Tutorial: shopping tote

Finally I found some time to write down a tutorial for the shopping tote I made.

Tutorial Shopping Tote

1. Start with cutting the fabric. I used a plastic shopping bag of the desired size as a template.

2. Mine had the size of 42cm by 57cm. The gap at the side is 4 by 14cm. The middle gap is 18cm wide. The top of the handles is on the fabric fold.

3. If it is not possible to cut the front and back out of one piece (for example if the design is not nice upside down), you can cut two pieces and then sew the front and back together at the top of the handles. I used a french seam for this. The red lines indicate how. This is also called a flat felled seam. A tutorial can be found here.

4. Sew the sides together, again with a french seam (flat felled seam).
5. Top stitch this french seam at the sides: it will look like this.
6. Make pleads at the sides of the bottom and pin
7. Fold a seam at the bottom inside the pleads.
8. Top stitch severel times to secure the bottom seam.

9. Use biais band to finish the sides of the handles of.
10. Fold the handles, and stitch to secure at the top.
11. The end result in use ...
12. ..... and easy to fold in a small package.

Have fun

Granny square bag - how to

Today I finished the granny square bag for my daughter. I have been combining some tutorials for this project. Here a wrap up of the project.

For the design you need 13 squares - mine were 11cm by 11cm. The layout is as follows:

So corresponding colors should be match and there are three squares that are folded in half to connect the front and the back.

For the squares I used the granny square pattern that I found on Rose Hip. I understand from friends that they find it difficult to crochet 3D flowers and especially figure it out from the desciptions. Therefor I made a small tutorial.

As I do not like to put all the squares together at the end, I joined them as I went. On attic 24 is a very clear tutorial on how you can join squares on the go.

For the handles I made a chain of 84 stitches (beige), on the second row (turning) I repeated 4 chains, 1 triple crochet in each 5th chain of the first row. This made the 'ladder' for my ribbon. Then I used orange for the sides: 3 double crochets in the TC of the beige and then 1 single crochet around the 4 chain spaces.

Finally, for the lining I combined two tutorials. It was very helpful to sew in the lining while the bag was inside out like was suggested in the tutorial on While they play. Further I found the tutorial of Future Girl very clear.

Tutorial: felt pasta

This is a very easy project. Making pasta from felt. The end result will look something like:

Tutorial:
In fact, it is so easy that you can put the tutorial in one picture.

1. Cut rectangles of about 3 by 4 cm out of felt (orange, beige, green etc).
2. Cut the short edges with pinking shears (hope this is the correct word, in Dutch kartelschaar, see picture)
3. Then wrinkle it in the middle and fix it with a couple of stitches: done!
4. Depends on the size of the doll family how many pasta's you will have to make ...

Tutorial: simple bag for marbles

Here is my second tutorial: this is one of the simplest ways to make a bag for marbles. Ideal project for scrap fabric.

Tutorial

1. Cut two pieces of fabric, one stirdy for the bottom of the bag, one more thin for the top of the bag, so that the drawstring will close nicely. I cut my pieces: 32 cm by 13 cm. You can combine any size, or even take just one piece of fabric, just as long as the result is about 32 cm by 24 cm.
2. If you like to add a figure, you could just take any shape and cut it out of felt. This is just optional. 

1. Sew or serge the two pieces together, right sides facing each other. The result is a rectangle of about 32cm by 24cm.
2. Optional: pin the applique into place; account when centering/placing the applique for folding the fabric later and also for the seams at the sides.
3. If you use felt, an easy way to attach the applique is by just stitching along the sides. No zigzag needed here.

1. Sew or serge along the bottom and side edge
2. Keep the bag inside out, fold the fabric in twice so that the edge of the fabric is in the hem.
3. Sew around; make sure to leave open enough space to put a string in. It is nice to have the opening at the middle of the back of the bag. Backstitch at the beginning and the end, to fix the opening. With a safety pin you can now put in the drawstring.
4. Turn the bag, the opening of the drawstring is now on the inside. Ready!

Tutorial servettenbloem / paper napkin flower

Deze bloemen van servetten of papieren zakdoekjes leerde ik als kind maken van mijn moeder. We hebben er door de jaren heen heel wat mee versierd. Hier een stap voor stap uitleg. Erg simpel en goed te doen met kleine kinderen.

I learned to make these flowers from my mother when I was a little girl. They are easy to make also with young children.

Tutorial

1. Take a paper napkin or handkerchief with multiple layers. Cut of the sides that hold the layers together.
2. Cut it in two equal sized rectangles.
3. Put them on top of each other.

1. Fold it like a harmonica.
2. When done, hold it together in the middle with a piece of rope or ribbon

1. Pull the upper layer upwards and shape a bit
2. Pull the layers one by one, first one side and then the other side. Done!

Variations:

• Combine napkins of different colours.
• Instead of having a flat bottom like the flower has here, you can also pull them in two directions, giving you a round flower.

p.s. This was my first tutorial, so if anything is unclear I'd like to hear it from you