Fabric Key Cover with Kitty Vinyl

I like the plaid fabric. It is always an enduring trend in making so many types of fabric crafts. The plaid pattern shows up against the plain. Certainly, matching of both plaid and plain fabric is an indispensable element before we start making any craft.

I also like to use vinyl on my fabric crafts. Recently, I bought many pieces of cute kitty vinyl from an online shop. Looked at those beautiful pieces of vinyl, I couldn't wait to make something with them. Finally, I decided to make a few pieces of key covers. I had shown you how to make a key cover in my previous post. If you like it, click here to find out more.

There are a few methods to sew a key cover. The method that I used for this project is slightly different from the previous post. There is no topstitching of straight line along the bottom edge and the plaid fabric is folded over towards the inner body cover. The method that I showed in the previous post is a simple way, you can try to modify the way of making a key cover according to your own design.

This is the appearance of the backside. In order not to leave the backside looked blank, I used a long label. If you are willing to spend more time on it, you can try to do some appliques or embroidery flowers so your project may look more unique and adorable.

How to Make a Fabric Key Cover

What should you do if the keys wandering in your bag and scratch the bag lining or tangle up with those loose corded items especially the headphone wire? A key cover might help you up. It is also a good choice to sew a key cover as a gift to your friends or family members in any occasion. A fancy handmade fabric key cover always useful and to be very intimate.


Materials: 
1. Cotton fabrics
2. Batting
3. Lace
4. Drawstring
5. Key ring
6. Vinyl (optional)
7. "Handmade" label (optional)

Instructions

Prepare a paper pattern as shown in the photo.

 

Place the paper pattern on the batting, cut out 2 arch-shaped batting pieces without adding any seam allowance.

By using the same paper pattern, cut out all the necessary fabric pieces as shown in the photo. First of all, cut out 2 arch-shaped fabric pieces with the whole paper pattern (remember to add 1cm seam allowance to all the fabric pieces). Then, cut out the rectangle from the paper pattern and now you have 2 parts of paper patterns. Cut out 2 small arch-shaped fabric pieces and 2 rectangle pieces with the 2 paper patterns respectively.

Apply heat transfer vinyl on the right side of a small arch-shaped fabric piece. This step is optional. You can sew a button flower, a big bow or an applique pattern on it instead of vinyl.

After that, sew the rectangle fabric piece and the small arch-shaped piece together. Then, sew the lace on the horizontal seam line. Do the same for the other rectangle and the small arch-shaped fabric pieces. If you have the "Handmade" label in hand, sew it on this fabric piece as shown in the photo. 

Attach the batting pieces on the wrong side of the 2 bigger arch-shaped fabric pieces respectively. Sew 2 straight lines to make the batting stays in place.

Now, place the piece with batting and the piece without batting right sides together. Then, fold a seam at the bottom by following the straight seam line. Sew along the arch-shaped and leave the bottom unsewn. Once finished, turn the piece right side out and close the opening(bottom) by top stitching a straight line along the edge.

Now, you have 2 beautiful front and back pieces. It is nearly to complete a key cover. Let's go to the next steps.

Tie the key ring with the drawstring and make a fabric flower bud at the end of the string. Sandwich it between the two beautiful pieces that placed wrong sides together. Pin it properly. Slip stitch along the arch to combine the two beautiful pieces and leave the bottom unsewn. Remember to leave a small opening for the drawstring on top of the arch.

Slip stitch/blind stitch along the arch.

A key cover is born!

How to Knit a Simple Cable

Cable knitting is a beautiful style of knitting. Cables are formed by crossing one group of stitches over another at regular intervals. A part from the straight needles, I use a cable needle as a help to create cables. A cable needle is a short double-pointed needle. It may be straight or shaped with a hook in the middle. Today, I am going to show you how to knit an eight-stitch cable ( A cable of two groups of four stitches is called an eight-stitch cable).

On a right side row, work to the position where required for the cable, insert the cable neelde purlwise into the first group (first 4 stitches), slipping them one by one off the left needle.

Keeping the cable needle at the back of your work, knit the next group (4 stitches) as shown in the photo.

Then, slip the stitches on the cable needle to the other end and knit the group of four stitches. Beginning with the first stitch slipped. Now, you can see the cable slants to the right. By holding the cable needle at the back of your work makes a cable that slants to the right. If  you want the cable slants to the left, the cable needle needs to be held in front of your work.

The cable shown in the photo was worked on every eight rows. You can create your cable at your desired intervals such as every nine or ten rows.

Wool Felt Creations

A few months ago, my eldest daughter's best friend gave her a box of DIY needle felting kit as a birthday gift. The kit came with a felting mat, felting needles, eyeballs and colorful wool.

She was really surprised when she opened up the gift. She shouted out loudly,  "What is this?" After that, she found that it was a box of DIY wool felt kit. She read the instructions and said, "There are 12 little creations I have to make...Oh, my god! What a big ordeal!"

