June Monthly Giveaway: Fat Quarter Bundles from Fairtrade Fabric

Wow, not one but four giveaways this month! 

Free Fabric!

As you may know, I am running regular monthly giveaways, hurrah!

Each giveaway will be open for a whole calendar month, so you have the whole of June to get excited about this one, and then I will announce the winner and the next giveaway at the beginning of July (May's winner to be announced very shortly).

fat quarters by Fairtrade Fabric

This month I am thrilled to offer not just one, but four chances to win: those lovely people at Fairtrade Fabric have provided all of these amazing fat quarters from their powerloom range of designs by Susie Huson- see here. They are organic, fairtrade certified, and just adorable! 

They are perfect for quilting (amongst many other things). Keep an eye on the blog for an extra special tutorial featuring one of these prints very soon... 

To win a bundle, simply leave me a comment stating which bundle you'd prefer and what you plan to do with it- it's that easy.  

Win these FQ bundles: 

Bundle 1: 

Bundle 1

Bundle 1

Bundle 2:

Bundle 2

Bundle 2

Bundle 3: 

Bundle 3

Bundle 3

Bundle 4: 

Bundle 4

Bundle 4

What's the Catch?

No catch! There are generally no conditions attached to my giveaways, I'm just giving away either treasures from my stash, or as in this instance items kindly provided by other companies. I hope that you will stay a while and read some other posts, perhaps even leave the odd comment, but that's entirely up to you. 

This particular offer is open to everyone, wherever you are in the world. 

If you'd like to be considered please just leave me a comment below, and that's it, consider yourself entered- it really is that simple. If for some reason you can't comment then you can use the contact form instead.

If you share a link to this page on social media and let me know you have done so I will put your name down twice for an extra chance at winning.  

Tip: to be sure you never miss a giveaway, or more importantly a notification that you might have won, why not subscribe to my blog...? It's easy, and you'll find where to do it on the top right ---->

Thank you's: 

Thank you again to Fair-trade Fabric for providing such wonderful giveaway prizes, and thank you dear readers for stopping by and for entering. Good luck to you all!

Barrel Bag Sew Along Instructions: Week 5

The final step is here! Well done if you've been keeping up with the sew along, and thank you so much for taking part. I have really enjoyed seeing your bags come together. 

Don't worry if you are worried about losing your place in the instructions: I am planning to archive them all in one spot so that they are easy to find for future reference.  

barrel bag

Finishing Touches:

Seam Finishing: 

The next thing you need to do after last week is finish the inside of your round seams: I have bound mine using the 4cm bias binding. It is a professional and also pretty finish to have on the inside of your bag. If you want to request a tutorial in how to bind seams please go ahead and use the contact form. 

Or, you can overlock the raw edges together- it is quicker and also very strong. 

Making the Strap:

Cut 2 x 10cm lengths of webbing, and also 2 x 7cm lengths. Then, have a look at your remaining webbing and decide how long you would like your shoulder strap to be. 

Don't forget that the buckles themselves will contribute to the length, and you should also allow about 3cm for the loop of webbing used to attach them (see picture below)- the overall length of buckle plus webbing loop is about 7.5cm each end of the strap. 

bag strap detail

You also need to add 1cm seam allowance each end of your strap. 

Once you are satisfied that you have identified the correct length of webbing, cut the strap to length. 

Take a 10cm piece of webbing, fold in half long ways and topstitch. Thread this loop through your buckle, then sew the loop closed. 

Place this loop onto a shorter 7cm piece of webbing and sew them together near the top. Make sure the buckle has its opening side facing down as pictured. The webbing loop should overhang by about 1cm: this is to stagger the bulk of the seam and also to ensure the rivets will go through it.

Then, place the strap onto the buckle to sandwich it into place, and sew, taking a 1cm seam allowance from the strap and the 7cm webbing. 

Now, press this seam so that it lays flat, and press the raw edge of the 7cm webbing, turning 1cm over. 

Topstitch around the sides and top of this shorter piece, attaching it to the main strap. 

Repeat this process for the other end of the strap. 

Now, making small pilot holes with an awl or a sharp pair of scissors, hammer the rivets into place, arranging them as you like, but preferably add strength by holding all of these layers of webbing together. 

The last step:

One (optional) finishing touch is to sew your handles together longways for strength and ease of use: find the midpoint at the top of you handles, then measure and mark 10cm either side of this. 

Fold your webbing in half along this 20cm, and sewing close to the edges topstitch both sides together. 

love that 'Quink' linen

And you're done! 

Well done and thank you again for joining in the sew along. Don't forget to keep tagging me in your finished results on twitter and instagram!

