knitting and sewing

 To make the small bag, you will need two pieces of fabric, one for the lining and one for the outside, and iron on stabiliser for the fabrics. Approximately 12 inches by 7 inches, 5 inches of tape or cord, a key ring clip, cam snap. . 1. Download and cut out 2 pieces, 1 for the lining and 1 for the main. iron on interfacing on both pieces. 2. Place the two pieces of fabric, right sides together and stitch along the bottom edge - 1/2 inch seam allowance used throughout.  3. Turn the pieces round. Press. Topstitch along the edge. 4. Open up the work so that it lays flat on the table, with the lining at the top.  5. Bring the folded/topstitched part towards the top, stopping where the closing flap is going to be.  6. Once you have worked out where the opening will be, place the tape, just below the topstitch line and pin.  7. Bring the rest of the fabric over until it covers the other part entirely.  8. Pin all round and leave a gap for turning, along the top...

 These little gel holders are great. They can be resized to make smaller ones for smaller bottles of gel.  The pattern below is for a 50/100ml bottle of hand gel.  Materials used. Cotton fabric for the front, the back and the lining. Some interfacing for the front and the lining. About 4 inches of cord/ribbon/tape for a loop and a key ring attachment.   This is an ideal project to use up scraps. It sews very quickly. Make a handful and gift to friends and family.  1. Download the pattern.  Link to the pattern is at the bottom of the page.  2. Cut the pieces. The front is cut on the fold (can be one long piece which is then folded.) DO NOT cut the opening at this stage. Cut straight across the bottom.  Iron some stabiliser on half the piece. (If your material is flimsy, stabilise all of it to give it more structure.) Cut the back and and the lining. Stabilise the lining. (both if using a flimsy fabric) 3. Fold the front piece right sides toget...

Great, easy to make and personalise, and above all comfortable to wear.  These masks come in 5 sizes. I have labelled them 1 - 5, with 1 and 2 on a different blog. Sizes 1 and 2 masks are for toddlers and children.  Sizes 3 - 5 are for young adults/teens, adults and larger adults. All the instructions and patterns are included. There will also be video links to show how they are made.  Materials needed: Cotton/polycotton fabric for all pieces. 2 lengths of elastic, approximately 7 inches each.  1.  Choose the size you need. Download the patterns, which are at the end of this blog, and cut out the pieces. Two for the front, two for the lining and two for the pocket. To cut the pocket, fold the pattern along the dotted line and cut, to get a narrower version of the pieces. (Oops, my well used pattern has all sorts of pen marks on) 2. Sew all pieces along the centre, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. 3. Turn over the sides of the shorter piece, using a 1/4 inch allo...

 How to make a double layered mask for a child 1. Download the pattern. There are 2 sizes. Size 1 is for young children from the age of 3 Size 2 is from the age of 9 2. Cut 2 pieces in cotton, polycotton fabric for the outside and cut 2 more for the inside. This could be the same fabric or could be a contrast. 3. Place the outer pieces together, right sides together and sew the curved side, with a 1/4 inch seam. 4. Do the same with the lining.  5. Place the 2 sewn pieces together, right sides facing and stitch all round, leaving a gap of around 2 inches for turning.  6. Trim the excess material, taking care to leave more material where the gap is, to facilitate hemming later. 7. Turn the mask the right way round. 8. Press or use pins to straighten the seams.  9. Turn the side pieces around 1/2 inch and sew along the edge to form a channel for elastic/ribbon 10.  Overstitch along the top and bottom.  11. Cut all loose threads. Thread a piece of elastic....