Sew a Wheat Warmer

I had some lovely leftover fleece from making one of my niece’s a leopard print cape last Christmas, so I decided to use it to make some lavender wheat warmers for myself and others.

I find wheat warmers are really useful when you feel a bit sore or stiff and I had been using a very old shop bought one for years to manage my chronic health symptoms before getting round to making this one.

Once you have made it, all you need to do is pop it in the microwave for up to 120 seconds if less than 800 Watt, or up to 100 seconds if your microwave is 800-1000 Watt.  It can help to put a small mug filled with water in the microwave at the same time to provide a bit of moisture (just in the microwave with it, not poured over it!)

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Sew your own dishcloths

Recently, my mum got into making her own dishcloths to be a bit more sustainable.  Also, they’re great for using up scraps of fabric you have left from other projects!

This dishcloth is simple to make.  It uses a bit of hessian (burlap) for one side for when you need a more abrasive side which won’t damage any non-stick surfaces.  The softer side is simply cotton, and can be made from any of your favourite remnants.

To make them as sustainable as possible, you need to use 100% natural fibre fabrics and thread.  This will ensure that the dishcloth can biodegrade.  Here, I have used cotton fabric as I have loads of remnants of this, but another natural fibre such as linen would work just as well.

If you’d like to make a few dishcloths, either for yourself or to gift to others, I’d recommend making a cardboard template to make it easier to cut out a batch.

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Pattern Review: GBSB Simple T-Shirt

Here is another top I made a while ago and had not gotten round to reviewing.

Details

  • Name: Simple T-Shirt
  • Variation: N/A
  • Design House: Book – The Great British Sewing Bee: Sew Your Own Wardrobe
  • Size I made: 14

Fabric

I used some leftover polyester crepe I had which in hindsight was not that suitable for this garment.  While the crepe quality meant it drapes nicely, it meant that it was a thicker fabric than the I feel the pattern intended for it.  As a result, I had issues with binding the edges using the same fabric cut on the bias.

Difficulty

The hardest aspect of this garment is the fabric you must use.  This top would not work with a stable woven fabric, so you must choose a more challenging fabric.

The other challenging part is binding all the edges with bias binding.  If you are not familiar with binding edges with this method, it could be very difficult, and I would recommend taking your time!

Clarity

The illustrations in the book are clear and there is a masterclass section on how to make your own bias binding as will as how to apply it.

Design and Fit

I like the neckline on this top and I think the overall shape of it, with the high-low hem is nice.  I find it really comfy to wear and I’m sure that if it was made in a finer fabric it would be even nicer to wear.

Time Taken

This took me a couple of days – mainly because the bias binding part went badly first time and I had to unpick and start over.  A confident sewist could make this comfortably in a day.

Conclusion

I would consider making this top again.  The issues I had were completely related to the fabric choice and I would like to try it out using a more suited, thinner fabric.

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Pattern Review: GBSB Breton Tee

Hello!  It’s been a while, but here is a pattern review for a top I made a while ago…

Details

  • Name: Breton
  • Variation: ‘Hack: Breton Tee’
  • Design House: Book – The Great British Sewing Bee: From Stitch to Style
  • Size I made: 12

Fabric

I used a lemony-yellow cotton knit fabric.  I do not think it has any stretch and I think there is a reasonable risk that the garment will become distorted and stretch over time.

Difficulty

I would say that this pattern is straightforward to make, especially if you have tried sewing with knit fabric before.  The hem is a bit different as it has side seam slits but it’s a nice new technique to learn if you haven’t tried this type of finish before.

Clarity

I found both the illustrations and written instructions clear for this make.

Design and Fit

I was drawn to the neckline and grow on sleeves but now I have made it, I’m not as much of a fan of the neckline.  If I made it again, I would make the neckline not so wide.  However, it is worth highlighting that it might be my fabric choice which has made the neckline feel quite so uncomfortable.  As I mentioned, my fabric doesn’t appear to have any elastane in it, so it might be stretching width-ways!

Time Taken

This top can be made in a day.  As the sleeves are part of the front and back pieces, there is not much to cut out.

Conclusion

I’m not sure that I would make it again.  If I did, I would choose a better-quality fabric and possibly adjust it a bit to fit better.  For example, I could try to stabilise the neckline a bit better.

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Pattern Review: So Sew Easy Serger Scrap Catcher

Today I am sharing my thoughts on a free sewing pattern you can follow on the So Sew Easy website – it’s the Easy Serger Scrap Catcher!