With thanks once again to Merchant & Mills for kindly supplying the materials for this project. 

barrel bag from Merchant & Mills materials

Barrel Bag Sew Along Instructions: Week 3

Sew Along: Week 3

Barrel Bag 

This week your bag will really begin to take shape! We will be inserting the zip. 

I would first just like to point out that, shockingly, I forgot to do what I am about to instruct you to do! Apologies in advance for this, I just got too excited! 

Next Step:

It is necessary to finish the raw edges where the zip will be inserted. These are the edges of your main fabric which measure 52cm. 

By 'finish' I simply mean that we cannot leave the fabric with the raw edges it has at the moment because it will fray. You can either

- overlock these edges,

- run a zig zag stitch along them,

-or, bind them with bias binding.

You have a 1.5cm seam allowance here, so make sure whatever finish you use stays within this distance of the edge of the fabric. 

The Zip:

Don't be afraid of the zip! We are going to topstitch it in place. Your zip should be about 45cm/18".

Place your now-finished edges together and line them up as if you are going to sew down them, joining them, with the RS's of your bag together. Be sure to keep the handles out of the way. 

Taking a 1.5cm seam allowance, sew about 5cm down the edges, then stop, backpacking securely. Turn the bag around and do the same at the other end. 

tack in a contrasting colour

Use chalk or a fabric marker to draw a line 1.5cm from the edges running along the rest off this edge we are working on. 

Then, preferable in a contrasting colour, make a neat line or tacking stitches along the line you have drawn. Make these stitches as straight as possible. 

seam pressed open

Press this seam open, along the whole length of the machine stitches and tacking stitches. A long thin sleeve board is useful here if you have one. 

Next, pin and tack your zip into place, so that the teeth are carefully positioned where the bag will open (under your contrasting tacking stitches).

For sewing in the zip, you can use your one-sided foot. However, when I have bulky fabric I often like to use my walking foot for sewing in zips. This helps to prevent the puckering that sometimes happens.

walking foot

Making sure your needle will not hit the zipper teeth (this will most likely break it), and starting with the zip closed, sew in a neat box down one side of the zip, across the end if you can, and up the other side and the opposite end. You will need to move the zip handle a little as you get to the end of your box- leave the needle down through the fabric so as not to interrupt your line of stitching. 

Remove the rest of your contrasting tacking (you will most likely have had to remove a little already in order to sew the box all around your zip). This is where the contrasting colour is really useful: you know easily that these stitches can be removed. 

Also remove the tacking that held your zip in place as this is no longer needed. 

Open your zip- both to check that it all works, and in preparation for the next step!

Well done! 

barrel bag with zip

Thank you if you have tagged me on social media (here or here) to let me know how you're getting on. I love seeing all of your fabric choices. And don't forget, if you need any clarification just use the contact form to the right and I will try to explain anything that might seem confusing. 

Barrel Bag Sew Along Instructions: Week 2

How to make a Barrel Bag

Step 3:

Welcome back to the sew-along! 

Our next task is to make the pocket. You will remember that we have cut out two matching squares for this, one from the main fabric and one from the contrast fabric, so you'll need these. You will also need a piece of your piped cord: cut a length of about 20cm.

Decide which is to be the top edge of the pocket. If you have plain fabric this won't really matter and any edge will be just fine. 

Place your pocket squares so that they are RS facing (meaning that the fronts, or Right Sides of the fabrics are facing each other, and you can only see the backs whichever way you look). 

Some fabrics are very different on the front and back,
 like the Quink linen I used from Merchant & Mills

Line the edges up carefully, then place your piece of piped cord so that the raw edges of the bias binding run along the raw edges of the fabric, as pictured below. 

Using your one-sided foot again, sew all of these layers together keeping your stitches close to the piping cord (just as you did before when sewing the cord into the binding). You will be taking roughly 1cm seam allowance. 

Piping & Pocket Pieces

Replace your normal sewing machine foot, and taking a 1cm seam allowance again, sew along the bottom edges of your pocket pieces, so that your pocket piece is a bit like a tunnel. 

Turn the pocket through, so that it is the correct way out, and press both seams so that the pocket lays nice and flat (never skimp on the pressing, it makes all the difference!)

Completed Pocket

The pocket should now look like this one below. Trim off the extra piping cord which hangs out of the sides. 

Pocket Ready to Attach

Bag Handles: 

Cut a piece of your webbing: it needs to be 230cm in length. 

Ensuring that it is not twisted, sew the ends together (RS together if there is a front and back) taking an allowance of 1cm, and press well so that the seam lays flat. 

Marking Out:

This next step is really important. You will need your straight edges, measuring tools and fabric markers/tailors chalk. 

