Bee-inspired

Fabric fabric fabric!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 11:06:00 +0000

I'm so excited!!

Recently a friend of mine taught me how to use a design program and enabled me to do something that I have been interested in for a while... design fabric!

I have been doing a bit of screen printing research as well and so I took the liberty of screen printing my new design and I LOVE IT!!

My design is called Dandelion Wisps (I feel super fancy now that I've named it.) I did it in grey and mint.

Here is what I made with my new fabric:

They are diaper (nappy) changing bags for your purse or diaper bag (so that you don't need to lug a huge bag into the changing rooms every time you go on an outing.)

Being able to design my own fabric (although I'm still on super beginner phase) has caused my creative mind to get so fired up that it exploded and left a pretty rainbow splatter on my wall.

Sometimes small children get so excited that their excitement bursts out in a squeal.

I can totally relate right now.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

Blessings

DIY cake stands

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:52:00 +0000

My beautiful sister-in-law got married recently, and I made some decor for her bridal shower.

A dilemma that I had was a lack of cake stands.

Seeing as I believe that most things are DIY-able, I made some.

Here is what you need:

(I always seem to forget things out of these photos, but you get the idea)

A cardboard box

Glue (I used "no-more-nails" but wood glue works too)

A can of food of preferred height

Pretty paper (I used two sheets of scrapbooking paper per stand)

A border punch

Scissors, Pencil, Ruler

Double sided tape

1. Cut a circle out of the cardboard box. I used a big bowl as a "template". Make sure that it is not too big otherwise the stand won't be stable enough to hold the cake/cupcakes.

2. Make sure that you leave enough space for the top of your cake stand then cut strips of paper from the rest. I made my strips approx three and a half centimeters (1.4inches). The size of the cake stand top is going to determine how many strips you will need. I needed 2 and a teeny bit.

3. Use the border punch to make the edges pretty.

4. Stick double sided tape to the ends of the strips and stick then together to make one long strip.

5. Place glue (sorry I forgot to take that photo) all around the edge of the cardboard and then stick the long strip to the edge. Making sure the flat edge of the strip is level with the table (you should be doing this on newspaper - I just removed it for the photo, but for some reason, that I can't remember now, I seemed to have left my scissors in there as a model...)

6. Place it on the can/extra can to dry.

7. Take the can and measure its length, roll it along the paper as you measure it to make sure there is enough paper to go all the way around.

8. Cut it out and place double sided tape on the edges as well as on the top and bottom of the can. (if you look veeeery carefully you can see my double sided tape on the can)

9. Stick the paper to the can.

10.Place the top of the cake stand on your scrapbooking paper and trace around it (it is okay if you leave a bit of an edge, rather too much than too little)

11. Cut it out and stick double sided tape to the paper or cardboard, which ever you prefer.

12. Stick the paper on to the cardboard and use your scissors to trim the edges.

13. Put some glue on the bottom of the cake stand top, where you will be placing your can. Be very generous.

14. Place your can on the glue and put something heavy on top while the glue dries.

repeat steps 1-14 as many times as you wish.

and..

TA DA!!

This should have been a photo of pretty treats in a beautifully decorated room, BUT in all the bridal shower busy-ness, I forgot to take photos :(

I will learn from my mistakes.

Have a great week!

Blessings

And the winner is....

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 14:22:00 +0000

Congratulations to:

ALISSA!!

You have won yourself a whole lot of ribbon!!!

I will be in contact with you super soon!!

I'm sorry if random.org didn't let you win this time - but come and visit again, there will be more giveaways :)

Blessings

Fabric scraps #2

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:41:00 +0000

I know that many people don't agree with me but I never grow tired of bunting. There are so many different types (they don't always need to be triangles) and its just so functional. I had to make some quick bunting with fabric scraps for an event at church and I thought I'd share it with you. Another fabric scraps tutorial is overdue anyway ;) Here is my previous fabric scraps tutorial: Fabric scraps #1

Sometimes you really want bunting but you really don't feel like taking the whole day to do it. So you cheat ;) and use glue!

You will need:

Fabric scraps

Twine/string/ribbon

Glue (I used wood glue because that is what I had)

Scissors

1. Cut equal size rectangles out of your fabric scraps cut a 'pizza slice' out of each of them :)

2. Place a good stripe of glue on the top (back) of the fabric flag and place the string on top of it.

3. Fold the top of the flag over and press it down to make sure the glue sticks.

Keep doing this until you are happy with the length of your bunting. To prevent any 'face palm' moments remember to leave a piece of string open before you start glueing the flags, and then again after you finish. So that you can tie the bunting where ever you choose to place it.

And TA DA!!!!

Blessings

Ribbon Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:11:00 +0000

It has taken me awhile (about two years) but I have finally created a facebook page for Bee-inspired.
So to celebrate I am ~~having a giveaway!!~~

Sadly this giveaway is over.

Here is what I am giving away:

8 Rolls of ribbon (of which most of them are made in South Africa)
Each roll is 3 meters (3,3 yards) long so in total you could win 24meters (26,2 yards) of ribbon!!

The 4th ribbon from the left is actually a two in one ribbon - let me show you:

You can hold the middle, thin teal ribbon and ruffle the rest! Isn't that incredible. A ribbon woven into a ribbon - genius!!

So if you would like to win this ribbon hamper here is what you need to do:

There are two ways to enter.

1. For one entry you can like my facebook page and then leave a comment here (not on the facebook page) telling me that you did :)

2. For another entry you need to either be a follower/become a follower of this blog, and leave a comment saying which of the ribbons is your favourite.

