Pretty Bitty Blooms Tutorial

We have so enjoyed making our latest 'Make it' project, these pretty Bitty Blooms. It's an excellent project for using up scraps of both your favourite fabrics and felt!

There are loads of things that you can use them for...... scrap booking, hairbands, slides, brooches

bag charms, adding to cushions, key rings......

..... so if you needed convincing, not only are they useful, they are incredibly easy to make!

As always, the first thing you will need to do is print this pattern. To do so, highlight the picture above, then 'Right' click on your mouse, then select 'open in a new window' and then print using the keys 'CTRL' and 'P'

The pattern is entirely flexible and it is up to you as to how many layers you add to your brooch.  The only think that we would recommend is that the outer largest flower is in felt and the second flower is in fabric, then for the circles you can make up your own mind

For this brooch, we used inner circles 1,3 & 4

Now all you need do is sew the layers together and personally, which we think you can see from the photo,  we do not think now is the time for neat and tidy sewing.  We did a couple of circuits, but again, it's entirely up to you how many times you go around

You then continue with each layer, we find it easier to pull through the ends as you go

Keep going until you've finished sewing all the layers together, and Ta Da.... that's it a finished flower ready for embellishing. You can at this stage add buttons, maybe one at it's centre, some layered up or a few scattered randomly, or if you prefer leave them as they are!

 Now if you fancy turning this into a bag charm, you'll need to cut a second large felt flower and you'll need a swivel key fob with a split ring and some pretty ribbon

 

and all you need to do is sandwich the layers together, making sure that you tuck the ribbon in between the layers and then sew around the outer edge, ensuring that you catch the ribbon as you go

For brooches, again you'll need another piece of felt for the back, if you prefer a neater finish, cut a circle larger than your flower, sew your brooch pin to the centre.  For a professional finish, sew a small oblong of felt across the pin

 Then sew around the outer edge joining all the layers and neatly trim

For key rings, you'll need to sew your key ring to the back flower and then hand sew your layers together.

Here's some more ideas for you......

On these I added some simple hand stitching.....

 What ever you decide, have fun!

To accompany this project, we have put together 7 different  'Make it' Bitty Blooms project packs:

Caths Flowers -  candy coloured florals by the iconic Cath Kidston

Tilda - pretty pink, aqua and red fabrics by the Scandinavian designer Tone Finnanger 

Sugar Flowers - gorgeous bright florals by Japanese designer Lecien

4 Seasons -  stunning fabrics by modern designers including Michael Miller, Riley Blake, Tanya Whelan etc sorted into four different colour collections

  Each pack contains 15 little bits of fabric scraps, cut neatly by us into squares in 3 different sizes, ready for you to cut out your outer flower and inner circles.   5 pieces of felt in co-ordinating colours, 7 buttons and a selection of findings.

Enough in all to make at least 4 flowers and with careful cutting 5! 

You can find these

HERE 

These would be prefect for making as thank you presents for Teachers at the end of term, Party Bags , presents for friends.....

Finally, we hope that you enjoyed our project. We would love to see what you sew and create, so please do send us your pictures and we'll add them to our equally new and glossy customer gallery on our Facebook page.

Happy sewing!

Hang out the flags - Bunting Tutorial

With a summer of celebrations ahead, we though it would be a nice time to do a Bunting 'Make it' project.

This project is for a 7 flag bunting with machine appliqued stars

So here we go, this project will take aprox a couple of hours to make. Hopefully the instructions are nice and clear, but please do get in touch if you would like any clarification.

For this project you will need:

3 x 'small' size pieces of fabric

1.5 metres of bias binding

7 buttons

3 x 5 1/2" squares of felt

Firstly, you will need to print this pattern. To do so, highlight the picture above, then 'Right' click on your mouse, then select 'open in a new window' and then print using the keys 'CTRL' and 'P' 

Fold each of your fabrics in half, right sides facing inwards and using the bunting pattern piece (We made our pattern out of card and then drew around it it pencil), cut as follows:

 Fabric 1 (red polka dot) cut out 3 flags (effectively 6 triangles)

Fabric 2 (navy polka dot) cut out 2 flags (4 triangles)

 Fabric 3 (blue and white stripe) cut out 2 flags (4 triangles)

And using the star pattern piece cut:

Felt 1 (navy) cut out 3 stars

 Felt 2 (red) cut out 2 stars

Felt 3 (pale blue) cut out 2 stars

Pin the stars to a triangle (you can see from the pictures the combinations that we went for)

 Using you sewing machine or if you prefer by hand, applique the star to the flag

 Repeat for all 7 flags

Sew buttons to the centres

Match up your fronts to back and place together, right sides facing.  Pin and sew with 1/4" seam allowances

Trim the point as shown

Turn through, press and trim across the top raw edge of the flag, so that you have a nice and neat straight edge

Measure and mark 20cm from the end of your bias binding, this is the start position of your first flag.  Sew the flags in place as shown in the picture above.  The bunting is made with No Gaps in between the flags.

