It's Been A Little While Sorry! Here's a Scarf Tute

Hello there!
Firstly I have to apologise as it's been a good few months since my last post- awful blogging etiquette I know, I'm very sorry. I will mend my ways, promise!

I have still been making things including the following scarf! It was made by recycling a pair of palazzo trousers. I took pics along the way, albeit rubbish ones with my phone but you can get the idea from them.

First you need a pair of trousers with baggy legs (although you could skip this step if you have fabric you like, or use a long skirt/dress- whatever you like). I loved these trousers but with a hole by the zip and the bottoms getting a little worn it was time to re-purpose them. The trousers (or the fabric) will need a good iron.

From each leg cut two equal rectangles of fabric so you have four pieces of fabric all the same size, in my example the sections measured roughly 26cm x 76cm (11 x 30 inches).

With right sides together,  sew two of the section together along the shorter ends. Repeat the same step with the other two sections (my fabric looks very similar on both sides in the photographs but the birds on the outside are more crisp in colour). 
I used a 1cm seam allowance throughout the project (except for the final seam).

Open both sections out so you have two double length pieces, each with a seam in the centre. Pin these two lengths together, again right sides together, with the seams meeting in the centre. Sew the two long sides together.

At this stage you will have a long tube with the seams on the outside. Tuck one half inside the other with the right sides together so that the unsewn edges meet (with the sewn seams meeting on either side). Pin these together and sew around the edge leaving a section open.

The section left unsewn- approximately 10cm.

Turn the scarf the right way out through the unsewn hole, so all the seams are on the inside.
Tuck the raw edges in and the pin the hole closed.

As close to the edge as possible sew the opening closed.

The finished seam...

And that's the scarf done!

All ready to wear- just wrap it around twice and you're all set.

Here's a picture of the finished scarf (after a day's wear) to show it's length open- approx 66cm (26in) or about the length as a semi stretched cat, who was keen to help with my measuring ;-)

I'm very pleased with how it turned out as I really love the fabric and still get to enjoy wearing it, even though the trousers were past their best.
I'm definitely going to make more using raw fabric (rather than altering items of clothing) for Christmas presents for friends.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post! 
Until next time (which I promise won't be as long as last time), craft in earnest! Craftin' Ernest x

Dandelion Clock

My last post described how I upcycled an old clock (minus the mechanism) into a box frame complete with Summer scene and stamped "quote". 
I said I was pleased with the result which was good as I had another 2 clocks ready for the same treatment, well I figured there's no time like the present so I cracked on with the second one. 
I ran with the Summer theme again but also referenced the former use...
I chose " There's no tick tock with a dandelion clock" and followed the same process as last time (here). I have no idea why but with this one the stamped letters didn't blur even though I did exactly the same thing. Crafting can be like that, huh?

For the head of the dandelion I drew and filled in a circle with a brown fabric pen. Using my sewing machine I sewed lines radiating out from the circle. I then sewed a spiral over the lines with a decorative stitch that looks like connecting asterisks *******

This caused the fabric to pucker slightly so I cut it out and attached it to a new background with Heat n Bond. I added the wind blown seeds by hand, using the brown fabric pen for the bottom and then hand sewed the top, again an asterisk shape on top of a slightly longer double stitch connected to the brown dash. As with the previous picture I added a bee buzzing around because it just wouldn't be right without one!
One more to go...
I'd love to know which you prefer! Thanks for reading.
Until next time, craft in earnest! Craftin' Ernest x

A-tissue (Bless You) Holder

Hello! Although there are definite signs of Spring in the air, it seems to me just about everyone is suffering from a cold at the moment?  However, even if you’re lucky enough to be cold free it’s always good to have a tissue or two on you and this is where a pocket tissue holder comes in very handy- it’s just so much nicer than the packets they're sold in. I must admit they're a little twee but I like that. My Irish Grandma always, and I mean always, had a tissue on her so this post is dedicated to her.

 

These tissue holders are really simple and quick to make, they’re also great for using up scraps as you only need two pieces of fabric approximately 17cm x 14 cm. The pieces can either be the same so that the lining and the outside are identical or you can use two different fabrics as I have done for this tutorial.

