Tuesday 30 October 2012

How to Make your own Bias Binding

Bias binding comes in all sorts of colours and patterns these days - but occasionally you might have something in mind that you can't buy.  Or you might want it to be an exact match for your fabric.

The answer is to make your own - and it's really easy.



As the name suggests, it's a binding tape that is cut on the bias, which means it is cut at 45 degrees to the selvedge  (the straight edge at the side) of the fabric.  The way it's cut on the bias means it has quite a bit of stretch in it, even when the original fabric has no stretch at all - so it can easily be curved around all sorts of shapes, which is what makes it so useful.

this is really all you need  (plus an iron, of course)

To make your own bias binding, you'll need:


  • scissors (or rotary cutter + cutting mat)
  • iron
  • pencil (or fabric marker pen)
  • ruler (a quilter's rule will make measuring easier, but it's not essential)
  • bias binding maker (optional) - click here to buy one like mine from UK-based Abakhan.  
  • you'll also need fabric - of course!  If you need to work out quantities before buying your fabric, try playing with newspaper for estimates.  You can also practise with old bed sheets.

Instructions: 



the selvedge is running right to left in this photo

Make a triangle by folding the fabric, lining a straight-across cut against the selvedge as shown above. Press the triangle edge with an iron.  Open out.

the creased line runs exactly along the bias

Cut along the resulting crease.

You can use a rotary cutter if you prefer

Measure out from this cut to make your bias strips.  If you're making 25mm bias, you'll cut 48mm strips (double the width less 2mm).

The triangle will get smaller and smaller - it's up to you how far you want to go with cutting strips, but you will have two triangles to cut from.

Mark the strips out with pencil or a fabric marker pen


Cut along the marks to create your bias strips

You probably won't be able to cut enough tape without joining.  The way you join is at an angle.  It makes for a join that doesn't show too much, doesn't waste anything and doesn't add too much bulk.

Place the ends together:

Place the ends of the tape right sides together

Sew together

Stitch along the ends at the narrowest point

Press open


Press open
Snip off to neaten


Trim off the excess fabric

From the front you have a nice neat seam


A neat seam from the front...
although my lining up wasn't perfect here (the edges will be hidden so that's ok)


Now for the fun part - if you have a tape maker you can feed it through.  If you don't all is not lost - you can fold by hand and measure.  It takes a bit longer that way so I do recommend a tape maker.  They don't cost much and last pretty much forever.

Feed the tape through the tape maker, wrong side uppermost


Press the tape with a hot iron as it comes out of the other end

That's it!  You have your very own bias tape ready to bind anything you like!


There are lots of other bias making tutorials out there that use slightly different methods, although they all have one thing in common: the fabric is cut at 45 degrees to the selvedge.

Have a look here for a method of making a continuous strip bias or here if you want a video and clear diagrams.  The continuous strip method might be useful if you want long lengths for something like binding a quilt.

Sunday 28 October 2012

Handmade Monday 90

Come on in - it's time for Handmade Monday again!  This week I'm talking lampshades...

OK, so Craftseller magazine asked me to make a lampshade.  Now, here's a confession: I have never actually made a lampshade before, so I was a bit nervous that this, my first-ever one, was for publication!



So, one thing I have done is loads of research.  I can tell you that I got pretty much everything I needed in the form of a kit from Needcraft and I am impressed.

They supply the metal rings, self-adhesive safety backing, heat-proof tape and even a little gadget that helps neaten everything up. And  they supply absolutely brilliant instructions, too.

So I'm a little less worried than I was when I got the commission!  But time will tell, won't it?!

A Giveaway...


Just in case you missed it, I've got together with Wholeport to offer you a giveaway.   Pop over here to find out how to enter it.  Whatever kind of creativity you specialise in, I think you'll find something on the Wholeport website you'll like.

So, that's all from me this Handmade Monday.  It's over to you - do enjoy browsing the lovely links being left for Handmade Monday, won't you?

Friday 26 October 2012

Yay! Giveaway Time!

It's time for a giveaway - and this time you even get to choose your own prize!

