Tutorial - Embellished Fabric Pin

In the coming weeks I'll be offering up a few tutorials for quick and easy projects, including some gift ideas, cards, and maybe some packaging. I'll also be trying to use supplies I already have, and will be recycling or repurposing some items that would ordinarily go in the trash. Check back often to see what I've been up to.

Today we'll make this little fabric pin that I've embellished with Eyelash cord and a fish bead. You really don't need the Eyelash, but it does add some nice texture and interest, so if you have some, go ahead and use it. You can substitute another cord if you have something interesting, or you can skip it altogether.

For this project you'll need some scraps of fabric, scraps of quilt batting, contrasting thread, a pretty bead or charm, and a sew-on pinback. Wonder-Under is optional, but helpful when you're working in this size.

My finished pin measures 1-5/8" by 2-1/8", so I will describe my project based on that size. You will need to adjust the measurements based on the bead or charm you're using.

Most of the steps are illustrated below, and the remaining steps I think are self-explanatory. Directions follow the photos.

1. First, if you have Wonder-Under, fuse it to the wrong side of your fabric scraps following the manufacturer's instructions, and remove the paper backing. I like to use it because it helps hold the layers of my project together while I'm sewing, and it gives some body to my pin.

2. Cut a 1-1/2" x 1" piece of one fabric, 2 pieces of a contrasting background fabric approximately 2-1/4" x 2-1/2", and 1 piece of batting approximately 2-1/4" x 2-1/2".

3. Fuse the small piece of fabric to one of the background pieces, then fuse that to your batting. Don't worry if your batting is sticking out or if your background looks too large. You'll be trimming this to a smaller size in just a few minutes.

4. Cut a 6" (approximately) piece of Eyelash and fold it in half. Set your machine for zigzag, and stitch around the edges of your smaller piece of fabric,feeding the Eyelash along the edge as you go and zigzagging the Eyelash in place. Don't worry about which direction the little eyelashes go, but do be sure to catch the main cord under your stitching. Trim off any excess length of Eyelash. This is already looking cute, isn't it?

5. Sew your charm or bead on at this point, using a sturdy thread and knotting it securely on the back of the batting.

6. Now fuse your remaining background piece to the back of your work. You probably won't be able to press this flat because your bead is on the other side, but that's OK. Really all you need to do is tack it in place. Be careful not to melt your bead if it's plastic.

7. Now you can trim the entire piece down to the size you want. This will get rid of any stray bits of batting or background that are sticking out, and will tidy everything up.

8. Zigzag around the outside edge to secure all the layers.

9. Handstitch your pin back securely to the back of your fabric, being careful not to stitch through to the front.

That's all there is to it! You can change this up in a variety of ways, such as adding a ribbon loop to make a tree ornament, leaving off the pin back and stitching your work to a larger project, attaching the pin to a gift package -- or whatever else your imagination suggests.

Twinchies - Pink Ribbon

Over at Small World of Inchies & Twinchies, the current theme, Pink Ribbon, reminds us that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I haven't sewn on paper in a while, and since I had my machine out for a busy sewing day (first a wristlet key fob tutorial for my other blog, then bedroom curtains out of a bed sheet from the back of the linen closet!), I thought it was time to zigzag some cardstock layers together. I had forgotten how much I love this type of sewing.

For this twinchie, I first stamped onto textured cardstock, stitched that to gray cardstock, then attached those layers to a stamped background. After adding a tiny stamped "Hope" tag, I finished everything off with a pink ribbon.

How-To: Fabric Gift Card Pouch

I sometimes feel like a gift card is a little bit impersonal, but so many people like to receive them, and they're so much easier to send long-distance, so I end up buying quite a few of them. Last night I was getting ready to put one in a card and send it off, when I came up with an idea to personalize it a little bit. The gift card pouch pictured here took only minutes to make, and I didn't have to buy any new materials for it.

I always have bits of fabric on hand that I've applied Wonder-Under to, just in case I want to do a project like this, so I was able to pull from that supply for my gift card pouch. In addition to the fused pieces, which are used for the outside, the lining, and the decorations, I used scraps of quilt batting (in this case, Warm & Natural).

First, cut 4 rectangles of my background fabric and 2 of batting, each sized 3-3/4" x 2-3/4". Set 2 of the fabric rectangles aside to be used for the lining. Fuse each of the other pieces of fabric to a piece of batting.

