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Millie Moon Makes – Free tutorials – Felt flowers with a little Sew and Sow

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Making flowers out of felt is a great no-sew project and you can use them to make a floral wreath, some beautiful bunting or add them to gifts and other craft projects.  I recently shared this as a live craft club and thought you might like to see a written-up version.  You absolutely don’t have to make them in the same colours that I have but I have included the colours below so you can identify them in the above picture.  Please share photos of yours with me on Instagram @alittlesewandsow   

You will need:

Felt (special packs for this project can be ordered here)

Glue (ideally a hot glue gun but a tube of glue that will stick felt will be fine)

Paper and fabric scissors

Buttons (included in the pack above)

Template

Carnation (blue)

Cut a piece of your chosen coloured felt 9inches long by 2inches wide.  Fold in half, length ways and glue together.  

Take your fabric scissors and cut small slits into the felt all the way along the folded edge.  You will need to cut to about half way down the felt.

Starting at one end, roll the felt up along the long edge, periodically securing with glue.  Once finished ensure the end is secure and gently use your fingers to splay out the petals.  

Daisy (pink)

Cut three flowers shapes from the above template or if you don’t have a printer just draw your own!  

Stack all three pieces on top of each other, staggering the position to add fullness to the petals.  Secure each layer with glue (in the middle) and finish with a button or bead.  

Ranunculus (purple)

Cut one circle of felt in either a four- or six-inch size.  These are the two largest sizes on the template sheet.  If you can’t print that, go hunting in your kitchen for dishes, mugs etc. that are about the right size.  As long as it is a circle, the exact size doesn’t really matter.  

Carefully cut a spiral into the circle, right the way to the middle. 

Starting at the middle, roll the felt around on itself, gluing periodically to secure.  

Ensure the outside end is firmly glued.  

Rose (yellow)

Cut three circles, 3inches in diameter.  This is the smallest circle on the template or you can find a small cup or a glass that is about the correct size.  

Take one circle and fold in half and then into quarters and secure with glue.  This will create a cone shape with a swirl inside.  

Repeat for the other two pieces.

Glue all three pieces together with all of the points meeting.  The bottom should look like this:

Carefully tease out all of the petals to finish the rose.

Millie Moon Makes – free tutorials -How to make a covered notebook

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How to make a covered notebook

To begin we need to make a paper pattern. Open up your notebook as wide and flat as you can and draw around it on a piece of paper.

(If your notebook has a wide spine draw around one side then the other side in a row next to each other to create one large rectangle.)

Use a ruler to straighten the lines to create a nice tidy rectangle and add 1.5cm all the way around the edge for a seam allowance. Cut out the pattern

Now cut one piece out of the main fabric you want on the outside cover. (you can embellish it at this point if you like)

Cut another piece the same size for the lining. This won’t be seen once the book is inside so you can use anything you like for this.

Now fold your piece of paper in half and cut two pieces of fabric this size to make the pockets the book will slide into.

To put together start by placing your main fabric piece face up on to the table. Fold your two pocket pieces in half and place these at the end of the main pieces with the raw edges facing outwards.

Place your lining fabric on top facing downwards. Pin all the way around. Stitch around the edge using a 1cm seam allowance and leaving a 3cm gap at the bottom.

Trim the corners and using the gap turn it all through to the right sides.

Fold the pockets to the lining side and press. Sew up the gap.

Slide your book inside. Gorgeous and reusable. Just pop in another book when this one is full!

Mille Moon Makes – Free tutorials – Simple cotton face masks

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Simple cotton Face masks

There are a lot of tutorials out there for facemasks. I’ve tried a few different ones and these are the simplest ones I’ve made. These are made of 100% cotton so breathable and washable BUT they have no filter. They are NOT clinical grade. Please stay safe, keep social distancing and wash your hands.

You will need:

100% cotton outer and 100% cotton backing fabric (adults 9×6″ kids7.5 x 5″ )

2 pieces of flat 1/4″ elastic (7″ each side )

Step 1 – place backing fabric right side up. Lie elastic on top – going corner to corner on the short edges, leaving a small amount (1/2″) hanging off. Add the outer fabric right side down over the top and pin the elastic in. The elastic should be housed inside the fabric.

step 2 – sew all the way round leaving a 2″ gap in middle. This should secure the elastic in place.

step 3 – turn though the right way.

step 4- pin three equal pleats and press

step 5- sew all the way around the edge, this will close the gap that was left from turning through and secure the pleats in place.

Thats it, washable, breathable cotton masks.

Millie Moon Makes – Free Tutorials – Make a simple net petticoat

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This is a free patternless tutorial for a net petticoat with an elasticated waist, perfect to be worn under the new Anna Vickery Sewing Patterns For Children’s Clothing Childs Rock n Roll dress, or Childs Party Dress.
Materials:
15cm cotton fabric (115cm wide)
1m25cm of dress net (150cm wide)
50cm of ½” wide elastic
Matching thread
Sewing machine/iron
Pins/safety pin
Cutting board/metal ruler/tape measure
Scissors/tailors chalk/rotary cutter

Step 1: Cut – With the width of the fabric folded in half, cut a 15cm long strip from the cotton fabric for the waistband and 4 equal lengths of dress net (see table below for net lengths.) A cutting board with metric markings, metal ruler and rotary cutter make this quick and easy, but if you don’t have them this can be done with a ruler, chalk and scissors.
Net Lengths:
Age 1-2 = 24.5cm x4
Age 2-3 = 26cm x4
Age 3-4 = 27cm x4
Age 4-5 = 28cm x4
*If you use these lengths the petticoat will not show under the dress – if you want the hem of the petticoat to show make the net lengths longer*

Step 2: Press folds in waistband – While to waistband is flat press a double fold using an iron of 1cm, then 3cm at the top for the elastic and 1cm, then another 1cm at the bottom for the hem.

Step 3: Back seam – Because the back seam edges of the waistband are the ‘selvedge’ edges of the fabric they do not need finishing (handy!) Open out the pressed folds at the ends of the waistband and join the ends with right sides together, pin and sew using a 2cm seam allowance. Press the back seam open and the folds back in place.

Step 4: Stitch waistband – Machine stitch around the folds on the waistband. Stitch close (3-5mm) to the inside folded edges. Leave a gap in the stitching of 2cm on the top section for the elastic to go through.

Step 5: Attach net – I find it useful to mark the waistband into quarters with pins so I know what space each 150cm long piece of net has to fit into. Machine sew the net straight onto the waistband hem in a single layer, gathering up the net by hand as you go along, the edge of the net should be about 1cm above the hem on the right side and the stitch line should be in the same place as on the hem. When you get to the next waistband quarter/150cm piece of net overlap the net pieces by 5cm so you can’t see the join.

Step 6: Insert elastic in waistband – Attach 1 end of the elastic to a large safety pin and pin the other end to the waistband near the 2cm gap in the stitching. Slide the safety pin into the top fold and pull the elastic through the channel, gathering up the waistband cotton fabric as the elastic works along. Once the safety pin reaches the gap in the stitching again pull it out, adjust the elastic to fit the childs waist measurement, knot the elastic ends together, trim off any excess and sew the gap closed.

 

Step 7: Decorate – Trim the petticoat with ribbon, lace, ric-rack or bobble trim. You could also add bows or ribbon roses, the petticoat will be so pretty it could be worn on its own with leggings or under a handmade dress made from an Anna Vickery pattern.

Charity Quilt making day

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Come and Join us on April 9th between 11-4pm to make as many quilts as possible for the amazing “Project Linus” charity.

Please contact us for more information

01373 464437

Info@milliemoonshop.co.uk