Fluo linen bag DIY

Looking for a simple but rewarding project or a DIY gift idea?
Then keep on reading as I may have something for you!

On my last trip to the craft store I finally found the fluorescent orange fabric paint I had been looking for! I desperately needed some after seeing some really nice printed home textiles in a boutique here in Paris.



With a simple pencil eraser I printed a random pattern of dots on some almost sheer natural cotton muslin. It took me about half an hour to finish the job. Once dry, and ironed to set the dye, I took the piece of fabric to my sewing machine and made a simple drawstring bag. From beginning to end, another 15 minutes, I guess. The result is a cute linen bag, or anything bag if you like.
Make them smaller and you have the cutest gift bags. The same printing technique would work well to decorate pillow cases, kitchen towels, napkins. Anything really. If you're running out of time you can have your kids do the printing part. Or, why not, the entire project!




What you'll need:

- a piece of fabric, pre-washed
- fabric paint, like Pébéo Setacolor, transparent fluorescent orange, #32
- pencil with eraser at the top
- plastic sheeting to protect your working surface
- painters tape to tape fabric to plastic
- rope for drawstring
- optional: fluorescent sewing thread
- sewing machine



Instructions:

1. Tape your fabric to the plastic sheet protecting your working surface, to prevent the fabric from shifting around creating unwanted smudges.
2. Dip eraser in paint, next onto fabric (do a few test prints on a piece of scrap) and do so in a random pattern.
3. Let dry. After, iron to set the paint (or follow your paint's instructions).
4. Make a drawstring bag as explained here. I used some contrasting fluorescent thread for sewing the drawstring tunnel. And that's all there is to it!


The things you can do with a simple pencil eraser... Have fun!

Denim Flowers :: a DIY

 

It's been a while again since my last post, but I'm still here. As a matter of fact we just got back this morning from a short break at the seaside. Summer vacation started exactly two weeks ago and we've been extremely busy.   I even missed my beach bag tutorial going live on Design*Sponge! Yes, you read that correctly - Design*Sponge! It surely made my day! And if you're still planning on making one too, make sure to check out the article as there are more step-by-step pictures on D*S than in the original post.



And here's yet another tutorial - after more than two weeks spent without having touched any fabric, needle and thread, or doing anything creative, I could no longer resist! Inspiration, was the lovely leather flower brooch I got myself during the sales here in Paris.  It got me thinking and I came up with a denim flower, made from old jeans (which had been cut to pieces anyway for other projects).
 

 It's a very simple but rewarding craft. A kid could do it -  it could make a nice craft for a rainy afternoon, actually. Find the step-by-step instructions in the photo-collage below. Sew a pin at the back and use the flowers to spruce up a plain shirt or jacket. Or how about making a bunch and sewing them on a tote or pillow. The possibilities are endless and really, all it takes is 15 minutes. 


To have slight color variances between petal layers, I used pieces of fabric from two different pair of jeans. The flower petals are cut  'free-style' which adds to the charm of the flower. For an even more frayed look, I suggest to throw the finished flower in the washing machine and dryer. Give it a try, you can't go wrong on this one! Have fun!!

Kids' Crafternoon Blog Tour :: Beading & Felting

I blogged about the Kids' Crafternoon book series before - books one and two, Sewing and Papercrafts hit the shelves last summer and were a big success.
So, it's with great pleasure that I can announce here that Kids' Crafternoon Beading and Kids' Crafternoon Felting have come to complete the series and are available as of now!

Once again the books are compiled and edited by Kathreen Ricketson, who you all know from Whip Up.Net and they're published at Hardie Grant. Each book contains 25 projects for school aged kids (and beyond) by crafters/ bloggers/ artists from around the globe. Each project takes no longer then a couple of hours to make and can be executed with no or limited adult supervision. Templates are made available in a handy envelope at the front of the book. The instructions are clear as always and the illustrations inspire to get started right way. The projects are cute and make sense - and not just for kids. I, for one thing, had a great time making this Zombie Critter Charm below (a project by Lisa Tilse from The Red Thread) which has immediately been claimed by big girl M. All it took was some scraps of felt, needle and thread, a few buttons and a spare hour or so.

