Do you remember these Scrappy Fabric Braided Bracelets I made a while ago?
Currently, Linda at Mixed Kreations is featuring them on her blog! She makes beautiful jewelry as well as other crafty goodies, so hurry over there and take a look!
Showing posts with label fabric. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fabric. Show all posts
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Bracelets Featured at Mixed Kreations
Currently, Linda at Mixed Kreations is featuring them on her blog! She makes beautiful jewelry as well as other crafty goodies, so hurry over there and take a look!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Tiny House #2
I've heard from my partner in Australia that she has received the package I sent her for the Tiny House Swap on Craftster, so I can now reveal it to the world!
I let my love of bright colors guide me as I chose the fabrics for this project; when I was done, I was concerned that it was too colorful for my partner, but she says it's great! I made this 4" x4" house wall-hanging just the same way as the one in my previous post: I sketched my design on paper, then referred to that as I cut the fabrics free-hand. I sewed everything together on the machine, leaving all the edges raw. I included a cat in the window because my partner is a "cat person", and the number on the door is her actual house number. I finished it with blanket stitching on the sides, and a cord for hanging it on the top.
This cheerful house makes me happy every time I look at the picture! I might have to make another one for myself!
I let my love of bright colors guide me as I chose the fabrics for this project; when I was done, I was concerned that it was too colorful for my partner, but she says it's great! I made this 4" x4" house wall-hanging just the same way as the one in my previous post: I sketched my design on paper, then referred to that as I cut the fabrics free-hand. I sewed everything together on the machine, leaving all the edges raw. I included a cat in the window because my partner is a "cat person", and the number on the door is her actual house number. I finished it with blanket stitching on the sides, and a cord for hanging it on the top.
This cheerful house makes me happy every time I look at the picture! I might have to make another one for myself!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Tiny House #1
I had two partners in the Tiny House swap on Craftster, but today I can only show one of the houses I made, because my partner in Australia hasn't received hers yet.
There are so many different directions a crafter could go in when making a tiny house--it could be paper, wood, fabric, metal; flat or 3-d--and probably a lot of other things that never occurred to me. I stuck with what I know best, which is fabric; and because I've been on a fabric collage kick lately, that's how I made my partner's tiny house. It is a 4" x 4" wallhanging; I sewed a brown cord to the top for hanging.
I sketched my idea, then cut all the fabrics free-hand, which is both fun and fast! The roof of the house gave me the most trouble; at first it was too small and rectangular, so I tried again and made it tall and wonky, like a wizard's hat. That's why I call this the Wizard's Cottage. All the fabrics are cotton, except the tree, which is dupioni silk; it has a nice slubbiness to it, and a little shine, which makes it an interesting contrast to the other fabrics. All the sewing on the front was done by machine. I then layered it with cotton batting and fabric backing, and blanket-stitched it all together by hand. I'm quite pleased with it, and my partner is too!
I expect to be able to show you Tiny House #2 later this week; it is constructed the same way as this one, but the look is completely different!
There are so many different directions a crafter could go in when making a tiny house--it could be paper, wood, fabric, metal; flat or 3-d--and probably a lot of other things that never occurred to me. I stuck with what I know best, which is fabric; and because I've been on a fabric collage kick lately, that's how I made my partner's tiny house. It is a 4" x 4" wallhanging; I sewed a brown cord to the top for hanging.
I sketched my idea, then cut all the fabrics free-hand, which is both fun and fast! The roof of the house gave me the most trouble; at first it was too small and rectangular, so I tried again and made it tall and wonky, like a wizard's hat. That's why I call this the Wizard's Cottage. All the fabrics are cotton, except the tree, which is dupioni silk; it has a nice slubbiness to it, and a little shine, which makes it an interesting contrast to the other fabrics. All the sewing on the front was done by machine. I then layered it with cotton batting and fabric backing, and blanket-stitched it all together by hand. I'm quite pleased with it, and my partner is too!
