10 Minute Hooded Towel

 

10 Minute Hooded Towel

 

This tutorial is probably the shortest and easiest one that I will put up... EVER.

 

This whole thing should take you a total of 10 minutes including the time it takes for you to dust off your sewing machine.

 

Hooded towels are so cheap and thin now its a crime. My aunt Chris made me one of these for my daughter when she was a baby and I went crazy from there. I couldn't believe that I had gone even a few months without one!!!!!

 

 

I like to catch the sales at Target when they have them on towels because I find there store brand to be nice and plush (thick). I have made gifted hooded towels from towels and washcloths from Walmart but I didn't like them as much so I only make them from Target towels (on sale) now. I got the towel for $4 and the wash cloth for $2.50 so my whole project cost me $6.50 and will last me years of bath times and pool time (and even play capes).

 

Start with a towel and washcloth. You can match them or have two different colors, the world is your oyster here. You can be super creative or super dull like me and have all matching towels with hoods.

 

Cut off the tags so they don't get scratchy.

 

 

Fold them each in half to find the middle of each the washcloth and towel.

 

 

 

Place a pin to mark the middle of each the wash cloth and towel. 

Open up both wash cloth and towel and line up the pins (center) to make sure the washcloth is centered over the towel. The towel is long-wise.



This project has such limited sewing it is crazy.

 

 

 

Pin the washcloth across the top.

 Fold the washcloth down into approximately thrids and pin on the sides.

 

 

Stitch where you have pinned (red dotted lines only).

 

And there you have it!!!

 

Sorry about the weird white circle!

 

TA DA!!!!!

 

The Importance of Clipping Your Seam Allowance

The Importance of Clipping

Have you ever sewn something only to turn it right-side out and it just doesn’t look right? Chances are your instructions (or lack of instructions if you’re free styling) told you to clip the excess out of the seam allowance.

Clipping is generally used when you have sewn on a curve. The curve could be concave or convex (yes high-school geometry.. remember it?). Basically you will be clipping out small triangles out of the seam allowance to remove the excess fabric that would bunch up if you turn right-side out without clipping. Got it? If not, here’s an example.

This is the seam for an outward curve.

 

Here’s what it will look like if you turn it without clipping.

 

This is how you should clip this type of curve. Clip towards the seam line but be careful not to cut the actual seam. Cutting out triangles will remove the excess fabric for when you turn your project right side out.

 

And your work pays off, here is the finished edge (that has been clipped). See the difference?

 

This is the seam for an inward curve.

 

Here’s what it will look like if you turn it without clipping.

 

This is how you should clip this type of curve.

Start by making angled clips towards the seam line (traveling in one direction) and then come back angling opposite direction. It may not look pretty but it removes the excess fabric for when you flip it.

 

And your work pays off, here is the finished edge (that has been clipped). See the difference?

 

 

No matter what you are sewing you should ALWAYS clip your seams to make your project look more professional.

How To: Make Your Own Bias Tape

How To: Make Your Own Bias Tape

Bias tape is extremely versatile. You can use it to finish off edges to almost anything. Imagine a pot holder, the edging is almost always bias tape. This very useful cut of fabric is also used on things like aprons as well as on clothing items. Bias Tape literally wraps and finishes the raw edge of your sewing project.

The white neck line of this shirt is finished with a bias tape binding.

 

What you will need

Fabric, Scissors, Ruler, fabric pen or pencil, iron

Step by step

To start you will need to decide how long you want your bias tape to be. You can decide this by measuring the edges of where it will be. This distance will then tell you how much fabric you need. Bias tape is cut “on the bias” or at a 45 degree angle.

 

The best way to start is to open up the fabric and find the perfect right angle. You can measure both ways the same distance to make sure you have a square. Then fold the ends together and iron the edge. Be careful not to stretch this edge out of shape. After ironing unfold and cut along this crease.

From this new cut edge use your ruler to measure over the appropriate amount for the correct size binding. Because bias tape is measured by width, the standard 1/2” bias tape is 2” wide when opened up and when sewn and finished covers approx. 1/2” around the edge.

 

After you have cut your width, iron it in half. Then start with one side and fold toward the center (pressed) line. Iron again. Then fold and press the other side towards the center. You can leave it at this stage for sewing or you can fold in half again and press to make sure you have stiff pressed lines. You will use these to sew on. TA DA you have just created bias tape!!!!

 

Next you will need to choose what you are finishing, this is where your project edge will become finished.

Line up one side of your bias tape to the edge of your project. You will place the right side of the bias tape to the wrong (inside) of the project. Then pin and sew along your pressed line (seam allowance) For 1/2" bias tape, your seam allowance will also be 1/2".

 

The amount or width you want as the finished edge should be multiplied by 4 and that total is the amount that you would cut. This accounts for seam allowance.

 

 

After sewing one side to the project it will still look like raw edges and kind of inside out. You will then need to fold over the bias tape towards the right side (outside) of the garment. Then pin and topstitch along the edge of the folded edge of the bias tape. Be careful and take your time this is the outside of your project and it will be seen when you are finished.