 Finally, trim the end of your bias binding so that each tie, is the same measurement and your flags are nicely centred.  Fold over your ends and hand sew in place to create a loop for hanging

Ta Da.....

That's it you're done, so stand back, admire and enjoy!

   

To accompany this project, we have put together a 'Make it' Appliqued Bunting project pack

which is available 

HERE

Alternatively you can pick your own selection of pretty fabrics and trims from those available in the

Shop

Remember to hang on to all your left over fabrics to use in future makes.

Finally, we hope that you enjoyed our project. We would love to see what you sew and create, so please do send us your pictures and we'll add them to our equally new and glossy customer gallery on our Facebook page.

Happy sewing

Woo hoo...here we go - Pocket Heart Tutorial

After quite a few frantic yet exciting weeks and 11 days since we arrived here, we are delighted to announce that our website is now ...........

Woo hoo !!!!!!

To celebrate, we are also super excited to be sharing our very first 'Make it' project with you.  It is a very pretty Heart, with the added bonus of a Pocket decorated with velvet ribbon and lace.

  Here are some ideas that we came up with for using your heart.... firstly if you have young children, then it would be a great for the tooth fairy.  Or as a present for someone special, why not tuck in a gift card or some cash.  Finally as we have shown it here, it makes a rather gorgeous and useful pin cushion (we're currently fighting over who gets to keep this one!)

So here we go, this project is suitable for all abilities and will take around an hour to make.  Hopefully the instructions are nice and clear, but please do get in touch if you would like any clarification.

For one heart, you will need.....

1 'Small' size piece of fabric (fabric a), 1 'Mini' size piece of fabric (fabric b), 20cm of crochet lace, 30cm velvet ribbon, one button and some polyfil stuffing

Step 1

Firstly, you will need to print this pattern.  To do so, highlight the picture above, then 'Right' click on your mouse, then select 'open in a new window' and then print using the keys 'CTRL' and  'P'  Cut out the Heart Pattern Piece and for the Pocket, simply fold on the dotted line, where indicated.

Using the pattern pieces above, Cut out 2 hearts from your chosen fabric a and 1 pocket from fabric b

Step 2

Take the pocket piece and place right side down.
 Along the top straight edge fold over and press 1cm.

Step 3

Fold over and press a further 1cm, so that the raw edge is now concealed.

Step 4

Pin the lace trim to the right side of the pocket along the top edge and sew using the edgae of your sewing machine foot as a guide. 

(This stitching will be hidden once the velvet ribbon has been attached)

Step 5

Pin 20cm of velvet ribbon to the pocket and then, as close as you can, sew along the top and bottom edges to secure it in place. 

Step 6

To make the bow,  with the remaining 10cm piece of velvet ribbon, place it right side down, next to a ruler.  Fold towards the centre at 27mm and 73mm.  The wrong side of the ribbon is now sandwiched in the middle.

Step 7

Secure in place with some teeny hand stitches

Step 8

Hand sew the bow to the centre of the pocket and then top with a button.

Step 9

Lay one of your heart pieced right side up and pin the pocket also right side up in position.  This will be the front of your completed heart.

Step 10

Place the second heart piece on top of the front piece with right sides together, pin in place.

Step 11

Leaving a gap of aprox 5cm, sew around the outside edge with a 1 cm seam allowance.

Step 12

Trim the point, excess ribbon and cut notches around the curved edge of the heart, as shown above.  This will ensure that you get nice smooth curves when you turn through.

Step 13

Turn though and press, stuff with polyfil and finally hand sew the gap.

Ta da.......

That's it you're done, so stand back, admire and enjoy!

Here's another one we made, this time we used pretty Tilda fabrics, with the addition of a hanging loop

To make life nice and easy, we have put together two 'Make it' packs for you here, plus you'll have a little fabric and trims left over for future projects. sorry these are now sold out

(Never throw any scraps away as we have projects planned for those too!)

 Each pack contains: 1 small piece and 1 mini piece of fabric, 1m of velvet ribbon, 1m of lace and 1m of a co-ordinating ribbon, a selection of 5 buttons for you to choose from and enough stuffing for one plump and squishy heart.

Alternatively you can pick your own selection of pretty fabrics and trims from those available in the

Shop

Finally, we hope that you enjoyed our project.  We would love to see what you sew and create, so please do send us your pictures and we'll add them to our equally new and glossy customer gallery on our Facebook page.

Happy sewing