Are you looking for inspiration for making gifts that you can sew in an afternoon or less? I am always on the look out for fuss-free sewing projects. And I like projects that are very forgiving—because I will probably make a few mistakes in the process. Above all, I want to have fun while sewing.
Recently I shared in a post one of my favorite new sewing books by Nicole Blum and Debra Immergut called Improv Sewing. Besides loads of lovely fashions to sew, this book is packed with pretty gifts to make. Here are just a few of the many projects in their book: little star mittens, a reversible belt, a simple jersey shawl, vintage hankie tissue case, blanket stitched armies.
BEADED CUFF
I am going to try the beaded cuff bracelet from the book this weekend. All it takes is a 5" x 8" scrap of fabric—I'm going to recycle some fabric from an old t-shirt. Plus you'll need 2 sets of pearl snaps, thread, seed beads, and a needle and thread. The project requires a sewing machine to zigzag stitch around the pre-folded bracelet.
In a nutshell, here's how: To form a finished edge, on both of the 8" sides, fold in 1/2" to the wrong side. Then press the folded edges. Now fold the fold the fabric in thirds—the finished cuff will be approximately 1-1/2" wide. Do a neat zigzag stitch close to the edges to form the bracelet. Then add the snaps and embellish with beads.
Easy peasy! Check back and see how my project turns out.
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This is not a sponsored post. I am featuring this post because I love what these gals have created.
CONNECT WITH DIY EXPERTS & AUTHORS NICOLE AND DEBRA
- The book blog Improv Diary
- On Facebook: Improv Sewing
- Nicole's blog: One Golden Apple
- Debra's blog: evergood workshop
- Nicole on Twitter @nicoleblum
- Debra on Twitter: @debraimmergut
- Book trailer (video): Watch the Improv Sewing book trailer here on YouTube.
Image: IMPROV SEWING image by me, Chris Olson, featuring pages from the book. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!
Here's another DIY post you might be interested in too:
