Full dance card? Then you need a DIY Infinity Dress!

It’s party season, with festive celebrations popping up left right and centre. All this holiday hoopla can sure take a toll on one’s budget. If you’ve found you’re calendar full and your wardrobe empty this December then we highly recommend you head on over to Sew like my mom. Here you’ll find the Little Red Infinity Dress tutorial. One Dress… so many ways to wear it! 

Looking for something specific for this fabric project or the next? Give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX & we’ll help you find what you need. Just send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.

Making a Statement with Trendsetting Toddler Accessories

Dinner parties and glamorous get-togethers are just another reason why we love the festive season. Black ties, long dress and high heels - what fun! But, why should grown-ups be the only ones to enjoy this game of dress up? Have your little rascals looking snazzy with these Little Boy Ties and Cute Clip On Bows from Madelyn Wayment of Mommy Minutes.

Click here and here and be transported to step-by-step tutorials that show you just how easy it is to transform your toddlers into trendsetting rouges.

If you haven’t already heard, we’ve got a great selection of printed cottons in stock that are perfect for these ties. And at less than R 20 / m they’re a bargain not to be missed! Give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX for more info on what’s in stock and on special this festive season.

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Great gift craft: The Lucky Ducky

We found this Lucky Ducky on the Nosey Nest Weblog and fell in love with his kind words friendly nature. He or she would make a great gift for the baby or duck enthusiast of the family, don’t you agree?

You’ll need:

-          Felt (at least 3 different colors; yellow for the duck, orange for its beak and wings, and blue for the little pouch)

-          A little scrap of fabric or felt for the heart at the pouch

-          Little black beads for the eyes

-          Some stuffing

-          Beads for decoration - optional

Parts* (click here to download PDF)

1. Side ( cut twice, yellow felt )
2. Belly ( cut once, yellow felt )
3. Beak ( cut twice, orange felt )
4. Wing ( cut twice, orange felt )
5. Pouch ( cut once, blue felt )
6. Heart ( cut once, the little scrap of fabric )

*Enlarge to any size you wish.

Instructions:         

Cut out all the parts – don’t worry about including a seam.

Blanket stitch the two sides together from the top of the beak to the tail.

Put the tummy in. Blanket stitch from tail to beak and then from chest to tail. 

Don't forget to stuff the body before you close it!

Blanket stitch the two beak parts together.

Blanket stitch the beak at lucky ducky's head.

Blanket stitch the little heart on the pouch and the pouch on the duck’s chest. Don't forget to stitch the wings to the body, leaving the tips open. Sew on the black beads for the eyes.

You might want to decorate your ducky with some beads, but otherwise you're done! 

Give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX for info on what’s in stock and on special this festive season. You can also send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Get passionate about your hobby this Christmas!

First there was the Country Stitcher’s Christmas Ornament, now it’s the cotton-reel wreath! It looks like this year is all about embracing your passion. Not that we’re complaining. We LOVE this new take on the traditional Christmas wreath from ideas.

You’ll need:

• round wire frame (available from florists)
• cotton reels (large and small, empty and with thread)
• cotton ribbon and embroidery thread for the empty reels
• fishing line
• glue gun
• 
  

Instructions:

• First decorate the empty cotton reels by sticking lengths of ribbon or embroidery thread around them. Washi tape will also look good. We used a glue gun to stick on the embroidery thread. Place a drop of glue on the reel, press the end of the thread into it and wind the thread around the reel. Stick the other end in place with another drop of glue when the reel is full.
• Arrange all the cotton reels, mixing up the types, sizes and colours in an attractive arrangement. The easiest is to draw the wire frame’s shape on paper and to arrange the reels there first before attaching them to the frame.
• Secure the reels to the frame with fishing line – thread the line through the hole in the middle and knot on to the frame. Use your glue gun to make sure the reels are firmly attached to the frame and each other.
• Hang up the wreath with ribbon.

Click here to visit the ideas website and find more ways to bring the joys of the festive season into your home.

