Handmade button tutorial

Well I had every intention of doing this tutorial last week but last week flew by so here it is today just a wee bit later than planned :-) These buttons are super easy to make but because I'm a visual person I have included lots of photos to make each step clear and easy to follow.

  To make the circles I use my Fiskars circle template that I use for scrapbooking. Love it when my craft supplies have many uses :-)!

On a double layer of your chosen fabric and using a fabric marking pen, draw a circle 1/2 inch bigger than your desired finished button size.You can of course make any size you want which is the beauty of making your own buttons. For this tutorial I have drawn a 1 1/2 inch circle which will produce 1 inch sized finished buttons. I do suggest for your first buttons to make slightly bigger ones as the little ones are just a bit fiddly and tricky when turning and stuffing. 

 Cut out the circle through both layers and with right sides together sew around the perimeter using a very scant 1/4 inch seam leaving a finger width size gap for turning and stuffing, reversing at each end to reinforce the seam ends. Snipping into the seam allowance every 1/4 - 1/2 inch will produce a smoother circle once turned right sides out.

 Finger press the opened seam edges inwards to make it easier to hand sew the opening closed once stuffed.

 Using some polyester stuffing and a stuffing/turning tool fill your turned circles as firmly as you can as this will push out the seam ending up with a more even and smoother circle shape.

 Now I've just included this photo to show you what I use for turning and stuffing. It is simply a thin metal rod on a wooden handle with a slot at the end for turning tubes of fabric for handles etc... It was made by a quilting friends husband and I have had it for over 15 years. It is one of my most used tools so I can thoroughly recommend looking out for one if you don't have a tool similar to this. I'm sure you can buy something similar in a quilting shop.

 Once stuffed, carefully sew up the opening endeavouring to keep the curve of the circle as smooth as possible. I use a ladder stitch for sewing up seams like these as it is almost invisible but also strong. A ladder stitch is made by slipping the needle along and inside the folded edge of the seam then crossing directly over to the opposite side and slipping the needle along and inside of the fold. . I also use a double length of thread and poke or pop the knots through the fabric so they are buried inside the button/stuffed circle.

 Here is my tiny little sewn up button which doesn't look perfectly round does it but not to worry because the next step of adding the perle thread will cover up any imperfections ;-) The smaller the button the harder it is to get it looking perfectly round ...

 Using a 10 to 12 inch length of  perle cotton tie a single knot in one end and poke your needle through the middle of the button as shown in the above photo. Pull all the way through carefully pulling the knot through the first layer of fabric so it is buried in the middle. It should 'pop' through the fabric, just be careful you don't pull too hard and it comes all the way through the other side. This method of burying the knot in the layers is what I use when I'm hand-quilting.

 Wrapping the cotton around half the button bring your needle back up through the middle again.

Keep wrapping the cotton around the button and bringing the needle up through that same middle hole, dividing the circle into 6 even segments.

When I've finished wrapping the perle cotton around I leave the remaining length of cotton attached as I like to use it to attach it to a finished project like a pillow closure here or my Boho bags here.

Hope you have found this tutorial easy to follow and are inspired to make you own buttons for your next project.

Library book bags....

 A few weeks before Christmas I was asked by a friend if I could make up a couple of library book bags for her niece and nephew so I put Pinterest to good use and found this tutorial. I am so pleased with how these bags turned out as was my friend thank goodness :-) The tutorial was really easy to follow and I managed to make both bags in 1 day which was a bonus considering I left them till the last week before Christmas to make them.

 My friends niece likes 'owls' so I appliqued an owl to the front pocket and found an owl print to use as the library card pocket that is on the front of the strap. The main striped fabric is a cotton twill that was a leftover remnant in my stash from a skirt I made Caitlin when she was about 5 I think.