You can do either 1 or 2 or both which would equal 2 entries.

And that is all.

The giveaway ends on Thursday the 14th of March 5pm PST.

I will choose a winner randomly and announce the winner on the 15th of March.

Anyone from anywhere can enter as the prize includes postage:)

Thank you for stopping by and good luck!
I have limited stock of ribbons but if you want to buy some me, please send me an email to inspired.gabi@gmail.com and I will forward you the catalogue.

Blessings

Free March 2013 Desktop calendars!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:45:00 +0000

We are already 3 days into March and for once I don't feel like I'm still scrambling to catch up!

So here are some free desktop calendars for you in case you haven't had the time to find one for yourself.

You can download it here at the Love Mae Blog.

This one is from Free People.

My favourite one for the month is from Nicole's Classes.

The blackboard calendar from Design is YAY!

I hope you've had a great start to your month!

Blessings

Some fun free prints

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:02:00 +0000

I am always looking for some good freebies and who doesn't like stationery. So what better than a combination of the two :)

Here are a few to brighten up your day!

Lunch box notes from Whipperberry

Journaling cards from Persnickety Prints

Journaling tags from Dainty Dream

Camera Prints from A Sorta Fairytale

(I love this one sooo much!!)

Mason jar labels from Southern Weddings

And lastly my favourite for the day:

52 (yes that is right 52) free printables from This Kalil Life

Have a great day!!

Blessings

DIY ribbon/fabric tape spool

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:48:00 +0000

In my previous post on DIY fabric tape I said that I would give you a quick tutorial on how to make your own spool for tape/ribbon. Just to help you in the ongoing battle against craft supply chaos ;)

So here goes:

You will need:

Cardboard

A toilet roll tube

Scissors

A ruler

A punch for the circular parts (or just use scissors again;) )

Glue

A heavy book

I used a punch to make the round flat parts - but if you don't have a suitable punch in your craft corner you can just trace around a jar lid and cut it out with a pair of scissors.

Then measure your tape or ribbon to see how wide it is. Add 2mm and mark it off on the toilet roll tube. It helps if you mark it all the way around and then cut it with the scissors or carpet knife/utility knife.

Place some glue on the edge of the toilet roll tube piece and stick one of the round flat parts to it. Do the same with the other side of the toilet roll tube piece. (you have to look quite carefully to see the glue in both these pictures, but I promise its there :)

Once you have glued both flat round pieces to either side of the piece of toilet roll tube, place a book on it and leave it till the glue dries. Above is a photo of the glue that I used.

And you are done!!

And you recycled in the process - give yourself a pat on the back ;)

Blessings

Fabric tape (scraps #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:25:00 +0000

A while back I showed you my fabric scrap stash and promised to start doing some projects with it. Well here is the long awaited first project.

By this time you know about washi tape and if you live in SA you have probably deprived yourself of a meal or two to be able to save the cash to buy some ;)

Here is an alternative - Fabric tape.

You will need:

Some double sided tape (I used a width of 1,5cm)

A strip of fabric

A pair of Scissors

1. stick the double sided tape to the fabric, smoothing it out as you go. (you should iron your fabric first but I was lazy)

2. Use your scissors to cut down the one side of the double sided tape. Try and stay as close to the tape as possible.

3. Cut down the second side as well.

And you are done.

TA DA!!

Here is the tutorial for the cardboard spool that I wrapped my tape around ;)

Blessings

Sailor sailor

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:25:00 +0000

Just a quick DIY garland for days that you just feel like folding something.

Here are the directions for each boat.

Thanks to Arch Academy of design

To make these small boats I used A4 paper and folded it in 4.

So fold the page in half length wise and then in half width wise.

This should leave you with four rectangles. Cut on the folds and then use the directions above for each rectangle.

I then took needle and string and threaded it through the tip of each boat. You can secure it with tape but I used prestik/blu tack on the inside of each tip.

And you're done!

Blessings.

xxx

Fabric scraps

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:58:00 +0000

After about 6 months of non-stop sewing I am finally sort-of on vacation.

Its been a crazy, fun, tough, exciting time and I wouldn't change any of it.

And after all of the craziness I'm left with fabric scraps.

Tons (ok maybe kilograms) of scraps. I'm not a hoarder but if something is pretty, no matter how small it is, I think it deserves a chance to be something. So I haven't thrown away any scraps yet - When I start drowning in them I might.

Most blogs I look at seem to only generate scraps like this...

Mine seem to look like this....(these are not all the bags ;)

So I've decided to save what I can and try make something of all these little pretty pieces. In my head I'm planning on doing hundreds of beautiful sewing projects that will be uplifting to many. In reality I might make one or two small things before I move on and close my scrap cupboard door for another few months where the scraps will probably grow to double the size.

Here they all are in a more sorted, trimmed fashion. Still not like the first photo but way better than the second ;)

Come back and visit to see what I decided to do with them :)

Blessings

xxx

A bit of home decor

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:18:00 +0000

Let's pretend that I haven't been missing for 6 months and pick up where we left off ;)

In between starting a business I haven't had much time for decorating the apartment that we are renting. I drove past a second hand store a few months ago and saw a beautiful old ladder that only has one side. (I have been wanting one for a while and thought that I was going to have to make it.)

After convincing the owner that it would fit in my car, (and removing some things from my car that shouldn't be removed) I had the ladder and was ready to start my project.

We are not allowed making holes in the walls in this apartment that we are renting and so I decided that I would have to make a plan to display some of our beautiful traveling photos.

Here is the end product:

All it took was a few frames that fit into each gap, some hooks and some fishing line.