These books make a great present for under the Christmas tree or could be a source of inspiration for some great handmade holiday presents by your little ones! And if you're still in need for ornaments and Christmas decoration ideas then make sure to check out Kids' Crafternoon Beading!

Now you tell me, but wouldn't that Zombie Critter Charm make a great and personal teacher's gift?



To find out more about the Kids' Crafternoon book series also check out the blogs below - and if you happen to live in Australia and you'd like to take a chance at winning a copy of one of the books, check out the give-away at The Red Thread - entries are open until Monday, November 21st.

14 Nov - the red thread
15 Nov - soozs big adventure
16 Nov - mmmcrafts
17 Nov - // Between the lines //
18 Nov - Christine Chitnis
19 Nov - Chez Beeper Bebe
20 Nov - The Happy Zombie
21 Nov - a work in progress
22 Nov - loveinthemummyhood
23 Nov - jcasa handmade
24 Nov - picklebums
25 Nov - modern parents messy kids
26 Nov - little eco footprints
27 Nov - li'l magoolie
28 Nov - ohdeedoh
29 Nov - Simple Kids
30 Nov - sadie and lance
1 Dec - Poppytalk

Oh, and in case you were wondering - Yes! I did contribute to the Beading book with some macramé bracelets (Macramé Bracelet, p. 104) and easy ruffled fabric necklaces (Fragment Fancy, p. 56).

Buzzzy

Only two more weeks left and the school year's over. And so many things remain to be done. Our summer vacation is taking shape as we finally sat down to make plans -  the plans look great, and I'm so much looking forward to our summer break.
But right now we're running around like crazy to birthday parties, end-of-year parties, and spectacles. Somewhere in between big girl M. will have surgery which will finally take care of the resisting ear infection and accompanying hearing loss she has suffered from these last couple of months.

The picture above is from two weekends ago when M. had her friend over for a sleep-over. The sleep-over was lots of fun but unfortunately eventful too - as they were playing M. fell and chipped both her front teeth - oh, horror! - it's been taken care off now - on her birthday, of all days - more doctor visits, more running around...
Anyway, it was the last time I had the sewing machine out. Looking for a 'quiet' activity we made a couple of whimsical pillows together. They're really, really fun to make and absolutely easy to make too.  The perfect craft for a rainy afternoon or when seeking shade inside on those really hot days... I'm not sure I'll make it to my sewing machine again anytime soon. I did buy some really cute fabric on my last trip to Ikea and I'm dying to make some totes with it, but I've no idea when I'll be able to do so. I'll keep you posted...

And of we go now to our next activity! I hope you're having a great week!

Flower power :: a tutorial

I most definitely did not need another purse. As a matter of fact, this week while carrying around a way too heavy purse I made the remark I would so much like to be "free" - I want to live a purse-free life. Why is it that men can leave the house with just a wallet and a set of keys and we carry around entire survival kits? Do I really need all this stuff? Let's face it: right now, I have in my purse

- a wallet
- another purse with change
- keys
- car keys
- sunglasses
- small pencilcase
- handsanitizer
- paper tissues
- several packs of chewing gum
- paper wrappers
- loose change
- organizer (although small, really heavy!)
- MOO cards (that's right! I didn't mention them yet but I ordered some MOO Mini Cards a little while ago - so cute!)
- pass Navigo (Metro travel pass)
- cell phone - which I usually can't find when it rings, because obstructed by all of the above
- a small umbrella
- card holder for store fidelity cards, membership cards ...
- a notebook
- a little pouch with medication and band aids

Surprisingly, I do not carry around any make-up, not even a lipstick.

