Tag Archives: free download

Free Sewing Pattern: A Trio of Sweet Treats

Icecream42(Don’t miss the free PDF at the bottom of this post!)

The newest free sewing pattern and tutorial for Superbuzzy is finally here!  About a month ago, I made the trek to the Superbuzzy warehouse, and Kelly and I had a great time picking out all of the supplies for this project.  This time, we worked up a trio of felt ice cream projects that serve double duty:  The ice cream cookie sandwich is a gift card holder.   The “Tasty Treat” ice cream carton is a gift box, and the waffle cone has a small loop so it can be tied to a gift as a present topper.

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If you’ve been wanting to make some cute felt food, but were intimidated by directions in Japanese, this may be the perfect gateway project.  An added bonus?  This is the first of the everkelly-superbuzzy tutorials that doesn’t require a sewing machine (although a few of the steps can be sped up by machine if you’re in a hurry).  As for me, I enjoyed relaxing with a hand sewing project and a good movie in between trips to the freezer for some real ice cream.

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Click here to download the Free Sewing Pattern + Tutorial (PDF) for the Felt Ice Cream Projects!

We’d love to see your photos if you make some felt ice cream of your own!  As always, feel free to contact me with any questions.  I really hope you enjoy this one!  Looking for our other free projects?  So far, we’ve made eco bags, place mats, and a zakka lunch kit.

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Also, I just want to give one more shout out to the opportunities to contribute to the relief efforts in Japan.  Yesterday, I mentioned that Superbuzzy and Knitting Fever Inc. are matching donations (so your $5 donation can turn into $20 for the American Red Cross Japan relief fund).  Kelly covered some more donation opportunities in her latest newsletter, and I wanted to share them here as well.  There is an opportunity to purchase sleeping bags for $6 from Exxel Outdoors which will be shipped to the tsunami and earthquake victims through Missions Unlimited.  Missions Unlimited is preparing several cargo planes full of supplies, and they are accepting donations (see here for a list of needed items).

Missions Unlimited requests that, rather than donating one of several different types of items, that donations be quantities of 1 item (i.e., 10 jars of baby food, instead of 1 jar of baby food and 1 roll of toilet paper). If you are in the Ventura, CA area, Kelly can accept your donations at the warehouse. If you are not in Ventura, please send donations to:

superbuzzy Japan Relief
c/o Missions Unlimited
251 21st Street East
Jasper, AL  35502
Thanks!

Filed under Fabric & Sewing, I Made This, Tutorials & Downloads. Tagged with , , , , , , , , .

By Kelly
March 22, 2011

3 comments

Gratitude Journal: Free Project Worksheet

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As we begin 2011, I wanted to make sure I had a place to record all of the good things that happen each week.  I am finding that the more thankful I am, the less little problems and setbacks seem to bother me. I know this is not revolutionary, but it definitely requires practice.  And repetition.  Kind of like embroidery.

Yesterday, I shared a little sneak peak at the embroidery I did for the cover of this journal.  It occurred to me that some of you might want to make your own gratitude journal, so I decided to write up a tutorial.  However, I realized that the beauty of this project might be in using materials and a notebook you already have on hand.  So instead of sharing all of my measurements and instructions, I created a worksheet so you can make your own custom pattern for any notebook you’d like to cover.

Click on the image below to download the worksheet (PDF file).

worksheet

[This pattern is designed to work with a notebook that has a little heft to it.  If your notebook is very thin, you may want to adjust the "ease" measurement in the Calculate & Cut section of the worksheet.]

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After you use the worksheet to measure your notebook and determine what size to cut your fabric, you can follow these simple instructions to sew up your fabric book cover.

1.  For Option 2, stitch the three pieces of fabric together to create one long piece the same size as your lining.

2.  Optional:  If desired, embellish your cover with embroidery.  To embroider the words “give thanks,” I wrote out the words in pencil directly onto the fabric and back-stitched the letters using 2 strands of red embroidery floss.

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2.  Pin your lining and front cover pieces together right sides together.  Stitch around the top, side edge, and bottom of your fabric leaving one edge open.

3.  Turn your work right side out and press.  Fold in the raw edges by 1/4″ on the open edge and top-stitch.

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4.  Fold the flaps in around your notebook cover to determine where the folds will be.  Top-stitch along the top and bottom of the book cover as close to the edge as possible (1/8″ or less). The top-stitching will hold your flaps in place and create a nice detail along the bottom and top of your covered book.

I hope you enjoy.  If you have any questions at all — or if you catch an error, please let me know.  Best wishes for a year of many thankful moments.

Filed under Fabric & Sewing, I Made This, Tutorials & Downloads. Tagged with , , , , , , .

By Kelly
January 12, 2011

5 comments

Nylon Eco Bags: superbuzzy + everkelly (free tutorial!)

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[Don't miss the free download at the bottom of this post!]

I am so excited to share this project with you!  I think of it as a little holiday gift from Superbuzzy Kelly and myself.  This is a free pattern for a square-bottom nylon eco bag that folds up into a pouch + a lined cotton version, too.  We’ve had this one in the works for awhile, but it was really important to us that we do this project right.