Wholeport are offering you $15 to spend on anything you like from their website! They'll pay the postage costs (anywhere, worldwide!) so your $15 is pure stash spending money.

an amazing range of fabrics

How to Enter:


This is what to do.  Go to Wholeport and decide what you like love on there.  Pop back here and tell me about it in a comment on this post.

You'll also need to do one of these things:



That's it!

I've fallen in love with these soap moulds... 
they're food grade, so you could use them for jelly too!

Bonus entries:


You can get another entry into the draw by:

  • tweeting about this giveaway - with a link back to this blog post please - using the hashtag #wholeport

  • blogging about this giveaway and linking to this post in your blog post

  • sharing this on Facebook, again with a link to this post.

To make sure you get your bonus entries counted, tell me about them in a comment below (it doesn't all have to be in the same comment).

I love this monochrome dotty fabric

If you win:


The winner will be drawn on Thursday 8th November and will be announced here and on Twitter (you can follow me on Twitter if you like, then you'll get the update -  but it's not a requirement).  I'll need to pass your email details to Wholeport so they can get your postal address and you can tell them exactly which of their scrummy goodies you want in that parcel!

If you don't win:


You can still get free stuff!  Go to Wholeport's free sample page and choose a freebie!  There's no cost at all (they even pay the postage) - all you need to do is follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

Find More Giveaways:




A Southern Lady's Ramblings

Thursday 25 October 2012

Pyjamas Made Comfier!

I think pyjamas should be easy to wear at the end of a long and tiring day - don't you?  They shouldn't cut into your midriff, reminding you that you really should visit the gym more often.  There are enough of those kind of reminders in life without your pyjamas getting in on the act.

I bought a lovely pair of pyjamas recently - they were perfect apart from the harsh, tight elastic at the waist - so this was my quick and easy solution:

Cut off the offending elastic - casing and all.



Find a T-shirt with stretchy fabric. Not one with ordinary T-shirt material - this calls for the super stretchy stuff.  Cut the bottom off the T shirt and maybe fold it over if you like to make a double thickness welt.  At this stage you may also want to reduce the circumference of the welt with a seam.  Mine was small enough.



Work out the centre front, centre back and side points of the welt and pin them in place on the corresponding parts of the pyjama bottoms.  Stretch the T-shirt fabric to fit between those points as you sew.  Stitch to the pyjama waist with straight then zigzag stitch (or overlock).



You're done.  Slouchy time in front of the TV, anyone?




Tuesday 23 October 2012

A Lovely New Sponsor (& Free Sample!!)

I don't know about you, but I think one of the great treats nowadays is receiving and opening a package of goodies you've bought online - in fact, one of the very lovely things about being a crafter, artist or designer/maker is needing to buy in some gorgeous supplies sometimes.  Because some craft supplies are quite specialised, or we're looking for something different for the latest project, the best way to buy them is often over the internet.

how cute are these bunny charms?

Enter Wholeport -  a website which aims to have "all the supplies for your beautiful handmade life".  I quite like that idea!

Wholeport is based on the other side of the world to me, in China.  But the world's a small place these days, when you can click a button, send an email and buy online.  I know the readers of this blog are spread all over the world so it's always great to find suppliers who ship worldwide too.

dotty denim - expect to see me making something from this very soon


There are a couple of things you might want to know about Wholeport:


  • they have a free sample service.  How cool is that?  All you do is choose your free sample from this page and it gets sent to you.  Only one free sample per person, which of course is very fair indeed as there are no costs to you at all.  They just ask that you follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook.  Easy peasy.  It's a bit like Christmas come early!

  • they will be running a giveaway on this blog soon. Watch this blog for more info about the giveaway soon - the details are just being ironed out now...

  • they are my newest sponsor and will be supplying some lovely things for my makes.  I've fallen in love with a lot of their fabrics, so I'm hoping to be able to show you some makes quite soon!


I love this print on cotton canvas


Go on - check them out.  As well as fabrics, you'll find beads, baking, polymer clay... and more. I think there's probably something for everyone.

