2011 Tutorial Round-up : Upcycled Sweater Mittens (December 2011)

(dated December 2011)
written by Pamela Pilon of Bibmababy Online
(ETSY, FACEBOOK)
Appeared in Home Grown, Parenting in the North Magazine (ISSUE 6)

Back in December, I released a tutorial for a  easy peasy mittens made from a felted upcycled sweater. 

What does upcycled mean exactly? It simply means recycling to make something even better. Don't throw out that ugly sweater! Throw it in the wash on hot and shrink it to make fun mittens!

PREPARATION TIME

Approximately 1 hour without counting the felting time, but I'm mastered it to be done within 30 minutes.

FELTING YOUR SWEATER

Do what Mom told you NEVER to do. Throw that sweater in the washing machine with your towels on a hot cycle, using only half of the recommended amount of soap. Then throw it into the dryer for a few hot cycles.  To avoid fiber migration from the sweater to your towels (or even possibly clogging up your drain), throw your sweater into a pillowcase and tie a knot at the top. This should catch most of the flyaway fibers. If done right, your sweater will shrink to about a third of it’s size. 


WHAT YOU NEED

• Paper and pencil or marker
• 1 wool sweater (minimum 80% wool, 100% merino works best)
•  Scissors 
• Sewing machine, needle and coordinating thread

MAKING THE PATTERN

1.     Place your hand on a piece of paper, with your fingers slightly apart. Using a pencil or marker, trace a mitten shape round your hand.

2.     Retrace a second line about 1 inch away from your hand line trace. This second line is your sewing line. 

3.     Now trace a third line ¼ inch away from your second line. This third line is your cutting line.

4.     Draw a line at your wrist bone, to mark how far from this point you’d like for your mittens to sit.  
*You can also affix at elastic at this point, but I found the stretch in my felted sweater was enough for me.

5.     Draw the length of the mitten at about 3.5 inches past the wrist bone.

CUTTING THE FELT

6.     Lay your sweater flat onto the table. Use the pattern you created to cut out a total of four mitten pieces. When using a felted sweater, there is no need to worry about fabric direction.

7.     If you decide to use an elastic, with a fabric marker, mark the elastic placement line on the wrong side of each cut-out.

MAKING THE MITTENS

* Unless otherwise noted, all seams are a ¼ inch allowance.

8.     Match two of the hand cutouts with right sides together, and stitch the outer edge using a ½ inch seam allowance. If you decide to use elastic, end this stitch 2 inches above the wrist bone when you will be sewing the elastic.

9.     Repeat for the second mitten.

10. Open both mittens flat, and finger-press the seam open.


OPTION: Embellishments
Use ribbon and/or faux fur and stitch at the seam edge.

OPTION: Elastic wrist
On the wrong side of the mitten, measure the width of wrist bone line you drew with the fabric marker. Subtract 1 inch and cut 2 of this length of elastic. Stitch the elastic in place at the seam allowance. Stretch the elastic across the wrist bone line and hold the elastic in place while you zig-zag stitch the elastic. Stitch the end of the elastic in place with a straight stitch.

FINISHING TOUCHES

13.  Fold each mitten in half, with right sides together. Stitch through all layers around each mitten’s edge. Clip out the seam allowances of all curves. Turn over the mittens and enjoy!  

Note: Mittens didn’t turn out? You can also use them at a cutlery and napkin holder for your Christmas table setting!

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You can find all these tutorials and other great articles in Homegrown, Parenting in the North (FACEBOOK, WEB, ISSUE).

Pattern Review: The Spin Around Dress

My take on the Spin-Around Dress.

Top to Bottom: Unknown print, Michael Miller Gerberalicious,
Kona Solid Black

Last week, I received a link to this super duper cute dress pattern in my email from one of the hundreds of blogs that I am subscribed to. I fell in love with it, and knew exactly what I was going to use in terms of fabric. When my daughter was a wee baby, my mom purchased a metre of Michael Miller's Gerberalicious in Red print.

Spin-Around Dress comes in 2T only.

The FREE tutorial is available for print here: http://littlecomettails.com/2009/10/it-spin-around-a-molly-size-freebie-dress-pattern/ .