Looking for bits and bobs to make this and your other Christmas projects exciting? Then visit our haberdashery, where you’ll find everything you need and more. You can also give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX for more info on what’s in stock and on special this festive season.

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Have your say with this Fabric Covered Letter tutorial

Having the writing literally on the wall is a big décor trend at the mo and whilst wall decals and fancy paint do have their charms, we think saying things with fabric is so much more fabulous, don’t you?

Click here for a terrific tutorial from the Sweetie Pie Bakery on how to create fun fabric covered letters.  We think these would look perfect your young one’s bedroom and, come to think of it, we’ve just received a shipment of colourful kids’ fabrics that are perfect for this project and more. Give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX for more info on what’s in stock and on special this festive season.

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Funky Fashionable Stockings

It is unlikely that a fire will be roaring in that fireplace, unless, of course, you’re having a braai. So why stick with the traditional? Check out the super stockings that the elves over at spoonful.com are creating to spice things their Christmas.

You’ll need

• Scissors
• 2 pieces of purple felt, each 60 x 38 cm (24 x 15 inches)
• 2 pieces of black faux fur, each 60 x 38 cm (24 x 15 inches)
• Long sewing pins
• Large-eye sewing needle
• Purple embroidery floss
• Costume jewelry buttons and chains
• Clear tape
• 9 inches of black twist cord

Instructions

1. The Basic Stocking: Click here to download the fancy boot stocking pattern.

2. Cut 1 boot shape from each piece of the purple felt and 1 from each piece of the black fur. Be sure to cut the fur boots so that the toes point in opposite directions with the fur sides up.

3. Pin together the boots with the furry sides in and the purple boots on the outside.

4. Using the floss, whipstitch around the edges, sewing the boots together. Leave the top edges unsewn.

5. At the top, sew together the front 2 edges, then the back 2.

6. Fold down the top to make a cuff.

7. The Trimmings: Use floss to sew the buttons and chains to the boot.

8. Tape the ends of the cord to keep them from fraying, and then sew the cord to the stocking for hanging.

You’ll need:

• Scissors
• 4 pieces of gold felt, each 21 by 20 inches
• Red felt and red embroidery floss
• Green felt and green embroidery floss
• Purple felt and purple embroidery floss
• Long sewing pins
• Large-eye sewing needle
• Gold embroidery floss
• Pony beads
• Clear tape
• 9 inches of red twist cord

Instructions

1. The Basic Stocking: Click here to download the bare foot stocking pattern.

2. Cut 1 bare foot shape from each piece of the gold felt.

3. Cut 5 circles from the colored felts for the toenails.

4. Place one foot on top of another and pin the toenails in place.

5. Using the matching floss, whipstitch (see page 131) around the edges of each toenail, sewing through both feet.

6. Pin all 4 feet together and use the gold floss to whipstitch around the edges, sewing the feet together. Leave the top edges unsewn.

7. At the top, sew together the front 2 edges, then the back 2.

8. Fold down the top to make a cuff.

9. The Trimmings: Thread pony beads onto a 24-inch piece of colored floss, wrap it around the ankle, and tie together the ends.

10. Tape the ends of the cord to keep it from fraying, and then sew it to the stocking for hanging.

Click here for more great stocking ideas.

Looking for some specific fabric for this project or the next? Give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX and we’ll help you find what you need. Send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.

A stitch in time… from an embroidery hoop to a clock

Trouble keeping track of the time? This DIY embroidery hoop wall clock is a must have for every sewing enthusiast.

You’ll need:

• scrap fabric about 2.5 cm wider on all sides than your embroidery hoop
• embroidery hoops  (the pink one is 17.8cm (7 inches) wide and the small wooden one is 7.7cm (3 inches) wide – it was a tight squeeze)
• foam core scrap
• craft knife
• rotary cutter or sharp scissors for trimming fabric
• writing instrument
• cutting mat
• spray adhesive
• clock kit
• chopstick

Instructions:

Begin by tracing the inner loop of your embroidery hoop on foam core. Trim circle with craft knife. Verify circle fits in inner hoop snuggly - a little loose is fine too.