But seriously: do I really need all of this? When I take out the umbrella you can rest assured it will start raining. And the girls only fall or get hurt when I don't bring any band aids. But one pen would do, wouldn't it, instead of a pencil case. And how about all the plastic cards from stores where I come only once in a while. And the organizer?

With that in the back of my mind and the upcoming vacation I thought I should try to go light again. And is there a better way of doing so with a brand new, cute little purse?

The inspiration for this one comes from a little purse my dad brought me from a business trip to Ohio - I was about twelve when I received it and I still have it. It was just the perfect size to hold a wallet and a set of keys and I used it way into adult life. It was handmade and all seams where sewn with leather strips - something you see showing up everywhere again lately (see also my bohemian belt). Hence the leather shoelace stitched seams. In addition, I decided to have a flower closure and since I liked the rough edges of the leather I chose to integrate these as well into the design. The body of the purse is made out of a single rectangular piece which makes it a really easy project.

What you'll need:

- a rectangular piece of leather
- leather scraps for the flower
- leather shoe lace for binding the edges (2), strap (2), closure and flower attachment (1)
- leather punch
- scissors, rotary cutters
- ruler and marker




Instructions:

1. Cut your leather to size for the body of the purse. ~ pic.1

2. Make flower from leather scraps by cutting two flower shapes, one slightly bigger than the other. Punch two holes in each one (make sure they correspond to each other).

3. About 1 cm from the edge, mark where the holes should come, one every cm. Also punch two holes at the top fold (for the strap), four holes (two by two) near the bottom center for the closure loop, and two near the bottom of the flap for the flower (same distance between holes as in flower). ~pic.3

4. With leather punch, punch holes as marked. However, on the side seams skip the one at the bottom fold (marked with a cross in pic.3 - enlarge picture) on either side (left and right). ~ pic.4

5. Sew seams with shoe lace. Start and finish with a knot ~ pic.5

6. Attach the loop for closure as shown ~ pic. 6-7

7. Attach flower to the flap and secure with a knot at each end. ~ pic.7 and 9

8. Attach strap (I used two shoe laces for that, knotted together) ~pic.8

Designer notes: Except maybe for the punching part, this would be a perfect craft for the (older) kid. If you don't have any leather handy or do not want your kid to ruin some precious leather, try using felt or denim. In the latter case, no punching is required as one can just sew the seams with needle and thread. The flower can be made out of any material, really or replaced by a button.
Use your imagination and more importantly - have fun!

This little purse has exactly the right size to hold a small wallet, keys and a cell phone and will keep me company on the beach, hopefully soon!

As with all of my tutorials, please note, this tutorial is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form without permission. Thanks for understanding!


If you made something using a tutorial found on this blog or if you got inspired by something you found here, make sure to post your pictures here.

Creative with espadrilles :: a DIY

I have this love hate relationship with espadrilles. I always loved them because they stand for summer. Whenever they show up you know summer's around the corner. Summer. Sun. The beach. No stress. I also love them because of their simplicity. A shoe can't get any simpler (nor cheaper) than that, can it? A sole and two pieces of fabric joined together.

However, I didn't wear espadrilles for the longest time because of the squeaky sound the rope of my last pair made. Just thinking of it gives me the shivers! So, what made me buy another pair and devote a whole post to them? To be honest I have no idea - I must admit I fell for the gray stitches on the sides, but was that enough to buy them, bearing the squeaky sound of the rope in mind? I guess I just needed another challenge: the espadrille make-over.

I actually had a lot of fun working on this DIY. As a matter of fact, what you see here is only a fraction of the things I came up with. There might be a couple more ideas in the pipeline...
Anyway, let's just start with this handful of ideas. Ready?

What you'll need:

- a pair of espadrilles
- an old T-shirt or other fabric scraps, if you like
- a pair of scissors
- needle and thread

Instructions:

Bow-tie espadrilles



1. Cut a strip from the old T-shirt, about 3-4cm wide and 20cm long.

2. Fold over the strip so the fabric overlaps. With needle and thread, in the middle, gather and secure the fabric. Cut of excess fabric, if any.

