tutorial Archives - Page 51 of 61 - Ashley Hackshaw / Lil Blue Boo

Fused Plastic Patchwork Belt (A Tutorial)

November 13, 2009 by Ashley Hackshaw

I did two projects for this week’s S.Y.T.Y.C. contest entry and had my friends vote on which I should submit…..this was the winner, but I chose the other project instead…..hope I’m not sorry in a week! I’m completely in “gift” mode right now…..and I think this belt would make a great gift for a little girl or boy depending on which kind of plastic you used. It is a very sturdy, functional belt. It would even make a cute dog collar!

I seriously had to eat 4,000 Starbursts and drink 5 2-liter bottles of Diet Orange Crush for this project…but happy to do it!

Step 1: Collect different types of plastic….candy packages, soda labels, etc. You will also need several plain white plastic grocery bags (or partially white).

Step 2: Cut the plastic grocery bags into 4″ strips. These are going to form a plastic base for your belt.

Step 3: Create a “sleeve” using parchment paper. (You can also use freezer paper but see directions here) Lay the grocery bag strips on one side of the parchment paper, several strips thick, overlapping them slightly.

Step 4: Close the sleeve carefully. Iron (no steam, medium setting) along the freezer paper sleeve to melt the bags together. You’ll have to do this for about a minute…. keeping the iron moving slowly at all times. Let your sleeve cool. This is important because plastic tends to curl when it cools. The white plastic grocery bags tend to shrink considerably so check for “voids” or holes..this means your heat setting is too high.

Step 5: Cut your decorative plastic (i.e. the candy packages or soda labels etc) into 1″ x 4″ strips.

Step 6: Lay your first strip at an angle, close the sleeve and iron to fuse it to your bottom white layer……

……after removing the iron I placed a heavy coffee table book on top of the sleeve to make sure the plastic cooled flat.

Step 7: Repeat this process for each 1″ plastic strip, alternating designs as you go and overlapping each piece over the previous by 1/8″ to account for shrinking. REpeat until the entire length of plastic is covered.

Step 8: Cut a piece of cotton canvas webbing the length of your belt. Trim your fused plastic piece to be the same width as the webbing.

Step 9: Sew the fused plastic piece to the webbing 1/8″ from the edge all the way around.

Optional Step: Since my belt used “D” rings, the webbing would show when the belt was fastened. I took two of the trim scraps and fused them together to create a piece large enough…….

……to sew to the back of the belt on the end that threads through the “D” rings.

Step 10: Zigzag all of the belt edges.Place your D rings on one end of the belt and fold your belt end back. Sew the fold closed. You may have to use a zipper foot here if your D rings get in the way (I had enough room and was able to use the regular foot).

Finished belt! So cute and funky!

Scrap Ribbon Camera Strap Cover (A Tutorial)

October 26, 2009 by Ashley Hackshaw

Here is my new camera strap cover. I made it from ribbon scraps the same way I made my daughter’s scrap ribbon belt.

I had some great new ribbon to use thanks to Jennifer at Strano Design s. If you need ribbon scraps, Strano Designs sells it by the quarter pound!

Step 1: I traced my camera strap onto some plain muslin with a disappearing ink pen……

…..and added 1/8″ to the outside of the traced line. Then I cut around the entire shape leaving 1/2″ for the seam allowance.

Step 2: I lined up ribbon the same way I did in my scrap ribbon belt tutorial except I made sure to sew along the outside line I drew with my disappearing ink pen.

Please see my ribbon scrap belt tutorial for sewing and weaving the ribbon…..

…..and repeat the steps for the entire length of the muslin piece.

Step 3: With all the ribbon attached, iron the sides of your muslin inward on the opposite side.

Step 4: Carefully trim any excess ribbon that hangs past the muslin. I zigzagged all my edges at this point to keep the ribbon from fraying.

Step 5: Retrace your camera strap and trim the ends to the same shape leaving 1/4″ excess.

Step 6: I used pre-made bias tape, and folded around the edges of the strap so it overlapped 1/4″…..

….and sewed it on using an 1/8″ seam. You can use regular fabric for this as well, just cut enough to go all the way around. The raw edges are left in the back.

Step 7: Trace your entire camera strap cover onto a coordinating fabric and cut all the way around leaving 1/2″ excess.

Step 8: Somewhere on one of the sides, mark a 4″ gap to leave open so that you can insert your strap when the cover is done.

Step 9: Fold the contrasting fabric all way around at the 1/2″ mark.

Step 10: Topstitch 1/8″ between the two marks you made for the gap…..

….and topstitch both ends 1/8″.

Step 11: Placing both pieces wrong sides together, topstitch 1/8″ from the edge all the way around to connect the two…..

….making sure NOT to stitch your “gap” or ends closed where you “pre” topstitched.

Step 12: You’re done! Insert your camera strap ends through the gap and to each side….pull the entire strap into the cover. I got the idea on how to insert the camera strap from Petchy. Petchy made hers with the ends narrower too so that the cover doesn’t slip to either side.

No one will ever mistake my camera for their camera….and now my husband will probably be embarrassed to use mine!

If you aren’t interested in going through the tedious process of making a scrap ribbon camera strap…..check out Shealynn’s designs in her Etsy shop! They are great and she’ll add custom features for you!

Wedding Part I: The Ring Pillow

October 21, 2009 by Ashley Hackshaw

In 2 weeks we head back to North Carolina for my little sister’s wedding! I’ve got a lot to get done before then! Sienna and I finished the ring pillow last night. My sister sent me a ton of photos of what she wanted and a box of fabric to match her dress….

Here is how I made it:

I cut two 11″ x 11″ squares.

I sewed all the way around the squares using a 3/8″ seam and leaving a 4 inch gap to turn it inside out (large enough for my hand to fit in as well).

Then I cut two long strips measuring 6″ x 48″ and 10″ x 48″ and folded each in half right sides together. I sewed the long end closed using a 3/8″ seam.

I took the larger of the strips and turned it right sides out (I did not iron because I didn’t want any creases) and tucked one end into the other…..

……and sewed the two ends together using a blind stitch.

With a needle and thread, I sewed a gathering stitch all the way around the fabric “tube”…..

….until it looked like a large ruffled flower:

I took the square pillow and turned it right side out…..

…and marked the center using my disappearing ink pen.

I pinned the large ruffle flower to the center of the pillow attached it by hand-stitching it to the pillow in between the pleats.

I repeated the entire process using the smaller fabric sleeve.

I “smushed” the small ruffled flower into the pleats of the large ruffled flower and hand stitched them together.

I cut a 4″ circle from the fabric….

…..and stitched around the folded edges….

….to form a small yo-yo.

I placed the yo-yo face down into the center of the ruffled flowers and used a blind stitch to attach.

I took the shadow box I made of my grandfather’s military things from our photo wall……

….and used his United States Navy pin for the center. He passed away in 2003 suddenly and I always thought he would live to see all his grandchildren get married.