Let me show you the back so that you can do it yourself.

Screw two small hooks into the back of each frame (space them well) and then do the same on the rung of the ladder above the frame. And attach with some fish line. Do the same for all the frames.

And you are done!

xxx

Inspirations

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 18:50:00 +0000

Life on this side is a bit too fast for me to keep up so I have decided to step out and take a breather. Luckily blog land never fails to leave me feeling inspired and amazed by all the creativity out there.

If you don't have time to take a relaxed stroll through all the beautiful blogs out there, here are some goodies to give you your weekly fix.

1. A DIY ruler table runner from Country living.

2. A collection of packaging ideas from oh, hello friend.

3. (YAY free stuff) Printable mason jar labels (they even have blank ones) from Limeshot Design.

4. DIY paper airplane garland from Studio DIY.

If you have any special blogs that have inspired you, on this busy Monday, please feel free to mention them in your comments. I would love to take a look.

I hope you have a great week.

Blessings

Puppy finds a home.

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:23:00 +0000

Thank you so much to everyone who entered and all the lovely names that were given.
I might have to give each of the puppies I make a different name because I was given so many good options. (I must say one of my favourites was Jack McBarkington;)
But this lucky puppy is called Gilbert.

And the winner is...

Cherilyn.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Check your inbox because you've got mail.

If you would still like to take your own puppy home, I will be putting them on our website over at Pickalilly from the 2nd week in June.

Pop in again anytime - I love visitors.

Blessings

Sew mama sew giveaway week

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:51:00 +0000

Sorry this giveaway is over.
Its giveaway week over at Sew Mama Sew and I'm excited. (Welcome to everyone visiting)

A friend and I recently started a business for handmade baby clothes and accessories. It's called pickalilly. Go on over and take a look.

I have been designing a few new items for our online shop and today I will be giving away one of them.

Here he is. He is still in the process of being named. If you would like to give this puppy a home you need to do the following:

1. Leave a comment with name suggestion for our friend in the picture.

2. If you are not a follower please leave an email address (you can type it like this: inspired(dot)gabi(at)gmail(dot)com) so that I can let you know if you have won - I will not spam you ;)

3. For an extra entry follow/like us on facebook and let me know by posting an extra comment.

The giveaway ends on the 25th of May 5pm PST.

I will choose a winner randomly and announce the winner on the 27th of May.

Anyone from anywhere can enter :)

Thank you for stopping by and good luck!

Blessings

A new look!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:57:00 +0000

As you can see Bee-inspired has a new look. I absolutely LOVE IT!!!

A few months ago I was getting really frustrated with my blog design and I really wanted a custom design. I first tried doing a ton of free tutorials and after HOURS (more like days) of trying all I had was a sad attempt, which is what was on my blog before.

I want this blog to be a source of inspiration for others and I was super uninspired by the design so I prayed about it (yes I pray about anything and everything) and a week later I found a competition for a custom blog design by (my now new friend) Jennie from click.snap.swoosh.laugh. I was sure I was going to win.

I didn't.

BUT a few weeks later she messaged me and said she wanted to do it for me. She is an amazing women with many talents and has more than one blog (she seems like bit of a super women to me.)

So here is the end result of her hard work.

THANK YOU Jennie you were REALLY an answer to prayer.

Here are her two blogs - go and take a look and say hi.

Here's to more exciting changes in the future.

Blessings

Inspirations

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:38:00 +0000

I'm back from all my travels in the States and SA and I will still blog about it when life returns to perceived normalcy.

For now here are a few inspirations.

1. DIY hand lettered gift wrap from The Sweetest Occasion.

2. How to sew with knit fabrics from Ask Dana on Made (if you haven't been to her website yet you are missing out - she is possibly one of my favourite bloggers.)

3. DIY fabric labels from Just Love.ly

4. Make your own photo props from The Letter 4.

I will be back soon and watch this space because some exciting changes are going to be happening on bee-inspired in the near future.

Blessings

Making a slimline pen on a lathe

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Today's tutorial is pretty intense. My brother is super talented and extremely detailed in all the things he creates. His latest hobby is making pens. So if you are interested in making pens I doubt you will get a better description than the one he has put together for you. If, like for me, this seems like too much effort you can order and buy them from him. Just email me and I will get you connected. Enjoy the tutorial :)

Turning a Slimline pen on a lathe

You will need:

1 x 7mm slimline pen kit (all supplies are available at Craft Supplies USA)

1 x pen blank

A pen mandrel

7mm pen bushings

A ruler

A pencil

7mm drill bit

Pen mill

5min Epoxy glue

A bamboo skewer/ thin dowel

Sandpaper (150, 220, 320, 400, 600 grits)

Friction polish

Paper towel

Drill press vise/ pen vise

Pen press / bench vise

Power tools needed:

Wood lathe

Drill press

Band saw / hand saw

Wood turning tools (I used a roughing gouge, carbide cutting tool, spindle gouge and skew, all of which can be seen in the pictures describing the turning process on the lathe below)

Place both brass tubes (from kit) on the pen blank (wooden block) and make sure that the blank is longer than the length of the two tubes combined. Mark the blank as shown in the picture leaving a little extra space to either side of each tube.

Make a mark across the center of the blank to make sure that you can keep the wood grain aligned after you have cut the blank in two.

Cut the pen blank to the marked lengths using a bandsaw .

Mark the center at the end of each of the two parts of the blank with an X using a ruler or center-finder.

Place the blank in the drill press vise and adjust it so that it is exactly parallel to the drill bit in the drill press and tighten the vise to secure the blank in place. If you have a pen vise, place the blank in the pen vise and tighten. Align the drill bit with the center of the blank that you marked with an X.