Ever since we saw that first teaser image of the Echino fabrics in nylon, we knew that the fabric was practically begging to be made into reusable grocery store bags.  Now, I”ll be totally honest with you.  The thought of sewing with nylon made me really nervous at first, but I’m happy to report that it’s not as scary as you might think.  In fact, we included some tips and tricks in the pattern to get you started.  A teflon walking foot and the right needle/thread combination (70/10 sharp + polyester) really do help.  The fabric sews up so beautifully that I definitely think it’s worth the little bit of extra care.

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I know some of you may still be paralyzed with fear over the nylon, so there are also instructions for a lined cotton bag that’s reversible.  Kelly selected a really cute trio of prints in a mid-weight cotton that has a nice heft to it.  Both bags include flat fell seams and reinforced handles so they will stand up to repeated use.

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The nylon bag folds up into an elasticized pocket on the front when not in use.

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I love giving gifts like these – pretty, practical things that you can give to anyone – neighbors, teachers, and friends.  As an added bonus, you can use the bag as gift wrap too so you can participate in the Green Grocery Bag Challenge.

Click here to download the Eco Bag Pattern!

Happy Holidays!  XOXO, Kelly

(P.S. – I’d like to give a very special thank you to my friends at the Sewing Arts Center who shared some great tips and suggestions with me to make this bag possible.)

Filed under Fabric & Sewing, Holidays, I Made This, Tutorials & Downloads. Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , .

By Kelly
December 8, 2010

6 comments

DIY Picnic: Part 5 (Free Embroidery Patterns)

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Hello there and welcome back for our next installment in the DIY picnic project.  Last week, I etched some glass canning jars.  I think they looked lovely, but a little plain.  This week, I created an embroidery pattern to decorate the lid top.  Yes, it’s possible that I’m procrastinating on sewing the picnic blanket (the next craft on the list), but if you’re looking to procrastinate, I think embroidery is a perfect activity.

Now, I know that not everyone wants to embroider French phrases, so for this free download you have two options.  There’ s a PDF of the pattern in English and a second PDF in French.  You may have your pick.  (Scroll down to the bottom for the download.)

I was having so much fun putting this together that I drew a few more pictures to embroider.  I haven’t had a chance to stitch these yet, but wanted to include them anyway.  I might need to make a little fabric menu.  Here’s a little sample:
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I didn’t make too much of a fuss over the embroidery.  However, I thought it might help to show how I transferred the design onto the black fabric.

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I printed out a copy of the pattern making sure it was the correct size for my jar lid.  On a protected work surface, I layered the pattern, some Wax-Free Tracing paper in white (color side facing down), and the fabric.  Pressing firmly, I traced the design with a pencil.  While the pattern didn’t transfer perfectly, there’s enough there that I could follow the design.  (All that extra white mess comes off with a damp cloth or fabric eraser.)

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After I back-stitched the lettering and outline in white and filled in the cat with satin stitches, this is what the design looks like (below).  Now, I was ready to trace around the lid top and cut out the fabric.  I also cut out some felt to layer underneath (batting would work too).

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I tied a ribbon around the top for a punch of color.  Now, I’m ready to fill up my jar with treats for my picnic.

Here is where you can get a copy of the embroidery patterns.  First, we have the French:

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Next, we have the English version:

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If you have any problems with the download or have a question (or some comments on my French!), please send me an e-mail at kleecreel at everkelly dot com.

[9/21/10 - Thanks to Doan for pointing out a typo in the pattern!  The download has been updated with the correct spelling for éclair.  My sincerest apologies for the error!]

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend.  All the best, Kelly

Filed under Fabric & Sewing, I Made This, Tutorials & Downloads. Tagged with , , , , .

By Kelly
August 20, 2010

4 comments

DIY Cuckoo Clock (and free download!)


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I am so excited to share this project with you!  You might remember this little sneak peak I posted a while ago.  Well, today is the full reveal.  Introducing: the DIY Cuckoo Clock.

I don’t know if you’ve been to any craft stores lately, but I keep seeing unpainted wooden bird houses everywhere.  The small versions used in this project only cost a $1.  Every time I saw them, I kept wishing they were cuckoo clocks.  That’s when it hit me: why not make your own?

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Now, to be honest, as much as I love cuckoo clocks, the tick-tock sound is very distracting for me.  (Not to mention an hourly chime!)  These are quiet, display-only birds.

This project is pretty simple — almost all paint and glue.  However, you’ll need a drill and possibly a rotary cutter (if you want to make the fancier gold/white version).  I think this project would look equally cute in a monochromatic color scheme — or of course, you could go traditional and add tiny trees, wooden people, and dark wood trim.

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All of the instructions are in this handy (free) download.  Just click on the image below to download the PDF and then choose “Save as”:

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If you make one, I’d love to see it!  Just drop me a note.  And, as always, if you have any questions about the instructions (or if you – gasp! -  catch an error), drop me a line at kleecreel at everkelly dot com.

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Here is a little sample from the instructions:

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I hope you enjoy!  XOXO, Kelly

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Filed under I Made This, Inspiration, Tutorials & Downloads. Tagged with , , .

By Kelly
August 18, 2010

26 comments