For the boy's version I found some striped canvas by "Prints Charming" at Spotlight and added some whale fabric from my stash which helped me come up with the whale appliqué on the front pocket. These bags are really roomy and strong with a 3 inch wide strap that is made with a creamy coloured canvas and they are fully lined with "french seams" no less :-) Makes me wish my girls were younger so I could make them one each although I think I might use this pattern to make my eldest daughter a laptop bag with a few measurement alterations of course and at 15 years I don't think she will want any appliqué on the front either.

Toys for small boys....

Now that Christmas is well and truly over I can safely share some of my handmade creations with you here. First up is a set of stacking cubes from Anna Maria Horners book "Handmade Beginnings". Not the easiest of projects I've got to say but hey the result is worth the extra effort plus it's always good to challenge yourself now and then! These are for my latest great nephew born in October so he's not up to appreciating them fully yet but I'm sure he will appreciate all the colours for now. And yes saying 'great nephew' does make me feel old  but it's all my brothers fault who was quick off the mark in starting his family when I was still a teenager.

As you can see I went with an 'I Spy' theme with the fabrics I chose for these to make them even more fun and interesting to play with. 

Each cube has little ribbon tags which I made sure included some different textures to feel. 

And for my eldest great nephew who is 4 years I made a patchwork drawstring bag using the same fabrics as the cubes.I used this tutorial by Ayumi from Pink Penguin to make it which had great easy to follow instructions. I filled it with little matchbox cars which as I had hoped went down well. 

More handmade gifts to be shared here soon!

This past week has flown by with the very wet weather we have been having lately keeping me busy trying to get washing dry and keeping the girls entertained since it was far from beach weather. I got a "Wasgij" jigsaw puzzle out earlier in the week and I was pleasantly surprised at how it kept the girls captivated and completely absorbed until it was completed. 

Weekend Sewing for the girls......

This past weekend both my girls had sleepovers. Whilst Caitlin stayed overnight at a friends on Saturday, Amelia made the most of some freedom from her younger sister and had a friend over to stay with her. By mid morning Sunday after a breakfast of pancakes they were both lying about claiming they were bored. Oh to be young and have nothing to do....I wish. It was a beautiful day outside and I was going to spend it in the garden but to alleviate their boredom I offered to help them make a bag each that Amelia had a vague pattern for in one of her magazines. 

This is Amelia's version made from some of my beloved batiks. The bag is made from 2 circles of fabric cut from 26 inch squares sewn together right sides facing then turned right sides out. We made a casing around the top, a button hole on each side of the outer fabric then threaded some ties through to form a drawstring enclosure. Some wide woven ribbon was attached to form a long shoulder strap.

We chose a brown/green batik print for the lining which provides a nice contrast to the vibrant purpley blues on the outside.

This is her friend Ruby's bag made from some recycled curtains and  scraps she found at home.

A close-up of how we attached the handles.

These bags proved to be a great project for beginner sewers with lots of practice of straight sewing and also the satisfaction of finishing something useful in an afternoon. They both learn sewing at school and enjoy it but get frustrated at having to wait for a sewing machine to use so I think having some one on one sewing time with me was good for their sewing confidence. It's also nice to be able to share a skill that  I know will benefit them later in life as well. It is pleasing to hear that sewing and crafting is having a resurgence and becoming fashionable again.

Sassy headbands!

I made these sweet and sassy headbands a couple of weeks ago and they were a hit with my girls so have just added them to my shop. The black and white one above is made using this tutorial from Sandy Henderson's blog. I'd bookmarked ages ago and finally decided to give it a go.  It did take me a couple of go's to get it sitting right plus I added a little ruffle around the bottom to finish it off.

This cute little flower has been living in my hand sewing basket waiting for a suitable "something" to embellish.  I think the purple and white lace band is a perfect match plus Caitlin instantly liked it.

And here she is modelling it beautifully. It was Caitlin's last day of school holidays today and since it was her sister's first day back at school she relished being at home without her sister. We spent a good hour at the beach cooling down in the calm ocean waters, making sandcastles and watching a kite surfer skim along the beach.

