Fabric bukuro

I often get emails about the fabric bukuro bags I made back in February last year.

They are basically fabric origami bags - made by folding and a little stitching. 

 Quite simple to make and really pretty and cute!

If anyone is interested, let me know in a comment here and I'll see if I can make up a step by step photo tutorial to post here at Creating my way to Success.

UPDATE:  I've now made a tutorial for making this bag 

 click here!

Jill

Hair Scrunchie tutorial - 5 steps in 15 minutes

Here's another simple project that anyone can sew in just 5 steps and 15 minutes.

Hair scrunchies can be made whatever size you like to suit your hair length and thickness.

This one is the right size for my hair which is long and thick.  But as the fabric does just 'scrunch' up - you can just cut roughly as wide and long as you like for bigger or smaller ruffles!

Step 1

 Cut a piece of elastic and a length of fabric.

I used elastic - 20cm (7") long and 1cm (0.5") wide,

and fabric 56cm (22") long and 6.5cm (2.5") wide.

Fold over one short end of the fabric and pin then stitch one end of the elastic to it.

Step 2

Fold the fabric in half, right sides together along the long edge, and stitch all the way down.

Step 3

Attach a safety pin to the loose end of the elastic, then push the pin and elastic through the fabric tube, so turning it right sides out.

Step 4

Now turn the safety pin around and push the elastic back through the tube until the elastic reaches the other end of the tube. Pin and stitch it to the end.

Step 5

Now gently push one end of the tube into the other end and stitch closed. Run 2 or 3 rows of stitching over this to secure.

And there you have a hair scrunchie!

You can make them with any kind of fabric and any size you choose.

For the downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

For more simple tutorials for useful things to sew in just 

5 steps and 15 minutes  

go here.

There are also many more tutorials both simple and more detailed, but all with lots of photos and clear instructions on 

My Tutorials page.

A frog in My Creative Space

A couple of weeks ago I signed up to swim in a 24hr swimathon to raise money for MS.

I've been assigned the role of creative manager of the team which we've named the Freddo Frogs! (just like the Cadbury version!)

It's a fun event - and we can get everyone to swim with various balloons and fun stuff now and then.

So I thought I'd made some froggy cap covers that we can slip over our caps and wear to swim a few laps !

I tried to take some pictures to see what the cap looks like on - but it's tricky to take pictures of myself...

Not sure - maybe it will look better when I'm swimming!!

I've already made a couple of swimming frog mascots 

Now I have to think what else I can come up with!

Any ideas?

Jill

Cuddly turtle tutorial

I'm a big believer in anyone can sew.  I'm trying to bring my girls up with the same attitude and encourage their creativity.

This week my youngest has Book Character Day at school - where they get to dress up as their favourite book character.  She has chosen Tess the Turtle fairy - who wears just regular clothes (easy), a pair of fairy wings (what little girl doesn't have a pair!) and has a turtle....oh...

So - when my daughter asked if I could make her a turtle - I suggested she make her own! So she did!

Here's how:

First she drew her turtle on a piece of paper :

Then I got her to draw the head, tail and a leg separately for the pattern pieces.

She then cut the pattern pieces out:

Then chose some fabric and pinned the pieces on:

Her 6 year old hands are still a bit little for using dressmakers scissors easily - so at her request I cut the pieces out.

She had to work out that we needed a top and bottom for each part - and then enough pieces for 4 legs (or fins)

Next came choosing 2 buttons for the eyes:

And stitching them onto the top part of the head:

Now onto the machine stitching!  The head , tail and 4 fins had to be  pinned then stitched around the edges - leaving a gap for turning out and stuffing!

Turning out and stuffing was lots of fun!

All stuffed and ready for assembly!

Each piece then had to be pinned and stitched to the main body - but facing inwards:

Then the other main body part placed over the top and it all stitched together - leaving the all important gap for turning out and stuffing!

Finally - she turned her turtle right sides out and stuffed him!

(sorry for the blurring stuffing photos!)

Final step was to hand-stitch the opening closed.

And there you have it - one cuddly turtle, designed and made by Maya - age 6!!

Now he may not be a very conventional turtle - but he is Maya's - the fact that she could draw and make the pattern herself makes him all the more special!

Aside from the fabric cutting, and the hand stitching it up at the end, Maya basically made this turtle herself.  The machine stitching she could do no problem - I just stepped in to help when she started getting tired (a 6 year old's attention span isn't too long!) .

What crafts have you done with your kids lately?  Do you let your kids loose on your sewing machine?

Just to update - I asked Maya - and she tells me the turtle's name is Pearl!

For the downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

If you are interesting in helping your kids learn to sew, I have produced an e-book that helps kids learn to sew using a pair of jeans as the base fabric!  Do take a look at my 

Teach Your Kids To Sew E-Book!

New bag pattern on it's way !

A friend recently asked if I could make her a bag.  She has one she loves that is wearing out, and has looked and looked in the shops for another just like it but to no avail!

So she brought her old one to me to see if I could made her one just like it!

Here's the original:

And here's the first two I made:

(this one from a pair of jeans I got from the charity shop for 50c!

And the second in a brighter colour using fabric from my rather large stash!

I'm satisfied with the pattern and method now - so I'll make my friend her new bag - and draw up a new tutorial for it too!

I really enjoy the process of making my own patterns - and putting them all together to present so others can follow them too!

Plus it helps me to have a record of how I've made things in case I want to come back to them another time - when inevitably I've forgotten what I did in the first place!

Jill