I’ve been asked to show just how the new yo-yo makers from Clover work, so this post will strictly be a how-to. Feel free to respond with any questions you have about the process or the product itself.
Step 1 – Lining up the template is very important in making circular yo-yos. Notice the bump on the outside of the template (where my finger is pointing)?
Step 2 – Line that bump up with the line that is on the insert. Make sure you don’t forget to sandwich your fabric between the two pieces!
Step 3 – Snap the fabric between the inside disk and outside cover of the yo-yo maker. Trim away the fabric leaving about ¼” that you hold under so when you are sewing you catch it, this will create the hem.
Step 4 – Stitch up and down through each of the openings, starting with a stitch on the back of the yo-yo (where your fabric hem is turned under). One stitch will go on each end of the openings, I call them a smiling mouth shape opening because of the way they look. Go all the way around. Your stitches will not go over any part of the plastic (this is how you will remove the template later). I use a doubled thread when sewing yo-yos.
Step 5 – Take off the outside piece of the yo-yo maker. You can see my stitches but of course your thread would match your fabric.
Step 6 – Carefully remove the fabric from the inside disk. You may need to loosen your stitches slightly to do this.
Step 7 – Now pull the thread to gather up the yo-yo.
Step 8 –Pull thread as tight as you can and make a knot. You have a yo-yo! You can pull the yo-yo into shape with your hands if needed.
Heart Yo-Yo – The heart is done much the same way, except that you will need to shape it a bit more as you pull the threads to finish it.
Just think of the possiblities for this heart with Valentine’s Day coming up!
Flower Yo-Yo – Flower is much the same, with this difference: you can make the center a different color. Cut a circle for the center and put the two fabrics wrong sides together.
Complete the stitching for the center of the flower first, leaving about a 2″ tail of thread at the beginning and end of the circle. Then start your thread again – this time on the outside of the flower. Note: you should not have a thread that goes from the center of the flower to the outside – these areas are stitched separately.
When you are finished stitching the outside, remove the fabric from the template, and draw the threads up, draw the inner circle first, then the outside. Shape the petals as you go.
And for those who need to know – here are the approximate sizes of the finished yo-yos using these templates from Clover:
Extra Large Circle: 2 3/8″
Large Circle: 1 3/4″
Small Circle: 1 ¼”
Extra Small Circle: ¾”
Flower: 1 ¾”
Heart: 1 5/8″ x 1 ¾”
It’s amazing how quickly people can become hooked on yo-yos. And they can be used in so many ways, to embellish a placecard at the table, to dress up a shirt as I showed earlier, in necklaces, embellishing a purse, and the list goes on. Of course their use in quilting is a time-honored tradition! Please let me know what you have done with yo-yos lately!
Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila
Hancock Fabrics has started carrying a great new product – called the “Quick” Yo-Yo Maker from 
These new yo-yo makers are reusable, and come not only in four different sizes of circles, but you can also make heart and flower yo-yos! Even a novice with a needle will be able to turn out great yo-yo’s because all you have to do is follow the guide on the template (see image at right – the holes are the guides you use for stitching). They are designed so that you come out with a perfect shape every time. When I first got this product, my 6-year old grandson helped me make some yo-yos. These are great for kids to use – they work like a sewing card, just make sure the child is old enough to understand the needle is sharp.
Sheila Reinke 