Today I also spent a little time playing around on "Facebook" setting up a 'page' for "Thesewingattic". Not easy but I'm getting there. I find facebook very frustrating to navigate around but I'm sure it's worth it in the end. If you have any facebook tips and tricks I'd love to know!

Just popping in...........

I know it's been a week since I last posted but life has been busy and ...........difficult  lately. My motivation for all things creative has been almost non existent. Hopefully I'm back on board now as being creative and connecting with like minded people like you guys is good for the soul.

Anyway I'm just popping in to let you know of a giveaway on Ariel's blog here. She has been featured on a sewing calender and is generously giving one away. The best thing about this giveaway though is she has asked everyone to share their favourite crafting tutorials. I have shared 2 because I just couldn't decide on one. So go on over and share your favourite tutorial and then check out everyone else's favourites. There are so many great tutorials out there buts it's always good to be recommended especially good ones.

And because I don't like to do a post without a photo this is a Magnolia bloom that has just finished flowering in our garden.

I'll be back later this afternoon to share what I've managed to create lately. 



Pillow talk , take one

As promised here is the pillow I've been working on using some lovely vibrant batik fabrics. I had very nearly finished it yesterday afternoon but wasn't entirely happy with the way it looked and it's still not 100% perfect in my eyes but despite it's slight imperfections I do love the look of it and it goes perfectly with my batik quilt.

The main problem I had with this pillow was getting it stuffed well without it losing its shape. I ended up taking it apart this morning and applying a double layer of interfacing to the sides and iron-on batting and a few quilting lines to the base to give it a more structured look and stop any distortion.

My inspiration for this pillow was the flower I've sewn to the centre. I made this flower a few months ago but it ended bigger than intended so its been sitting patiently waiting to adorn the perfect project. I think it makes this pillow look 'pretty' in a bohemian sort of way.

I put in an invisible zipper on the side which turned out pretty much perfect thanks to this great tutorial.

I had intended to put this pillow in my shop but with what I've learnt with this one I shall make another more perfect  one with maybe a large covered button in the centre. Besides it's looks quite at home in my big vintage cane armchair with its matching quilt.

Still here but tired....

I know I've been neglected this blog lately but life has been a little busy around here lately. I have just survived a sleepover to celebrate Caitlin's 11th birthday. I initially agreed to her having 2 friends for a sleepover which then increased to 4 friends because she had trouble narrowing her friends down to 2, then it somehow turned into a party as well. It all went off smoothly though and I've got to say it does get easier as they get older. They even organised  a treasure hunt around the house and garden on their own.

Here are their beds all lined up right next to each other complete with a quilt each. Love to see my quilts put to good use!

No girls party is complete without pretty pink cupcakes.

I made a gathered clutch for each of our little guests from Noodlehead's tutorial. Needless to say I'm getting quite good at making these purses now!

Each purse contained some lollies and chocolates, lip balm, mini highlighter, pencil and a pad. I think they were pretty pleased with these party favours.

I'm going to finish this post with a sneak peek of what I've been working on for the last week. I finished this project tonight and hopefully will be able to take photos tomorrow although we do have rain forecast so I'm not holding my breath. I must say my garden has had enough of being hammered with rain lately!

Matching sets..

I've been waiting for an excuse to make these little clutch purses ever since I saw this tutorial on the blog "Noodlehead".  I decided after making Caitlin's new bag that one of these clutches would be the perfect accessory for it.  And just to even up the score I made one for her older sister Amelia. These purses came together really easily especially the second time round. The only thing I did different was to add a handle to slip on your wrist.

Amelia's is made in some Heather Bailey 'Pop garden' fabric to match her bigger bag which is an Amy Butler pattern, 'the Sophie carry all'. Amelia wasn't sure at first whether she needed another bag but hey a girl can never have too many bags right?

Each purse has a divider and a pocket on one side divided into 3 smaller pockets for cards, not that my girls have any cards yet but I'm thinking of the future here.

A new bag for Caitlin...

