Tag Archives: tutorial

DIY Picnic (Part 9): The Insulated Pouches

Picnic_pouches4

I know that yesterday was the grand finale DIY picnic post, but I had one more craft project to share.  Of course, one of the key aspects of any picnic is keeping all that food hot or cold.  This is a very simple DIY cold pack.  The outside is just two rectangles of ordinary fabric, but the inside lining is the silver ironing board cover material they sell at the craft store.  You could also use some of the fleece-interfacing for making hot pads, etc.  Since this is a cold pack, the ironing board material worked just fine and was a little more cost effective.  (Also, please note that those are my husband’s hands in the photo below.  Mine are less manly, I promise.)

Picnicpouch3

I purchased one of these inexpensive (and reusable) ice blankets that you can cut to whatever size you need.  I cut mine to lay flat along the bottom of the picnic basket and arranged all of my food containers on top.  Total elapsed time: less than 30 minutes.

Picnicpouch

I like that the pouch still transmits the cold without condensation getting on everything.  Happy picnicking!

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

By Kelly
September 9, 2010

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superbuzzy + everkelly: Back to School Sewing

Zakka4

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

Last week, I hinted at a special collaboration I have been working on with one of my favorite fabric people.  Today, I am super excited to announce that I have been working on some fun tutorials with Kelly of superbuzzy!  As many of you know, I have been a huge superbuzzy fan for a long time, so I was honored to be able to create some free tutorials for all of you Japanese fabric fans.  (Of course, any project where the postman shows up with a box full of Japanese fabric and accessories is a dream project in my book!)

For our first collaboration, we came up with an adorable Zakka Lunch Kit.  The tutorial includes all of the instructions to make a bento bag (above) and a sandwich wrap that folds out to a place mat (below).  The projects are beginner-friendly, but we’ve included some nice finishing details so that they will hold up against rough-and-tumble little ones and frequent trips through the washing machine.  I know a lot of us are thinking green these days — so I love that these fabric bags and bento boxes help cut down on all of the lunch time trash.  (It doesn’t hurt that the projects are seriously cute, too!)

Zakka5

After you sew up these projects, you may want to take a look through the superbuzzy shop.   I am loving these mushroom clips and magnets!  (I also heard a rumor that there might be some new Echino goodies!)  Maybe you’d even like to try your hand at making cute bento-style lunches.  superbuzzy has some cute bento books (in English!) that show you how.  I was inspired to give it a try too.  Here’s my little hedgehog sandwich:

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We had so much fun putting this one together that we’re going to be making this a monthly thing.  So I hope you’ll visit us again to see what we have in store for Halloween!

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Click here to download the Zakka Lunch Kit tutorial!

And you can always find the free superbuzzy patterns right here on the free pattern page.  We hope you enjoy!

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

By Kelly
September 2, 2010

10 comments

DIY Picnic: Part 5 (Free Embroidery Patterns)

Frenchembroidery1

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:
Frenchembroidery7

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.)

Frenchembroidery4

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:

Frenchbutton

Next, we have the English version:

Englishbutton

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 Picnic for Two: Part 3

Picnicnapkins1

Are you ready for the next installment in our picnic project?  Now that we’ve made over our picnic basket (part 1) and sewn a removable liner (part 2), it’s time for some napkins!  In our house, we learned that you could never have too many napkins.  My mom was always armed with extras, so I decided to make two sizes.  piquenique

I made some cocktail napkins (above) and a full sized dinner napkin that could easily double as a place mat (below).  The cool thing about this project is that although these napkins look fancy, they are super cheap to make.  That yummy off-white fabric above?  Muslin. The black lace?  It’s hem facing. (The kind that comes in a pack at JoAnn’s for a couple of bucks.)  Grab some black and off-white thread, and you are ready to go.  This is a seriously quick and affordable project.

Picnicnapkins3

Instructions: Cocktail Napkins

1) For each cocktail napkin, I cut out two squares of muslin (FRONT and BACK) that measured 8.75″ x 8.75″.  On the FRONT, I pinned a strip of lace hem facing 1.75″ from the edge.  Using black thread and a narrow zig zag stitch, I stitched the lace directly onto the muslin.

2) Pin the two squares right sides together (so the lace is facing IN).  Sew a 1/4″ seam around all four edges, leaving a 3″ gap on one side so you can turn your work.  Trim corners and flip the napkin right side out.  Press and turn under raw edges in the 3″ opening.

3) Top stitch along all 4 sides 1/8″ inch from the edge.  You’re done!

Picnicnapkins2

Instructions: Dinner Napkins

1) The dinner napkin is a single piece of muslin 18″ x 18″.  As in step 1 for the cocktail napkin, sew the lace hem facing directly onto the muslin using a zig zag stitch.  Since the back of the fabric will be exposed, it is important to match your bobbin thread to the fabric.  (The top thread is still black.)  The photo below shows the back side of the napkin.  If you prefer, it would be simple to cut a second square to hide these stitches.

Picnicnapkins

2) Attach bias tape edge.  This link is a great tutorial for attaching bias tape (including how to make your own). I decided to use a very narrow bias tape (1/8″) and while I love the way it looks, it’s very tricky to miter the corners with such a narrow edge.  If flawless corners are critical for you, I might recommend a wider bias tape.

3) I normally finish my bias tape by hand, but in this case, I top stitched it instead.  The beautiful weather outside was just too good to ignore, so I went for the speedy option.  It turned out great.

There’s more picnic fun ahead including a picnic blanket, some insulated food wraps, and some glass etching!


P.S. – I haven’t tried washing these yet, but when I do I plan to wash them on the gentle cycle (cold water) and line dry.  This is how I treat all of my table linens, and I’m hoping it will help the lace trim hold up in the wash.

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

By Kelly
August 3, 2010

2 comments

DIY Fabric Flowers (a slight twist on an old method)

Fabricflowerdemo

The sun is out today, so I’m back with some photos and a simple tutorial for fabric flowers.  Yesterday, I gave a sneak peak of my quick and dirty make-over of this blue crafting tote.  Today I am ready with instructions.  There are lots of great tutorials on the web for making fabric flowers, but I wanted to change things up a bit.  This tutorial shows you how the same basic method can produce two very different looks.

You might already be familiar with this step.  We are taking a strip of fabric (mine is 4″ wide), folding it in half, and basting along the open edge using a long running stitch.  (See below.)

Fabricflower1

When you cinch the thread and gather up the fabric into a circle, you get this:

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At this point you can stitch the flower closed, add a decorative center with a button, and call it a day.  I wanted something a little bit different.  To make the pale blue flower up top, I used a very long strip (45″ long!) and gathered up the folds, stitching them together at the base to create a carnation.

(A few other examples:  Heather Bailey embellishes her flowers with felt centers in this tutorial.  You can also create prize ribbons this way.)

Now, we’ll take this same basic concept to create the yellow rose bud.  You’ll need a strip of yellow fabric (8″ x 18″) and a strip of bias tape.

Fabricflowermaterials

To make your own bias tape, you’ll need a length of fabric (18″ long by 2″ wide) and a 1″ bias tape maker.  Since the bias tape is not going around any curves, you do not need to cut your strips on the bias.  Simply cut the fabric and feed through the bias tape maker and iron the folded portion.

Fabricflower_biastape

Now that your materials are cut and ready, you can start making your rose.  I wanted to create a flower that was fairly dense and sturdy, so instead of using thread to create the gathers, I sewed a channel along one edge to hold a piece of ribbon that creates the same effect.  Here’s how:

Flower_DiagramNow you can tie the rose to the handle of your bag using the ribbon.  And voila!

Fabricflowerfinished

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a note.  I hope you enjoy!

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

By Kelly
June 24, 2010

1 comment