3. Fold a small piece of fabric over the stitches, to hide, and secure with a few stitches on the back. Shape the bow tie.

4. Position the bow-tie onto the espadrille and secure with a couple of stitches.

5. Repeat for the other shoe. Wear!


Rose bud espadrilles



1. Cut a strip of t-shirt.

2. Fold in half and start rolling the fabric to form a rose.

3. Secure at the bottom of the flower with a couple of stitches. Shape.

4. Position onto the shoe. Sew into place with a couple of stitches.

Note: the size of the flower depends on the width and length of the fabric. You can play around with both. Or why not make several flowers different in size and color to form a rose garden on your shoe!


Flower petals espadrille



1. Cut three (or more) not so round circles of roughly the same size.

2. Fold them in half and again in half and place all three on top of each other. Pin together.

3. Next, sew them together with a couple of stitches and shape the flower as you go.

4. Place on top of your shoe. Sew into place with a couple of stitches.

Note: Same thing applies here: play with size and color or combine several to form a flower patch on your shoe. Add sequins, beads, leaves, ... if you wish so, or just keep it simple.

 

This is a fairly easy craft, which kids could easily do. It's not very time consuming, no special supplies are required and the reward is immediate.
Maybe a fun craft idea for a summer birthday party!? If you can't find espadrilles right away, gym shoes might work just as well, just as any other ballerina or pair of flats.

My espadrilles have been extensively tested by now. And you know what? This pair doesn't squeak!



Please note, this tutorial is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form. Thanks for understanding!

If you made something using a tutorial found on this blog or if you got inspired by something you found here, make sure to post your pictures here.

DIY Gift Ideas # 4 :: Whimsical Pillows...

The week hasn't exactly been going as planned but things seem to have calmed down now. I hope.  I didn't forget about the promise I made earlier this week - the only problem was finding half an hour to get my act together (and half an hour of good light as well). And I did today!

So, here's our most fantastic pillow ever! My girls' very favorite (and mine as well) totally whimsical triangular shaped pillow (this is actually the simpler version of a pillow I made a little while back but which didn't make it to the blog yet, somehow). It's absolutely fun to make and more importantly, it's absolutely easy to make. A perfect beginner's sewing craft. As a matter of fact we each made one. Little H. made the blue with mountain scenery one, big girl M. made the flowered one and I did the striped one. All three fabrics are from IKEA. The felt balls I still had here at home (no, Michelle, we didn't make them, though given all the roving I still have I might give it a try!). So, if you're still looking for a fun handmade present or for something to keep the kids busy during the holidays, keep on reading! All it takes is three seams and some stuffing!

What you'll need: 


- fabric: a 32cm x  64cm piece of heavy cotton, denim, canvas,... (seam allowance included)
- 4 felt beads in assorting colors - pompoms would be nice too, by the way!
- poly-fiber fill to stuff the pillow
- sewing machine
- needle and thread
- scissors

Note: you can make the bigger or smaller, just make sure that the long side of the rectangle is twice the short side in length.



Instructions:

1. Fold the rectangle in half, right sides facing. Close two of the three open sides using a 1cm seam allowance and clip the corner as shown in picture 2.
2. Open up the remaining side and fold as shown in picture 3., i.e. fold the pillow cover such that the seam from step 2, ends up exactly in the middle of the remaining open side (so you will have 15cm of fabric on either side of the seam from step2). Pin and close that side, leaving an opening big enough for turning and stuffing (picture 4.).
3. Turn the cover inside out and shape (corners!). You'll get something that looks as shown in picture 5.
4. Stuff your pillow with the fiber fill to your liking, making sure the stuffing gets well distributed (picture 6).
5. Close the gap with a couple of stitches (picture 7).
6. Sew on the felt beads, one at every tip of the pillow (picture 8). And that's all there is to it (picture 9)!

