Not too long ago I spotted a really great fabric bracelet at a high end store.  Since I’m not a big jewelry wearer, I couldn’t bring myself to pay big bucks for a bracelet.  However, that bracelet popped into my mind this afternoon and it sparked a recon idea in my head.  I just gave it a whirl and while it’s nothing fancy, it’s a fun, quick project that’s perfect for a funky accessory.

The absolute simplicity of this project makes it a great summer project for a teen or pre-teen that’s trying out his or her sewing skills.  My 3-year-old daughter is begging me to make her one in ‘prettier colors’ as we speak.

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

Old t-shirts or any old piece of clothing made of knit or other stretchy fabric

Scissors

Sewing machine

So…get your t-shirt.

Cut strips of fabric, making sure the the stretch goes down the length of your strips.  You’ll want the bracelet to stretch a bit so you can easily get it on and off.

My wrist is child-like in size and measures just under 7 inches, so I made my strips about 8-8.5 inches long.  I made mine too wide to start with and ended up narrowing them to about 1 inch.  This is all very approximate.  That’s the beauty of the funky little bracelet–the more random and rough it is, the more fun it looks!  Despite the yard stick in my photos, I didn’t use it once.  Just freehanded the whole thing.  Fast and fun!

Now, simply fold the strips in half and sew, using a straight stretch stitch.

Now loosely gather the ends and stitch across them to secure them.  There’s no rhyme or reason to how I need this.  I just bunched them up and stitched across using a slightly longer stitch length to accommodate the thickness.

To close this bracelet up, you’ll want a wider, shorter strip of fabric that is something like this:

It should be wide enough to cover the end seams on the strips on both ends and long enough to overlap when wrapped loosely around the ends.  Like this:

After you’ve stitched one end into the wide strip (should look like photo above), tuck the other end of your bracelet into it and repeat.  Easy enough, right?  Here’s my bracelet:

To make it more your style, you can mix and match colors, thread on some random large beads, change up thread colors.  Just have fun!  Grab the kids and bust up that summer boredom!

So…here’s the tutorial.

Cut a pattern (here’s that gridded paper I love so much…in a peppermint stripe) that is a 11.25″ x 7.5″ rectangle.

Pin it to your fabric with one of the short ends on the fold.

Cut your fabric, open up the rectangle (should be 22.5″ x 7.5″) and finish your edges.

Now, with your wrong sides together, fold each of the short ends over 1″ and press.

Stitch near the the finished edge to create the casing for your drawstring.

Next, fold your bag in half–right sides together–with your casings matching up at the top. Stitch 1/8″ up the sides, stopping and reinforcing your seam just below the casings.

For my drawstring, I used 3/8″ grosgrain ribbon that I had on hand and cut two 19″ lengths. Insert a safety pin in one end and use the pin to feed the ribbon through one side of the casing. Repeat for the other side.

Knot the ends of your ribbons together on each side of the bag and, voila! You’re done!

What a lovely little package!

When we were at the Apple store buying my iPad, they had a decent selection of protective cases available, but if you guys know me by now, you know that I had to at least try to make my own before I gave in and bought one.  I quickly went through Plan A and Plan B before I was successful.  So, with you I share my Plan C.

It’s a very simple, quick project to put together.

It’s not so much a case as it is a sleeve.

It fits so snugly that there is no need for any type of closure.  Your iPad won’t be going anywhere.

It’s perfect to throw in your purse for protection against keys, lipsticks, Hot Wheels,  fruity snacks, and melted chocolate.  Please tell me your purse is like mine.  Please?

It’s made using a sturdy home decor fabric on the outside and a fantastically soft flannel on the inside.

It’s cushioned with a nice layer of foam so you don’t have to fret over every bump and booboo.

So, let’s get started.  You’ll need:

Paper to draw out your pattern (I use old wrapping paper with the 1″ grid on the back)

Exterior fabric (I used one from Amy Butler’s August Fields home decor line)

Interior fabric (I’m pampering my iPad with an Amy Butler flannel from her Love line)

Foam for cushion (I used automotive headliner that I got for 50 cents in Hancock’s bargain bin)

Sewing basics (scissors, thread, pins, serger, sewing machine

1.  Cut your pattern piece for your exterior & interior fabrics.  It will be 10.5″ x 8.5″.

2.  Cut your pattern piece for your foam.  It will be 9.5″ x 7.5″.

3.  Using your pattern pieces, cut 2 each of your exterior fabric, interior fabric and foam.

4.  Take one exterior piece and one interior piece and place them wrong sides together.  Serge one of your short ends without cutting the fabric.  Repeat with remaining 2 pieces.

5.  Open up your seam and place a piece of foam inside, leaving 1/4″ between top edge of foam and your seam, and 1/2″ space around the rest of the foam.

6.  Now close your “sandwich” keeping your seam flat and edges even.  Pin through all 3 layers.

7.  Serge 1/4″ around remaining 3 sides.

Repeat with your other exterior/interior/foam.  You should now have 2 “sandwiches”.

8.  Now we’re going to double-decker this thing.  Pin your two “sandwiches” together with your interior sides facing each other.

