Tag: Yo-Yo

Free Tips on Fabric Napkins

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Now that my Easter table-runner and placemats are done, I needed to finish the set with some fabric napkins. As you will see from the notes below – this can be a very quick project that yields excellent results.

When I make fabric napkins I always use the product “Wonder Tape”. The product has a ¼” paper attached to one side of a double-sided tape.

For making napkins, I take the Wonder Tape and place it at the very edge on the top side (right side up) of the fabric. I stop taping ¼” in from the ends which will become the corners.

After you have put the tape on all 4 sides, go to the ironing board. I fold the edge over ¼” and iron, leave the paper on the double-sided tape while you are ironing. After I go all the way around once, I turn a second time ¼” hem and iron as I go.

Now go to your sewing machine, unfold your pressed hem and take off the paper off one side at a time as you sew your ¼” hem. Because the tape holds everything in place as you sew your fabric doesn’t shift as you sew (which would leave puckers). Instead it lays very flat and you can sew around the napkin in no time at all. Note – you can note that you can sew right through the tape and it won’t gum up your sewing machine.
You will have a beautiful hem when you are done – without getting a major headache in the process!

Next – make coordinating Napkin Rings!
To make the napkin rings, I used the fusible Peltex cut into strips: 5½” X 1¾”.

Cut the fabric for the rings into 4” wide strips. You will then lay the Peltex strip down in the center of the fabric. Iron to fuse the Peltex. This will provide strength and shape to the rings. As you can see, I left a small space and simply fused all of my Peltex onto one piece of fabric, then I went back and cut each strip to size.

Stitch down the center to hold the fabric to Peltex after pressing. Overlap the two ends and hand stitch the ring closed. Add a fabric yo-yo made with the ex-large yo-yo maker and a leaf.

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Now you can make your own napkins in no time – just imagine the possibilities! And feel free to share your ideas!
Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila

Book Review – Quilted Holiday Accents

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The weather warmed up a little this week-end and it made me think of Spring! And what better way is there to beat the Winter blues than to create something you know you will be using in warmer weather? So I began looking for inspiration – I remembered all the yo-yos I have recently made, and thought of the great spring colors I could make more yo-yos in, then I remembered this quilting book had a great Easter table-runner with yo-yo embellishment.

I went to the store to pick out some fabrics and started my project. Of course I choose bright spring-time colors, and the fabrics used for the yo-yos on the sides of the table-runner are the same fabrics I used for the egg appliqués.

This book is a wonderful book full of appliqué projects for all the seasons. There is also a 4th of July table-runner, as well as a tote bag and sweatshirt for the 4th – one of those may need to be made when I start thinking of Summer picnics! There are also several ideas for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Anyone who enjoys quilting and making new items for holidays, but doesn’t want to make a full quilt for a holiday celebration, should take a look at this book. And here’s the finished project!

Easter Runners

I used the Extra large yo-yo tool for the embellishments on each end of the table-runner. And, as you can see in the close-up below, I used buttons to finish the yo-yos and to decorate the egg appliqués. It’s been a long time since I sewed this many buttons on a single project!

Easter Runner Close

There are several places I could see placing this project. Of course, the obvious is the dinning room table – but it could also go on top of the piano or on my dry sink or even the coffee table. It would also be fun to add some stuffed or ceramic bunnies sitting with the runner.

Even though this book doesn’t show placemats – I have decided to make some using the same appliqué shape so they will coordinate with the runner. Watch for that project, and a small pattern just for you, tomorrow.

What are you doing to get ready for Easter and to chase off the Winter blues?
Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila

Yo-Yos Everywhere!

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I’m still finding things to do with my yo-yos, I’ve made up so many as demonstration models recently that I really have more than I need. But they do add such fun to a project!

My first idea was to find something I could do with tiny yo-yos, once again these have been made using the Clover Yo-Yo maker (please see my earlier posts on how this great tool works). While I was searching for inspiration, I came across the pattern at the right. You may not be able to see the detail well in small scale, but if you click on it you’ll see what the pattern is. Basically, small aprons for a doll, bottle of dish soap, or other application. The retro style appealed to me, and I knew that at least some of my tiny yo-yos had found a home! Pattern number is Kwik Sew 3596.

2 Aprons Closeup
The apron fits onto a bottle of 30 oz. dish soap, and I discovered that one brand (the name starts with a “J” and has only 3 letters), comes in enough colors to let you coordinate your apron to the soap!

On the left are the finished aprons – each with coordinating dish soap. And on the right is a closeup of one of the aprons. Can you see the yo-yo embellishments used? There are three yo-yos at the bottom of the blue/yellow apron, and the red apron has yo-yos that have been used on the shoulder straps.

Imagine giving one of these as a housewarming gift to a student moving into their first apartment – or just as something fun to give to your neighbor who loves the look of these retro aprons! I am thinking about making them with a summer theme and giving one to all the ladies that come to my house for Easter this year. This would be a fun project to have an apron for every holiday – and they dress up the kitchen a little bit.

Now, what could I do with the large yo-yos? Once again I turned to the pattern books for inspiration, and I found McCall’s #5441. I used yo-yos instead of the large buttons that were suggested in the instructions.

I thought this would be a great idea for someone who buys lots of greeting cards in advance of birthdays or special holidays. You could have up to three month’s worth of cards in easy reach – one month to a pocket. It would also be great for those who make their own cards, or even for scrapbooking enthusiasts as a place to stash photos until everything is ready to create that new page in the book.

If you made this up in Christmas colors, it would be a nice place to put all the cards that come in.
Or, a variation of an idea I’ve just seen for this time of year – assign a pocket to each member of the household. Make this their ‘mailbox’ where notes of encouragement, love or praise could be left. The kids will soon get excited to check and see what type of message has been left for them!

I yo-yo, do you?

Check back with me next week to see what I’ll be doing next – the yo-yos have been fun, and we may return to them later in the season, but there is so much more to talk about! Oh, and a special treat tomorrow – check back!

Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila