Going Pink for a Cause

One Day, as many bloggers as possible, painting our blogs P I N K
for an incredible cause "Breast Cancer Awareness".

Pretty in Pink

A fabulous friend brought over this fabric for me to have fun with.

Here it is in a single layer.

I used my rotary cutter and cut off about a 4-inch strip cutting from selvage edge to selvage edge. Once done, I cut the length of the strip in half.

I read recently about being able to use a sewing machine to make gorgeous ruffles.

Set your tension all the way up (mine is at 9). Use a long running stitch - I set mine at 5 mm.

Take your strip of fabric and fold it in half. I chose to sew mine along the folded edge.

A trick I learned in a sewing class a while back was that when ruffling, lay your hand against the back of the machine so the fabric pushed against it as it runs under the presser foot. This will add to the ruffling effect.

Here is the ruffle hot off the sewing machine. Trim your threads and heat up your hot glue gun.

Use small dabs of glue (be careful it does tend to seep though mesh or sheer fabric and that glue is hot, hot, hot) and roll the fabric up forming a flower.

It should look a little something like this. Cut out a circle of felt and hot glue it to the back of the flower. Lastly, hot glue a pin back.

Another option is to use the ruffle flowers to make a cute headband.

I first attached mine to the elastic headband using Fabri-Tac. Then I cut out a double circle of felt and attached both flowers and the headband to the felt also using Fabri-Tac.

You can even embellish them by sewing beads or pearls into the flowers. It took me all of about 20 minutes to make both items.

This project linked up at:

I Heart Naptime

All smiles

I am smiling a little bigger today. After celebrating my niece's first birthday and spending the day with family, I came home to find out something exciting had happened while we were away. After getting the kiddos tucked into bed, I checked in on the computer. My Fabulous Reversible Headband was FEATURED (yes, FEATURED) on the blog Fabric Bows and More
while we were away. This is my very first feature and it makes me really happy.

Coming early this week is a new project so be sure to check back. I appreciate my followers! If you appreciate my blog, share it with a friend.

Mop Top Headband and Pony-O

Last week I was busy making this layered twirl dress with my good friend and sewing mentor, Carly of Sewing and Design by Carly...

and had these fun leftover scraps of knit that I had to find a way to use.

You may have figured out how much I love to make hair pretties. Clippies, headbands, hair scarves, ANYTHING.   Yep, definitely can whip up a few headbands and pony-o's with these great scraps. If you have old t-shirts or other knit items in your "donate" box, these scraps will work great too.

I used the selvage edges that I cut off of the skirt bands from my dress above. Then cut into some small pieces of leftover fabric.

The pieces measure about 1/4" wide and about 3 inches in length for the smaller Mop Tops and about 5 inches in length for the bigger Mop Tops.

Cut, cut, cut and pile them up. I didn't count exactly how many strips I used. More = a bigger fluffier puff and less = a flatter thinner puff. The measurements do not need to be exact. Be sure to set one strip of knit aside for later use for each Mop Top you make.

.
Once you are happy with the size of your pile, get out some elastic thread. If you don't own elastic thread, you can buy it in the notions section of your friendly local sewing store. You can also improvise by using embroidery thread, very thin ribbon or maybe even very thin elastic. Cut off a 5-inch piece.

If you are making a Pony-O...

Pick up your pile of knit scraps and set it down in the middle of the length of elastic. Grab an elastic ponytail holder.  Tie a double knot around the knit pile of strips and through the pony-o. Turn the pile and elastic over, bring the elastic ends and tie a double knot again.

Clip off the long ends but don't clip too close to the knot.

Now it's time to pick up the one strip of knit that I had you set aside a little earlier and tie a double knot with it over top of the elastic you used to tie the Mop Top. 

Cut a small circle out of coordinating felt (about 3/4 inch in diameter). Cover with a medium layer of Fabri-Tac. Then press the felt circle onto the underside of the Mop Top to cover the knot of the single strip of knit and to also cover the pony-o where it attaches to the underside of the Mop Top. 

Done! How easy was that?

If you are making a headband...

Pick up your pile of knit scraps and set it down in the middle of the length of elastic. Tie a double knot around the knit pile of strips.

Turn the pile and elastic over, bring the elastic ends together and tie a double knot again. Clip the ends of your thread but don't clip too close to the knot. Take one strip of knit that you set aside earlier and tie a knot on top of your piece of elastic thread that is holding your Mop Top together. Tie a double knot. For my headband, I made two Mop Tops. I wanted it big and full.