9.  Serge 1/8″ around 3 sides, leaving one short end open.  Then go back with your regular sewing machine and sew a seam just inside your serged seam to reinforce your sleeve.

You’re done!  Now, this is a tight squeeze, isn’t it?  I decided to make it that way because, A) makes the tutorial simpler and B) less junk to mess with when I want to get the iPad out of my purse.  However, if you want yours less tight you could expand the width of this case a half inch or so and throw a Velcro or button strap on it.

Let me know if you have any questions!

This afternoon, I grabbed this scarf from my scarf collection.

It was a favorite when I purchased it months ago, but it really washed me out and was a little bulkier than I cared for.  It’s been hanging unloved for too long, so the Recon-a-Thon was the perfect opportunity for it to be transformed into something that would get worn and loved.

I used my halter top pattern and got busy.  It was very sheer, so I lined it with muslin.

Now Elliott has a fun little hippie halter dress ready for spring!  She refuses to take it off now because it ‘makes me dance so pwetty!’.  Just add sunshine!

So…what do you think?

Elliott is a tiny little thing.  She just turned 2, but can still fit in some 18 month stuff.  The size that I made for this halter top is plenty roomy, so if you want to copy the measurements exactly, it’s about 24 months to 2T.

So.  This is what we’re making (and pardon the photo quality, please.  Daylight was gone by the time I finished ).  It is finished in bias tape that ties behind the neck and the back has elastic for a really cute little fit.

This could easily be lengthened a bit to make a precious little sundress.  I plan to make one in the next few days and will post pictures of it here when it’s done.

The pattern piece for the front of the top is this shape:

When you cut your fabric, you’ll want it folded with the straight side of the pattern piece pinned along the fabric fold.

Across the bottom is 7.5″ (unfolds to 15″).

Across the bustline is 5.5″ (unfolds to 11″).

Across the neckline is 3″ (unfolds to 6″).

From top to bottom: 12″.

Keep in mind that these measurements fit a toddler who is 34″ tall and 25lbs.  Adjust to fit your child or email me with any questions.

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S0, since I have received a ton of emails for help with adjusting measurements, I thought I would add this little bit.  I hope that it is helpful!  Please let me know if the directions are not clear enough.  Thank you.

And now….back to our regularly scheduled programming:

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The back pattern piece is a simple rectangle.  In this case, 15″ x 10 1/4″.

Rather than using solid color, boring bias tape from the fabric store, I decided I wanted to make my own.  I found a really wonderful tutorial that makes the process very quick and easy.  I’m now a big fan of this blogger and her bias-tape brilliance!  I was thrilled at how my tape turned out!

**I have now added a video demonstrating this bias tape method!**

For this top I made 4 pieces:

1-  6″ piece (neckline)

1- 36″ piece (straps)

2- 29″ pieces (hem)

Now…getting started….

Grab your back halter fabric (the plain rectangle) and fold down one of the long edges 1/4″.  Press.  Fold again approximately 1″ and press.  Then sew along your fold to create your elastic casing.  These steps will look something like this:

Next, cute a piece of elastic that will fit your child.  You can measure across her back from armpit to armpit to get an idea.  Ours was approximately 10″.

Anchor one end of your elastic with a straight pin at one end of your casing.  Attach a safety pin to the other end of your elastic and use the pin to feed the elastic through the casing.

Secure both ends of the elastic by stitching vertically 1/4″ from the edges of the fabric.

Put the back halter piece aside.

Sandwich the top (neckline) edge of the front halter piece within a 6″ length of bias tape.  Stitch along the open edge of the bias tape, being sure to catch the underneath layer in your seam.  In my picture you will notice 2 lines of stitching.  Oops!  I let the underside of the bias tape get away from me and had to sew it again. 

You’ll use the same basic idea to attach the straps.  Start at the bottom of each underarm curve and attach your bias tape.  Sew down the entire length of the bias tape to close it and form the strap pieces.

Pin your front and back together at the side seams and sew 1/2″ seams.

You’re almost done!

Starting at one of the side seams, sew the bias tape along the hem of the top.  As you near the end, stop sewing and trim your bias tape to the proper length, leaving just a bit to overlap the beginning edge.

And you’re done!

Elliott modeled the top for me when it was done tonight.  She was just a little too excited about it, though, and couldn’t stop running around.  Forgive her for the quality of the pictures, please!

Now…please don’t hesitate to email and let me know if I need to be clearer on any details or provide more pictures.  If I’ve left anything out…well, I’m sure you all now how hard it is to keep a train of thought with a toddler running around!  Just let me know and I’ll be glad to help!

Have fun!

Oh!  And I have two requests:

1) If you make one, I would love it if you sent in a picture for me to post!

2) If you want to use this tutorial and sell what you make, that’s great!  Go for it because I love WAHMs!  Just please link back to me.

After a wonderful storm with lots of rain last night, I think I’ll avoid the mud of the flower beds and stay inside today. I need to declutter the kitchen and my computer desk. Gotta put buttonholes and buttons on a dress I’m doing for a Hyenacart collaboration (more info on that soon!). Scrub the bathroom. Follow behind Elliott, constantly picking up the neverending trail of toys and clothes she leaves strewn about.

On second thought, that mud is sounding pretty good…

Have a great day!