A couple more days and the start of the new year will be here! I am hoping to add many more features to my blog!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Ruffling Using Dental Floss
I thought I would put together a little tutorial on how to make a ruffle using the dental floss method. This method is pretty much fool proof! The very first thing I ever made was a crib set for Dallas and I wanted the ruffled option. That pattern explained how to use dental floss and I have never looked back since then.
I do own a ruffler (Thanks HeatherSue) but for some reason it has never seen much action. Hopefully one day I'll get to try it out!
Now, on with the show! Today I'll be adding a ruffle to a pair of jeans. Here is a picture of what the finished result will look like.
First off you need a pair of jeans. I then cut them off right above the hem line. Make sure to cut straight and so both sides are even (front and back and both legs of the jeans). This is the result you should have.
Just for reference, these are sized 24 months.
At this point you need to figure out how long to make your ruffle and cut the fabric to that length. Measure the bottom all the way around. I tend to round off to the nearest inch usually to make my math easy. As you can see the leg front is almost 6 inches. I like to do about 2 1/2 times the ENTIRE area that will have a ruffle on it. So the leg is really 12 inches around. Multiply 12 x 2.5 = 30 inches.
I made these 4 inches wide, folded in half = 2 inches and with all the dental floss and attaching them they will be a bit longer then an inch when finished. You'll need to adjust your length for the size pants and desired length of the ruffle.
It is easiest to use a rotory cutter and self healing mat. Cut on a hard surface. I tend to use my kitchen floor or table. As you can see the mat has little measurements on it to make your life easy.
If for some reason your ruffle will be longer then 44 inches (the length of fabric most of the time) just cut 2 pieces and sew right sides together. Iron open at seams and follow directions from here.
Make sure you cut 2 pieces. One for each leg.
Next up I fold in the ends just a bit and sew. I have no idea why I do ruffles for jeans differently then for a dress but I do. On a dress it would sew both sides together to make one continuous piece of fabric.
Use a straight stitch to stitch down. Do this with all four ends.
Next you want to fold wrong sides together and iron. Giving you this result.
You are now ready for the actual ruffling. Get some dental floss. I have used several different brands. They tend to all work. Just don't get a flavored one.
You'll also need several pins. Either style will work. I tend to use the yellow quilters pins now. They are longer and lay flat and I just like them better.
Take the dental floss and wrap it around the end of the pin several times. The more you wrap the less likely you have the chance of it unwinding. I have also recently started making a loop to slip the end of the pin through. That way if it does unwrap you don't lose your ruffle. Once you have it wrapped stick the pin into your fabric at the very end and get ready to sew.
Use a zigzag stitch to sew. Your goal is to sew OVER the floss and NOT to catch it. If you catch it you will not be able to pull the ruffle at that point. You can use as wide and as long of a zigzag as you like. I tend to make mine super wide.
Hopefully you can see it in that picture.
Sew the entire length of the ruffle, zigzagging over the floss the entire way. When you get to the end it should look like this.
At this point you need to pull on the floss to make it ruffle. So I usually help the fabric along while pulling the floss. You want to pull it as tight as your piece is you are going around (remember mine was 12 inches).
Eventually your piece should look like this.
At this point I measure it around the bottom of the leg and make any adjustments as far as the length. Take a pin and wrap the end of the dental floss around it just like you did at the beginning. This holds your ruffle. I then even out the ruffle.
Once you have it even you are ready to attach the ruffle to the jeans. Make sure your jeans are right side out, otherwise your ruffle will be backwards.
Pin all the way around the jeans. Pin often to get the ruffle to hold nice and to go on evenly. I match up the bottom of the jeans with ruffle. The ugly part will be matched up with the bottom. The folded over nice part of the ruffle should be at the top.
A slight overlap won't hurt anything and will assure that you don't get a gap.
Make sure to pin close to the beginning and end of the ruffle. At this point pull out your yellow pins that you attached the floss to the slightest bit. Otherwise you'll end up sewing through the yellow part. Yep, the machine will sew right through it without skipping a step.
This part was a bit tricky with this brand of jeans (osh kosh) but usually I have no issues. Slide the end over the end of your machine and stitch using a straight stitch. I stitch just above the top zigzag. I am not interested in pulling out all those stitches and this way I can just leave them there or cut them off (the serger usually handles that part easily enough).
If your jeans don't fit around the end of your machine you can still sew them just be sure to hold the bottom out so you don't catch it. I ended up doing that on this pair but it is hard to get a picture of me actually doing it when I am the one taking the pictures.
Once you have sewn all the way around your jeans should look like this.
Make sure you used a backstitch at the beginning and end of the ruffle when attaching. You don't want any unruffling to take place.
Then you can serge the edge. I tend to make sure that the ruffle flips down correctly before serging. If you don't own a serger a zigzag will do. Just stitch all the way around the pant bottoms.
This is what the ruffle looks like when flipped down.
Here is a picture of one ruffle flipped down and the other flipped up.
At this point iron down the ruffle.
And then topstitch.
Make sure while topstitching that you are catching the top part of the jean and ruffle.
And here is your finished ruffle.
Nice, neat and not flipping up!
Hopefully I didn't over explain how to do it. It really is quite simple and doesn't take that long at all. I have never had a piece of dental floss break so I stick with this method!
I do own a ruffler (Thanks HeatherSue) but for some reason it has never seen much action. Hopefully one day I'll get to try it out!
Now, on with the show! Today I'll be adding a ruffle to a pair of jeans. Here is a picture of what the finished result will look like.
First off you need a pair of jeans. I then cut them off right above the hem line. Make sure to cut straight and so both sides are even (front and back and both legs of the jeans). This is the result you should have.
Just for reference, these are sized 24 months.