Mark out your fabric (the large piece that you cut out as directed in the previous instructions) as shown in the diagram below. The drawing is not to scale. All angles are right angles, and the diagram is symmetrical. 

The long rectangles running up and down the diagram represent where you attach your webbing, and the smaller square which connects them is where you will put the pocket. The long rectangles are the same distance from both the top and the bottom of the fabric.

Markings for Main Pattern Piece

Assembly:

Once you have made all of the markings, put your pocket piece into the correct place. Topstitch closely and carefully along the bottom edge of your pocket only. 

fabric marked with tailors chalk

Now, take the loop of webbing that you have joined, and place it onto the bag outer as shown. Make sure that the webbing seam is in the centre of your main fabric so that it will be on the bottom of the bag. 

Your handles will be the loops of fabric which hang over the body of the bag. You will only be stitching them within the long rectangular markings- not all the way to the edge of the fabric- so if you can no longer see where the stitching should end, be sure to extend your markings (take a look at the picture above to see where I've done this). 

It is critical to make sure that both of your handles are the same length: roughly 50cm. Check this now, then pin the webbing on. When the webbing is on top of the pocket piece, pin through all layers and make sure the pocket will be securely held in place. 

Webbing Ready to Sew

Top-stitch the webbing onto the bag fabric by sewing the two long rectangles that you marked. Sew close to the edge of the webbing for a really neat finish.

Barrel Bag Handles Pinned On

Lesson Complete!

And that's the end of this lesson- good luck and don't forget to tag me on social media with your makes, here or here. 

Please use the contact form if you have any queries, and enjoy! 

Haberdashery & Tools

Barrel Bag Sew- Along Instructions: Week 1

Are you sitting comfortably? 

Then let's begin our sew-along!

How To Make a Barrel Bag 

Step 1 was to prepare your fabrics, which is why today we are starting with:

Step 2:

Cut Out Your Pattern:

Do you remember that I mentioned a 26cm diameter plate? Well, I'm sure you will have guessed that this is for making the ends of your bag! 

Draw around your plate (or use a compass to draw a circle this size), and cut a paper pattern (no need to add any extra seam allowance, this is already included).

26cm Circle

Fold the circle in half both horizontally and vertically, and mark quarters around the edge (e.g. 12 o'clock, 3, 6, and 9). You can use a notcher here if you have one. 

Paper Pattern with Notches

Other Pattern Pieces: 

Cut a paper square with sides measuring 19cm for the pocket pattern, and cut a paper pattern for the main body of the bag measuring 76.5cm x 52cm.

It pays to be as accurate as you can be at this stage, so it is a good idea to check that your corners are right-angles and your sides the correct length. Again there is no need to add any extra seam allowance as it is already included. 

Cut Your Fabric:

Pin the pattern pieces carefully onto your fabric and cut as follows:

• cut two circles from main fabric,
• cut one piece for the body of the bag from the main fabric (line up one of the edges with the straight of grain),
• cut one pocket square from main fabric and one pocket square from contrasting fabric (again, cut along the grain line). 

Making Bias Binding:

Taking your contrasting fabric (my Marble Indigo cotton) we are going to make some bias strips, which we will use for binding and for piping. 

This is where your graders square (if you have one) will come into its own: line up one of the shorter sides of the triangle with the selvedge and mark down the long edge of the tool- this will be at 45˚ to the straight of grain, or the bias. Take care not to drag on the fabric as you go. 

Using Graders Square

You can then use the markings on the plastic (seen here in the bottom of the picture) to help you draw a series of lines running parallel to the first one, and draw a number of strips which run along the bias. 

If you don't have a tool like this, use a small set square to find the bias, then use it in conjunction with a long ruler to mark your strips. 

You will need roughly 2m of 4cm-wide binding, and 2m of 3cm-wide binding. Do all of your drawing before you begin to cut. 

Rolls of Bias Binding Ready to Use
notice the different widths

Cut along your lines to make strips, and join them together to make long rolls of bias binding as follows: to determine whether the ends of your strips can be joined, lay them with right sides (RS) up, and if the angles run parallel you will be able to join them.

Edges Run Parallel

Take one strip and turn it over, laying it on top of the other- now RS's face each other. 

Joining Bias Strips

The stitch line will be 1cm from the raw edges, so make sure this is where the edges intersect, and that this is the point at which the right angles appear along the edges- stitch line drawn below. 

Stitch Line

Cover Your Piping Cord:

You will need to attach your one-sided foot to your sewing machine. If you're not sure what this looks like, take a look at the image below: I always think it looks like a ski. 