She was no experience in making wool felt creations. In order not to disappoint her friend, she wanted to have a try. One day, I saw her read the instruction with great patience and started doing her first project. She gradually began to master the way of stabbing after making the second wool felt creation. Anyway, skillfulness in needle felting was not important to her, what she wanted were the enjoyment of the felting process and the end results. You might be curious what was her requirement of the end results. Her required end results were not to make delicate wool felt creations. She just wanted to finish the 12 little wool felt creations and showed to her friend that she appreciated the birthday gift.

These are the adorable wool felt creations that she made. To me. She has done a very good job. See, these are the results of an inexperienced beginner. All the wool felt animals look not bad, am I right? Now you know needle felting is fun and easy to learn.

How to Get a Perfect Bracelet Size

How many beads should I string for a bracelet? This is a common question when we DIY a beaded bracelet with elastic cord for someone who just gave us her/his exact wrist size. More specifically, we have to know what the fit someone desires. It can be a snug fit, comfort fit or loose fit. Usually, I will add 1cm-1.5cm to the exact wrist size for a snug fit, 2cm-2.5cm for a comfort fit and 3cm-3.5cm for a loose fit.

However, the inner circumference can vary somewhat based on the sizes of the beads you are going to use. Bigger beads will create a thick bracelet and small beads will create a thin bracelet in which the inner circumference of a thicker bracelet is smaller than the inner circumference of a thin bracelet, even if the two bracelets are technically the same length. Therefore, you should add more length to the exact wrist size if you are using bigger beads.

 Hope this help.

How to Sew a zippered Pillowcase

There are a few ways to sew a zippered pillowcase. You can sew a pillowcase just with a single piece of fabric or more pieces of different kinds of fabrics, and you can also sew a hidden zipper or an exposed zipper for it depending on your desired design. Today, I am going to use a single piece of fabric and a nylon coil zipper to sew an exposed zipper pillowcase. The pillowcase is sewn to fit the pillow size 16" x 16".


Materials:
1. A piece of 33" x 17.5" fabric (included seam allowances)
2. A piece of 18" nylon coil zipper

Instruction

The fabric included 3/4" seam allowance for the long edges and 1/2" for the short edges. To prevent the raw edges from unraveling, we should double fold the raw edges. First of all, place the fabric wrong side up and double fold the short edge (fold the raw edge to the blue seam line and then make the second fold from the seam line). Then sew a straight line along the inner folded edge as shown in the picture. Repeat the same to the other short edge.

Next, double fold the long edge. This step is slightly different with the above step. Fold the raw edge to the halfway of the seam allowance and then make the second fold to the seam line. Sew the hem. Stitch close to the inner folded edge. Repeat the same for the other long edge.

Once you have finished sewing the double folded hem, sew the short edges on either side of the zipper teeth (working from the right side of the fabric and zippper). Then, trim away the excess zipper.

Unzip the zipper about 2" away and turn the fabric right side together. Make sure the zipper is placed at one side and the zipper will be folded in half as shown in the picture. Sew a straight line along the inner folded edge. After that, sew the opposite edge with the same method.

Turn the pillowcase right side out and push the corners out. You are done!! You can try to sew your desired pillowcase in other size but this method is not recommanded to sew a pillowcase that the size is smaller than 13" x 13" as it is not easy to install the zipper on a single piece of fabric for a beginner.

How to Make a Necklace with Extender Chain

Bronze plated beads and charms are great to use as ancient goodies in jewellery making. I am going to use bronze plated alloy beads, charms and findings for my necklace making project this time. Apart from the unique appearance, this necklace features a built-in extender chain that will allow you to adjust the necklace length easily. So, no need worry about the size.


Materials:
1. 2mm black Korea Waxed Cords (36cm)
2. Bronze plated pendant (1pc）
3. Bronze plated mini charm (1pc)
4. Bronze plated leather crimps (2pcs)
5. Large hole bronze plated tube beads (2pcs)
6. Lobster clasp (1pc)
7. Jump rings (2pcs)
8. Raw bronze plated chain (8cm)
9. Bronze plated bail 

The materials that showed in the photo are the beads, charms, findings and cords that we have to prepare for this project.

 Instruction

First of all, get ready a pendant with tube bail and an extender chain. So, join the pendant and the mini charm to the tube bail and the 8cm raw chain respectively. You can use a jump ring to join each set of components together. Anyway, I prefer to hang the mini charm to the twisted link than using a round jump ring. It might be a bit tricky to open and close the closure of a twisted link especially when you want to close the link back to its original shape. Don't worry, you can use two pairs of chain nose pliers to fix it. I believe you can get the extender chain done.

Then, string the tube beads and charm onto the 36cm Korea waxed cord as shown in the photo.

Now, align the cord ends nicely and place the ends into the leather crimp as shown in the first photo. Use pliers to fold down one side of the crimp over the ends, then the other side. Repeat the same step at the other end of the cords.

Then, join the lobster clip to one end of the finished cord with a jump ring.

After that, join the extender chain to the other end of the finished cord. I don't use any jump ring to join the components together. As what I have done at the first step, separate the link at the other end of the extender chain and hang it onto the little loop of the leather crimp. Close the closure and done.

My new ancient bronze necklace is done.