I was so excited to get my hands dirty. After about 10 minutes of reading and then re-reading the pattern. I didn't find it so user-friendly; especially for a beginner.

First things first, WASH and DRY your fabrics to pre-shrink them before cutting your pieces. This will avoid your dress shrinking in the wash. Next step.. IRON!!!  It ensures a proper cut-out.

Once you've prepped your fabric, print out the pattern and piece them together. Don't be surprised if it doesn't exactly go as planned. I was bothered that after I followed the instructions,... I realized that the alignment is slightly off.

Ensure that the print options are at scaling: none.

I suggest to use your better judgement to find exactly where the lines should meet up rather than just thinking you can butt the pages side-by-side. You can tell a bit by the picture below that there was about a 1/4 inch gap between 2 of the pieces of paper. I was afraid that I might have been the one to not have read the instructions properly, but end result shows that I did the right thing by placing were the paper SHOULD be, and not butting them together.

I cut out all the pieces required by the instructions. I found however, that the instructions for the sash was rather vague. Since I am experienced,  I just winged it.  Be sure you pay very close attention as to the direction of the fabric when you are cutting. When you cut the front and back pieces, ensure that you're not cutting a back piece in the same direction twice.

Ensure your pieces are ironed before cutting.
This will make your entire project easier to handle.

When you get to the point of having the sew your top pieces together. Sit and think. Think long and hard. I don't know if I was tired, but I got VERY frustrated at one point because whatever I'd sew.. I'd soon realize I had sewn a piece that would prevent me from folding the top inside out to be able to have a clean finish before I was ready to top-stitch.  At this point, the seam ripper came in real handy... several times.. to the point I wanted to throw the whole thing out the window.

Sit Back. Relax. Breathe. Continue.

The next thing that I would suggest at this point, is plug in the iron, and get ready to take your time and iron flat. I promise you, it will make your life a million times easier if you take the 5 minutes to iron your pieces flat before you top-stitch the collar. The next part doesn't come as easy...

Sew the neck hole, Topstitch then focus on the armholes.
Trying to top-stitch the neck afterward will frustrate you.

I got confused a lot with where I should be sewing. The armholes are sewn to themselves... and NOT to the facing fabric. .. So... Red sewn to red,... black sewn to black. That was one big mistake. I blame it on being tired and lack of instruction.

This is where I starting losing all hope in the project. I took a minute to reread the instructions, swore a few times and then decided to scrap it and use my better judgement.

Enter my serger...

I serged the bottom to prep it for the trim.
You can also just achieve this by
creating a zig-zag stitch.

Anytime I'm sick and tired of having to over think a pattern, I finish the seams with a serger. If you don't own a serger, I highly recommend you get your hands on one... You can get a decent Singer (that's what I did!) for about $250. Word to the wise, replace the thread with a higher grade cotton thread. Otherwise you'll hate your serger when you realize it takes 10 minutes to thread... and the thread keeps snapping.

Moving along... 

I serged the top of the dress to the bottom part by sliding the skirt over the top, waists touching print side touching. I then topstitched the serged part down for a clean look.

I was pretty happy with the outcome of serging these pieces together. I tried it out on my mannequin, added the sash, and realized I HATED the length. It felt outdated, and I was aiming for more of a cocktail dress type of feel.

So I took the dress back to the drawing board. I measured a line about 4 inches higher than the original hem line.

Brilliant! I was closer to my goal!

I shortened the bottom by 4 inches.

My last hurdle was trying to hem the dress without it looking half-finished. I tinkered around with making a 2-inch hemline in black, but it looked too heavy like it was fighting with the sash. I sat and thought about it for a while... then I realized I had about 5 metres of bias tape sitting in front of me.

Lightbulb!

If you've never had the pleasure of using double-wide bias tape... I present you with this youtube tutorial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fEv3VXPUEs ...

See video at the end of this review.

After much thought, I used an
Extra-Wide Double Bias Tape.

All in all - the instructions to this tutorial needs some work, however, it is a good resource to have a printed pattern available for cutouts. My suggestion is this. Use common-sense.

