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⚞ DIY boho fabric hoop ⚟

07 June 2018

Whimsical, calming and a cinch to create! I'm going to show you how to make a fun 'no sew' fabric wall hanging, using only an embroidery hoop and strips of fabric.

You will need:

An embroidery hoop

Strips of fabric in various lengths

Optional: nail polish / paint

For this project I used a 10cm" hoop, which makes for a cute mini decoration but you could use any size - the bigger the hoop, the more scraps you can bust! I recommend using narrow strips but if you were making a mahoosive one you might want to use wider strips to make it quickly.

1. Divide the fabric strips by length, so you have piles of long and short strips.

2. Take the long lengths of fabric and tie to the hoop using lark's head knots. Starting at the bottom of the hoop, take your longest strip and fold in half length ways. Feed the folded end through the hoop and pass the ends of the strip through the loop created by the fold, creating a knot. Pull to tighten.

3. Continue tying strips, pushing them close together until you've covered the lower portion of the hoop. I created a sort of gradient, using the longest strips at the very bottom and getting smaller as I worked up the curve of the hoop.

4. Once you've covered about 1/4 of the hoop with longer strips you can move on to the shorter strips. Feed one end of a short strip through the hoop and tie with an overhand knot / single knot. If your strips are long enough you could tie a double knot but since it's a decorative hanging I wasn't concerned about the knots coming undone.

5. Continue tying short strips, keeping all the knots on the same side (i.e. the front or back of the hoop). Trim the ends of the strips after knotting to keep them even. You can completely cover the hoop or leave a section uncovered as I have.

6. The hoop becomes double sided and can be hung either way, with the knots at the back or the front depending which look you prefer! As an optional extra, if you have left part of the hoop visible, you can paint it or decorate it. I used my current favourite nail polish colour as it complimented the fabric well. It has a nice washed look and a lovely sheen! You could use washi tape wrapped around the hoop too. It would be easy to personalise and write someones name or a message... so many options!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial - it would be a fun project to do with kids over the summer holidays or just for you to relax and enjoy a quick, simple make. It makes a very pretty, tactile hanging and I know I will be making more, there's a bag of fabric strings waiting!!

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teacher's gifts ~ snappy coin purses + ornaments

22 December 2016

It's a bit panic stations over here, madly sewing presents for people. I have a couple of other gifts to finish but I actually managed to complete all the teacher's gifts just in the nick of time - it's the last day of term tomorrow!

These cute little coin purses are a great way to use up scraps. I had a lot of fun diving through my big scrap bag, mixing and matching prints.

I added my favourite Kam snaps - I got a selection of different colours and handy snap pliers from a set on Ebay - for those of you in the UK a quick google has just shown they also have them on Amazon, there is a dedicated online shop Kam Snaps UK and Plush Addict stocks the snaps.

I love the way the little purse opens; perfect for holding coins, business cards, maybe a little emergency kit (plasters, safety pin etc).

The tutorial is the snappy coin purse by Rashida Coleman-Hale and I definitely recommend it, even after making 10! There is a bit of hand sewing to finish them off and it was a nice evening sofa job.

Each of the kids made ornaments for their teachers too. Just glitter felt, cut out circles and some shapes, confetti and pens! I punched a hole and added some baker's twine.

They wrote their names and the year on the back of the felt. I think it's a nice gift and I hope the teachers do too!

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fabric bookmark tutorial

14 March 2016

The theme over at Le Challenge this month is 'reading'. I decided to make a bookmark and I wanted something that would feel sturdy but still look cute! Here's how I made my laminated fabric bookmark...

Supplies:

505 Craft Adhesive

(2) 2" x 7" pieces of fabric

1.75" x 6.5" piece of Aida or thin cardboard

small fabric scraps

Sewline glue pen

paper to cover your work surface

a laminating machine and laminating pouch (optional)

If you would like to create a frayed edge, use a woven fabric and gently pull the threads from the bottom. Repeat on the other piece of fabric and put them together to make sure you have the same amount of fraying.

Spray one side of Aida lightly with the adhesive and stick to the wrong side of one of the pieces of fabric. Spray again and place the other fabric piece on top, right side facing up.

Now for the fun bit, decorate your bookmark using fabric scraps!

Originally I tried to use up some teeny bits of Liberty and make a confetti pattern but it just didn't work as I envisioned.

I opted instead to fussy cut some Liberty print flowers and create a collage...

Which was much prettier! I used embroidery scissors, layered the flowers and stuck them down with the glue pen.

At this point you could quilt over your design, just a few straight stitches will hold it in place, then top stitch around the edges (and above the fraying). You could also zig zag the edges.

Another simple way to finish, that will give structure and make your bookmark more hard wearing is to laminate it. I do like a glossy finish!

Since putting one small bookmark through the laminator felt wasteful I also made myself a little inspiration card to keep in my planner. I used a Project Life card, some washi and stickers.