The pouches fit up to 6 or 7 of the standard size, folded pocket tissues measuring approximately 10.5cm x 5.5cm. In just 10 simple steps you're ready to pop one in your bag and go...Cut 2 pieces of fabric 17cm X 14cm.

With the right sides facing, pin and sew along both the short edges.

Turn the fabric right sides out and iron the sewn seams open.

With the outer fabric facing up, fold the fabric so that the sewn seams over lap each other by approximately 1cm and pin in place (you should now only see the lining fabric). It should measure approximately 7cm across.

Sew along both ends, first using a straight stitch with a 0.5cm (5mm) seam allowance followed by a zigzag stitch to secure the raw edge and make things a little neater.

Trim all four corners off up to the line of straight stitching.

Pinch all four corners and pin with the seam folded down to the opposite side of the opening i.e. where the edges overlap

Sew a straight line across each pinch corner 1cm (10mm) from the point and trim the excess

Turn the pouch the right way out

Fill with Tissues!

I think they make great, little gifts and are so quick to make you can knock one up for each handbag- because who only has one bag?

I’d love to know your opinion or if you give making one a try. Until next time craft in earnest, Craftin’ Ernest x

How to Keep your Teapot Snug - Part 2

This post follows on from Part 1 which covered the outer design part of the tea cosy.
With the decorative sewing finished it’s time for the construction sewing to begin.

I started by sewing the notch at the top of each side together by pinning the right sides together and sewing along the edge.

Next I pinned the two sides of the cosy together, again with right sides facing, and sewed from the bottom of one side all the way round to the bottom of the opposite side.

I also popped in a loop of decorative ribbon with the hoop facing down and the edges sticking out of the top at the centre point (where the seams for the sewn-up notches meet). This was to create a handy little pull to remove the cosy from the pot when more tea is required, an important little touch.

Once the seam is done it can be turned the right way out with the seams on the inside.

For the lining I pinned one of the layers of lining to the black felt insulating layer. My lining fabric doesn't have a right or wrong side but if it did the wrong side should be facing the insulation. I randomly sewed starting from one edge using a straight stitch to a different edge, once the next edge was reached I turned it and sewed to another one. I repeated this step a few times giving the lining a quilted texture.

I did exactly the same for the second piece of lining and insulation.Once both sides were completed the construction of the lining sewing could begin in a very similar manner to the outer part. Again the first step was to sew the notches closed, this time the edges were joined with the lining fabric on the inside and the black felt on the outside. Once both of these were sewn closed the two sides of the lining were sewn together by pinning them together, as with the outer layer, but with the lining sides facing each other. I made the seam allowances twice as big as those for the outer section to make it a little smaller to fit inside, i.e. I used a 5mm seam allowance on the outer section and a 10mm allowance on the inner lining section. I trimmed the seam down for the lining to about 5mm after it had been sewn so there wasn't an excess of fabric creating bulk.

Now it was time to insert the lining into the outer shell. I matched up the seams and gently tugged it into place, smoothing the outer section over the inner section.

I had to trim down the inner section at the bottom to make the lining and the outer parts the same length. 
I used shop-bought, navy blue bias binding to finish off this last raw seam, pinning it all around the edge making sure that both sections are securely within the binding. I sewed it approximately 2mm in from the edge of the binding.

Once the threads have been neatly trimmed it’s good to go - a completed cosy just right to keep the pot snug and the tea hot!

Thanks so much for reading the post, I'd love to know what you think!
Until next time craft in earnest, Craftin' Ernest x

How to Keep your Teapot Snug- Part 1

A friend of mine has introduced me to the pleasures of a cup of green tea and having previously never drunk hot drinks (hot chocolate not included of course) I’m now addicted and drink umpteen cups a day. I've even got my sister drinking it as well though she was very skeptical to start with, not liking hot drinks even more than I did.

We now have our TV catch-up evenings, watching the likes of “Downton Abbey” and “Call The Midwife” with our pot of green tea made using teabags.

Last month I went on my annual February trip to Ireland (see previous trips here & here) and picked myself up a wonderful, retro-feel, stainless steel teapot with diffuser for loose leaf tea. It was in a Charity shop and was only 5 Euro, splendid stuff!

On a side note, I've got a thing about small teaspoons and also bought 4 of them whilst I was over there. Having only hand luggage booked on the flight I had to pack the teapot and spoons in my teeny wheely case, the airport security must have thought I take tea drinking very seriously as they were x-raying my case.