Drill a hole straight through the blank. Do it slowly, withdrawing the drill bit at intervals to remove wood chips and prevent the blank from overheating and cracking.

Do this with both blanks.

Wrap some 150 grit sandpaper around the thin dowel and use it to sand the inside of the blanks.

Using 150 grit sandpaper, sand the outside surface of the the brass tubes so that the glue has a better surface to adhere to.

Mix a small amount of Epoxy glue on a scrap piece of paper. Using the dowel, apply a thin layer of glue to the inside of each blank.

Now apply a small amount of glue to one end of the outside of the brass tubes (it will spread itself as you insert it into the blank).

Slowly insert each brass tube into a blank using a twisting motion, to spread the glue more effectively. Insert the tube all the way in so that it is not protruding from either end of the blank at all.

Set the blanks aside and allow the glue to dry completely, preferably about 24 hours.

Using the pen mill in the drill press, hold the blank with a pair of pliers or a vise and square both ends of each of the blanks (make the ends of the blank perpendicular to the brass tube). Be very careful not to cut away any of the brass tubing, check frequently and stop when you see the edge of the brass tube become shiny. Don't try to hold the blank in your hand because if it catches on the pen mill it will spin in your hand and that can be quite painful...

Place the pen mandrel in the lathe and slide at least one bushing onto the mandrel.

Slide one of the pen blank halves onto the mandrel, then one bushing and then the second blank and another bushing. Making sure that the wood grain is aligned using the marks you made before cutting the blank in half. Screw on the brass nut and tighten it against the last bushing that you placed on the mandrel.

Put a 60 degree live center in the tail stock of the lathe, slide the tail stock up against the mandrel and tighten down the tails.

Set the lathe speed to 1500-2000 rpm. Using your tool of choice (I used a roughing gouge and carbide cutting tool) See picture below.

Round the blanks starting at one end and working your way across the entire blank.

Turn down the ends of the blanks until they are only slightly bigger than the bushings (I used a spindle gouge and carbide cutting tool).

Using your tool of choice (I used a skew and carbide cutting tool) turn the blanks to the desired final shape (something that will be comfortable to hold while writing). Make sure that the ends of the blanks are the same size as the bushings or only very slightly bigger and sand them down to the same diameter as the bushings in the next step.

Turn the lathe speed down to between 500 and 800rpm. Sand the blanks starting with 150 grit sandpaper working your way through each of the grits up to 600 grit.

After each grit stop the lathe and sand along the grain (along the length of the blanks), while turning the mandrel by hand.

Wipe the sanding dust off after using each grit.

Turn the lathe speed up to about as fast as it can go (depending on the lathe you are using, anywhere between 1500-3000rpm should be fine.)

Fold a piece of paper towel as seen in the picture below, and put some friction polish on one end of the towel. Apply friction polish to each of the blanks, making sure to coat the whole blank.

Once each blank is completely covered in polish, with the lathe running, you should pinch the paper towel around the blank and move the paper towel quickly back and forth along the blanks, generating heat and activating the friction polish. You can stop when the friction polish is completely dry and the blanks are shiny.

Unscrew the brass nut and remove the bushings and blanks from the mandrel, making sure to keep the grain of the blanks aligned.

The next few steps show how to assemble the pen kit using a pen press (a bit of care keeping the parts aligned and a bench vise would also work). I used different blanks in these pictures but the process is the same.

Align the back end of the pen tip with one of the blanks and put it in the pen press, make sure to keep the tip and blank in-line while pressing them together.

Put the brass end of the twist mechanism into the other end of the blank in which you just inserted the tip. Press the mechanism into the blank up to the end of the brass piece.

Screw the pen refill into the mechanism and turn the mechanism clockwise as far as it will go.

If the tip of the refill protrudes far enough out of the tip of the pen to allow for comfortable writing and also retracts all the way in when turning the mechanism counter-clockwise, continue to the next step. If not, remove the refill from the mechanism and press the mechanism a little deeper into the pen blank. In the end you want enough of the pen tip to protrude so that writing will be comfortable and so that the tip will retract completely when not in use.

Place the end cap through the clip and align it with the back end of the remaining blank. Press them together in the pen press.

Slide the center ring (from the kit) down the twist mechanism unit. Screw the refill into the mechanism. Press the back half of the pen onto the mechanism and adjust it until the grain aligns.

And that is it.

The Custom Up-cycled Hat Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:46:00 +0000

Here is another great tutorial from Lindsey, who you met a few weeks ago. She blogs over at Ovenlesschef.

I leave you in her capable hands:

Lindsey: "Disclaimer: All photos have this atrocious yellow flooring in them, so please view at your own discretion. Thank you and happy crafting."

Let me start off by apologizing for the picture quality.

A: The 70’s called and wants its nasty linoleum flooring back… I guess I forgot to return that call.

B: I am still on a tutorial-creating learning curve… as in this is my second one EVER, so a little mercy here. Thanks.

C: I really DO have a nice camera and I really DO know how to use it, even in low lighting. I DO however, have it packed in its case in a carry-on suitcase and the point and shoot was just sitting there begging me to use it rather than getting off my bum and going into the cold room in which the SLR lives. (AKA, I was being LAZY)

That being said, I also need to inform you that I am a night crafter. I have a four year old and a four month old, therefore free-time only coincides with sleep-time. And more often than not, sleep-time results in sleep-time for me too… so consider yourselves lucky I managed to get this post done in the same month I set out to complete it… (The Lord still works miracles!)

