care. 

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am thinking about what I'm grateful for, and also what I'll wear to Turkey Day festivities. Usually, I throw on all black and call it even -- sometimes, it's a pretty schlubby affair. But this year, I want to make a little more effort. I want to wear something to remind me that it's a holiday not about stuffing my face, but about the joy of abundance in my life. And I want to wear color.

The first time I saw the Tula Pink Birds and the Bees collection, I KNEW I needed a dress out of one of the fabrics. I love the play of hue and shapes dancing across the fabric. And I adore the colorful take on the nature theme -- it's a perfect fit for my mission to make a joyful dress. So, I selected a print and went in hunt of the perfect pattern. I settled on Simplicity 2444 for my project, and I was off to the races.



Because the design of the repeating pattern on this fabric is so bold, it's fairly easy to line up the pattern to make sure there's symmetry.


The pattern calls for a seam down the center front of the skirt, but I opted to alter it so I wouldn't have to risk not having a perfect match right at the front of my dress. 
 

I am so excited to wear my new squirrel dress! Wearing it and looking down at its beautiful, bright colors, it's easy to remember how lucky I am. I have a wonderful family (both human and four-legged), smart and witty friends to share adventures with, and I get to express myself creatively with an entire rainbow of colors. It's a rich life.   

I have talked about my epic scrap stash many times. Every once in a while, I get the urge to actually put some of my tiny remnants to work on a project so I don't feel like a crazy fabric hoarder. Since the holiday season is upon us, I also need to practice some quick gift projects so I can churn them out assembly-line style as presents for my sewing friends.

For quickie pyramid pincushions, you just need a teeny bit of fabric, a short length of ribbon or braid, and a bit of batting or fiberfill. For my samples, I used a cotton print, a home dec print and a bit of cotton velvet.

For each pincushion,  I cut:

4 equilateral triangles, 5 inches on each side
1 4.75-inch square


After joining two sides of the pyramid, I fold a loop out of a scrap of trim and baste it to the apex. I join another pair of triangles, and then stitch that to the pair with the loop basted on, right sides together.

Once all the triangles are stitched together to form the pyramid shape, I stitch it to the square base, leaving a small opening for turning. I also do a little reinforcement stitching along the loop.

Then, it's just a matter of turning, stuffing and slip stitching the opening closed. Easy peasy!

If you do any amount of crafting, you've probably experienced that irritating moment when you're ready to get into some serious adhesion, but your glue can't keep pace with your enthusiasm.

Because many craft glues are quite thick, they don't flow easily. Storing them upright allows all of the adhesive to settle in the bottom of the bottle, and it takes forever for the glue to move back to the tip once the bottle's inverted.

The solution is as close as your kitchen cabinet (or your grocery store). This plastic containers that pitcher-sized drink mixes come in are perfect for holding glue bottles! They're wide enough to fit a standard-size bottle, but narrow enough to keep it upright.

The container in these pictures is a Crystal Light product, but there are many other brands that offer similar packaging.  

 
I just peel the label off, and store my glue bottle in the empty container upside down. You can decorate your container with fabric or craft paper if you wish, but I like to keep mine clear so I can see which glue is which easily. When it comes time to craft, I don't have to wait on my glue!

Have you noticed that acorns seem to be everywhere right now? The humble acorn seems to be the "it" motif for fall and winter this year. And it's easy to see why: The acorn has a simple, sweet shape that's unmistakable. I wanted to bring a little acorn fun to my sewing, so I came up with an easy little wristlet for my autumn accessories collection.

To make my mini-purse, I first sketched out a pattern.The height and width listed below include a quarter-inch seam allowance.


I cut two pieces of the full acorn pattern from antique cotton velvet. Because I'm using fabrics with a lot of body to them, I'm not cutting a lining, but if you were to make this project with lighter fabrics, you would definitely want to use interfacing or a flat lining to add some stability.

After I had my body pieces cut, I trimmed the pattern down to just the cap section.

I cut two cap pieces from brown upholstery velvet.

I stitched the caps to the body pieces, wrong sides together, lining the pieces up by using the points on the sides where the cap angles out in a curve from the body and stitching a straight line from point to point.

Then, I flipped the caps right side up and basted the edges to the base fabric.


To create the basketweave texture on the acorn cap, I started stitching a series of lines diagonally, starting in the middle area and working my way outward.

I just used the edge of my presser foot as my spacing guide, and ended up with my stitching lines just a little less than a half-inch apart. I stitched the basketweave on both the front and the back pieces.

Next, I cut a piece of my upholstery fabric about 8 by 3 inches. I wasn't particularly exacting with my measurements here, as this piece gets trimmed down later. I drew a long rectangular box 4.5 inches long and about a quarter of an inch wide. I set my scrap on top of the less perfect of my stitched cap sections, centering the box drawing, and stitched along the lines. This is the zipper facing.    

After my stitching was complete, I cut open the stitching, clipping into the corners for turning.

I turned the facing to the inside, basted it into place, and pressed. Always be sure to test your iron setting on a small scrap, and press gently from the back to avoid flattening the pile of your velvet on the right side of the piece.


I set my zipper into the opening created by the facing and machine-stitched it into place. My zipper was a little long, so I just trimmed it down, making sure to reinforce the end with an extra stop and a bit of Fray Check.


Once my zipper was set, I removed the basting from the facing and then clipped it close to the zipper edges. Because I used upholstery velvet, there's no fraying, but if you use a fabric that frays, you can use a piece cut on the bias here, or finish the edges with an overlock stitch, a zig-zag, or a narrow hem.

To make the hand strap, I cut a length of my upholstery velvet 12.5 inches long by 1.75 inches wide. I folded in the edges and pressed them into place.


To sew the strap, I folded it closed, matching the ironed folded edges, and ran two rows of stitching down the length of it.