Apply spray adhesive to the back of the scrap fabric and center the disc-shaped foam core on the sticky side.

Identify center point of foam core/fabric piece, poke hole with the scissors or knife - You will be inserting the clock pieces through this hole, so compare size of clock kit post with your hole, enlarge hole until the clock post easily goes through. The chopstick works very well to create a gradual increase in size so that you don’t offshoot your mark.

On the backside of the fabric/foam core piece, place the inner embroidery hoop and mark the circular edge from where you will trim the excess fabric (while manhandling, be considerate of your time pieces as they bend easily).

Load clock components as pictured on package and add the battery.

Trim fabric with a rotary cutter or scissors and tighten the embroidery hoop.

Hang and admire

Note: The clock components will protrude from the back of the embroidery hoop. Your clock will therefore hang from the clock kit, not the top of the embroidery hoop, so you should take care to line up the clock-kit when mounting to fabric.

Visit the Charm Stitch Blog and your local Fabric and Textile Warehouse for more for more creative craft ideas.

Send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.

A stitch in time… from an embroidery hoop to a clock

Trouble keeping track of the time? This DIY embroidery hoop wall clock is a must have for every sewing enthusiast.

You’ll need:

• scrap fabric about 2.5 cm wider on all sides than your embroidery hoop
• embroidery hoops  (the pink one is 17.8cm (7 inches) wide and the small wooden one is 7.7cm (3 inches) wide – it was a tight squeeze)
• foam core scrap
• craft knife
• rotary cutter or sharp scissors for trimming fabric
• writing instrument
• cutting mat
• spray adhesive
• clock kit
• chopstick

Instructions:

Begin by tracing the inner loop of your embroidery hoop on foam core. Trim circle with craft knife. Verify circle fits in inner hoop snuggly - a little loose is fine too.

Apply spray adhesive to the back of the scrap fabric and center the disc-shaped foam core on the sticky side.

Identify center point of foam core/fabric piece, poke hole with the scissors or knife - You will be inserting the clock pieces through this hole, so compare size of clock kit post with your hole, enlarge hole until the clock post easily goes through. The chopstick works very well to create a gradual increase in size so that you don’t offshoot your mark.

On the backside of the fabric/foam core piece, place the inner embroidery hoop and mark the circular edge from where you will trim the excess fabric (while manhandling, be considerate of your time pieces as they bend easily).

Load clock components as pictured on package and add the battery.

Trim fabric with a rotary cutter or scissors and tighten the embroidery hoop.

Hang and admire

Note: The clock components will protrude from the back of the embroidery hoop. Your clock will therefore hang from the clock kit, not the top of the embroidery hoop, so you should take care to line up the clock-kit when mounting to fabric.

Visit the Charm Stitch Blog and your local Fabric and Textile Warehouse for more for more creative craft ideas.

Send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.

Adding a bit of peplum to your skirt – A DIY guide

Sometimes a little goes a long way. Update a classic pencil skirt by adding a little peplum (see how below) and you’ll accentuate your curves by creating the illusion of a smaller waist and wider hips.

The cut at the back of circle is there because the zipper was there, you can cut it at one side if your zipper is there.

Starting from the center pin the circle on the skirt. Make sure the open side goes close to the zipper so you can still use it. When everything is ok sew the peplum onto the skirt.

This tutorial is the brainchild of A Matter of Style, a blog brimming with DIY guides and stylish ideas for fashionistas everywhere.

Looking for some specific fabric for this project or the next? Give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX and we’ll help you find what you need.

 

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Set the mood with this Festive Fabric Wreath.

With the Festive Season just around the corner it’s time for you crafty gift givers to get cracking. In an effort to help spread the joy, we've put together a few Christmas themed tutorials for you to enjoy.

To start you off here is a DIY fabric wreath from the geniuses behind Quilt Inspirations. Why geniuses you ask? Well, they’ve put together an easy to follow pattern that won’t have to tying fabric strips for days or leave you with blisters on your fingers. Now if that isn't a great gift this Christmas, then we don’t know what is.