Cut out a small circle of coordinating felt for each Mop Top. Cover one side of it with Fabri-Tac. Set aside for a minute.

Grab one (or two) Mop Tops and flip them upside down - or - the part that you want to be the top should be laying on your work surface. Lay your elastic headband across the bottom of one or both Mop Tops.

Then finally lay your felt circle(s) on your elastic and Mop Tops. Push down with your fingers so that the glue adheres the elastic, felt and Mop Top(s) together.

 

Let dry a few hours. Wear with a smile.

Cute, cheap and FUN! I love making something out of scraps that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. Revise my previous statement...cute cheap, FUN and green. Love it!

Thanks for popping by today! If you aren't yet a follower of my blog, now is the time. A giveaway is coming soon to my Bucket of Buttons Followers. 

This project is linked up at:














Blue Cricket Design and Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice at 733


The Mop Top Headband was FEATURED at:

Fabulous Reversible Headband

Looking for an inexpensive, fun, quick and easy project? I've got one for you. It's a fabulous reversible headband.

You need two coordinating ribbons. I chose 1 1/2" wide grosgrain ribbon that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. Quite often they run their ribbon by the roll at half off. You can use ribbon as small as 1/2" wide and as big as 2" wide. 1 1/2" is a great size for children and adults.

You will also need coordinating thread, a sewing machine and some elastic. You can use the plain white apparel elastic found at craft stores - it works just fine. I chose to use some thin elastic headband and ponytail elastic that I had left over from a previous project. The bright colors will look great with my ribbon.

Grab a pair of sharp scissors. It is now time to cut the ribbon. To make a headband for a toddler or small child, measure the ribbon to 15 inches. For an 8 year old up to adult, measure the lengths of ribbon to 17 inches. Cut both pieces of coordinating ribbon. I am making my headband for an adult.

Keep those super sharp scissors handy. Grab your elastic. For a toddler or small child, measure out 3 inches of elastic. For a child about 8 or older up to an adult, measure out 3 1/2 inches of elastic. If your elastic has the metal clip that holds the two ends of the elastic together, cut that out. It is unusable.

Time to turn on your iron to the "synthetic" or "polyester" setting. Turn down the short, raw edge of your ribbon down about 1/4" and press. Do with both pieces of one end of the ribbon.

Match up the ends.

Pin the ribbon in place. Pins should be near the edge of the ribbon and not towards the middle. Do this for only one side of the ribbon. Then go back and press down with the iron the raw edges on the other end of the ribbon. Make sure to match up their lengths and pin in place.

Between both layers of ribbon and between the pins there is a "tunnel". This is the space where you will insert your elastic. Pin elastic in place. Do this on only one end of the ribbon. We will get to the other end later on.

 Now you are ready to sew.

Start sewing on the edge of the ribbon where your elastic is inserted. Don't forget to backstitch so your stitches don't unravel. Sew a straight stitch about 1/4" from the edge. You may have to help ease the ribbon and elastic under the sewing machine - it is pretty thick to sew through. When the entire side is sewn, lift your presser foot and turn the corner. Sew down the length of ribbon and backstitch when you get to the end. Clip your thread.

Now insert your elastic into the unsewn raw end of ribbon in the "tunnel", just as you did for the other end. Pin in place.

Straight stitch edge of ribbon where you just inserted your elastic, remembering to backstitch.

Lift your presser foot and turn the corner. Finish up by stitching the last unfinished edge of ribbon. Backstitch at the end and clip all threads. Voila! Almost instant gratification. This headband took me about 12 minutes. It might take a beginner about 30 minutes, max, just figuring out the instructions.

Please take a second to leave a comment if you took a moment to stop by.  You can do so right below this post. If you make a headband (or two or three), I'd really love to see it! Post one of your photos for me to admire your work. My peanut loves her headband. Thanks for spending time with my Bucket of Buttons.

My Fabulous Reversible Headband was featured at:



My Fabulous Reversible Headband is being linked up at Creative Share Wednesday AT THE TRENDY TREEHOUSE and Wednesday's Show and Tell Link Party at Blue Cricket Design. Check it out! The headband can also be found on the Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming and Made by You Mondays at Skip To My Lou.