DIY Handkerchiefs make sneezing look good.

YAY for Spring!

It's finally here!.... If there is a downside to the shiny newness of Spring, it comes in the form of sniffles, sneezes and itchy eyes.  At least, that is the case in the Sutton house.

So, if you have to fight your allergies, why not use something pretty?  Who wants a paper tissue rubbing your nose raw when you can have a bright, soft and happy handkerchief?

Here is my last selling point on handkerchiefs...

When the world says:

Why not carry something that will say it no matter how many times you sneeze?...

I have always had a soft spot for special handkerchiefs... they always remind me of the wonderful women in my family:

Since a lot of these feel too special to use, I wanted to try to make some of my own. Who says hankies are only for weddings? (Although, I think it's an awesome idea to make fun handkerchiefs for a bridal party or special family members! For the happy tears!)

When I think of embroidered handkerchiefs, I usually think of incredibly detailed or delicate designs like these:

I wanted to make something a little more fun, like these I found on Etsy:

This project is great for even the most beginner sewer. (like me) 
The handkerchiefs were incredibly simple to make.  
You can basically follow our fabric napkin tutorial, just cutting smaller squares of fabric (12"x12".)

Here is a great tutorial from PurlBee that I used to get started:

Herringbone Handkerchiefs

I followed this tutorial for the basics of measuring, cutting and ironing, but did a couple things differently.

Here are the fabrics I chose:

Make sure you check the care instructions on the bolt of fabric-- you want to be able to throw these hankies in the wash without any worries!

Happy fabrics to make your nose happy!

Cut and ready for ironing, folding and sewing!

For my purposes, I decided to sew the hems on each side with the machine rather than by hand.  Let's be real, who has time for that? 
(If you do have the energy to spare, go for the hand-stitching!  Maybe try one of these blanket stitch variations.)

Fold according to the tutorial

Rather than using pins and hand-sewing, I used a straight stitch with a fun gold thread to make the seams.

9 handkerchiefs ready for personalization :)

After sewing each handkerchief, I decided to personalize them with embroidery. 
You could add monograms or any fun design that you like. (I loved the simple cross-stitch monograms from the PurlBee tutorial.)  
 Either draw your design on the fabric with a water-soluble fabric marker or use an iron-on transfer! 
Once you have the design on the fabric, embroider with whatever stitch you like!  Have fun. :)
(Check out your craft or fabric store for all kinds of fun designs-- I remember my mom using some of these Aunt Martha's designs for projects when I was a kid!)

The transfers are easy to use-- just follow the instructions on the package!

I definitely recommend pinning the transfer stamp to your fabric.  This will help prevent it wiggling, giving you a fuzzy transfer.

ready to stitch!

Embroidery is a great way to stay busy when you're waiting at a doctor's office!

Done!

Side note: If you want to do a special monogram, check out this Monogram Etiquette by Mark and Graham.

Here are a few more I finished!

Now, get to it! You can make as many or as few as you like!... and why not make one or two for a fellow allergy-sufferer!

Happy Spring!

DIY iPhone Sleeve

Hello friends!

So, this was a quick project born of necessity this week.

I've been whining for a while about needing a sleeve to hold my phone while I exercise, but haven't wanted to buy one.  So, I usually just hold my phone and make it work, but I've discovered that becomes a little dangerous when I try to ride my bike. :)

So, as always, when the need arises, grab the sewing machine and some scrap fabric and do it yourself!

I started playing with some scrap jersey knit material  and came up with this first version:

Not bad, but I wanted the phone to have a "pocket" so that it wouldn't slip down.  So, I'll show you how I made the t-shirt phone sleeve, version 2.0. :)

What you'll need:

-Scrap jersey (I used an old black t-shirt and some striped jersey from the square-circle skirt project)

-Sewing machine

-Measuring tape

-Sharp scissors

-Optional: Scrap fabric and embroidery floss/needle for embellishment

Ok, let's get started... 

First, measure your phone or other music device, so you have an idea of how wide or tall your sleeve needs to be.  My phone, in it's case, measures 5.25"x3".  Next, measure your arm circumference for the length of the sleeve.  You'll be trying it on to get the exact length in a few steps, but this will give you a starting point.   

Since I used an old t-shirt to make the sleeve, I cut the fabric from the bottom hem of the shirt, 6"x10.5".  This way one hem will already be sewn for you.  I like short-cuts.

 

Once the rectangle is cut, sew a hem on the other long side of the rectangle.

Now you're ready to try it on for size.  Stretch the jersey around your arm  to find where you should make your seam.  You want it to be snug, but remember your phone (if it's wide like mine), will take up space, so don't make it too tight.

Pin your desired seam.

Sew the seam with a straight stitch and cut the excess fabric.  Turn your sleeve inside out to hide your seam, and you're ready to make the pocket.

Decide on your dimensions and cut out more jersey fabric with at least 1/4" extra on each side for your seam allowance.  

Go ahead and fold over 1/4" on each side and sew your hem; this way you won't have any unfinished edges showing on the outside of the pocket.

Now you're ready to sew it onto the sleeve! 
Sew three sides of the pocket onto the sleeve; obviously you're leaving the top open to slide your phone/music player in and out.  I also left about a 1" gap open in the bottom of the pocket, for the headphone cord to come out.  If your headphone jack is in the top of your device, you don't have to do this.

Ok, try it out!  If everything is snug and happy, you're done!

Of course, I have a hard time leaving things without embellishment.  Since we've been embroidering things this month, I had to find something to embroider on this sleeve :)

You can embroider on a knit/stretchy fabric if you use a stabilizer.  However, since I thought of it later, there was no way to embroider directly onto the pocket once I sewed it onto the sleeve.

So, I used some scrap cotton fabric from an old IKEA curtain.  (Yes, this is why I hold onto so many things. You just never know when it might come in handy!) ;)

I found a really cute design in an embroidery book I borrowed from a friend.  Since the fabric I chose was thin, I was able to trace the design with pencil directly from the book.

Embroidery pour la Maison: 100 French Designs for the Home,  Sylvie Blondeau

All she needs are some headphones!

To keep the lines small for little details, I embroidered the design using 1 thread of embroidery floss in each color.  
I used a split stitch for the entire outline of the design, french knots for the pig tails and for the "ear buds", satin stitch for the rest of the hair, and single/detached chain stitches for the hair and shoelace bows.

To attach the design to the pocket, I used permanent fabric glue then sewed it on with a simple running stitch.

Now, I'm officially inspired and equipped for my work-out!  
Too bad it's raining.... I guess I'll just have to make some tea and wait until next week.

Have some fun and recycle your old t-shirts to make something fun!