Another great bias-tape tutorial can be found on another favourite web site of mine, Smashed Peas and Carrots.
http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.ca/2011/01/how-to-sew-bias-tape-tutorial.html

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2011 Tutorial Round-up: Tooth Fairy Pillow (November 2011)

(dated November 2011)
written by Pamela Pilon of Bibmababy Online
(ETSY, FACEBOOK)
Appeared in Home Grown, Parenting in the North Magazine (ISSUE 5)

Back in November, I released a tutorial for a Tooth Fairy Pillow, an ideal presentation to swap teeth for cash. You could also alter this pattern to make a Soother Fairy Pillow. Just a little imagination is needed. * Click on the images for a larger view.

PREPARATION TIME

Approximately 1 hour

WHAT YOU NEED

• Printer to print out the Pillow Pattern Pattern available HERE
• ½ meter for tooth (quilter’s cotton)
• 5 inches x 5 inches for pocket (quilter’s cotton)
• 5 inches of bias tape
• Batting
• Fabric pencil
• Ruler
• Rotary cutter and mat or scissors
• Sewing machine, needle and coordinating thread

CUTTING YOUR MATERIAL

• Exterior Print -Cut 2 of the pillow patterns
• Pocket
  - Cut 1 pocket
  - Cut 1 strip of bias tape, the same width as the pocket

POCKET

* Unless otherwise noted, all seams are a ¼ inch allowance.

1. Sew the bias tape to the long edge of the pocket square. Backstitch at both ends.
   
2. Cut excess tape.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Fold the short sides under by ½ inch. Press.
   
   
4. Fold the bottom of the Pocket Square under by ½ inch. Press.
   
   
   
5. Using one of your tooth cutouts, print-side facing up, place your pocket square in the center of the tooth. Pin in place.
6. Stitch the pocket beginning at the top left corner, going down the edges at ⅛ inch, and come across the bottom and then finally up the right side. Leave the top unstitched and remember to back stitch at the beginning and the end.

ASSEMBLING THE TOOTH

1. With print sides together, pin in place.
2. Stitch the raw edges together, leaving a gap open (as noted on the pattern) to allow to turn the pillow inside out and backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitch.

STUFFING THE PILLOW

1. Turn the pillow right side out through the gap you left in step 7.
2. Using batting, stuff the pillow by tearing small pieces of batting and stuffing into the roots of the tooth first. Packing it in tightly.

FINISHING TOUCHES

1. Pin the hole closed and stitch using a needle and some thread.

Note: You can also alter this design by folding over a ribbon to create a loop and stitch the raw ends into the hole using your sewing machine and top stitching it closed.

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You can find all these tutorials and other great articles in Homegrown, Parenting in the North (FACEBOOK, WEB, ISSUE).

2011 Tutorial Round-up: Toddler Bag (October 2011)

(dated October 2011)
written by Pamela Pilon of Bibmababy Online (ETSY, FACEBOOK)
Appeared in Home Grown, Parenting in the North Magazine (ISSUE 4)

Back in October, I released a tutorial for a Toddler Size Trick or Treat Bag, perfect for Halloween treats! Why not look at this bag from a different angle,... choose a different fabric and you've easily got yourself a great lunch bag, something to replace your purse, a wet bag for your pool swimwear, oh even just a toy bag to carry your child's favourite things to daycare!

PREPARATION TIME

Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED

• ½ meter for outside (quilter’s cotton)
• ½ meter for lining (quilter’s cotton)
• ¼ meter Fusible Fleece
• Fabric pencil
• Ruler
• Rotary cutter and mat or scissors
• Sewing machine and coordinating thread

CUTTING YOUR MATERIAL

• Exterior Print - Cut 2 rectangles 12 inches x 15 inches
• Lining - Cut 2 rectangles, 12 inches x 15 inches
• Straps - Cut 2 rectangles, 5 inches x 17 inches of print or lining
• - Cut 4 strips, 1 inch by 16.5 inches of fusible fleece

ASSEMBLING the EXTERIOR of the BAG

* Unless otherwise noted, all seams are a ¼ inch allowance.

1. Sew around the sides and bottom of the exterior print. Backstitch at both ends. (Note: Zigzag stitch both seam flaps if you want durability.)

2. Press side seams open.

CREATING BOX CORNERS

3. Measure 2 inches by 2 inches on the bottom corners of your bag. Mark a dot at the point where the measurements intersect. Do this on both sides of the bottom of the bag. This should leave you with 4 dots.