I expect to be able to show you Tiny House #2 later this week; it is constructed the same way as this one, but the look is completely different!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Artist Trading Cards
According to Wikipedia, Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern baseball cards ( 2.5" by 3.5"), small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets. Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.) or even metals or cloth. The cards are usually traded or exchanged.
It's been well over a year since I last participated in an ATC swap on Craftster; it was one of the first swaps I did there. That time I hand-drew every card with skinny Sharpies and colored pencils; this time, I wanted to steer away from time-consuming drawings, and try paper collage instead.
This is the first one I did. It is for my partner's "water" theme. I had run across a photograph online of a blackbird on the edge of a puddle (or birdbath, it was hard to tell) and I used that as my guide when designing this simple card. It is made of scrapbooking papers and rubber stamps, with a piece of thin plastic over the lower section to replicate the shininess of water. I did just the smallest amount of drawing, by adding the boarder and coloring it in with colored pencils.
I claimed my second partner for her "cooking/recipes" theme, and although it was my intention to use only paper for the design, I realized I couldn't make the card I wanted to make without doing some drawing. This ATC is a collage with a drawing as the focal point. I drew and colored the cook, then cut that out and glued it to the blue striped paper, which I also cut out to give the cook an outline. Then I used a rubber stamp on scrapbook paper to imitate the look of a recipe card for the background.
By combining a small drawing with paper collage, I felt that I had developed a style that really worked for me. I intended to continue in this style for the rest of the swap, but for my very next card, I tried something completely different: fabric! This is the third card I did, for my partner who likes nature; it was "artist's choice". The blue background and the square with the poem are paper, while the tree and ground are fabric. I decided on fabric when I realized that my stock of scrapbook paper is limited, but my supply of various fabrics is almost endless! I easily found scraps in the colors I wanted to use.
Below you can see how I'm signing the back of these cards. I received the wonderful flying heart stamp from my partner miknessevie in another swap; she hand-carved it just for me! it is the perfect size for these cards.
Since I take my time to do a good job on each card, I like to present them nicely. I made these small folders out of heavy scrapbook paper and little price tags. I affixed the cards to the folder with a single roll of tape on the back--just enough to keep them in place, but easy to remove later.
This swap runs all month, and I can make as many claims as I want (as long as I don't have more than 10 in transit to their recipients at a time)--and I'm having so much fun with these that I will definitely do a couple more "show and tell" posts about them in the coming weeks!
It's been well over a year since I last participated in an ATC swap on Craftster; it was one of the first swaps I did there. That time I hand-drew every card with skinny Sharpies and colored pencils; this time, I wanted to steer away from time-consuming drawings, and try paper collage instead.
This is the first one I did. It is for my partner's "water" theme. I had run across a photograph online of a blackbird on the edge of a puddle (or birdbath, it was hard to tell) and I used that as my guide when designing this simple card. It is made of scrapbooking papers and rubber stamps, with a piece of thin plastic over the lower section to replicate the shininess of water. I did just the smallest amount of drawing, by adding the boarder and coloring it in with colored pencils.
I claimed my second partner for her "cooking/recipes" theme, and although it was my intention to use only paper for the design, I realized I couldn't make the card I wanted to make without doing some drawing. This ATC is a collage with a drawing as the focal point. I drew and colored the cook, then cut that out and glued it to the blue striped paper, which I also cut out to give the cook an outline. Then I used a rubber stamp on scrapbook paper to imitate the look of a recipe card for the background.
By combining a small drawing with paper collage, I felt that I had developed a style that really worked for me. I intended to continue in this style for the rest of the swap, but for my very next card, I tried something completely different: fabric! This is the third card I did, for my partner who likes nature; it was "artist's choice". The blue background and the square with the poem are paper, while the tree and ground are fabric. I decided on fabric when I realized that my stock of scrapbook paper is limited, but my supply of various fabrics is almost endless! I easily found scraps in the colors I wanted to use.
Since I take my time to do a good job on each card, I like to present them nicely. I made these small folders out of heavy scrapbook paper and little price tags. I affixed the cards to the folder with a single roll of tape on the back--just enough to keep them in place, but easy to remove later.
