how to make your own bunting

 Last week when I showed you the bunting I had made I said I would come back with a tutorial on how to make your own fabric bunting.

This is a very simple sewing project that only requires that you can sew a straight line 

(and mine aren't always that straight!).

While it is not a five minute job it can be done in about an hour.

The wonderful thing about this bunting is that it will last for years to come.

Now over the years with my obsession with bunting this is the way I have found gives the best result.

I have tried cutting the fabric with pinking shears and then sewing it together- this means that you don't have to turn the triangles in the right way, but inevitably you have to re-pink all the triangles because they don't match up and I found that very frustrating and time consuming.

I have also overlocked the edges and this works well, 

but not everyone has an overlocker and because I am selling these I think should look a little more finished.

Feel free to experiment and try other methods but this is the one I go back to time and again.

Onto the tutorial:

First you need some fabric, I used op shopped Christmas sacks that I washed.

Use whatever fabric you want- new, used or scraps,  

I have seen some very pretty scrap fabric bunting.

 Now out of thick cardboard make yourself a template, I used an old box here.

I have used this particular template for all my bunting.

It is about 14.5cm at the base and the height is 18cm.

This is not a magical number I think I just made a triangle about the size I thought a piece of bunting should be.

Just make it whatever size works for you.

 Double your fabric with right sides together and wrong sides facing out.

Trace around your template with a pencil flipping it to get as many triangles as possible.

Cut out keeping your two pieces together.

 Sew down the two sides of the triangle.

 Trim the point.

 Turn in the right way

 Then put something into the point to make it nice and sharp.

I used the end of my scissors, but a skewer works well too.

This step is important if you want a neat finish.

 

Now iron them all nice and flat.

This is your last chance to check your points and fix any that are not pointy enough!

 Once they are all ironed I like to lay them out on a flat surface and arrange them how they look best, 

this is especially important if you have a mix of colours.

Now you are ready to sew.

 Fold the bias binding I use 25mm (1inch) wide  in half and sew along to make your ties, I make mine between 20-30cm long.

Then it is just a matter of putting your triangle into the middle and making sure you have an even amout of bias binding on each side and sew. 

I find it easiest to just catch the triangle with one or two stitches and then stop and line it all up and then hold it in place while I sew along to the end of the triangle.

However, if you are not confident you may like to pre iron your bias binding in half (some come pre ironed)

and pin your triangles in place before sitting down to sew.

.

I tend to make my bunting between 2.5 to 3 metres long, you may wish to make yours longer. 

You can space them apart or have them closer together.

There is about 5cm between each of mine, but I think the next one I do I will place them a bit closer together.

So there you have it a step by step guide to creating your own pretty fabric bunting.

Now go forth and create!

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bunting love

I love bunting!

I fell in love with bunting 4 years ago when I first came across homemade bunting in The Creative Family book. 

I immediately rushed out and bought some green and pink fabric and made some bunting for The Girl's room, also used here for her garden party.

Then I made several lots of bunting for kids for their birthdays,

including this gorgeous one I made for B3 out of op shopped Hawaiian shirts.

Then there was the one out of newspaper for B5's circus party and let's not forget the map bunting I did for the study.

For ages I have been collecting doillies at the op shops so that I could make some bunting.

Yesterday, was the day I got my act together and actually made some to sell.

 

I made two white ones like this.

I made this one out of linen and fabric doillies, using some pretty bias binding I got from Fabric Traders

 I also made one of these out of music sheets as I sold out at the last markets.

 

Here is the map version.

 Then I made this one out of vintage Christmas sacks that I picked up at the op shop,

 I have enough to make two more.

I have done a tutorial on how to make this type of bunting as it can be a little fiddly, 

but it will last for years to come,

 and will be back next week to show you how it is done!

Do you love bunting too?

I am off to make a gluten free, sugar free Pecan Pie to take to a Thanksgiving dinner we are going to tonight.

I am so excited, I have never been to Thanksgiving before!

The host family moved from the US at the end of last year and have just bought a house, 

so they have invited our church to celebrate with them, it should be a great night!

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chair love

I found this chair at a garage sale the other day.

 

It was priced at $10 but I bargained and got it for $5.

I love these chairs, I now have four!