4. Put your hand in the bag at the corner and pinch the side and bottom seams together.

5. Line up your side and bottom seam into a triangle.

6. Pin at 2 inches from the corner.

7. Stitch a straight line. Backstitch at both ends.

8. Trim the excess.

9. Repeat this process on the other corner of the bag.

ASSEMBLING the LINING

10. Repeat Steps 1-2 with ONE EXCEPTION. When sewing around the sides, leave a 5 inch opening at the bottom to allow you to turn your bag inside out after sewing the bag and lining together.

11. Repeat the Box Corners (Steps 3-9) for the Lining.

BAG ASSEMBLY

12. Turn the lining inside out and stuff into your print bag.
(The print bag should still be wrong side out.)
The right sides of the fabrics should be facing each other.

13. Match the side seams and edges together.
Pin and sew with a ½ inch seam allowance around the entire top of the bag.

14. Turn the bag right side out through the 5 inch gap you left at the bottom of the lining.

15. Topstitch the hole closed.

16. Insert the Lining back into the back, iron the bag mouth and topstitch ½ inch from the edge.

MAKING THE STRAPS

17. Take your 5 inch x 17 inch pieces and iron ¼ inch edge on both ends.

18. Fold the strap in half lengthwise.
Iron flat to create a crease in the middle.

19. Open the strap, and fold each raw side to meet at the middle crease. Iron Flat.

20. Open the fold and place 2 strips of the fusible fleece, placing one on each side of the crease.

21. Refold at the crease, hiding the strips of Fusible Fleece.

22. Iron as per instructions on your package of Fusible Fleece.

23. Refold at the crease to hide raw edges and sew on all sides at 1/8 inch.

24. Repeat steps 17-23 to make another strap.

25. Attach one end of each strap to the bag at 2 inches from each side and 2 inches down (this will meet cleanly with the box corners).
Choose which directions the handles will be facing at the point.

26. Sew the strap onto the bag using a box pattern and then sewing an “X” in the middle of the box for strength.

27. Do the same for all 4 sides.

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You can find all these tutorials and other great articles in Homegrown, Parenting in the North (FACEBOOK, WEB, ISSUE).

Turning my Room into a Storefront

What you Need

• 13 x 19 cardboard cake plates
• X-acto knife and cutting mat
• Long ruler
• Elastics or safety pins

Note: Cut your sheets one at a time please! We don’t want any blood stains on our mini bolts! It’s easiest using an X-acto knife, by running your knife lightly over and over the same line. It’s a Graphic designer’s trick that prevents you from losing control of your knife and slicing your fingers. Don’t worry if the lines are a little jagged. You’ll notice you’ll get cleaner lines with practice… and less scarring on your hands.




Fabric Mini-Bolts

1. Cut your cardboard to 13 x 15 sheets. No worries, you’ll use the remnants afterward.







2.Cut your sheet to three 13 x 5 rectangles.








3. Cut your rectangles to 6.5 x 5 mini bolts. When done, you should have 18 mini bolts.







4. Find a flat surface, and open up your fabric, but keep it’s mid-width fold. Bring your mini bolt to the left edge, and fold over half the length of the cardboard.






5. Flip the fabric with the bolt upward, keeping the fabric taught against the bolt.









6. One you’ve rolled it all the way up, it’s time to start folding the fabric onto the bolts, keeping the fabric taught the whole way.





7. Tie off using a rubber band to keep the fabric secure to the bolt. Voilà! (See what I did there? I showed you I’m French, eh!? I’m also Canadian, but you’ve probably noticed by the way I spell grey and favourite, travelled and centre.)



Bias tape, ribbon and rickrack organizer

1. With Cardboard remnant, cut in half lengthwise (2 inches should be the middle).






2. Then cut them again in half (at 6.5 inches)








3. Wrap your ribbon (or whatever your vice may be) and secure it by inserting a pin diagonally into the corrugation on the side.







4. You can go an extra step and make them super fancy by placing the finished product into a glass cookie jar. I just keep mine filed in a plastic container.