Make sure to make enough of these for a pillow fight!!
 

Please note, this tutorial is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form.  Thanks for understanding!

If you made something using a tutorial found on this blog or if you got inspired by something you found here, make sure to post your pictures here.

DIY Gift Ideas # 1:: a polar fleece poncho

November is almost halfway through. The first Christmas decorations are showing up in town, and I try not to see them. Because I'm a procrastinator and it reminds me of all  things still to be done. And because, somehow, the whole holiday craze makes me feel uncomfortable - more and more - every year. "Do we really need to spend that much to get through the holidays and to make everyone happy?" is the question that comes to my mind when I see all this extravaganza. This DIY Gift Ideas series is an attempt to do things a little differently this year - and at low cost. All it takes is a tiny bit of creativity and a little bit of time. I truly hope to inspire at least some of you to craft along!

Ok, I promised I would kick off this series with last weekend's project. It's finished - I like it, but I'm waiting for better light and more time to take a couple of pictures.

So, why don't I get you started with a polar fleece poncho instead! I made this poncho a while ago after seeing a girl wearing a more luxury - hooded - version of it. The weather has gotten too cold and wet here to wear it outside, but little H. likes to cuddle up in it here at home and wears it as that little layer extra in the mornings and evenings. Just like the other poncho's, it is super easy to make. With only a couple of seams and the use of an easy to work with material like polar fleece, this project is accessible to even the most inexperienced sewer - a kid literally could make this. So, maybe this might be a good idea to keep your child busy on a rainy day as well.
About the fringe: I used masking tape to set outlines for cutting - if you want to perfect this you could even make marks on the tape to space them out evenly. I didn't go through the hassle of doing this, I didn't even bother to work myself all the way around with the scissors - I simply folded the poncho such that front and back were perfectly aligned on top of each other and I cut through both layers at once.

What you'll need

- polar fleece: it usually comes in 1.50m width, so half a meter would do for a poncho for an 8-10 year (adjust for bigger sizes)
- matching thread
- masking tape
- good sewing scissors
- sewing machine (note: depending on the machine being used, it might be useful to test the machine on a little swatch first to see how it's behaving in terms of tension and needle.)



Step-by-step instructions

1. Pattern: make a paper pattern of a 63cm x 44cm rectangle. This includes seam allowances. This should fit an 8 – 11 year old. You can adjust the dimensions accordingly for bigger sizes (to check hold the rectangle across your body, the short end being one of the shoulder seams). Make sure to have a difference of at least 18-20cm between the width and length of the rectangle as this will determine the size of the opening of the poncho for the head.
2. Cutting: fold your fabric in two, pin the pattern to both layers of fabric. Next cut your fabric. You obtain two identical rectangles.
3. Assembling: (see also Fig. 1) With the right sides of the fabric facing each other, pin the short side of one rectangle to the longer side of the other. Sew with sewing machine. Do the same with the other two ends. In the middle you’ll have the opening to put your head through.
4. Hemming the collar: With the right side of the poncho facing you, turn  the top 1.5cm of the opening inward and do this all the way around. Pin while you’re going, to secure. Next, topstitch on the machine.
5. Cutting the fringe: place your poncho in front of you such that front and back are perfectly aligned on top of each other. That way, you’ll be able to cut through both layers of fabric. Now, using some masking tape, define the size of the fringe you want (6cm in the poncho shown). Start with an incision at the center tip, and than gradually shift over the next couple of incisions until it becomes perpendicularly upon the tape. Then continue to cut parallel on both sides, left and right from the center tip.
6. Optional: you can further decorate the poncho, using ribbons, buttons, appliqué, sequins, embroidery… Use your imagination!

 Please note, this tutorial is intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form without permission. Thanks for understanding!

Did you make something using a tutorial found on this blog or did you get inspired by something you found here? Then make sure to post your pictures here!