Cut your embellishments out of a contrasting fabric that already has Wonder-Under applied to the reverse side. In my case, I used a circle template to mark and cut circles in several sizes. Place those contrasting pieces onto your previously fused fabric/batting pieces and iron in place.

Using a decorative thread (I used Madeira rayon), embellish the surfaces as desired. Decide which embellished rectangle you want for the front of your pouch, and cut one end off at an angle. You could create a fancier edge, but I was trying to keep it simple. Zigzag that edge with decorative thread. This will be the top edge of the pouch front. If you want the edge to be completely smooth, you can use a satin stitch (a slightly rough edge doesn't bother me, so I just used a narrow zigzag).

Now fuse the 2 remaining fabric rectangles to the backs of your other pieces, completely covering the batting. You now have lined front and back pieces. Place one on top of the other, lining sides together, and zigzag or satin-stitch around the 4 raw edges. You're done!

In addition to the gift card, I was able to tuck a few other small goodies into my pouch. The next one I make will be about 1/4" bigger in both directions so I can use it for artist trading cards. The pouch pictured here almost worked for that purpose, but it was just a little too tight.

Balloons, Bags, and Beaches

On the way to the Balloon Festival today, we stopped at Fabrics by the Pound in Summerdale, where they had boxes of unpackaged long zippers in lots of great colors for $1 each, so I grabbed a few for some upcoming bag projects. They also had some fantastic decorator fabrics at great prices, which really got me thinking about how I've been making fabric choices for my bags, which in turn got me thinking about the whole process, from patterns to fabric selection to construction to finishing. And, I think I finally have a handle on this thing -- being able to make a variety of bags and pouches that aren't too labor-intensive or difficult to complete, while still being fun and stylish. So over the next few weeks I'll be tinkering with my ideas and perhaps offering a few selections for sale.

There were no balloons being launched this afternoon at the Balloon Festival due to the high winds, so we cut that excursion short and went to Gulf Shores. We hadn't planned on going to the beach, so we weren't exactly prepared, but we did stay long enough to get a little sunburned. Some of us just never learn.

Case Solved

It's hard to find a case for a slider phone, so I made this little bag today, as a way to protect my phone while it's being tossed around in my handbag. The handle can serve as a wrist strap to carry the phone on its own, or can be easily looped around the strap of a handbag to keep the case from swimming to the bottom of a large bag. I'm still not quite satisfied with the security of the phone -- I think I need to add a closure for the top to prevent escape -- so I'll probably design a new and improved version. Then I'll start thinking about designs to fit other phone sizes.

Icing on the Cake

The cake decorating class is going --- well, let's just say it's going. I find the whole "icing consistency" thing very challenging, but I'm still having fun. I think my frustration stems from the fact that we start class in what seems to be a cool room, but by the end of class it's hot and my "roses" are wilting.

Now that my class is out of the way, other things I have lined up for this week include finishing my cell phone case, starting a small velvet bag, visiting the farmers' market at the Mobile Museum of Art, and attending the Balloon Festival in Foley.

Cases and Cakes

After dropping my old flip phone only about 6 inches onto concrete and breaking the speaker, I replaced it with this slider phone, which isn't very well-protected while in my purse. So, what you see here is a padded cell phone case in the making. It will probably have a wrist strap in case I want to take it along on my walks. The fabrics are from my carefully protected stash of Hoffman batiks. No embellishment here - it needs to be easy to wash.

Now, a cake decorating update. On the day of my class I went to Mobile to use Mama's oven, since mine was permanently out of service. My nieces, Erin and Tara, who live next door, kindly baked the cake for me. Erin, almost 13, might be a pastry chef if she doesn't become a big cat trainer or a book reviewer. Tara, 11, had planned on being a teacher, but now she might be a culinary artist. So I left them at my parents, happily baking brownies in muffin tins, and went home to make my icing. About 30 seconds into the buttercream icing, my heavy-duty Kitchenaid mixer stopped working. So I went to plan B - the hand mixer. While reaching into the drawer to get the beaters, I cut my left thumb - yes, I'm lefthanded - on an extremely sharp knife made out of a saw blade. I bought it from a Texas gentleman at the Peter Anderson Festival, and I love it because it's made for lefties and it cuts bread beautifully. Now I've learned my lesson about knife storage.

I made it to class in spite of everything, and will admit that cake decorating can be challenging, but I think that with practice I can master it. I still have 3 more weeks of class to decide. Funny, but my mixer started working again, so maybe I can make my icing without another mishap.

My new range arrived today and I will try out the oven tomorrow.