At this point you need to figure out how long to make your ruffle and cut the fabric to that length. Measure the bottom all the way around. I tend to round off to the nearest inch usually to make my math easy. As you can see the leg front is almost 6 inches. I like to do about 2 1/2 times the ENTIRE area that will have a ruffle on it. So the leg is really 12 inches around. Multiply 12 x 2.5 = 30 inches.
I made these 4 inches wide, folded in half = 2 inches and with all the dental floss and attaching them they will be a bit longer then an inch when finished. You'll need to adjust your length for the size pants and desired length of the ruffle.
It is easiest to use a rotory cutter and self healing mat. Cut on a hard surface. I tend to use my kitchen floor or table. As you can see the mat has little measurements on it to make your life easy.
If for some reason your ruffle will be longer then 44 inches (the length of fabric most of the time) just cut 2 pieces and sew right sides together. Iron open at seams and follow directions from here.
Make sure you cut 2 pieces. One for each leg.
Next up I fold in the ends just a bit and sew. I have no idea why I do ruffles for jeans differently then for a dress but I do. On a dress it would sew both sides together to make one continuous piece of fabric.
Use a straight stitch to stitch down. Do this with all four ends.
Next you want to fold wrong sides together and iron. Giving you this result.
You are now ready for the actual ruffling. Get some dental floss. I have used several different brands. They tend to all work. Just don't get a flavored one.
You'll also need several pins. Either style will work. I tend to use the yellow quilters pins now. They are longer and lay flat and I just like them better.
Take the dental floss and wrap it around the end of the pin several times. The more you wrap the less likely you have the chance of it unwinding. I have also recently started making a loop to slip the end of the pin through. That way if it does unwrap you don't lose your ruffle. Once you have it wrapped stick the pin into your fabric at the very end and get ready to sew.
Use a zigzag stitch to sew. Your goal is to sew OVER the floss and NOT to catch it. If you catch it you will not be able to pull the ruffle at that point. You can use as wide and as long of a zigzag as you like. I tend to make mine super wide.
Hopefully you can see it in that picture.
Sew the entire length of the ruffle, zigzagging over the floss the entire way. When you get to the end it should look like this.
At this point you need to pull on the floss to make it ruffle. So I usually help the fabric along while pulling the floss. You want to pull it as tight as your piece is you are going around (remember mine was 12 inches).
Eventually your piece should look like this.
At this point I measure it around the bottom of the leg and make any adjustments as far as the length. Take a pin and wrap the end of the dental floss around it just like you did at the beginning. This holds your ruffle. I then even out the ruffle.
Once you have it even you are ready to attach the ruffle to the jeans. Make sure your jeans are right side out, otherwise your ruffle will be backwards.
Pin all the way around the jeans. Pin often to get the ruffle to hold nice and to go on evenly. I match up the bottom of the jeans with ruffle. The ugly part will be matched up with the bottom. The folded over nice part of the ruffle should be at the top.
A slight overlap won't hurt anything and will assure that you don't get a gap.
Make sure to pin close to the beginning and end of the ruffle. At this point pull out your yellow pins that you attached the floss to the slightest bit. Otherwise you'll end up sewing through the yellow part. Yep, the machine will sew right through it without skipping a step.
This part was a bit tricky with this brand of jeans (osh kosh) but usually I have no issues. Slide the end over the end of your machine and stitch using a straight stitch. I stitch just above the top zigzag. I am not interested in pulling out all those stitches and this way I can just leave them there or cut them off (the serger usually handles that part easily enough).
If your jeans don't fit around the end of your machine you can still sew them just be sure to hold the bottom out so you don't catch it. I ended up doing that on this pair but it is hard to get a picture of me actually doing it when I am the one taking the pictures.
Once you have sewn all the way around your jeans should look like this.
Make sure you used a backstitch at the beginning and end of the ruffle when attaching. You don't want any unruffling to take place.
Then you can serge the edge. I tend to make sure that the ruffle flips down correctly before serging. If you don't own a serger a zigzag will do. Just stitch all the way around the pant bottoms.
This is what the ruffle looks like when flipped down.
Here is a picture of one ruffle flipped down and the other flipped up.
At this point iron down the ruffle.
And then topstitch.
Make sure while topstitching that you are catching the top part of the jean and ruffle.
And here is your finished ruffle.
Nice, neat and not flipping up!
Hopefully I didn't over explain how to do it. It really is quite simple and doesn't take that long at all. I have never had a piece of dental floss break so I stick with this method!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Loop & Tag Blanket
I made my first loop and tag blanket the other day for a gift for a friend. As a child I always loved the tag on my teddy bear and hope that little Hudson will just love this!
I was able to embroider his name with my sewing machine so it can be somewhat of a keepsake.
I just love the colors and fabrics used for this and can't wait to make some more baby items using the same fabric.
I can't wait to get started on another one as my cousin just had a little baby girl!
I was able to embroider his name with my sewing machine so it can be somewhat of a keepsake.
I just love the colors and fabrics used for this and can't wait to make some more baby items using the same fabric.
I can't wait to get started on another one as my cousin just had a little baby girl!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
CPSIA
As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.
Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.
The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.
How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html
To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.
If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.
Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.
The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.
How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html
To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.
If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
What are you celebrating this year?
What a spectacular shirt to celebrate your special day! I am extremely happy with how this turned out and can't wait to share it with you! Personalized for your magical memory! One of a kind hand pieced applique is sure to make your special celebration something to remember!
Check it out in my etsy store!
www.magicalmemories.etsy.com
What a spectacular shirt to celebrate your special day! I am extremely happy with how this turned out and can't wait to share it with you! Personalized for your magical memory! One of a kind hand pieced applique is sure to make your special celebration something to remember!
Check it out in my etsy store!
www.magicalmemories.etsy.com
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