This swap runs all month, and I can make as many claims as I want (as long as I don't have more than 10 in transit to their recipients at a time)--and I'm having so much fun with these that I will definitely do a couple more "show and tell" posts about them in the coming weeks!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Two Prayer Flags
I have recently discovered that I LOVE doing fabric collages! Here are two examples of my recent work in that style, which I made for my partners in the Prayer Flag Swap on Craftster. Both of these flags are 5" x 8", with a hanging sleeve at the top.
For this swap, we gave our partners several words or phrases to either use as a guide or to actually appear on our flag. We also mentioned themes and images that appeal to us. For my first partner, alteredmommy, I combined the phrase "be still" will her love of nature/birds and antique-looking colors.
The egg and the words "crested lark" were printed on fabric that I already had, so I chose the other fabrics to go with that.
I love this little "pile" of textiles.
I filled a glass bottle with lavender buds and the theme phrase printed on a slip of paper, and hand-sewed it in place. (You might notice that this bottle is different than the one in the first picture. I realized that the bright green beads I used inside that bottle didn't go with the rest of the colors.)
All the fabric edges are left unfinished, and most of the sewing threads are long and dangling.
My second partner, Phizzychick, likes earth tones and insects, so I started digging through one of my bags of scrap fabrics, and almost immediately I pulled out this fabulous bee! I had to use it, even though there isn't much of a connection between the bee and the word "thankful" that I already planned to use for the theme.
I found out that this partner also likes bells, and I happened to have these tiny ones on hand. I simply tied them onto the bottom with string, leaving the ends of the strings showing.
I made this flag like the first one, by simply cutting the fabrics, arranging them so they looked good to me, then machine sewing them onto a heavy piece of canvas. All the edges are left unfinished.
Leaving all the edges raw allowed me to work quickly, so it didn't take more than a couple of hours from start to finish for each prayer flag.
I am so pleased with these that I feel like making a set of them for myself!
For this swap, we gave our partners several words or phrases to either use as a guide or to actually appear on our flag. We also mentioned themes and images that appeal to us. For my first partner, alteredmommy, I combined the phrase "be still" will her love of nature/birds and antique-looking colors.
The egg and the words "crested lark" were printed on fabric that I already had, so I chose the other fabrics to go with that.
I love this little "pile" of textiles.
I filled a glass bottle with lavender buds and the theme phrase printed on a slip of paper, and hand-sewed it in place. (You might notice that this bottle is different than the one in the first picture. I realized that the bright green beads I used inside that bottle didn't go with the rest of the colors.)
All the fabric edges are left unfinished, and most of the sewing threads are long and dangling.
My second partner, Phizzychick, likes earth tones and insects, so I started digging through one of my bags of scrap fabrics, and almost immediately I pulled out this fabulous bee! I had to use it, even though there isn't much of a connection between the bee and the word "thankful" that I already planned to use for the theme.
I found out that this partner also likes bells, and I happened to have these tiny ones on hand. I simply tied them onto the bottom with string, leaving the ends of the strings showing.
I made this flag like the first one, by simply cutting the fabrics, arranging them so they looked good to me, then machine sewing them onto a heavy piece of canvas. All the edges are left unfinished.
Leaving all the edges raw allowed me to work quickly, so it didn't take more than a couple of hours from start to finish for each prayer flag.
I am so pleased with these that I feel like making a set of them for myself!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Another Spoonflower Bag
After I made the Pug Dog Purse for my sister-in-law, her friend saw it and wanted one too! The friend's favorite dog is a miniature schnauzer...which is perhaps not the most widely known dog breed...and I suspected that it would be hard to find fabric with miniature schnauzers prominently featured...and I was right. So I returned to Spoonflower, where a wonderful designer called Dogdaze had created just exactly the right fabric for this project. I had to purchase a yard of it because of the placement of the design...so I have extra in case any of you would like a miniature schnauzer bag...anyway, the purse came out so beautifully, I am THRILLED with it!
I just adore the combination of aqua and black.
I even had the perfect lining fabric in my stash!
I sent this purse to it's new home just before the July 4th holiday, so I haven't heard from the owner yet, but I can't imagine that she will be anything but pleased with it.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Happy Father's Day!
Here's wishing a happy day to all the wonderful fathers in all of our lives--especially to my husband, Bill!
I made a simple drawstring dice bag for my husband, based on my pattern for the drawstring backpack.
I used two outer pieces and two lining pieces, all cut 10" tall by 7" wide. The assembly was exactly the same as the drawstring backpack, except that I omitted the grommets at the bottom.
I made a simple drawstring dice bag for my husband, based on my pattern for the drawstring backpack.
I used two outer pieces and two lining pieces, all cut 10" tall by 7" wide. The assembly was exactly the same as the drawstring backpack, except that I omitted the grommets at the bottom.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Drawstring Backpack
This is the last of the projects I made for the Bernina Master Craftsters series at Craftster, and it is my favorite one! I love the size and shape of this backpack, and the zippered pocket on the front makes it really useful.
There is talk that Bernina will be publishing some of the Master Craftster projects on their website--exciting! Of course I will blog all about it if one of mine is chosen!
Not Your Average Drawstring Backpack using the BERNINA 380
Drawstring backpacks are popular right now; I've seen a lot of them for children, and others that are intended to carry your belongings to the gym. I decided to make one that is pretty and grown-up looking--something a woman like me would be proud to be seen wearing in public! Two things that make this backpack "above average": the combination of fabrics, and the long zippered pocket on the front. A large-scale print works great for the body of the bag, like the sewing-themed print I used. This drawstring backpack is both stylish and functional--the best of both worlds!
The finished size is 14" x 17".
You will need:
Start by cutting your washed and ironed fabrics into the following sizes:
From the white fabric (the main fabric in the picture, with the sewing print) cut:
Start by making the back: using a 1/4" seam (this is the size of all the seams in this project unless otherwise noted), sew the 5 1/4" x 14 1/2" red fabric to the bottom edge of one of the 14" x 14 1/2" white fabrics. Press the seam toward the white fabric, and topstitch near the edge of the white fabric. Set the back aside.
For the pocket on the front, I wanted the zipper exposed, but I didn't want it going all the way across the front of the bag, so I added enough fabric to the ends of the 10" zipper to make it the same width as the bag.
On one of the short ends of each of the 1" x 2 1/2" red strips, fold under and iron a 1/4" hem. Sew one strip just in front of the metal "stopper" at the top of the zipper, as in the picture above. Sew the other strip to the other end of the zipper.
To sew the front of the pocket, layer the 4 1/2" x 14 1/2" red fabric, face up, then the prepared zipper, face down, then the 4 1/2" x 14 1/2" white fabric, face down (as in the picture above). Align these three along the top and left-hand edges, and sew them together at the top, using a zipper foot. The zipper foot that comes with the BERNINA 380 is 1/4' wide, so you just have to align the fabric with the edge of the foot to get a perfect seam (see picture below).
Fold open the fabrics you just sewed, so both fabrics are right-side out. Press, and top-stitch close to the edge of the fabric where it meets the zipper (picture below).
To finish the front of the bag, you will need the three pieces pictured below: the 14" x 14 1/2" white fabric, the 5" x 14 1/2" white fabric (which will be the back of the pocket lining), and the red zipper section that you just sewed.
Lay the zipper section on top of the white pocket lining, both face up. On top of these, lay the 14" x 14 1/2" white fabric, face down, with the bottom edge of the white fabric aligned with the top edge of the zipper. In the picture below, I have staggered the fabrics so you can see their orientation. Simply line them up along the top edge and sew them together using the zipper foot.
Fold open the white fabric, and topstitch close to the edge, as in the picture below.
Whew! I hope that wasn't too confusing! The front panel is now done and should look like the picture below.
