Running With Scissors: May 2014

Tutorial: Simplified Cuff for Children's Shirt

9:17 AM

Kids' clothing gets worn out or grown out of very quickly, and so I always try to avoid spending loads of time on it. I love the way my boy looks in a button down shirt, but the cuff and placket for the sleeve can get a little tedious. So, I've come up with a new method I've been using that allows me to complete the entire shirt in about 25 minutes.

1. Cut out a long sleeve, adding 2" to the finished length. Slash a 4" vertical line about 2" from the outer edge.
Snip a small V at the end of the slash.

2. Prepare double fold strips. Cut 2 strips 1 1/4" wide and about 10" long. Press them into a double fold.

3. Stitch the double fold strip over the slash on the sleeve.

4. Press the faux placket into place and stitch a bar tack at the top.
(Make sure you've got a right sleeve and a left sleeve).

5. Stitch and serge the sleeve seams.

6. Stitch a 1 1/2" hem at the bottom of the sleeve. Top stitch around the the outer edge.

7. Stitch a button hole and attach a button.

Simplified cuffs are DONE!

tutorial

Tutorial: Reusable Shopping Bag

8:57 AM

Last week I posted some reusable shopping bags I made, and we've had a few requests for a tutorial, so, here it is!

1. Cut out the pieces.
Main body: 33" x 15"
Bottom: 7" x 11"
Handles: 3" x 17" (cut 2)

2. Stitch and serge the side seam of the main body piece. (1/2" seam allowance).

3. Prepare the handles. Press the long raw edges in and top-stitch down the length of both sides,

4. Stitch the main body to the bottom, clipping and pivoting at the corners.

5. Serge the bottom.

6. Stitch a 2" hem around the top of the bag.

7. Attach handles.

I like to stitch an X on the handle to ensure security.

DONE!

boys clothing

Handmade Trade

8:16 AM

My best friend's mom is incredible at knitting. She made these amazing sweaters for my Striker boy and I love them so much.

To show my appreciation, I made these two little outfits for her new grandson.

And best of all, Striker loves his knitted sweaters.

tutorial

Tutorial: Handmade Piping

8:33 AM

I like to make my own piping because I can get the exact color I want. I also like to use handmade piping for cushions or upholstery because you can choose any size of cording you want. It's a pretty simple procedure that allows you limitless options.

1. Prepare the fabric to be cut on the bias. If you have a quilting ruler, you can just cut the fabric on a 45 degree angle. If you don't have a quilter's ruler, just line up the squared edge with the salvage edge. The diagonal fold is your bias line. Cut on the fold, then refold the fabric with the new cut line lined up.

2. Cut a bunch of bias strips 1 1/4" wide. The bias cut fabric allows the finished piping to run along any curve or corner without getting bunched up or stretched. (This is for 1/4" cording. If you're using a larger size cord, you'll want to increase the width of your bias strips).

3. Stitch all the strips together. If you've never stitched bias strips together, it can be a little confusing. They don't line up point to point like you might imagine. The points extend a bit, and you stitch from indent to indent so the strips stay lined up.

4. Press the seams open.

5. Press the whole strip in half.

This is 1/4" cording I'll be using to make the piping. Various sizes are usually available in fabric stores.

6. Place the cording inside the prepared bias strip. Stitch across the end to keep the cording from getting pulled out.

7. Run the cording down the pressed center crease, and close the fabric around the cording.

8. Using a zipper foot or a cording foot, stitch right next to the enclosed cord.

Once you've stitched down the whole length of the bias strip, you're finished. The piping can be installed to your clothing or upholstery with a zipper foot or a cording foot.

bags & accessories

Reusable Shopping Bags

2:13 PM

I've been meaning to make nice shopping bags for about two years, and I finally sat down yesterday afternoon and did it. I wanted something beautiful to carry all the groceries and these are way better than the crumpled paper sacks I've been using.

I made each bag with less than 1/3 of a yard of fabric. I used some upholstery scraps that I had in my cabinet, so I didn't have to buy anything!

Outdoor

14 Cedar Garden Boxes

10:36 AM

I have been thinking and working and dreaming about my garden for months! I started my seeds back in February, and by the first of March I had seven of my fourteen garden boxes built. On Saint Patrick's Day I planted peas, carrots, onions, beets, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, fennel, and (my favorite) tomatoes. Since then, the weather has been drastic, so the sprouts have had a slow start, but they're all doing well.

For the second batch of boxes, I did all the cutting and Herschel built them for me. After we had them positioned on the back lawn we lined the bottom of each box with cardboard and paper sacks to keep the grass from coming back up. Then we filled the boxes with topsoil and compost. The last step was to reinforce the long sides of the boxes. We bought 40 feet of rebar, cut it with a grinder and pounded it in the ground 7 inches.

When I'm working in the kitchen, I love to look out the window and see my gorgeous garden just getting started. I can't wait for fresh salads, corn on the cob, melons, and of course tomatoes. This summer I hope to learn how to bottle my own ketchup. Herschel and I have plans to install a drip line into each box so the watering will happen automatically in the middle of the night. SO excited!!!