Sunday 21 October 2012

Handmade Monday 89

Welcome to Handmade Monday (click the link for more info).

There has been much excitement this week with my articles being published in Sewing World...

a clock made entirely from fabric (with the addition of a clock mechanism)

and Craftseller magazine...

linen and paper diary cover (PVC protects the paper)

and the 2013 calendar, a free gift with this month's Craftseller, features a couple of my projects too!

my simple stitched hearts for Valentine's Day


little gift boxes to make in November


Ooh, look! On the calendar cover too!

I love this calendar - absolutely perfect to pop in a workroom, with snippets and ideas for inspiring you as well as the featured projects every month...

ideas galore

I've been busy making too... but because these projects are destined for magazines, I'll have to keep you guessing a little bit!  The biggest clue to this one for Craftseller is that I've been mooching round phone shops this weekend to double-check the size of a certain phone.



Scrummy fabric! 
Scrummy bias tape too!


I had made a cardboard phone, which might have been a bit unscientific as a method, but it helped a lot with measurements!

not quite what you see in the shops...

OK, you can stop laughing now...

Despite my careful measuring and slightly sloppy-looking mock-up, I wanted to double-check that the real thing fitted properly.  We trailed round phone shops (me on a mission, man getting sidetracked by fancy new phones): the display one couldn't be dismounted, the new ones were in a sealed box ...but Carphone Warehouse saved the day as they'd had a faulty one returned that morning!  It's amazing how helpful people can be, even when you tell them you're not planning on parting with any money!

I was pleased that it fitted beautifully - my trusty tape measure and cardboard iPhone had done the trick!  Whoops, did I say iPhone?  I'm not sure if that's too much information...

Still, at least I didn't tag the number 5 on the end, did I?

What?  Oh, I see!  Well, if you need a sewing pattern for an iPhone 5 cover, you'll find it in Craftseller magazine soon!

Are you liking the buttons?
They'll be a freebie in an upcoming Craftseller mag

And the clue to the other project?  It's something that will help organise the sewing room.  My proto-type has been in use a few months now: he's cute, useful and I don't know how I managed without him.

cute but useful

My new version is slightly improved - you know how it is, you use something and think "what this really needs is a..."

This is a pincushion with some serious benefits.   More information another day!

gorgeous fabrics, buttons and fixings from Guthrie and Ghani

Oh! I nearly forgot... Craftseller featured me in a interview too!!  Because it was mostly about my small business, I've blogged about it over at 1st Unique Gifts.

I've waffled for long enough.  Now it's over to you!

Friday 19 October 2012

Tea and a Chat with Amanda from Newmoor Barn

I'm really pleased to be chatting to Amanda today.  Amanda's business is a little bit different from the average craft business, as you'll soon see...


Hello!  Good to see you, the kettle’s just boiled – what would you like to drink?
Coffee with one sugar please

So, tell us a bit about yourself and your business.
We own a small farm in Devon where we raise Angora Goats. We use their mohair fleece to make high quality, handmade arts and crafts, we also incorporate other local sheep fleece into our work. We also run workshops in traditional crafts such as spinning, felt making, pottery and soap making. We practice ethical farming so our goats will never go to slaughter we use the older goats fleece for rugs and stuffing.



What inspired you to start your creative business? How did it all begin? 
I’ve taught for the past 17 years and ran a business based in West London providing training in performing and creative arts for adults and children with additional needs. Whilst I enjoyed my job, I felt the time was right (a kind of now or never) to try a new venture doing something else I really enjoy. I think animals are great and really interesting and this venture was a real chance to explore working WITH animals to provide a living for both of us.



How has your business changed and developed since it started?
We have now developed a range of mohair specially prepared for use with reborn dolls which are incredibly lifelike baby dolls. The mohair is used for the babies hair due to it being fine but strong. Good quality mohair for this purpose is quite hard to get in this country and most comes from America but this brings with it a long delay in getting your mohair. So we now produce premium quality mohair in Devon.