To assemble to bag, sew one piece of the 18 1/2" x 14 1/2" red lining fabric to the top edge of the front outer section, and the other piece of the red lining to the top edge of the outer back section. Open the fabrics and press the seams flat. Leaving the fabrics open, layer the front and back sections, right sides together, so the red lining fabrics are touching each other and the white front and back fabrics are touching each other. In the next step, you will sew all around the four sides of the bag and lining, but first you need to measure (and mark with a pin) one inch on each side of the seam where the outside fabrics join the lining fabrics (see picture below), on each of the two ends of this seam. The area between the pins will be left unsewn for now (it will become the opening for the drawstring).
Go ahead and sew all around the four sides of the bag and lining, leaving the 2" opening between the pins, and an 8" opening at the bottom of the lining (for turning). I borrowed the picture below from another tutorial (I didn't get a picture of these fabrics at this stage!) but you can see how your bag at this stage will be one long piece.
Now, while the bag is still inside-out, press the seam allowance flat around the two 2" unsewn areas on the sides.
Turn the bag right-side out through the opening in the bottom. Turn under the raw edges of the opening in the bottom of the lining, press, and sew it closed with a seam very close to the edge of the fabrics. Push the lining inside the bag, and adjust it so it fits smoothly inside. Press the top edge, and you are almost done!
The two 2" areas that were left unsewn are now at the top edge of the bag. Topstitch them closed, as in the picture below, so they each form a "V".
Fold down a 1" flap from the top of the bag on both the front and back, so the red lining is exposed. Press.
Sew along the bottom edge of the fold, all around the circumference of the bag. This will be the casing for the drawstring.
This is the cord I used for my drawstring, below. Cut two 2-yard pieces, and thread them through the casing, but leave the ends loose for now.
Attach a grommet to each of the two bottom corners, following the directions on the package. These are the grommets, I used (below), and they worked great!
Now, thread one end of each cord through a grommet.
Tie a knot, trim the excess cord, and you are done! Good job!!
I love my new backpack! First, I'm going to use it when I travel in a couple of weeks. After that, I think it will make a great project bag near my sewing chair!
There is talk that Bernina will be publishing some of the Master Craftster projects on their website--exciting! Of course I will blog all about it if one of mine is chosen!
Not Your Average Drawstring Backpack using the BERNINA 380
Drawstring backpacks are popular right now; I've seen a lot of them for children, and others that are intended to carry your belongings to the gym. I decided to make one that is pretty and grown-up looking--something a woman like me would be proud to be seen wearing in public! Two things that make this backpack "above average": the combination of fabrics, and the long zippered pocket on the front. A large-scale print works great for the body of the bag, like the sewing-themed print I used. This drawstring backpack is both stylish and functional--the best of both worlds!
The finished size is 14" x 17".
You will need:
- 1/2 yard each of two coordinating fabrics
- Matching 10" nylon zipper
- 4 yards of 1/4" cord
- Grommets and grommet-setting tools
- Matching thread
Start by cutting your washed and ironed fabrics into the following sizes:
From the white fabric (the main fabric in the picture, with the sewing print) cut:
- 2 pieces 14" high x 14 1/2" wide (for the front and back)
- 1 piece 4 1/2" x 14 1/2" (for the pocket lining front)
- 1 piece 5" x 14 1/2" (for the pocket lining back)
- 2 pieces 18 1/2" high x 14 1/2" wide (for the lining)
- 1 piece 4 1/2" x 14 1/2" (for the bottom front)
- 1 piece 5 1/4" x 14 1/2" (for the bottom back)
- 2 pieces 1" x 2 1/2" (to cover the ends of the zipper)
Start by making the back: using a 1/4" seam (this is the size of all the seams in this project unless otherwise noted), sew the 5 1/4" x 14 1/2" red fabric to the bottom edge of one of the 14" x 14 1/2" white fabrics. Press the seam toward the white fabric, and topstitch near the edge of the white fabric. Set the back aside.