2011 Tutorial Round-up: LunchBag (September 2011)

Canvas Lunch Bag
(dated September 2011)
written by Pamela Pilon of Bibmababy Online (ETSY, FACEBOOK)
Appeared in Home Grown, Parenting in the North Magazine (ISSUE 3)

Not only for lunches, but great for carrying markers, make-up, daycare toys, collection of cars, buttons, bows and more! This project takes about 2 hours to complete.

Let's get started.

What You Will Need.

• Scissors or Rotary cutter and mat
• ¾ meter of heavyweight cotton, canvas or jean
• 2 inches of hook and loop tape or snaps and snap press
• 34 inches of Double-fold bias tape
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Fabric pencil

Cutting Your Pieces.

• Cut 1 cotton piece 30 inches x 14 ½ inches (Main Piece) Note: If you are using a Direction Print, cut 2 cotton pieces 15 ½ inches x 14 ½ inches and sew at the 15 ½ inch edges with a ½ inch seam allowance, making sure fabrics are in opposite direction. Once folded, the print should fall in the right direction. Press seam open. For the purpose of this tutorial, I will be using a Directional Print.
• Cut 1 cotton piece 4 ½ inches x 5 ½ inches (Pocket Square)
• Cut 1 strip of bias tape 28 inches
• Cut 1 strip bias tape 5 ½ inches

Making Your Bag.

* All seam allowances are ½ inch unless otherwise noted.

Pin Tucking.

1. On either side of the Main Piece, measure and mark a line at 3 inches from the raw side (see photo).

2. Fold on the 3 inches line and press. Topstitch over the fold line at ⅛ inch. (Make sure to backstitch at both ends!)

3. Repeat on the other side.


Pocket.

4. Sew the 5½ inch strip of bias tape to a long edge of the Pocket Square. Backstitch at both ends!

5. Fold the short side under by a ½ inch. Press.

6. Fold the bottom of the Pocket Square under by ½ inch. Press.


7. With your Main Piece's print-side facing up, place your Pocket Square print-side down 6 inches below the top of the Main Piece and center it horizontally. Pin in Place.

* Note: Remember to fold out the flaps from your pin tucking on the back.

8. Stitch it place, beginning at the top left corner, going down the edges at ⅛ inch, and come across the bottom and then finally up the right side. Leave the top unstitched and remember to backstitch!

Coming Together.

9. With print sides together, fold the Main Piece in half. Pin in Place.

10. Stitch the raw edges together, backstitching at both ends. Press open the seams. Note: Use a serger, pinking shears for a zigzag stitch to finish the seams.

The Gusset.

11. With the bag still inside out, measure 3 inches from the bottom folded edge. Find the spots were the pin tucking line and this 3 inch line meet. Using a fabric pencil, mark these spots. On one Gusset, draw a line from the dot to the bottom corner of the main panel (see photo). Note: Sometimes this line doesn't meet at the exact right spot. As long as you can sew a clean straight line, you'll get the desired effect.

12. Repeat on the other side.

13. With the side seam facing you, pinch the fabric on the left side of the seam and fold the fabric, right sides together, directly on the line you just drew in Step 11. Pin in Place.

14. Repeat on the right side. This will create a triangle shape. Pin in Place.

15. Stitch a straight line across to connect both dots you drew in Step 11. Backstitch both ends.

16. Repeat Steps 11-15 onto other side of bag.

17. Once repeated trim both triangle shapes. Finish with a ½ inch seam allowance on each gusset.

Finishing Touches.

18. Turn the bag right side out. Attach the 28 inch strip of bias tape to the top raw edge. Stitch in place.

19. Center the rough part of the hook and loop take horizontally on the front of the lunch bag, 3½ inches away from the top edge, and pin in place. Note: Feeling adventurous? You can use snaps instead. Why not try a button or two and some button holes!

20. Attach the hook and look tape security to the bag by stitching close to the edge.

21. Center the soft part of the hook and loop tape horizontally on the back of the lunch bag , directly below the bis tape. Pin in place.

22. Attach the hook and look tape security to the bag by stitching close to the edge.

23. We're done! Enjoy your custom lunch bag!

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You can find all these tutorials and other great articles in Homegrown, Parenting in the North (FACEBOOK, WEB, ISSUE).