Details

  • Pattern name: Easy Serger Scrap Catcher
  • Variation/Style: N/A
  • Design House: Pattern from So Sew Easy website
  • Size I made: made according to the pattern’s suggested measurements

Fabric

I used some remnant fabrics to make this – I would say that the toucan fabric pictured is quilting cotton weight.  From the image below, you can see I had two colour ways of this fetching fabric.  I also added fusible fleece to it to give the final mat and pocket structure.

Difficulty

I found the bias binding element (all around the top of the pocket and all the edges) particularly challenging on this project.  Usually, I opt for machine sewing one side down and then hand sew the other side in place, but I didn’t have the time on this occasion and opted for top stitching by machine.  It is not my finest piece of work as a result as the tape dragged a bit, so if you haven’t used bias binding much, you may need to work carefully at this step!

Clarity

I printed a grey scale copy of the instructions and struggled, so I would recommend either reading off your screen or using colour!  I am not sure whether I just wasn’t feeling great at the time or I had a fixed idea on how it would work, but I did struggle a bit with comprehension and may have veered off from the instructions on occasion.

The linked guide on how to create mitered corners with bias binding was really good.

Design and Fit

This pattern fits my overlocker perfectly – however it is a gift so I hope it fits the machine of the recipient!!

I love the big pocket for scraps at the front as well as the fact that it protects the table I am using while I overlock.

Time Taken

The longest aspect of this project was cutting all the sections out.  I didn’t quilt (just ironed on the fusible fleece) so if you do this element, it will take a bit longer.

You could do this in a day, including cutting out, particularly if you are a savvy bias binder!

Conclusion

Love the concept, but I may have a play around next time to tweak the design for my own machine.

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Make a mini Christmas Brooch!

Fancy something to wear to get in the festive spirit but need something that will go with your pinafore or is less obvious than a festive jumper?  A little Christmas brooch may be the answer.

What you need:

  • Download the template for this make here
  • Cardboard for the middle section (to improve the structure, but you could leave this out if not available)
  • Felt scraps in the colours of your choice
  • Embroidery thread in the colours of your choice
  • Brooch back
  • Scrap length of yarn if making the bauble design
  • Double sided tape
  • Bondaweb scrap (optional)
  • Interfacing (optional)
  • Paper scissors
  • Fabric scissors
  • Darning needle
  • Sewing machine if you want to add decoration on the sewing machine

1. Draw out the main pieces of your design onto the interfacing if using and attach to the felt (or draw directly onto the felt if not using interfacing) and cut out

For the stocking design, you will need to ensure that you cut one on the reverse side if using the interfacing.

Attach to the interfacing by placing the shiny side of the interfacing on the felt so that the non-shiny side is facing upwards.  Press with an iron until it attaches.

If you are not using interfacing, you can trace the design straight onto the fabric and then cut out.

If you want to embellish on the machine, do this before cutting the shape out of felt as it will be much easier!

2. Attach the bauble top or stocking brim

I used interfacing to trace the shape and then attach to the main front piece, but you could just place on top and then sew in place.

Here, my partner used a straight running stitch to attach the bottom of the brim of the stocking, but you could choose a hand embroidery stitch of your choice.  I used back stitch.

3. If you are adding any embellishment using hand embroidery, add this now to the front piece

On the blue bauble I made, I added some cross stitch shapes and running stitch to add a bit of detail in both orange and white thread.  I used two strands of embroidery thread doubled (4 in total) – see the video for more about this.

4. Add the brooch attachment to the back piece

Secure the brooch piece on the back piece in the top third of the shape securely with some thread.

5. Add the cardboard middle, if using

I like using the cardboard middle to give the brooch a firmer shape and used some packaging rubbish for this.

Trace the shape of the middle piece onto the cardboard and cut it out.  Next, attach right in the middle of the wrong side of the front piece with some of the double sided tape.  This will help prevent it from moving when you stitch around the edges.  Attach the back piece in the same way with double sided tape, by placing the piece over the front piece, wrong sides together.

6. Stitch around the edge - and add a yarn loop to the bauble design

You can choose your preferred stitch for the border.  In the video below, Phill and I both used blanket stitch, but in the one I made with free machine embroidery decoration, I used chain stitch.

Finally, for the bauble design, I secured a small length of yarn in the desired colour to the top back of the shape.

Watch it on the Vlog!

You can watch Phill and I make these in the video below:

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