Waste not Want not!

That old saying 'waste not want not' is probably unintentionally the moto for my sewing activity.  I love crafting and creating things but there is something extremely satisfying for me about making something out of 'nothing'.  By nothing I mean - scraps or rubbish - something that someone else was about to throw away or something that seems useless.

I love someone complimenting a skirt I have made and being able to say 'this? thanks - I made it from a pillow case, duvet, shirt, scrap etc etc'
 This week I did some alterations for a friend and took up the hem of her dress.  This left me with a strip of fabric too thin for much to be honest so I decided to turn the leftovers into a hair band.  Simple but something I wear often on those days when an outfit needs that extra touch or when my hair just decides to be disastrous and covering up is the safer option!
 So how did I do it?  Simple, quick and easy as can be.

You will need;
- a long scrap of fabric - mine was about 5cm wide but you can make yours much wider to create a thicker band.
-needle
-thread
-safety pin
-pins

1.  Cut your fabric to the length and width you require.  The final band width will be half of the fabric minus about 1.5cm seam allowance on both sides of the fabric.  It is important that you try to keep this as straight as possible so if you can use a ruler or measure to get straight lines.

2. Fold your fabric half way down the length of it so that the right side of the fabric is facing inwards touching.

You can see that mine still had the hem of the dress on it which I made sure didn't show in the final product by sewing to the left of the stitching.

3. Pin together and sew a straight line from one side to the other ensuring your seam allowance remains the same from start to finish

4. Now take your safety pin and attach it to one side of the tube you have created.  Push the saftey pin into the tube and gently ease it through teasing the fabric out as you go.  Once the safety pin is through the other end of the tube the fabric should pull through easily so you can now see the right side of the fabric in a tube.

5. Fold the raw edges into the tube at each end of the hair band.  This can be done to create a straight edge or you can create a slant so that the band naturally slants towards a point at each edge.

6. Now stitch each end and trim all loose threads.  Press the band and pair it with an outfit of your choice!

And there you have it the finished product!  Nothing needs to be wasted especially not fabric!  The whole project should take no longer than half an hour if you are stitching with a machine and it creates a great accessory out of something that otherwise might have gone in the bin!  It makes a cute gift too!

Happy sewing!

Back to the blog - how to make EYE MASKS

After a few weeks away with sickness and all sorts going on I thought on this gorgeously sunny morning I would complete a project and do some blogging.
 I recently signed up to do a craft fair for the first time.  It's all a bit of an experiment to be honest but it has got me thinking of new things that I can make that people would enjoy owning or giving as gifts.  This morning I made an eye mask which was surprisingly simple, reasonably quick and gives a good professional finish which is always very satisfying.

To do this project you will need:

• Fabric in the pattern of your choice
• A sheet of thin foam ( I used craft foam for kids)
• A backing fabric
• Paper for the stencil, pencil and scissors
• Pins
• Elastic
• Bias binding
• The usual needle and thread :)

You need to cut out your template - I traced an eye mask I already had but a quick look in google images will give you a selection to print and trace if you aren't confident with your free hand. 

Now pin the template onto the fabric and cut around as you would with any pattern.  Repeat this on your foam and your backing fabric.

Place all three together - backing fabric then foam then your patterned fabric on top facing right side upwards.  Now pin together to avoid movement and sew around the edge.  It helps to stay close to the edge so you aren't going to have a hard time hiding the stitching later.

You should be left with something like this.

Now take your bias binding and elastic.  You need to mark with a pin where you want your elastic to sit on either side of the mask.  It needs to be placed at an equal distance on both sides from the top and the bottom to ensure you don't end up with a wonky mask.
 Begin to fold the bias binding round the edge of the mask and pin in place.  As you reach the points for your elastic insert the elastic into the fold at the back of the mask.  The elastic should just lie flat against the mask.

 Now you need to choose a thread that matches the bias binding or choose an appropriate contrast.  You now need to sew round the edge of the bias binding adjusting as you go to avoid any creases.  At this point it is worth going slow and steady and staying close to the edge of the binding.  This line of stitching will show and makes part of the finished product so it is important the stitching is neat and steady.

Now trim any loose threads and there you have it - a perfect gift for yourself or someone else!  Enjoy and don't forget to send me pics of your progress - you can tweet me @jenniwessels

Till next time :) 

Presents - home made? ? ?

Summer for me brings a spattering of birthdays and celebrations.  Being in the middle of this time again got me to thinking about presents.  Most people love giving and receiving a good gift - it truly warms the heart to realise someone has considered what you would love and who you are.  At the same time there is something wonderful about watching a friend or family member get that feeling after opening something you gave.

I've been thinking about what really makes a great gift - is it having something you really wanted or is it knowing that someone put in some time to make or choose that gift rather than grabbing it at the end of a weekly food shop?

One of the best gifts my parents got me was my sewing machine - 15years old I think and over a decade later it's still with me!  They knew I would love it - I think I actually asked for one - and it has truly been a useful gift :-).  At the same time other much smaller gifts have left great impressions on me - knowing that person really knows me well.

A few years ago I was flat broke and started making presents.  I wanted to still be able to give things but really couldn't afford great shop bought gifts.  I have to admit that some of my early attempts at gifts have probably been discarded at the back of a cupboard somewhere.  I like to think that my home made gifts have improved in their quality but the heart intention is still the same- to make that individual aware that I have been thinking of them and how special they are.  Home made presents do have the risk of being useless and tacky- things you would actually never pay money for.
Spending a bit more money and heading to the shops doesn't of course guarantee you won't be still giving something useless and tacky but the risk is probably reduced somewhat!

All that considered I think my moto now is if I'm inspired to make something then that's what I go with - if not I head to the shops and hope I find some inspiration there.  I am trying not to automatically make everything for the sake of it instead trying to maintain some authenticity to my crafting.

So what do you prefer to give/receive?

Is it home made or shop bought?

Let me know :-)