What are the main ways you promote your business?  Which methods have been the most successful for you?
Linking to other sites is good and forums, E-mails, phone calls. Anything to get your name out there really.

What’s your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek?
We run our workshops and I do a lot of my work in our big barn, which we share with our Angora Goats. Its great to be working and just look over your shoulder and there’s a cute little goat kid staring at you watching you work.



What are the best and worst bits of running your business?
Best bit is the relationship between our goats and the finished product. Our art yarns for example, once our goats are sheared each fleece is marked so we know exactly which goat it has come from. The fleece is then handpicked, handwashed, hand dyed using natural dyes, hand carded and then handspun. Each art yarn can then state exactly which goat supplied their yarn.
The worst bit is sitting on a craft stall all day with people saying how lovely your work is but by the end of the day only covering your costs. It can be quite disheartening. Feeding the goats on a cold rainy December (or June) morning runs a close second!



What other small (or not-so-small) creative businesses do you admire? 
 I love the work of metal sculpture artist David Athey  at David Athey and the Fantasy Dolls of Rosa Gueso


What tips can you give to others who run (or hope to run) a small creative business?
Search around for a good website provider and take your time with this, its hard to get traffic to your site so don’t rush into it.
Network, Network, Network. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and organisations you really need to get yourself out there.

What are your hopes, plans or ambitions for the future? 
We are looking at setting up work based training for people to be able to train in rural and traditional crafts aiming at people that find it difficult to access general work based training and are currently looking at funding for this. I would like to also get some of my work into galleries and become Britains no. 1 supplier for mohair for dolls.

Finally, where are the places we can find you online if we want to partake in a little friendly cyber stalking?

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Pebble Buttons - a Quick Make

This project combines two of my favourite mini-obsessions: pebbles and buttons.  I can't believe I have never done this before now!  I've not worked with polymer clay much before but I think I might want to change that... it feels like it might become quite addictive. 

One pack of Fimo makes all these buttons (they're quite thick, so you could make more if you wanted them half the thickness):



Making these buttons was unbelievably easy and fun.  If you want to have a go, here's a really quick tutorial.



You'll need: 

 

  • a pack of polymer clay in a stone colour (I used Fimo)
  • scissors (or knife)
  • a needle (or something similar to make holes)
  • something to bake the pebbles on (not the same thing you bake your cookies on!)
  • a worksurface (not where you eat or prepare food!)
  • an oven (don't try to save fuel by cooking food at the same time!)

How to Make the Pebble Buttons:


1. Break the clay into small pieces.  You may want to vary the pieces, as in nature pebbles are all different sizes.

2. Roll each piece in between your palms to soften and mix the clay.

3.  Roll into a ball or short sausage shape then flatten with your finger or thumb.



4. To make the heart shape, cut into your flattened ball at one end with scissors.  Then round off the cut ends to make the top of the heart.  Smooth into the V-shape at the top with your fingers to soften the edges.  Pinch the bottom of the heart together to create a V-shape there too.  Smooth all the edges out with your fingers.



5. Using a sewing needle or similar, poke holes through the pebbles.  Wiggle the needle around to make the holes bigger, and poke from the back of the pebble too.  Brush off or smooth down any loose clay.



6. Smooth out any creases in the edges of the buttons, and smooth the top edges even further if required to round off into a pebble shape.  Most pebbles are flattish and oval in shape, which is easy to simulate.  The great thing is that making them all different makes them more like real pebbles and needs no measuring or symmetry!

7. Place on a tray or tile and bake in the oven for up to 30 minutes (check the pack for times and temperatures - they can vary from make to make).  Make sure your kitchen is ventilated - clay gives off fumes that you don't want hanging around.



That's it!  You now have some lovely pebble buttons to incorporate into art, clothing, jewellery, greetings cards - or whatever you might like.  I have some arty ideas for mine (pop back soon to see how that turns out - there may be several variations!) although I am already thinking I might have to make some more pebbles in different colours first.  Oh, the hardship!

If you're new to polymer clay, check out the tips at Polymer Tutorials - especially useful are the safety tips - if you don't read anything else then at least read those!