So this is what I've been sewing this week, a new bag for my youngest daughter Caitlin. She decided she needed a bag to carry around her things and it needed to be big enough for a few books and some art supplies because drawing and just being creative is what keeps Caitlin happy.  We decided to make the 'taxi tote' from Anna Maria Horner's book "Seams to me" but made it it a couple of inches longer.  I let her loose in my sewing attic to choose some fabrics and together we chose 2 batiks for the outer and inner and added some bright swirly blue for the trim and some green and aqua hand dyed cotton for the pockets.

I added an extra pocket on top of the larger pocket because extra pockets are handy in a large bag. This bag came together really easily and I found the instruction clear and easy to follow. I probably could have done it in a day if I'd had a whole day to spend on it.

A nice big button to close it! I'm feeling very proud of this button because it's the first button I've made from scratch using this tutorial. Thanks Michelle for the easy to follow instructions!

I'm linking this post up to Sew'n'tell friday . Head on over to Amy's blog to see all the other fabulous finishes this week!

Flutterbys....

I have been wanting to make a picture like this for a while now, actually ever since I saw this tutorial. I finally managed to get the right butterfly punch last week when it came on sale at Spotlight. It's a Martha Stewart one so it isn't cheap! Last night while watching a documentary on swarms I punched out enough butterflies for 3 pictures. The documentary was on swarms of insects, animals and rodents so it seemed kind of appropriate to be making lots of butterflies. ( The swarms of mice shown last week was nightmare material)

The frame is one that I've had for years that I got at a quilting show and has been waiting for the perfect project. I painted the white background using blue and green stamp pads  and just used scraps of scrapbooking paper. I'm really pleased with the end result and now have ideas for more using different shapes.

Thanks for all the crochet encouragement! I now have wool and hooks so hopefully I can find a little pocket of time to make some thing bright and colourful!

Fabric flower tutorial!

This is a hopefully simple tutorial on how I make my fabric flowers. I do quite a few variations but we'll start with a basic one.

You will need :

• Small fabric scraps for 2 flower shapes
• Paper for making flower pattern
• Steam-a-seam or similar product
• Small scrap of felt
• Small fabric scrap for yo-yo
• Coordinating thread
• Needle and small scissors
• Button

Draw and cut out to paper patterns of 2 different sized flowers. Fuse your fabrics together ( 2 layers of the same fabric wrong sides together) using the steam-a-seam. Pin pattern onto fused fabric and cut out.

Thread your needle with coordinating thread and tie knot at one end. Starting at the centre of the flower push your needle in between the 2 layers to 1/8 of an inch from the outside of the flower.

Using a running stitch sew all round the edge pulling the thread and shaping the petals with your thumb and finger as you go. When you've sewn all the way around push the needle back between the two fabrics and secure the thread ends together.Once all the layers are sewn together you will not see these thread ends.  Repeat these steps with remaining flower.

Cut out a small circle of felt. Make small wedge shaped cuts all around the edge by folding in half and cutting tiny triangles at each end of fold. Continue folding and cutting until there are even wedges cut out all the way around ( about 8 wedges).

For the yo-yo cut a small circle of fabric. I used a cardboard pattern from a covered button making kit.

Sew a running stitch all the way around folding a scant 1/8 inch as you go. The bigger you stitches, the smaller you centre will be.

Pull thread to gather up into a little pouch shape, flatten out into yo-yo and secure your thread ends.

You should now have four layers to make up your flower. Place together from biggest to smallest ending with the yo-yo. I secure the layers together making sure they are centred then sew the button on top sewing through all layers. Congratulations you now have one flower to use to embellish a bag or make into a brooch and pin to a plain top. You can make this flower your own by adding beads or use felt for one of the flower shaped layers. I also like to sometimes use a covered button for the centre. Play around with different flower shapes too. You can see some of my flowers here. 

I had intended to show what I have been making with all these flowers but it was an over cast day and my photos weren't quite up to scratch.