 

Now you are done! Congratulations on binding your project with bias tape!!!

 BUT WAIT!!!!! MY PROJECT HAS CURVES!!!!

 

 Never fear! The picture to the left is a mock shirt neck, if you are sewing a shirt please sew it together before binding the edge. This is just to show you how it will look to bind a curve. Start by lining up and pinning the edge of your bias tape with the right side to the wrong side of your project. Sew along your pressed line. If you try to fold over and top stitch at this point (like the straight line tutorial) your project will be bunchy and not look right!!!!

YOU HAVE TO CLIP!!!

Please, please, please, take my advice any time you have corners or curves you need to clip. In this case you will be clipping out triangles. This removes the extra fabric that will bunch together. Clip the triangles with the point towards the seam line. Be extra careful not to cut the seam line or you will have to go back and sew over and reinforce it if you do cut the line.

 

Once you have clipped the excess out now you are ready to fold the rest of the bias tape over to the right side of the fabric and top stitch.

 

Once again, take your time with your topstitching. People will see your squiggly lines because this is the outside of your project!!! PRESS your project for a nice finished look!

 

 

 

And there you have it!

Congratulations on completing you bias binding project! Have any suggestions for a tutorial you would like to see? Please email us!

How To: Make Your Own Chair Slip-Cover

  

How To: Make Your Own Chair Slip-Cover

                       Before                                                                          After

 

 

      I don't know about you but at my house things can get messy from time to time. This tutorial I chose to do on a child's size chair but the principals are exactly the same for any chair or couch that you need to cover.

 

     I want to start by saying that this doesn't have to take you a long time to do and you can have professional results. Store bought slip-covers can be expensive and look little better than a sheet thrown over your chair or couch. To get a better fit you will want to make a pattern to fit your furniture exactly.

 

Let's Begin!  Start with plain cotton fabric. You can buy bleached or unbleached muslin or cotton from the fabric store or you can use an old sheet. A lighter color will be easier to mark on.

 

     Take a good look at all of the different shapes that your furniture has. Start with the easy shapes like squares and rectangles. Then comes the arms of the chair. Pin together the pieces and MARK EVERYTHING. If you have seen commercial patterns before you will know that notches keep all of your pieces lined up. For those of you who are not familiar you will need to make marks of where to line up each piece when you are sewing. They will look like hatch marks. Also write what the piece is right on the cloth. Mark arrows of which way faces where for example "Floor" and "towards arm or towards seat". You can use an ink pen or sharpie just take care you don't accidently mark up your furniture.

 

     Once you have all of your pieces figured out you will need to make your pattern pieces. These cloth pieces are not your pattern pieces in their current state. Even though you think they are straight and lined up they probably are not because even a true seasoned professional knows you must "true-up" the pattern.

 

 

 

You will need your cloth pieces, a ruler (I like to use a see-thru quilting ruler) a pencil, paper scissors and a roll of pattern paper or craft paper ( I got a roll of craft paper at Ikea). You obviously will also need your sewing machine and sewing supplies.

 

 

To make the paper pattern you need to trace your cloth pieces onto the paper.  Using a tracing wheel can be essential at this point. For a quick tip, place a towel under the paper to help the tracing wheel mark the paper. It is very important to use the towel because you could leave marks on your table from the tracing wheel.

 

After tracing out the cloth pieces remove the towel. If you try to trace the marks with your pencil (while the towel is under the paper) the paper will tear. LIKE THIS:

 

 

After you trace out all of your cloth pieces with the tracing wheel and then the pencil, then comes the straightening and matching process. Make sure you transfer all of your notches and comments onto the paper pattern piece.

 

 

Start by creating right angles and squaring up the pieces.

 

Double check measurements by referring back to the furniture.

 

 Make sure you have right angles when needed.

 

Once your pieces are all squared up and evened out it is time to check measurements and notches. Start by lining up the pattern pieces as they will be sewn together. Match up the notches and measure any curved surfaces that would be hard to line up. Label anything you think will be necessary.



Once all of your paper pattern pieces match up and all of the notches line up it is time to cut out your fabric!!!! Now up to this point we haven't talked about seam allowance because basically you have made a pattern for exactly what your couch or chair looks like. You have two options. You can add an extra  around the pattern pieces on the paper, or you can use the width of your measuring tape to lay next to the pattern and then cut outside the tape.

TIP: When you cut out your paper pieces they may curl up on you. You can iron your paper pieces. Set your iron to NO STEAM and iron the paper face down. Do not leave the iron on the paper just lightly place the iron on the pattern piece and quickly run it back and forth. If you don't feel comfortable ironing the paper you can run the paper back and forth over the edge of a counter to straighten it out.

After you cut out the pieces you will need to line them up and pin them together. Then SEW!!
TIP: On corners use as many pins as you need to feel comfortable.

If you need to you can continue to refer back to the chair or couch to line up the pieces in case you get confused as to where things line up. Take all of the extra steps that you need to.

 



Finish sewing it all together.... and enjoy your lovely new slip-cover!!!!!

 

                    FROM THIS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> TO THIS!!!!