It will not sit in the middle of the ankle, you will have to attach it to one side- attach it so the foot it positioned to the right of the needle. 

In some machines, the position of the foot is adjusted by loosening the screw, sliding the foot to the desired position and tightening it back up. You can do this with the needle down to get a really close hold on the fabric. 

Making Piping Cord

Take your 3cm binding, and roll it around your piping cord. Take care that the raw edges of the bias binding are level with each other and that the cord runs down the centre of the bias strip. 

Using your one-sided foot as shown in the photo, sew a line of stitching running along the cord- don't stitch through the cord itself but try to keep the stitches close to it to hold it in place. 

Lesson One Done!

That is as far as we are going to go this week, I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to you sharing your progress with me on twitter and instagram. 

If you need anything to be clarified please go ahead and ask, and if you really don't do the metric system I may be persuaded to offer imperial conversions... 

#MMMay:

Are you following #mmmay on social media? Me-made May is the perfect opportunity to show off your skills, so don't forget to add this tag too to your barrel bag pictures.

Following the Instructions:

I will be putting up other blog posts between the sew-along, so don't forget that you can click on the words 'sew-along' in the word cloud to the right to see everything in this sequence. 

May Monthly Giveaway: Debbie Bliss Paloma Yarn & Crochet Kit

Free Stuff!

Due to the success of my recent giveaway, you'll be pleased to know I am going to make it a regular monthly thing, hurrah!

Each giveaway will be open for a whole calendar month, so you have the whole of May to get excited about this one, and then I will announce the winner and the next giveaway on June 1st.

What's the Catch?

No catch! There are no conditions attached, I'm just giving away either treasures from my stash, or items kindly provided by other companies. I mean I hope that you will stay a while and read some other posts, perhaps even leave the odd comment, but that's entirely up to you. 

Usually it will be yarn or fabric themed. 

This is open to everyone, wherever you are in the world, unless I occasionally specify postage restrictions. 

If you'd like to be considered please just leave me a comment below, and that's it, consider yourself entered- it really is that simple. If for some reason you can't comment then you can use the contact form instead. 

Tip: to be sure you never miss a giveaway, or more importantly a notification that you might have won, why not subscribe to my blog...? It's easy, and you'll find where to do it on the top right ---->

So, down to business:

May Giveaway:

Now, I know it's only May, but I know that all you yarnies are already thinking about next winter. And with that in mind I have put together a little kit to kick start your winter woolies: 

Crochet Kit Giveaway

Win a Crochet Kit

I am offering a kit I have put together, comprising of 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Paloma yarn, a Knit Pro crochet hook, and a vintage button, plus an email copy of my Sundance Kerchief broomstick crochet pattern. 

The yarn is a warm autumnal ochre, shade 42008. 

super squishy yarn!

Knit Pro crochet hook

beautiful statement button

you can make this!

Simply comment to enter, and thank you! 

Free Knitting Pattern plus Yarn & Needle Giveaway!

'Coast Path' Cotton Cowl

Spring Cotton Cowl Free Pattern:

This cowl is knitted loosely in a shiny mercerised cotton, giving a light and squishy result which is perfect for spring. Not too warm, but great when there is still a little chill in the air, this is a really useful layering piece for under your coat or over your jumper. Will be a perfect transitional piece too, as it could be great for stopping sunburn if you are hiking in the sunnier months. 

Wear in any number of ways!

Instructions: 

Use 5mm 40cm circular needle, and 50g 4ply cotton. 

Cast on 108 stitches. Don't cast on too tightly, and it is preferable to use a stretchy cast on, such as long tail. 

Join in the round, taking care not to twist the cast on stitches.

Round 1: *knit 2, purl 2* repeat to the end of the round. 

Round 2 and every other round: Work as Round 1 until snood reaches about 9" (or desired length).

Cast off in rib and sew in ends. 

Enjoy! 

Don't forget to add this to your ravelry projects too! 

Cornwall-inspired

Perfect for layering

The Giveaway:

To celebrate Easter, I'm giving away a Knit Pro knitting needle, and a 100g skein of this gorgeous cotton yarn in indigo blue: that will make you two cowls if you're careful with the weight. Quite apart from being my absolute favourite, indigo blue is a really hot colour at the moment, and flattering on every skin tone. I also find this size needle is super useful for all sorts of hats and things. 

Win this!

How to enter:

To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment below, and I will pick a lucky winner on Easter Sunday. This is open to all of you, wherever you are in the world- I am happy to post internationally, because I am feeling generous! Make sure you tick the box to follow replies to the comments, so that you will know if you've won. 

Good luck! 

Indigo-blue cotton yarn