Skinny Headband Tutorial

I love headbands but they often don't love me back. I've made so many really pretty fabric ones and they start off nice but then just slide off my head.
Then a long, thin scrap from a project made me think it would be perfect as a headband and I realized I just needed thinner headbands! So the Skinny Headband was created! It's such an easy project that I thought it would be great as my first attempt at a tutorial.
Sorry for the picture overload, better too many than too few right?

The finished product:


You will need:
- basics (scissors or rotary cutter, sewing machine, thread, etc.)
- soft measuring tape
- 2.5" of 1/4" elastic
- two long thin scraps of fabric


Measure your head by wrapping the soft measuring tape around your head exactly where your headband will sit.


Cut two pieces of fabric 1.5" by your head measurement less 1 inch. My head measured 21" so I cut two pieces each 1.5" by 20".


Now sew with a 1/4" seam, the right sides together on one long edge of the fabrics, backstitching at each end.


Press the seam open


Now fold the outer long edges in to meet the edge of your pressed-open seam. Press. Repeat on the other outer long edge.
As long as you line the edges up, even if your seam allowance was bigger or smaller than 1/4" you will still end up with a 3/4" wide headband here.


Fold in half and press.


Unfold at the end and fold the short end up 1/2". Then refold the long sides in and back in half.


It should look like this:


Insert your elastic (2.5" piece) in one end so it is 1/2" in. Pin in place.


Starting at the short end with the elastic, stitch close to the edge on the short end (backstitching over the elastic will help keep it in place), pivot at the corner and stitch almost to the next corner. Pause here.


Now insert the other end of the elastic 1/2" into this end. Make sure the headband isn't twisted!
Finish stitching by pivoting at the corner and sewing along the short end, backstitching over the elastic.


Clip the threads and you are all done!

Distracted yet again!

Sigh... I have a bag full of cut projects waiting to go and still I start others! I think I like planning, picking fabrics and even cutting better than the sewing and finishing.

So yesterday I heard about this fun stitch party at Spool Sewing...

My first thought was, can I go? A toddler, a baby, my first week back at work... But I think it sounds fun enough to make the plans for it.

My next thought was, what project(s) to bring? I want to bring something to wear but I'm not ready to make skirts for myself yet. I need to lose more baby weight (and I will!) Then I remembered the Spool blog post about the Amy Butler apron overlay which is part of the Barcelona Skirt pattern. I've made several Barcelona skirts and it's a great pattern (both the a-line and layered) but I also just ignored the apron overlay. Until now! I'm hoping it looks fun enough to wear with jeans and a top and not look silly on me.

The fabrics have been chosen, the pieces cut! This is the FOURTH apron I'll be making this month -- yikes! Now I really need to actually sit and sew!

When I was picking my Emmeline paron fabrics I came up with 3 combinations and I loved them all. Now I've decided what to do with each one.

Combination #1 - Amy Butler prints - will become the AB Barcelona apron overlay


Combination #2 - MM Farmers Market prints - will become Emmeline apron


Combination #3 - MM Mirabelle and Zen Blossoms with AB Full Moon dots - will become a skirt later this spring

Aprons Aplenty

I decided it's time to finally make an apron with one of the many apron patterns I have. After picking which pattern to use, going through my stash and coming up with a few combinations, I made a decision and cut the fabrics. I chose the Emmeline apron from Sew Liberated, and Farmer's Market prints for each side and the trim.
Then... I got distracted. ;)

The apron I'm planning is VERY girlie so I had to made something for my husband to use too. Also, another toddler birthday snuck up on me and I thought a cute apron was in order. So my apron is still yet to be sewn but I did get these other two completed!

I didn't use a pattern for either, just copied (literally, I just traced around) ones we already had.

Here is the toddler one -- Michael Miller laminated Play Lolli Dot, with MM bias trims plus a simple orange print for the straps.


Close-up -- I just love these fun pindot trims


And one for my husband (and me, I love love love this print!)
Lizzie Dish fabric backed with denim with denim straps.





Both of these were so fun and fast! The Emmeline pattern has quite a few more steps, but I will get it done!

Sock Monkeys

Just sharing another holiday gift!

Who doesn't love a cute sock monkey? The best part of this project is if you buy a bunch of socks thinking you will be making loads of monkeys and then they sit and sit and sit... well at least they can just go back and be used as actual socks. Yes I have several socks once destined to become monkeys!

I seem to be on a trio kick - so here are 3 monkeys! The one on the left is mine (Nate thinks it's his though) that I made last year. I used a thicker, sweater-like sock for it and it came out really fun. This middle was a funky knee sock and came with it's own eyes! The one on the right was cute but seemed a bit plain once I was done...


So I made her a skirt! I was going through my fabric stash looking for a fun print with a strong red and duh of course the Sock Monkey Yearbook print was perfect! It's really one of my all-time favorite kid prints. NOW this monkey is ready for playtime.



Free pattern link is on my list down to the right.

Baby Clutch Balls

Happy New Year!
Amazingly, I'm not burned out from all the holiday sewing and I'm hoping to get a lot done before my maternity leave ends at the end of January. Sigh... the time flies by so fast!

Another Christmas gift is unveiled! I just love these, I used 36(!!) different fabrics for each one (I made 3 balls) in cottons, minkee, and baby wale corduroy. It was a really fun stash project finding which prints to combine.

Before I forget here is the free pattern.

Before sewing (my teaser pic a few posts back):




All done! They are a nice size, about a basketball but soft and light of course. This is the thicker size of the pattern. I had made the thinner version previously and it seems a bit floppy. Not bad, but I wanted to try out thick version. Plus you see the prints better! :)