Tutorial: Round Pincushion - pt 06

To make the top, I had to cut another circle, but with like 2cm more than the one I had for the bottom.

Sew it around a bit to make it like a bowl, then put some acrylic blanket.

Top it at the box, and then fix it with pins before start to sew.

Momoji isn't cute at the back? LOL.

Sew the border, but let like 2 or 3cm without sewing and make a knot. This will allow you to fill the pincushion until you feel like it's ok, without having to worry to have it loose.

After filling, just finish sewing and you're done!

Now it's just decorate the way you want. I didn't anything, as I'm using it to keep the pieces of other works. I cut or sew them and to don't loose them I fix with a pin while I'm doing other things.

LOL. My green pincushion is now a companion to my chocolate cake and my strawberry tart... XD

I swear that the day I kick out my lazyness again I'll edit with all the links to the previous parts...

Tutorial: Round Pincushion - pt 05

Taking the cloth off and having it inside out, cut the excess:

When done, will look like this:

Put it back and sew the side. After this is done, you need to fill the box. I had some crumpled paper at the bottom, some thorn paper at the middle and more acrylic blanket on the top.

Don't fill it too much at this point. It's just enough to have a "filling" in place. Let's see the top. Next...

Tutorial: Round Pincushion - pt 04

When I have to work with something that needs more than one thread to sew, I usually try to make the "joint" in the middle of the two cloth pieces I'm sewing. This makes me sure it will not be shown outside or inside. That's how I made it:

Having a piece back in the middle will make sure it will not be loose, and the end of the thread will be safe inside, in the middle of the work.

Just pull it and cut carefully. If you pulled enough, the extreme of the thread will go inside and not be shown.

To continue sewing, I fix the new thread near the last "point" of the previous thread, the same way I did with the first one.

And go back the thread to the top of the last "point" I made to continue.

To finish, after the last point, you need to just fix it with the first point you made... not sure on how to explain, let's see the pic:

This done, make a knot and pull the needle back inside to hide the end.

Now the bottom is right at it's place. As I didn't want that 1cm inside to stay beveled, I took the cloth off and carefully cut the excess. Next...

Tutorial: Round Pincushion - pt 03

To sew the bottom with the side of the box I fixed all the borders with pins, letting the bottom *dark green* over the side border *light green*.

The light green is like 1cm inside/below the dark green circle.

To start sewing, using a single thread fold in half with a knot, as felt is really "fluffy" and the knot doesn't fix really well, what I made is having the needle back in the middle of the two treads under the knot.

With this made first, you can sew without having to worry, because the thread will be fixed.

To sew I made it this way *no idea on how to explain with words*

I'm sure that does have a name, but I really have no idea, sorry... LOL.

I don't like to work with a long thread, then I had to finish the first one and begin another. If you have this "problem" I'll explain next how I made it in a way it will not show when it's done. Next...

Tutorial: Round Pincushion - pt 02

With the circle done, take measure of the lateral of the box, cut it a bit larger on both sides *up and down* and have an extra for the length, as if you're going to use some acrylic blanket to fill you'll not have trouble later.

I had the blanket with the size I needed and then had it stick with double sided tape to the box side.

With a bit more of tape, fix the circle at the bottom of the box, just to make stay in it's place while you sew, you'll see later why I didn't use glue.

Next put the side piece over the blanket and fix with a pin.

This made you can just sew the border, just having both parts together and thing like that... LOL. But I made it in a more "elaborated" way, you'll see next...

Tutorial: Round pincushion - pt. 01

It's been a while I'm with the pics here to post, but my legendary lazyness will always win and the pics will remain here... LOL

Well, then I decided to finally make the post today... not sure if it's really something useful, but I try to... XD

First, I made a round box, using the Papier Colle technique. Set it dry completely and then measured the diameter. This made, there's the need to cut it in whatever you'll use to cover. I"m making it with felt, as it doesn't need to have a lot of knowledge or ability to work with.