You’ll need:

• One 30.5cm floral styro-foam wreath (if you choose to go with another thickness remember to adjust you measurements accordingly)
• Dark green fabric for backbone strips (approx. 1 fat quarter)
• Fabric or ribbon for bow (we used a 26cm x 54cm piece from 1 fat quarter)
• Assorted fabrics for cross-strips approx. 1.6 to 1.8 meters (7-8 fat quarters)
• Rotary cutter and cutting mat; 15 x 61cm (6" x 24") quilting ruler
• T-pins to attach the strips to the wreath 

Instructions

Backbone strips: Cut the dark green fat quarter into 4cm (1.5") wide strips. You will need 9 -10 strips that are approx. 54cm (21") long.

Cross-strips: Cut the assorted fabrics into 4cm (1.5") wide strips, then cross-cut so the strips are 9cm (3.5") long. To save time, you can cut a stack of 3-4 fabrics as long as your rotary blade is sharp. We first cut the 4cm wide strips without separating them, then simply rotated the cutting mat and made a second set of cuts every 9cm.

Stitch the cross strips to the backbones: Place one dark green backbone strip in the sewing machine and take a few stitches down the middle of the strip to hold it in place (see second photo below). Start adding cross strips as follows: fold one cross-strip in half lengthwise to make a 2cm (3/4") wide strip and pinch it in the middle. Then layer another cross-strip on top and fold it in half lengthwise. We found it easiest to fold and stack the strips flat on the table and then pinch them together as shown above.

Center the stacked cross strips on the backbone and take a few stitches down the middle.

Continue folding and adding cross-strips to the backbone strip, one right after another, as shown in the photos above. You should not need to raise and lower the presser foot as long as you take only a few stitches before you add the next set of strips.

You can use chain piecing if you wish by starting on the next backbone without lifting the needle. Each backbone will hold about 26 stacked cross strips. It will take a little time to sew the strips - but not days! It goes fairly quickly, and soon you will have a tantalizing collection of fluffy strips.

Make the bow: Before you finish stitching all the strips, attach the bow "strings" and bow to one of the backbone strips, about 15cm (6") from the end. First, cut the bow fabric into one 20 x 54cm (8" x 21") strip and one 5 x 54cm (2" x 21") strip. Fold the 20cm (8") wide strip in fourths, lengthwise, making an accordion fold as shown above (first fold the strip in half lengthwise with right sides together; then fold back the raw edges.) This will become the "strings" for the bow.

Then fold the 5cm (2") wide strip to make a flat bow. We've provided a free bow template in a pdf file (download here).

Attach the bow "strings" and bow to one of the backbone strips, about 15cm (6") from the end. First, center the bow strings on the backbone and then layer the flat bow on top of the strings and stitch down the middle, stitching through all layers. When you are done stitching the bow, continue stitching cross pieces onto the backbone.

Assemble the wreath: Start with the strip that has the bow. Center the bow on the front of the wreath form and pin it in place temporarily with a t-pin.

Then start wrapping the strip around the wreath, pushing the bow and cross-strips to the left as you wrap the strip to the right. When have finished wrapping this strip, secure the end with a t-pin (you can tuck the t-pin underneath a cross strip so that it does not show). Also wrap and pin the left end of the strip behind the bow (once both ends are secured, you can remove the pin from the bow.) Keep pinning and wrapping strips around the wreath, one after another, until the entire form is covered. Hint: If you wrap slowly, an inch or two at a time, it will be easy to push aside the cross strips so they do not get caught underneath the strip you are wrapping. When you have gone all the way around the wreath cut off any extra strips. We used about 9.5 strips for our finished wreath. Fluff the wreath with your fingers, straightening out any crumpled strips.

This is a great project to use up all your leftovers and scraps. Don’t forget we also offer GREAT DEALS on off-cuts sold by weight! Just give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX for more info. You can also send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.