Sewing with kids :: the easy tote bag revisited

It has been a creative summer, somehow. We haven't been home much, but when we were, we spent our time creatively. The girls rediscovered their sewing machine. This nice tote which M. made for one of her friends is only one of the results - it was a special request, actually, from her friend who loved the first bag so much she asked M. to make her one too. Doesn't it look fantastic?! The only difference with the first bag is that this one has only one strap. For the full tutorial click here. To finish it off I made her her own label with some twill tape and stamps.

A nice back-to-school surprise for one lucky friend if you ask me...

And yet another clothes hanger tutorial...

You might start wondering if all is well with me...
Another clothes hanger tutorial?! Really!?
What's so interesting about a clothes hanger, you'd want to decorate it anyways?


I know, I know! Just one more to add to the list and then I'll stop, I promise... (hmm - I'm no so sure about the last part...)
But to be honest - I like these wire clothes hangers. Because of what they are, because of their simplicity, the bareness, the fact they're reduced to the essential. And yet they have so much potential. To hold clothes for one thing. But it's also a perfect frame to work around and to play with.

A couple of nights ago, my hands were itching - I felt the need for something creative but something slow (it'd been an eventful day - I'll spare you the details, but eventful it was). How about some embroidery with that hand dyed wool floss I got myself, I thought. I've been fascinated by Sachiko embroidery lately (for a nice tutorial, check out this post at the Purl Bee). I like the contrast between the little stitches and the fabric, the combination of simple straight lines into stunning patterns. I just wanted to give it a try. The clothes hanger cover that I had still in the back of my head seemed perfectly adequate for that matter.

You've probably seen these clothes hanger covers before. They are easy to make and I think they are useful for hanging slippery shirts or dresses. So, that's what I have for you today. Turns out that I'm not the kind of person for large symmetric pattern embroidery, so my Sachiko embroidery experiment soon became an exercise in free style embroidery. But it still was fun and definitely asks for more.

What you'll need:

- wire coat hanger
- piece of cotton or linen
- embroidery floss + needle
- sewing machine
- iron
- pins, scissors, ...


Steps:

1. Trace your clothes hanger on a piece of paper and cut out (pic. 1.).
2. Transfer pattern to double folded fabric and cut fabric taking into account a 1-1.5 cm seam allowance (pic. 2-3).
3. Pin the bottom hem of both pieces (pic. 4.) and sew on sewing machine(pic. 5).
4. Pin the two pieces together and sew on your machine leaving an opening at the top (pic. 6-7). Make small cuts at the rounded parts, perpendicularly to the seam (pic. 8). Turn and press with iron (pic. 9)
5. Using some embroidery floss decorate the cover. Add a little button, if you like. And done.



You could of course decorate the cover in many different ways, embroider or applique names on it, have your kids draw on them with fabric markers or paint with fabric paint, tie dye, ... Or why not transfer one of your kid's drawings onto the cover and (have them) embroider the outlines. This could make a nice and easy, personalized gift for the holidays (holidays!? already?)...

I mentioned the new Flickr pool already a couple of times. If you made something with the help of a // Between the lines // tutorial or got inspired by something you found on this blog, don't be shy, and show us what you made! Check out this luxury version, for instance, of the clothes hanger covered with fabric strips, made by Cindy.Aren't these lovely/! And I think the hangers covered with Japanese masking tape are really clever! Thanks for adding these, girls!

A special delivery

We just got back from a short trip to Brussels, where we visited my parents. We had a special delivery with us - a late birthday present for my mom from big girl M. She made her grandma a pair of PJ pants, similar to the ones she made herself a couple of weeks ago. This time we used a pattern, though (Burda EASY 7765).
No need to tell grandma was totally thrilled and proud of her little girl...
I'm totally in love with the fabric - I still have some left and wonder if big girl M. could make me a pair too...

The cutest tutorial ever!

