rubykittyruby

These petal gift bags are ridiculously quick to make and really pretty.  I can't claim the idea's orginally mine - see Instragram for the source - but here's how I made them.  The first bag was the one at the top of this photo, so choosing fabric was trial and error.  I went for two prints, though the second bag - with the peppermint green material - shows you're better off choosing a plain and a patterned.  Anyway, here goes with my first attempt,   I picked green floral for my background and pink flowers for the petals.  These cotton squares are 7 inches.  Put the squares right sides together, sew all around 'em but leaving a gap of an inch or so unstitched.  (I used a sewing machine, but hand-sew if you'd rather.)   Trim a notch off each corner, turn rights sides out, poke out the corners and sew the gap closed.  You might want to give it a press with the iron too.   With the fabric you've picked for the petals fa...

  I have to limit time spent on Instagram as it's addictive.  Once you start scrolling through the endlessly inventive creations on there, it's so hard to stop.  On one of those browsing sessions I came across a beautiful plump pincushion - made by Heidi Parkes - and I couldn't resist making my own version of it.  I'm calling this a pouffe pincushion as the shape reminds me of the overstuffed padded footrests that cluttered up lounges, maybe in the Seventies?  I'm not sure of the period they were popular, but I bet you'd find 'em in any trendy vintage furniture sale.  Anyway, here's how to make one:  As with lots of my projects, it started with unbleached calico to use as a base.  I cut out a circle of it, using a teaplate as a template.  Then a slightly larger piece of purple material, something soft and easy to stitch into.  Pinned the two together and began sewing lines of simple running stitch across the circle.  It's an ideal ...

  I made a little triangular coin purse today, after seeing a tutorial on YouTube.  My version's slightly different to the original, but only slightly.  If you'd like to know how to make a purse then view the video, found via this link.   But I'll also run you through how I made mine.   I drew a rectangle of calico, 17cm x 16cm.  Then turned it into an L shape, as per the measurements below, shown by my highly technical super-de-luxe artist's quality diagram.   Bet you're impressed, aren't you?  Anyway, moving on ...  I chose a plain cotton fabric for the purse's inside and a patterned one for the outside.  I placed those fabrics right sides together, then my calico went on top.  I pinned around the edges of the calico, using red pins to indicated where I'd leave a gap of about 5cm or so.    (Basically I'm using the calico as a kind of interfacing.  Otherwise the thin cotton outer and inner fabrics would be ...

An embroidered fabric cuff is an easy project, and doesn't require any fancy stitches or expensive purchases.  If you're a seasoned crafter you're likely to have the materials already to hand, and possibly the only thing you might buy is a hair band.  But more of that later.   Let's start with the previouis fabric cuff I made.  (On the right in the photo above.)  I was pretty pleased with it, but decided it was too wide (though very good for keeping your wrist warm on a cold day!).  I learned a few things from making my cuff, mainly forget any notion of minimalism.  This cuff works best when you go heavily on the embellishments.  You've a small area to stitch on, so don't skimp on making the most of it.   I made a second version (above left), and here are the instructions if you want to make something similar.   You need to gather together:  2 pieces of felt, measurements discussed below, but mine were 8 inches x 1 ...

  This is a quick 'make' for anyone who wants a pincushion that's so bright you can't possibly mislay it!  It's a simple triangular shape, and you can make it any size you like.  I'd previously sewn this larger purple one.   Proving you can leave off the sequinned trim and metallic thread if you really want to.  Anyway, let's get started.  You need two squares of equal size in a non-stretchy fabric.  I used calico which gives a good strong base for you to stitch into.  My squares were slightly over 4 inches.  Pick out lots of fabric scraps, and if you're aiming for a boho style then choose lively colours and patterns.   Arrange your scraps so you can't see any of the calico base.  Use regular sewing thread or strands of embroidery thread to anchor your scraps down, adding decorative stitching and beads wherever you fancy.  I know metallic thread can be a pain in the neck to sew with, but it does add a lovely sparkle....