Whew. Now that I got that off my chest and have apologized in advance, let’s get down to business. Gabi approached me on making a tutorial for these hats after I had whipped up a couple for my four year old and husband as Christmas gifts. I got the inspiration from “I am momma hear me roar” but I didn’t want ear flaps. (And let’s just pretend mine are as cute as hers, okay? Okay. Good.) As with any first-time project, there were tweaks and failures… totally bombed the hat I was attempting for the baby. But… after the buzz of the holidays wore off, I was determined to make the baby a hat too. I did not use a pattern, therefore, each hat you make will be unique and slightly different, but that is what makes them so fun.

What you need:

*A knit of some sort, be it recycled t-shirts or sweats (depending on the weather you intend the hat for) this is a great project for using up those old clothes… especially those shirts that you love the graphics or pattern on. (Preferably two or three different fabrics that coordinate.)

* tape-measure and ruler/ grid cutting mat

*calculator… most computers or phones come with one ;)

* sewing basics… aka needle/machine, thread, scissors, fabric pen, pins…

*Most importantly, your CREATIVITY!

Step 1:

Measure the circumference of the head for which you will be making the hat, then add 2 cm (3/4”) for seam allowance. (If you are making it as a surprise for someone, I put some standard measurements at the bottom of the tut for you to use as a guide)

Step 2:

Divide the measurement by 5, giving you the top layer’s measurements.

{Example: Circumference= 60 cm (23 ½“) divided by 5 [60/5]= 12cm(4 ¾”). so your measurements would be 60cm X 12cm (23 ½” X 4 ¾”) }

Cut two rectangles of fabric measuring these dimensions. One will be for the top of the hat and the other for the bottom rim/hem.

Cut a strip measuring the same length (60cm/ 23 ½” ) with a width based on how chunky of a strip you want for your hat. (about 4cm/1 ¾” for smaller hats and 6cm/ 2 ½” for larger ones)

So now you have three strips, all with the same length (circumference) and two taller, one shorter. (Yeah don’t have a pic for that one… lame, I know, you can boo and hiss at the screen if you’d like. )

Step 3:

Take one of the larger rectangles and fold in half with the right side facing out. On the inside of the fold, make a mark with your fabric pen (or regular pen since it will be on the inside of the seams) on both the top and bottom of the fold.

Open the fabric and fold each end to the center marks you just made and mark on the top and bottom interior of the folds again.

(Do this on both ends)

Step 4:

When you open the fabric, you should have three sets of marks that divide the fabric into four sections.

Step 5:

On the bottom on the rectangle, draw a line the length of the rectangle about 2cm/3cm (¾” / 1 ¼”) from the bottom edge, based on small/large hat.

Now draw lines extending from your top marks straight down to the line you just drew across the length. Make cuts down these lines, stopping at the point where the lines intersect.

Step 6:

Here comes the not-so-scientific part. With each of the four tabs, you will now cut them into football-esk dome shapes. (You can measure and mark the center of each of the four tabs if you’d like, but don’t have to. See picture above for visual. )

(see, the domes look football-esk shaped, well… they look like one end of a football at least. )

Step 7:

Pin the outer-side of each dome together, leaving the ends of the rectangle unpinned. (yep, forgot to take a photo of this step)Sew seams. * You can add a tab, or tag, to the hat by inserting a piece of ribbon or even the tag from a shirt to the top by folding in half, with outer-side facing out, and pin with the fold facing in toward the bulk of the hat. (see picture) I recommend backstitching over this on the machine to prevent fraying.

(This picture combines step 7 and 8)

Step 8:

Pin the thinner strip to the top with the outer-sides together. Sew seam. (See above picture.)

Step 9:

Pin the last strip to the top with outer-sides together. Sew seam.

You now have the base of your hat with an open mid-seam and in need of a hem. This is the best place to go ahead and add any embellishments, be it embroidery, attaching appliqués, or even iron-on decals!

Step 10:

Pin and sew mid-seam. Try on and sew deeper seam if too loose.

Step 11:

Pin and hem hat using existing hat as guide, or marking while on model/recipients head, OR using guide at end of tutorial.

(Using well fitting hat as guide)

Bada-bing. Bada-bang. You now have a fun hat to give, or keep. One you can proudly say you made (even if it dons a brand label in the design)!

(A plain version without embellishments added, but rather detail stitching… make this hat to suit your own style!

(embellished using details from sweatshirt I deconstructed)

(backside)

(another example)

So pull out those sweatshirts with the too-short sleeves or that favorite old tee with nasty pit stains and make a cute hat;)

(And of course…. The Cuteness)

Here are the measurement guidelines for hat-making… see this page for more details on using these guides.

HC=Head Circumference

*Newborns

HC: 13" - 14 " 33-36cm; hat circ = 11.5" - 13" Hat height = 5.5 to 6" 13-15 cm

*Baby - 3 to 6 months

HC: 14" - 17 " 36-43 cm; Hat height= 6.5 - 7" 15-18 cm

*Baby - 6 to 12 months

HC: 16" - 19 " 41-48 cm ; Hat height = 7.5" 18 cm

*Toddler - preschooler (12 months - 3 years)

HC: 18" to 20 " 46 -48 cm; Hat height = 8" 20 cm

*Child (3 - 10 years)

HC: 19" - 20 1/2" 48-51 cm; Hat height =8.5" 22cm

*Pre-teens and Teens Hat

HC: 20 1/2" - 22" 53 -56 cm; height 9-10" 25 cm

*Adult Woman

HC: 21.5" - 22.5" Hat height = 11"

*Adult Man

HC: 23" - 24" 58.4 cm - 61 cm; Hat height = 11"-11.5"

Happy crafting!!

iPod/ iPhone holder tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

My iPod has many scratches on it. It gets dropped often and its home is my chaotic handbag, shared with many sharp objects like lost hairpins and sometimes sewing needles. So for today's tutorial I thought I'd share a quick iPod/ iPhone holder tutorial.

You will need:

A piece of felt 8.5cm x 23cm (3.3" x 9.1")

A leather strap snap button (you can buy this at most hobby shops)

Thread and preferably a sewing machine.

(Quick apology - some of these photos were taken at night...so try to ignore the blurriness;)

1. Sew two straight lines down the length of the piece felt. Aprox 2.5cm (1") from the side and 0.8cm (1/4") apart.

2. Sew two straight lines across the width of the felt. Aprox 8cm (3.1") from the top of the front of the felt. And 0.8cm (1/4") apart.

3. Fold the piece of felt in half and sew along the seams, preferably in the same colour as the felt.

4. Attach the front part of the snap button. (Some hand stitching is required here.)

5. Attach the back of the snap button.

6. And TA DA!!

My iPod loves me for this, do yours a favour too ;)

Blessings

Gabi

Jersey knit baby quilt tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Today's tutorial was done by a talented friend of mine, Karin. She is the Asst. Prof of Craft Design at a university in Daegu, South Korea. She is someone who inspires me to not just do what others do but to be original and use the creativity that God gave me.

She doesn't have a website/blog for me to link to but if you have any questions for her please leave them in the comments box below and I will pass them on. :)

I leave you in her capable hands.

The beautiful thing about working with jersey knit is that it doesn’t unravel, so this technique takes advantage of what your typical quilt has to hide: the raw edges!

Materials needed:

2m (yds) jersey knit fabric (1m each of contrasting colors or patterns)
½ m (yd) jersey knit fabric for the binding
Cotton thread
Cutting mat, rotary cutter and ruler
Sewing machine with a walking foot
Sewing machine with a stretch stitch option

For a long time I stayed away from jersey knit fabric because I thought I had to have a serger to do anything with it. But after reading my new sewing machine manual (cover to cover, of course, like any excited new sewing machine owner), I discovered I had something called a “stretch stitch”. It took me a few years, and a move to Korea before I ever put it into use, but it is what allows you to use regular cotton thread on jersey knit fabric!! It’s amazing!! Because of the way the fabric stretches, if you use a basic straight stitch with cotton (non-stretchy) thread, you can have problems with your seams ripping out. The fabric stretches, the thread breaks. It’s not pretty. BUT, the stretch stitch solves that problem.

Do you see it there, #9? It’s kind of like a compact zig-zag stitch.

Enough about the joys of the stretch stitch, let’s get down to business. The first thing you want to do is work out your quilt design. I’ve done this many different ways, with many different sizes of blocks. One thing I suggest is to keep it simple! Squares and rectangles will be all you want to deal with. Trust me!

This was my original design, keeping it very organized with all the blocks the same. But all good plans can be modified and I had some unfortunate mistakes that necessitated some modifications. The way it ended up is actually much more interesting, I think. It’s quirky anyway, so why not up the quirk-factor, right?

After planning, I started by cutting my 2 fabrics into strips (7 cm) using my rotary cutter. I didn’t take any photos when I started this, so you’ll just have to use your imagination. You can, of course, cut your fabric to whatever your pattern requires!

Next, place 2 fabric strips back to back. If you’re wondering what is the front and what is the back, check out your t-shirts. The front should look like it has tiny rows. (For the next couple photos, I’m going to use a different purple fabric because I didn’t take photos of this when I was doing it.)

Then take 2 sets and place them together, like this:

I don’t ever pin at this step because the fabric sticks together on its own. Like magic!! It makes things go a little faster, but feel free to pin if that makes you feel better .

Using the walking foot, sew along the long edges of the strips, using the ¼ inch guide on the foot. I’m between two worlds here- the world of centimeters and the world of inches. My sewing machine has inch measurements and my cutting mat has centimeters. In this case, it works to my advantage because ¼ inch = .6 cm. This gives me a little extra fabric to trim, which is helpful in keeping things straight.

Maybe I should have said this from the beginning, but there are 2 keys to making this whole thing work:
After every trip to the sewing machine, you must iron and trim. If you slack on this, then things won’t match up well, you might get frustrated. So just remember that ironing and trimming are part of the game here.
It’s REALLY difficult to rip out your seams when you are using a stretch stitch and jersey fabric. I have never been able to reuse fabric after ripping out the seam!! And it takes forever to rip out all the teeny-tiny stitches. Talk about frustrating! It would be a good idea to make a sample block first, before diving into the entire quilt. You’ll probably make a mistake the first time through and it’s WAY easier to make it on a sample!!

Press open the seam with the iron. Remember, ironing is essential!

Now you should have one side with the raw edge seam and the other side with out. Take it back to the cutting mat and line up the seam with one of the grid lines on the mat. It doesn’t matter which one.

Can you see how the sides are a little wonky? Trimming is KEY!! This is what happens when you sew with jersey knit, even using a walking foot things get stretched and pulled, especially if you didn’t sew a totally straight line. This is why I said before that I’m glad to have the ¼ inch seam allowance.

Trim each strip to 6 cm, measuring from the seam. It should be just a little that you’re trimming, like the photo below:

After sewing 3 strips together, ironing and trimming each time, it’s time to cut the square. The width of the 3 strips is 17 cm, so cut the length in 17 cm intervals. My finished squares are 17 cm x 17 cm.