 Two are on the veranda, 

one is in The Girl's room,

 and now I have this one in the sewing room.

I had been looking for one to go in here for ages.
I decided to cover it in red polka dots.
The three chairs in the sewing room are now, pink, aqua and red polka dots.
Unfortunately  I didn't buy enough fabric- stupid me was thinking 2 metres would be enough, but I should have bought 3.
I managed to make the slip cover for the top and did not have enough for the seat cushion,
 I have draped it around until I can go and get some more.
The thing I love about these chairs that is it is so easy to whip up a new slip cover on a whim.
The other chairs have had many slip covers over the years as they have moved about my house or as we have repainted rooms etc.
They are comfortable to sit in and read a book or have a cup of tea.
I am still deciding whether to paint the arms and legs or leave them as is.

 

Seeing as I couldn't sew the bottom cover I grabbed some bits of fabric and made some cushion covers.

 

 I made this cute little Hawaiian girl cushion and trimmed the sides with pom pom trim.

Then I made this one using this cute retro kid's party fabric.

 

There was only enough to make the front so I made the back in the red polka dot.

Finally I made this one out of this cute floral.

I have made a self edge for a trim by sewing all around the cushion about an inch in.

The way I make my cushions is really simple and easy, even a beginner sewer could make them.

If you would like me to do a tutorial on how to sew easy cushions just let me know.
Just came across this tutorial at a linky party, so head there instead!

I love the retro mismatched look of them all together!

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girly sewing

 I will be the first to admit that I am not much of a sewer.

My mother was a professional seamstress, and I didn't really learn to sew until she started losing her eyesight.

I was 29, we had just moved back to our hometown and B2 was a tiny baby when a friend of mine told me about a Justknits course that was running at the local Justknits shop.

I was in!

 I would feed B2 and leave him and B1 for two hours once a week with my mum, so I could do the course.

I would come home and play.

With only two small children who had a regular nap I had time to play and I made lots of little outfits for them in those first couple of years.

I think I probably stopped sewing regularly when we moved and I didn't have anywhere decent to sew.

I sewed more, once I had my sewing set up in the dining room, 

but then that became inconvenient, particularly when I had to clean up every time I went to sew.

I also started to find it hard as the light wasn't fantastic and these old eyes don't see quite as well as they used to!

Enter the new sewing room and now I have no excuses, plenty of room, good light and everything at my fingertips.

So between socialising, entertaining and  working on a few other projects I did manage to whip up a couple of winter things for The Girl.

I like quick and easy projects that take less than an hour to complete, 

if I don't get it done in one session I find it hard to get back to it.

 This little t-shirt dress was easy to make.

 I bought the t-shirt at Target for $5,

 I cut the shirt off a little below where I wanted the skirt to go,

 

Made the skirt by overlocking a rectangular piece of fabric top and bottom, joining it together and then gathering it.

Sew the skirt to the top and voila a cute little dress.

 

I decorated the top with a scrap of fabric and a button.

The second outfit was also meant to be a dress, but then The Girl decided she wanted a skirt and top.

 

She ended up with some mix and match, two tops to go with the skirt.

 I made a little butterfly brooch that can be attached to either shirt.

 I simply applied some felt to the back of a cut out of a butterfly with some iron on adhesive, and sewed on a safety pin

I put a little fabric glitter glue on it to seal the edges and it's good to go.

 The skirt was again easy a rectangle joined and some elastic added to the waist.

I did a tutorial here if you don't know how to sew.

 A close up of the fabric.

I would like to make a headband with the scraps.

I have a corduroy pinafore to make and am on the lookout for a simple peasant dress pattern to complete her winter wardrobe.

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sewing room wall

Just a quick post on how the wall in my sewing room is coming along.

It's a little different from last week,

when I showed you my clock.

I ended up painting the letters, 

I was debating about covering them with fabric but in the end I decided that they might end up getting lost in amongst all the patterns or it all looking a bit too much so decided to just paint them instead.

I chose red because the main colours I am working with are pink, aqua and red and 

as I painted the chairs aqua and pink I thought it would even it up a bit if I used the red and as  most of the fabrics on display have a bit of red in them that it would work.

I have added a couple of more hoops and I am really liking the look!

What do you think?

I have been doing a little girly sewing that I will share with you soon!

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