For the pocket on the front, I wanted the zipper exposed, but I didn't want it going all the way across the front of the bag, so I added enough fabric to the ends of the 10" zipper to make it the same width as the bag.
To sew the front of the pocket, layer the 4 1/2" x 14 1/2" red fabric, face up, then the prepared zipper, face down, then the 4 1/2" x 14 1/2" white fabric, face down (as in the picture above). Align these three along the top and left-hand edges, and sew them together at the top, using a zipper foot. The zipper foot that comes with the BERNINA 380 is 1/4' wide, so you just have to align the fabric with the edge of the foot to get a perfect seam (see picture below).
Fold open the fabrics you just sewed, so both fabrics are right-side out. Press, and top-stitch close to the edge of the fabric where it meets the zipper (picture below).
To finish the front of the bag, you will need the three pieces pictured below: the 14" x 14 1/2" white fabric, the 5" x 14 1/2" white fabric (which will be the back of the pocket lining), and the red zipper section that you just sewed.
Lay the zipper section on top of the white pocket lining, both face up. On top of these, lay the 14" x 14 1/2" white fabric, face down, with the bottom edge of the white fabric aligned with the top edge of the zipper. In the picture below, I have staggered the fabrics so you can see their orientation. Simply line them up along the top edge and sew them together using the zipper foot.
Fold open the white fabric, and topstitch close to the edge, as in the picture below.
Whew! I hope that wasn't too confusing! The front panel is now done and should look like the picture below.
To assemble to bag, sew one piece of the 18 1/2" x 14 1/2" red lining fabric to the top edge of the front outer section, and the other piece of the red lining to the top edge of the outer back section. Open the fabrics and press the seams flat. Leaving the fabrics open, layer the front and back sections, right sides together, so the red lining fabrics are touching each other and the white front and back fabrics are touching each other. In the next step, you will sew all around the four sides of the bag and lining, but first you need to measure (and mark with a pin) one inch on each side of the seam where the outside fabrics join the lining fabrics (see picture below), on each of the two ends of this seam. The area between the pins will be left unsewn for now (it will become the opening for the drawstring).
Go ahead and sew all around the four sides of the bag and lining, leaving the 2" opening between the pins, and an 8" opening at the bottom of the lining (for turning). I borrowed the picture below from another tutorial (I didn't get a picture of these fabrics at this stage!) but you can see how your bag at this stage will be one long piece.
Now, while the bag is still inside-out, press the seam allowance flat around the two 2" unsewn areas on the sides.
Turn the bag right-side out through the opening in the bottom. Turn under the raw edges of the opening in the bottom of the lining, press, and sew it closed with a seam very close to the edge of the fabrics. Push the lining inside the bag, and adjust it so it fits smoothly inside. Press the top edge, and you are almost done!
The two 2" areas that were left unsewn are now at the top edge of the bag. Topstitch them closed, as in the picture below, so they each form a "V".
Fold down a 1" flap from the top of the bag on both the front and back, so the red lining is exposed. Press.
This is the cord I used for my drawstring, below. Cut two 2-yard pieces, and thread them through the casing, but leave the ends loose for now.
Attach a grommet to each of the two bottom corners, following the directions on the package. These are the grommets, I used (below), and they worked great!
Now, thread one end of each cord through a grommet.
Tie a knot, trim the excess cord, and you are done! Good job!!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Storage Jar Labels with Tutorial
Here's another one of the projects I made for the Master Craftsters campaign on Craftster. The very last picture shows the wonderful new cubbyhole shelf I had just gotten from The Pottery Barn--I had seen it in the background of someone's post on Craftster, and I HAD TO HAVE IT!! I ordered it online, and I just love it to pieces! Coincidentally, a month or two prior to that, I had bought a case of canning jars at the grocery store with the intention of filling them with goodies to add to swap packages; but when I tried it out, the relatively small size of the jars, combined with their weight, made them a poor choice for a fun extra in a swap package, so I scrapped that idea and they were just sitting on the floor of my living room, taking up space. As soon as I had the shelf set up in my sewing room, the lightbulb came on over my head: Canning jars would fit in the cubbies!--The jars needed labels!--The Bernina 380 sews words!--I know what my next project will be!!!!