I have a very special guest today, my sweet, big girl M. .
With an interview and her tutorial for a cute finger puppet.
Both the tutorial and the puppet were part of my birthday present.




// BTL // : So, M., tell me, where did you get the idea of making a finger puppet?

M.: Deep down in my craft thinking area, the craft section in my brain!

// BTL // : Does everyone have a section like that, you think?

M.: No, only original people do!

// BTL // : Hmm, I see... And why a tutorial?

M.: So that people who like my work can make it! That's what blogs are about, not?

// BTL // : Some blogs, yes. So, you knew all the time that I would put it up on my blog?!

M.: Well, actually, I was hoping so but I also made it for fun and because it was your birthday!

// BTL // : Are there any other craft activities you like?

M.: Yes! Sewing, drawing and inventing!

// BTL // : The best thing you ever made?

M.: My pyjamas pants! My bag! The Super Teacher collage for my teacher!

// BTL // : Any other things you like to do?

M.: School and writing. And taking photos, too...(laughs)

// BTL // : Thank you for your time, my sweet M.!

M.: You're very welcome!... I hope I'll invent something again soon, so I can come back!

// BTL // : Me too!

Sewing with kids :: PJ's!

We had a nice and almost normal weekend. The girls had busy schedules on Saturday, but on Sunday we just stayed home and relaxed, and M. and I found time for some sewing as well.

With the holidays and all that happened after, we didn't do any sewing since the tote bag. She'd told me a couple of times already the next thing she wanted to sew was something she could wear. That's when I came up with the idea of making some PJ pants. Not too difficult, I thought, and no big deal if it didn't work out. Only problem: I didn't have a pattern - very annoying on a Sunday afternoon. We did have some summer drawstring pants, however, which once belonged to M. but now are more of little H.'s size. I traced those and added a couple of inches here and there, and hoped for the best. I found some really nice cotton fabric in my stash, with a delicate flower print which M. happened to like too. I cut the fabric for her and pinned the pieces together. And, somehow, the pattern worked out perfectly. Don't ask me how I did it, but it was right to the very last millimeter. M. did all the sewing on her little machine - she even zig-zagged the edges to prevent the fabric from fraying. I showed her a little trick for sewing the two legs together. She sort of panicked when she saw how wide the pants were at the waist - that was before inserting the elastic, however. Once the elastic was in, they had the right fit. I added one final little detail for her: a faux drawstring at the front.

Et voilà!... a mere two hours later, I was able to take this shot: a proud M. in her new PJ's...
Perfect! Just perfect! Don't you think?!

Sewing with kids

I mentioned it in one of my last posts of 2009: Santa brought the girls a real sewing machine - the Janome Sew Mini. At first I felt a little nervous about it. I wasn't sure they would like it. And given their young age (9 and 6), would it be easy enough to operate? I was a bit worried too - was I putting pressure on them to like the same thing I like to do: sewing? Turns out that I worried too much. They just love their little sewing machine, the best proof being the little projects they did.

So far, they each made a heat therapy cherry pit pillow. Big girl M. made the most gorgeous tote, big enough to fit a large sized book in it. And they both made a little linen pouch for their cousins, with their cousins' names embroidered on it - too bad I didn't have time to take pictures as these were REALLY cute. For all of these projects, all I did was provide the fabric, cut the fabric and put the pieces together ready to be stitched on the machine.



Since the bag turned out so lovely and is really easy to make, I decided I might as well provide you with some instructions. My first tutorial for 2010! It makes a nice beginner's project, not just for kids but for anyone who's new at sewing.

All you need is two rectangular pieces of fabric of 42 by 80 cm, one for the outside of the bag and one for lining the bag and some matching thread.

This is how it goes:

1. Cut the fabric - both the lining and outer fabric - as shown in the diagram. Next, fold the 10cm wide strip in half, lengthwise, and cut lengthwise at the fold so you obtain two 5 by 80cm strips. These will be used for the handles.