You might notice that in the square above that the raw edge seams are not both on the same side. Some times I do them all on the same side, other times I mix it up. Either way is nice!

For this quilt I made 25 blocks and I played with the arrangement until I was happy with the balance.

Start with the middle block and sew it the block on the right and the left. Use the same method as sewing the strips together.

After sewing 2 blocks together, remember to iron and trim!! This time, line the seam up and trim to 16 cm.

Sew the middle 9 blocks together. You might want to pin this now to help your blocks match up.

This square should be 47 cm x 47 cm.

I always think I’m almost done at this point, but no ma’am. This is not even halfway yet, but don’t give up, especially on the ironing and trimming. You will be very happy when you’re done!

Sew the 3 blocks together on the left. Iron and trim after each seam (16 cm from the seam). Sew the 3 blocks together on the right. Iron and trim after each seam. Sew each 3-block set to the 9-block middle section. Iron and trim after each seam.

Finally, sew the 5 blocks together on the top. Iron and trim after each seam (16 cm from the seam). Sew the 5 blocks together on the bottom. Iron and trim after each seam. Sew each 5-block set to the middle. Iron and trim after each seam (see why you needed a little pep talk after the middle 9).

The quilt is now 78 cm x 78 cm. Yay! Now you’re almost done!!

This process is a celebration of the raw edges and that will continue to the binding!

Cut 3 cm strips of the binding fabric. Cut 4 lengths of strips about 80 cm (long enough for each side, plus a little extra).

Can you see how they’re curling a bit already? This is one drawback to using jersey knit, in thin pieces it curls into the front. There are 2 choices here: fight the curl or use the curl. 1.) If you care about the front side of the fabric being seen in the binding strip, then you’ll have to fight the curl. 2.) If you don’t care and are fine with using the back side of the fabric, then you can use the curl to your advantage. I chose NOT to fight it!!

Take each strip and iron it in half length-wise.

Slide the binding strip onto the edge of the quilt. It should hug the edge. Pin it a lot!! The binding has a tendency to slide when sewing.

Sew with the walking foot, using the stretch stitch, ¼ inch seam allowance. Sew the left and right sides. Sew the top and bottom sides.

The corners will look like this:

Yay!! Congratulations!! You finished!!

This can be easily machine-washed and dried. But you might want to take some photos before you wash it. Your seams and raw edges will never look so perfect again. That’s the joy and beauty of this quilt. It celebrates the raw edges, in all their quirkiness and imperfections!

Crochet 101 and DIY baby booties

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:15:00 +0000

Today's post is from a blogger friend of mine, Katelynn. She is super creative and a soon to be mommy. Go and say hi over at Waygooken Housewife.

She was kind enough to not only do a tutorial but also a crochet 101 for people like me who have yet to venture into that area of craftiness - she made it look so easy that I might just have to find those crochet hooks that I was given as a gift...

I leave you in her capable hands.

**********

Hey everyone! I am so excited to be over here today! Gabi is seriously one of the coolest people I know and she is so talented! Some days I just sit at my computer and wait for her to post something because I know it is going to be awesome and inspire me!

Today I want to share with you some super simple, super cute crochet baby booties.

Uh oh, I just saw your eyes glaze over. Come back to me now, it'll be alright.

I've met a lot of people who say they tried to crochet, got one long chain finished and got confused. I FEEL YA! The crochet "code" can be pretty hard to crack, but in reality, it's pretty simple. All you're doing is tying lots and lots of knots using one string and a hook.

I found the pattern for these booties on Ravelry.com and they are FREE! (Don't you love free stuff?) If you want to look at the pattern for yourself you can find it at Bev's Very Easy Booties. I modified the pattern just a little.

Ok, let's get started. You will need some yarn and a crochet hook.

Try to choose a smaller size hook because you are making these booties for a baby.

First thing we are going to do is CHAIN.

Let's try that again.

Once you have your 26 chains, it's time to start the body of the project. The second stitch we'll learn is the

Half Double Crochet (HDC)

Repeat until the end of the chain

Here is what the HDC should look like half way through.

This is what it should look like when you finish the chain.

When you get to the end, make 2 chains.

Turn your project so that the 2 chains you just made are on your right. It's ok if your chain 2 gets a little twisted.

Starting in the second stitch from the end, HDC in each space all the way across.

Ok, good job!

When you get to the end, chain 2.

And turn.

Repeat the whole process. You should have 3 lines of stitches.

Chain 2

Ok, now it's time to learn a new stitch . This one is called a

Double Crochet (DC)

DC all the way across the row.

Turn.

Ok, now we're going to do something a little weird. This stitch is called a

SLIP STITCH

A slip stitch is a kind of invisible stitch when you want to move your hook but don't want to cut the yarn.

Starting with the very first stitch (the one right next to the hook), put your crochet hook through the stitch.

Loop the yarn over (as pictured) and pull through BOTH loops. (Like the Chain stitch, but now you pull the hook through 2 loops).

Do this 5 times.

It will look like this.

Chain 3

Remember that DC?

Do one in the SAME stitch as the 3 chain.

It should look like this.

DC in each of the next 15 stitches. You should have 17 total, including the 3 chain.

(you should also have 4 "empty" stitch on either side)

Chain 3

Turn.

DC in each stitch across.

Chain 3 and turn. DC in each stitch across

(This is the last time!)

Finished!

Does it look like a bootie yet? Just wait.

Turn the bootie a quarter turn to the right.

Slip stitch through the first row of DC.

Fold the bootie in half.

Put your hook through BOTH sides of the bootie and slip stitch the sides together.