If your sewing machine doesn't sew words, you could make labels similar to this by either hand embroidering onto the felt; or, using cotton fabric or linen, you could rubber-stamp the words.
Storage Jar Labels using the BERNINA 380
I have a new cubby-hole shelf in my sewing room, and I'm using pint-size canning jars for storage there. I wanted some labels for the jars, and the BERNINA 380 just happens to be able to sew letters and words--this is a perfect project to experiment with that!
For 12 jars with a 10" circumference, you need 12 fabric strips cut 1 1/2" x 11", 12 pieces of 1/4" wide elastic cut 10" long, and wool felt in two colors.
Start by making the straps to hold the labels in place: using a 1/4" seam, sew the fabric strips in half lengthwise, right sides together, then turn them right-side-out. Thread one piece of elastic through each fabric tube. (I used the turning tool in the picture above to do both.) Then overlap the ends of the elastic 1/2" and sew the overlapped area securely on the machine.
Now it's time to make the label! The manual for the BERNINA 380 gives easy-to-follow instructions for selecting the letters you want to sew. You scroll through the alphabet and make your selection.
Then you step on the pedal and the machine sews the word! It's so cool!
I sewed my words onto white wool felt, leaving spaces in between for cutting.
Carefully cut the words apart, leaving 1/4" of the felt on each side. Then, cut along each edge with pinking shears.
Measure and cut the gray felt 1/4" wider and longer than the white felt. Pin the word to the gray felt, and sew it on the BERNINA.
Beautiful!
Cut a second piece of gray felt (for backing) the same size as the one on the label, and layer a strap between the backing and the label. Pin them together and sew close to the edge of the gray felt, all the way around all four sides with the machine.
This is how the finished labels look, front and back.
Slip a label onto each jar and you are done!
Here are my jars, all neatly labeled. This was a fast and fun and practical project--I love it!
If your sewing machine doesn't sew words, you could make labels similar to this by either hand embroidering onto the felt; or, using cotton fabric or linen, you could rubber-stamp the words.
Storage Jar Labels using the BERNINA 380
I have a new cubby-hole shelf in my sewing room, and I'm using pint-size canning jars for storage there. I wanted some labels for the jars, and the BERNINA 380 just happens to be able to sew letters and words--this is a perfect project to experiment with that!
For 12 jars with a 10" circumference, you need 12 fabric strips cut 1 1/2" x 11", 12 pieces of 1/4" wide elastic cut 10" long, and wool felt in two colors.
Start by making the straps to hold the labels in place: using a 1/4" seam, sew the fabric strips in half lengthwise, right sides together, then turn them right-side-out. Thread one piece of elastic through each fabric tube. (I used the turning tool in the picture above to do both.) Then overlap the ends of the elastic 1/2" and sew the overlapped area securely on the machine.
You don't have to finish the ends of the fabric, since they will be covered by the label.
Now it's time to make the label! The manual for the BERNINA 380 gives easy-to-follow instructions for selecting the letters you want to sew. You scroll through the alphabet and make your selection.
Then you step on the pedal and the machine sews the word! It's so cool!
I sewed my words onto white wool felt, leaving spaces in between for cutting.
Carefully cut the words apart, leaving 1/4" of the felt on each side. Then, cut along each edge with pinking shears.
Measure and cut the gray felt 1/4" wider and longer than the white felt. Pin the word to the gray felt, and sew it on the BERNINA.
Beautiful!
Cut a second piece of gray felt (for backing) the same size as the one on the label, and layer a strap between the backing and the label. Pin them together and sew close to the edge of the gray felt, all the way around all four sides with the machine.
This is how the finished labels look, front and back.
Slip a label onto each jar and you are done!
Here are my jars, all neatly labeled. This was a fast and fun and practical project--I love it!
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