2. Starting with the outer fabric, fold the bigger piece in half, right sides facing and stitch the side seams. Repeat with the lining, but this time you leave a small opening in one of the side seams, for turning.

3. Take one of each fabrics long handle strips, place on top of each other right sides facing. Stitch both side seams. Attach a safety pin at one end, slip it inside and turn the obtained tube inside out - this makes a nice exercise in fine motor skills for kids. Remove the safety pin. Shape the handle and press flat with an iron (this should be done by an adult). Repeat with the other set of strips.

4. Turn the outer bag inside out, if you haven't done so already and pin the handles to the bag, such that the outer fabric of both the handle and bag is facing. Stitch into place, really close to the edge.



5. Pull the lining over the outer bag with the handles already attached, making sure the handles are squeezed inside, and such that the right side of the outer bag is facing the right side of the lining. Stitch the top seam, about 1.5cm from the edge.

6. Now, turn inside out the bag through the opening you left in the lining. Shape and press flat with an iron (adult!). Close the opening in the side seam of the lining and ... done!

I hope this is clear - if not just let me know!
Just a final note: if you plan on doing this project with kids, or any project on the sewing machine, do not leave them unattended while operating a sewing machine and make sure to keep the working area safe!

And now I'm off to dismantle and get rid of our Christmas tree!

Wishing you a fun first week of the new year!


Please note, these tutorials are intended for personal use only. Therefore, do not reproduce, sell or commercialize in any form without permission. Thanks for understanding!

Snow and Sew Mini

We were supposed to get snow today - 5cm they promised - and it would be extremely cold, they said, way below zero... Well, we did get snow, just some, and it melted right away as temperatures went up instead of down. So, all we see are wet puddles (as opposed to dry puddles?). And these blossoms - I'm not sure whether this is normal or not for the time of the year, but it sure looks pretty...



Oh! And Santa came today! A bit earlier than expected, probably because we won't be home much the coming days. He brought plenty of fun stuff: books, lots of them, a sewing basket for the girls each and... A sewing machine - not for me, sadly enough, but for the girls. A real one: the Janome Sew Mini. I'll post pictures of it later and pictures of the projects we did today. Both girls made a cherry pit heat therapy pillow and M. sewed a bag - incredibly pretty, and I'm not saying this because I'm the proud mom, but because it simply turned out gorgeously! All I did was cut the fabric, give some instructions and put the pieces together so she could stitch them.
This will be so much fun...

Sewing too :: kids' embroidery

It's definitely winter here now. This means more indoor activities, like crafts, painting, drawing... and now sewing, too. Both of my girls have shown interest lately in learning how to sew. Little H. actually never held a needle before, but told me several times she wanted to learn how to sew, too.

Last Wednesday we got started. And the result you can see in the pictures. The little dog was made by big sister M.. The cat is from little H.'s hand. The pattern for these little critters we found in the book "Kids' embroidery. Projects for Kids of All Ages." by Kristin Nicholas, a book with lots of fun projects, which I can really recommend, and not just for kids... Both girls got the hang of it - little H. even decided to add more detail, like the little collar (that was after she detected the golden embroidery thread in my sewing box). I hope we'll do some more...

Sewing too

"What's so interesting about an apple, bread, a plate and coffee?" That was H. yesterday when she saw me taking this picture. She's right. Nothing. But that wasn't what this picture was about. I just wanted to take a picture of the napkin with the napkin ring her sister made. M. made it the night before. She'd disappeared again in her room, but not to write, read or draw this time, but to sew! And it was a present for ME! Just like that. For no reason. Though initially meant to be a bracelet, we decided to re-purpose it as a napkin ring -- I guess I have big hands. I thought it was really cute. She made it with things she found in her own stash -- the piece of fabric came with a jar of jam someone offered me, the flower she got from her aunt. She even threaded the needle herself.

I think it goes really well with the table set my mom sent me a couple of years ago for my birthday.
So, thank you M.! Thank you so much!