When you go from the top of the bootie to the bottom and you get to the end chain 2.

Pull your loop really long and cut at the top of the loop.

Take your fingers and slide the 2 chain down towards the bootie. It will make a knot.

TADA! You're done! Wasn't that fun!?

Cut the strings shorter and turn your bootie inside out and fold the top down.

It should look just like this one.

Accent with ribbons or leave it just the way it is!

Make 2 : )

Thanks so much for having me Gabi!

If you have questions about the pattern or the tutorial, you can contact me at waygookenhousewife@gmail.com and I would be happy to answer any questions!

Decorated gift bag.

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 01:41:00 +0000

This particular post was done by my wonderful mother. I get to see her in 3 days time, for the first time in 15months!! I let out tiny yelps of excitement every few seconds.

Here is her tutorial.

Needed:

Paper bag, ribbon, lace, glue, scissors, paper for hearts (heart punch is optional) and doll garland.

Take strip of paper as long as the parcel and about 6cm wide. Fold the strip in half and then quarter and keep folding, accordion style. Draw a doll on it and cut out.

Very important: make sure that you don't cut the hands and feet on the folds. If you don't want to draw your own here are is a template from Honey Suckle White.

Cut 7 hearts, I used a punch. Fold them in half, wrong sides showing.

Glue a 5 cm piece of narrow ribbon on one side of heart (wrong side.)

Glue the wrong sides of the hearts together one by one. Stop when you only have two sides left to glue.

Then glue the other end of the ribbon about halfway down on to the heart (still on the wrong side) and glue those two sides together.

Finished hearts

Cut small hearts and glue them to the doll garland, then glue the garland to the bag.

Tie the ribbon and lace around the parcel.

Tie the hearts to rest of some thin ribbon and thread it through the lace and ribbon knot

And that is it.

Next time you get a post from me I will be back in sunny South Africa. Kissing the soil will not be enough, I might have to roll around in it for an hour or two.

Blessings
Gabi

Heart brooch

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:36:00 +0000

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make your own felt heart brooch.

You will need:

Some felt cut into two heart shapes(I used 2mm thickness, but you can use thinner), polyester stuffing, lace, needle and thread, a glue gun and I brooch pin.

Attach the lace to the cut out heart shapes. Use a blanket stitch to attach the two sides of the heart. Leave a gap for stuffing. Glue the brooch pin to the back of the heart. Stuff the heart with polyester stuffing. Close the gap with some more blanket stitching and TA DA!!!

Have fun.

Blessings
Gabi

Tutorial: Vintage ‘Alice in wonder’ hairband

noreply@blogger.com (Gabi) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I am really excited about today's post. Claire is a friend that I made while living in Cape Town. She is super talented and well known for her beautiful hair accessories.
Here we go:

Make this exquisite vintage Alice band using bits of trim found in haberdashery or fabric shops. Better yet, rummage through your gran’s sewing box to find all sorts of treasures to embellish with!

Use colours like ivory and off-white for an olden-day feel. And if you use coloured satin ribbon for the hairband, stick with pale lavendars and lilacs, or light sea greens and translucent honey yellows.

Made by Claire of Bella Chiara

Claire started Bella Chiara just over a year ago as a hobby making bridal accessories. She has recently jumped the corporate ship and has plunged into the fascinating world of making pretty things for brides for a living. She’s opening up her own studio in a Victorian house in Woodstock, Cape Town. Part of a lively hub of all things bridal, she works alongside jewellery and wedding dress designers in the same house.

You can visit her website here:

www.bellachiara.co.za
Or keep up to date by going to her facebook page here:

www.facebook.com/BellaChiara.Accessories

Step 1

Materials needed:

Plastic Alice band (or satin covered one if you can find in a colour you like).

50cm of satin in chosen colour to cover Alice band, 22mm wide (very important that you get this exact width, no smaller).

Needle and thread in chosen colour for Alice band.

Bits and bobs of lace, crochet and satin ribbon to make roses from and decorate.

Decorative binding or velvet to line the inside of covered Alice band.

Beads, pearls and crystals to embellish.

Small piece of veiling (optional).

Step 2

Take the satin ribbon you will use to cover the plastic Alice band with, trim the edge with a sharp scissors, and burn the end lightly, just enough to seal the threads and prevent them from unravelling.

Step 3

Cover Aliceband with satin ribbon. Stitch together as tightly and neatly as possible. Stitch along the full length of the Alice band until fully covered. Trim and burn the other end as in step 2.

Step 3.1

Fold over the ends and stitch closed.

Step 4

Now select bits of lace and interesting trim to decorate the covered Alice band.

Step 5

You can make pretty flower shapes from lace and crocheted ribbon by rolling the ribbon and sewing it together as you go. Once you have the desired size, trim excess ribbon with a sharp scissors and sew closed very well to prevent the ends from unravelling

Step 6

Position and sew little bits of lace, crochet flowers, pearls and crystals in a cluster just off center on the Alice band. You can add as much or as little embellishment as you like.

Step 7

You can also add a touch of veiling. Cut a piece of veiling into a triangle shape (one with a 90 degree corner). Stitch the veiling on the underside of the Alice band. It will naturally take a rounded shapeas you sew along the one side. Place the 90 degree corner towards the end of the Alice band

Step 8

You can experiment with feathers and pre-made fabric roses as well.

Step 9

Line the inside of the Alice band with decorative ribbing or velvet. Remember to burn the edges lightly and sew using small, neat stitches. Make sure that the ribbing or velvet that you use is only 10mm wide.

Step 9.1

A closer look at how to sew in the ribbing.

And you're done!