Turban Inspired Headband

 

In search for easy beginners tutorials on youtube I came across this cool tutorial from the Crafty Gemini for a turban inspired headband. Since I am gemini as well, I found it fitting ;) I watched it a couple of times and then got this pretty jersey fabric at my local fabric store with pretty polka dots. 

I also got myself this pretty pink cutting mat, my cat thought it was a new mat for her and was very happy with it. But noooooo I need it to rotary cut my stripes for the headband.

When you buy fabric, the minimum size you can buy is 30cm. The width on the fabric roll is about 150cm so I had enough fabric for 2 headbands and making errors. 

I watched the video but I think I didn´t fold my fabric enough to measure the 20" (31cm) she talks about in the video for the length and the 5" for the width. So first I made a doll headband ;) then I had enough fabric to make two "grown up"´s headbands. I guess the length of each piece has to be around 70cm, you can later always try it on and sew again and trim as long as it fits well. 

Doll/Baby Headband

I took some pictures along the way

1. 

Cut the pieces of fabric with your rotary cutter or scissors, 

fold them on the long side and pin together

Sizes are about 13cm wide and 70cm long. Fold your fabric and cut one long stripe, then divide that one in two pieces. Most fabrics come with a width around 150cm

2. 

To the sewing machine, sew them with a zik zak or a straigth stich, I found straight stich to be better and did that on the "grown up" headbands

3. 

After you have ironed your seams down, with them in the center of your headband, use a safety pin to turn your tubes inside out

4. 

One is turned, now the other one

5. 

seams facing build a t / cross 

6.

fold the A's together and the B's. Make sure the seams are kissing eachother

7. 

Now you sew the four ends of 2 A´s and 2 B´s together and your headband is finished. Be careful that they are all well lined up

8. 

you can trim your extra fabric afterwards with a scissor. Try it on and if it is too wide you can sew it again and repeat untill it fits you perfectly

volá

You just finished your first headband

This is also a great project to use up some of your left over fabric, recycle some old T-shirts etc.

For the great video instructions click on this video from the Crafty Gemini

Link Party Tuesday at Creadienstag and art.of.66

Sleeping mask

This sleeping mask was really easy to make, even for a beginner as myself. The curvy sewing part was a bit tricky though, but it really looks good and is super comfy to wear.

First I went to the store and bought some satin and some battin to put inside, and I went with this super elastic strap, that can also be used for skirts and pants. It is super flat and you will not notice it on the back of your head while sleeping. 

I took an old sleeping mask to make the pattern, added 1cm around for seam allowance. You will need to measure the head circumstance from the top of one ear to the next, when you stretch it it should fit around the whole head. 

Once cut out, your pieces should look similar to these on the picture. There is a great picture tutorial over at  sew 4 home, where this picture was taken from.

I looked at this page, as well as at this video before I startet. The video is in German. But is easy to follow. The big sister is teaching her younger brother to sew, and this is the first time he is sewing I think, making this sleeping mask for his little girl, what makes it kinda cute to watch.

I think preperation is everything and ironing your fabric before cutting and sewing. It did take me less than an hour to do. 

At last a picture taken a bit more from the side, so you can see the strap. The last part of the mask is hand sewn, it is the opening you need to be able to turn it inside out after you finished sewing it around.

I found this great video tutorial on how to sew curves

First Project - Crochet Purse with lining and zipper with a touch of vintage

One of the main reasons I had for wanting a sewing machine was to be able to combine my crochet with sewing. This is my first project. After having finished the crochet part, I picked a pretty pink fabric with white dots, I also had some crochet border I used to pretty it up, well mostly to hide my stiches, since I used a white thread instead of a black one to attach the zipper ;) But this gives the purse a vintage look. Since it was all black on the outside, I thought I need to pep it up a bit, and did so by adding a filled crochet heart to the zipper.

Making of, first the lining, then attatching the zipper, making the crochet bag and attaching it to the zipperlining. I used a sharp crochet hook and a sewing needle.

Getting to know eachother

I was dreading the threading ......... 

........but it was so easy and in no time my machine was ready for the first sewing stiches.

I had a small piece of fabric and played along, slowly sewing, faster sewing and brrrrrrrummmm brummmmmmmm it was fun :) Looks like this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.....

Playing around with some stiches.......

I have already startet on my first sewing project - it is a crochet-sew-combination project :) 

New Year, new things to learn and another new blog to follow me through it :)

Don´t you just love this free printable from Marjorie from Cococerise Blog

Just like when I startet to crochet and knit again in 2011 I startet a new blog to go with it, Woollen Thoughts, mostly to keep track on everything I found in the big big forest the internet is, and all those lovely blogs, sites and videos. I already made my "and sew on" pinboard over on pinterest. But since it worked out so well with my Woollen Thoughts blog, I thought I would make a new blog 3 years later for my adventures with my singer machine, who will get her own name soon :)

I guess my lucky number must be 3. My first ever blog came out 3 years prior to my Woollen Thoughts blog, that was and still is a blog about my adventures in the kitchen mostly baking adventures called the Queen of the Kitchen. So you could call me a serial blogger, that makes a new blog every 3 years....... Well we will see in 2017 wont we :)

I live in Germany but am raised and born in Iceland. I love to crochet and it has really taken over my world, but often I have thought, how nice it would be to own a sewing machine to be able to line that pouch etc. And this christmas I got one :) It´s a Singer. I haven´t named her yet, but I am guessing it is a she. I guess she will tell me her name when she starts to sew for me :) I like giving all things names, my PC has a name, my first TV had a name, our car etc. I am a bit worried how my sewing affair will develope. Either it will be a big love or a big hate relationship. But I hope for the first one, and what I think is the most exciting part is combining those two crafts: crocheting and sewing. I have seen a few combos like lining of a crochet bag etc. 

So what direction do I want to take in sewing?

Well for the beginning, I want to line some crochet bags, make some curtains and combine it maybe with a crochet border, make some vintage aprons, and those quilts wow they are so great and so pretty, I would love to make one or two for my bed. Maybe do some cushions and bags and skirts. But I am seeing this combination of crochet and sewing too in clothes making, if I ever get that far. 

We will see where this love affair will lead me. All I know is that I have alot of ideas and they keep piling up like fabric. But I guess first I need to make my sewing space more cozy, get some essentials but most of all plug in my machine and play around with stich length, tension etc with alot of differen fabrics. 

My first project will be lining of a crochet purse for my mum. I am already on the crochet part of it, then I will need to get some fabrics for the lining. I also have a Zipper ready and a sharp crochet hook to attach it to my crochet piece. 

For knitting and crocheting there is ravelry, I am wondering if there is a similar page for sewers.