I decided this new teapot called for its own special tea cosy- so to the sewing machine.

I used a large piece of paper to make a pattern by folding it around the teapot and drawing the rough shape I thought would work, I removed a notch from the top to create a rounded shape top once sewn.

I cut the template out and made adjustments as needed, for example, I had to shorten it.

Using the template I needed to cut out a total of 6 pieces-
2 pieces of outer fabric (patterned fabric in photo)
2 of the insulating layer (the black fabric in photo)
2 for the lining (deep pink fabric)
I actually used an extra insulating layer as I was “making do” with what I had to hand, the black fabric- a 100% wool felt and had it been a little thicker I would not have needed anther layer. I used a blue fleece, for a little extra warmth, on the back of the outer layer treating them as one layer i.e. I sewed the decorative pattern to both these layers as one.

For the main body of the cosy I picked a remnant of stone coloured fabric with a dark blue printed design of a plants and birds, I thought the folks at Downton would approve.

I used a zigzag stitch to machine sew a length of lace ribbon to each side of the outer layer approximately 5cm from the bottom.
I decided upon a teacup design, cut a template out of scrap cardboard, and picked a bright, fuchsia pink fabric which technically is actually a napkin- I bought these a few years ago in Primark for the ridiculous price of £2 for 4 large napkins, they were always destined for a sewing project in my house not their intended purpose. I used another napkin for the lining to match the teacup.
I used “Heat n Bond” to attach the teacup. “Heat n Bond” is amazing stuff and well worth having in your sewing arsenal. It has paper on one side and the mesh of bonding fabric on the other. First you iron it onto the fabric of you design, in this case my pink fabric, with the paper facing up. You draw your design on the paper; this can be done free hand or using a template as I have done. You can then cut it out. 

Once you have your shape, the paper is removed and the design is attached in place with an iron. I've always had nice strong bonds using “Heat n Bond” but I like to sew around the edge for extra strength but more importantly because it looks so much nicer.

As every project can be improved with a few buttons, I hand sewed some teeny ones onto the cup as polka dots. It occurred to me afterwards that I hadn't sewn on a saucer, Lady Violet would have been appalled! 

I repeated the same for the other side and that's the decorative part done. 

In part 2, to follow in a few days, the cosy comes together and the tea in the pot is kept nice and toasty, until then craft in earnest! Craftin' Ernest x

Hectic November!

November is pretty much over and this is my first post for the month! I'm very sorry and I promise it's not that I'm being lax, I've had a lot to make and do this month and most of it I can't share yet! A few sneaky peeks won't hurt though ;-)

My wonderful sister/bestest buddy, Faye, is getting married this year, on Christmas Eve!! She's asked me to play a major part in the organising/details and I cannot express how thrilled and delighted I am about that, as such I've had lots to keep me busy. 
I made the invitations and response cards to send out this month and was really pleased that both the bride and groom were very happy with the finished result. They (she) wanted a snowflake theme so I combined shimmery card with vellum and embossing them together with a snowflake pattern before using a snowflake stamp and silver embossing powder to add some intricate detail. It's hard to capture the detail in a photograph but here's a close-up of the top and bottom...

We have had our hair trials which was a lot of fun. Faye realised she needed her hair accessory for it on the Wednesday beforehand. No problem, out came all my white and silver beads and I got to work on it. 

There's nothing quite as motivating as a tight deadline but I got it all finished and thankfully it was just right for what she wanted and she loved it. Here's a sneak peak in her hair...

Also, it was her Hen Party last weekend and that too involved lots of organising and making, all of which was a surprise for her. We had a truly amazing time making cocktails followed by a boat cruise. As there were 26 of us, I got the Shrink Plastic out and made badges for everyone- any excuse for some Shrinkies action ;-)

On top of all this I have had a few Christmas orders, including my favourite- owl doorstops. Here's two I made today ready to be stuffed and weighted.... 

This hasn't left me with much time to blog I'm afraid, sorry!
And with the countdown to the Big Day in full swing I don't think I'll be much better in December, but I'm incredibly excited and will try and share what I can.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post, I really appreciate it and would love to hear any comments you have!
Until next time, craft in earnest. Craftin' Ernest xx