The big problem working with felt or some other kinds of cloth is to transfer the circle to it and cut. You can print, but make the print size match your box can be tricky. Then you can use a compass, but, working with felt a compass isn't the best thing to do... LOL

I'll show you a little trick I always use to make circles. It's fail proof, you don't need a compass or tons of math to calculate anything... *obviously, because Eri-fail is the worst in maths*.

With the diameter you need, cut a stripe of paper. Or plastic, cardboard, carton, anything you have at hand.

This simple. With something soft as a base, like cardboard, high density foam, or polystyrene foam, fold the paper stripe in half and fix it with a pin.

Then all you need to do is pick a chalk, pen, pencil or what you have at hand, and trace the circle, using both extremes of the stripe.

Tracing both at the same time, you'll make half circle with one ending and half with another. This allow to make ANY size of circle, you just need to know the diameter you need.

Easy-peasy. Cut it and *drumroll* there's your circle... LOL

Some final touches, as I promissed... XD [ok, I'm late]

That's a bit late, I know, so I need to say sorry... XD

But I had some other things to do at weekend, and managed to finish the hanger only today... T_T

I didn't throw lots of things on there, as I already had a lot of pins, just some laces and ribbons, and at the end, some Pokemon stickers. They are made with hard plastic, and I don't even remember where I bought them... LOL. Probably at the Pokemon store at Oasis 21 in Nagoya.

As you saw at the first pic, I just used some hot glue to fix things into their places, but you can use instant glue (just take care to don't stick your fingers!). When using hot glue, put a bit at time, so the glue don't get cold before you can place the ribbon and the lace. Make a measure before, cut, place where you want and just apply the glue in little drops to stick, taking care to don't get your fingers burnt.

If you like, you can buy some decorated patches, those you stick with iron, and can even use some old jewelry pieces that are lost somewhere at an old jewelry box you forgot you have... LOL. Just hang some pierces/earrings, brooches, necklaces... you can decorate with mobile phone straps, any scrapbook decoration. There's no limit for your imagination!

Hope this can help someone to have a little happiness, so enjoy your creativity and don't just do it yourself, do it FOR yourself!

The lazy tutorial: old jeans hanger...

I found a pic of a jeans hanger around the net:

That's kind of a "professional" thing, I mean, someone that knows how to sew and own a sewing machine. I can do that if I want to, but, if you come here from times to times probably know I'm too way lazy... LOL

Then, my friend said she thought that a good idea, but she don't know how to sew, so she couldn't do it.

Well, you don't really need to sew to do your own version of that hanger!

To tell the truth you don't need to sew it at all!!

Ok, don't look SO clean and professional, but you can make it look pretty and add your personality to it.

Take a look on how my almost-finished piece is looking:

 That is a REALLY old jeans I found in a cardboard box, and it's there for like... the past 9 years or so... LOL. I spent 5 years living in Japan, and while I was there, my family had to move home, and then my sister packed it. I came back home and just didn't find it until last month... LOL

Basically, what I did was cut it, and just put it together using pins. I have tons of pins (just love them!), and using them to do it made me twice happy! One, I made something that is recycling an old jeans I love, two, now I can see my lovely pins again!!

 Here we have all the materials necessary to do it: pins, a wire hanger, old jeans, any plier, and scissor.

Just cut as you think you need/want, place the pieces together, I used some sewing pins to make sure it would not mess up as I was taking the pics and placing the decorated pins. But you can just use some instant glue if you want, or don't use anything at all!

It's missing a button, and it's so old and it was for so long inside a box forgotten, that it's already rusted... XD

After knowing where you want things to be placed, just fix it with the pins, security pins, hot glue or instant glue.

With the plier, open the wire hanger. If you can't do it yourself (like me, because the wire is too hard to bend), then ask you father, brother, husband, boyfriend, neighbor... XDD. I had to ask my brother.

Then just use the belt loops do hang.

I'll be putting some few other things to decorate tomorrow, as today is too late and we need to sleep... XD

After I have the piece done, I'll post it so you guys can see how it's looking in the end...

Good night, and see you tomorrow!