Easy hand sewn hair bow tie clips

I love this project. I hand sewed mine, but you could absolutely use a machine and make them even faster.

You will need:

• a 8.5 inch wide by 5 inch tall piece of fabric (if it's directional- otherwise just 8.5x 5 inches)
• pinking shears
• sewing needle
• thread
• pins
• 2 tapestry needles
• embroidery floss
• buttons

You will also need some sort of clips. I used plastic clips for mine that didn't have sewing holes. If you prefer to sew on the clips, use a different type. I used E-6000 glue to glue my bows to the clips.

If you use a knit fabric- regular scissors will work. Pinking shears are recommended for woven fabrics or you can seal the edges with a very light coat of either watered down PVA glue or Fray Check.

Cut 2 strips, 8.5 x 2.5 inches

Fold and finger press one end a half inch to the back.

Now you're going to do the trickiest part. Fold the fabric right sides together with the folded edge centered on the back on the inside and the other edge overlapping that. Pin it.

Now stitch the two long edges.

When you turn it right side out, making sure the corners are completely turned using something like a chopstick or a pen it will look sort of like a pillow sham with the folded edge on the outside of the back.

I marked the stitches to gather the center with pins since I was using black thread. If the fabric is fairly thin, 6 evenly spaced stitches works. For a thicker fabric like the knit I used- 4 stitches worked, sectioning the gathers into 3 different gathers. Top, 1/3 down, 2/3s down, bottom, starting from the front. 

Pull stitches tight to gather. 

To put on the button, I threaded 2 tapestry needles with one length of 3 strands of embroidery floss, then pushed both needles through, and tied in knot on the back. 

Because the fabric was thick, it needed extra gathering. Since the gathers were set by the stitches, I wrapped them tighter with the tails of the embroidery floss, bringing each end in opposite directions around the bow, under the button, then tying tightly. 

Then glued the bows on the clips! If you're using a directional fabric, make sure you face the clips in opposite directions. 

I love these, they are simple to make with scraps of fabric- or making them a little smaller, they can be made with Spoonflower swatches, which is what I used for my prototypes. 

This fabric is available for sale in my Spoonflower shop

Festival Bun Cover- Photon Yarn

I'm so wild for this yarn, and the long bohemian fringe of it hanging from this bun cover.

The bun cover is actually made in 2 parts. The cover is one, and the fall is the other, so you can wear it without the fall. The yarn is Darn Good Yarn's Recycled Photon Rainbow Sport Weight Silk Yarn.
(check out this bracelet pattern in the same yarn)

To make this festive bun cover you will need:

• 2 thick no metal hair elastics
• Recycled Photon Rainbow Sportweight Silk Yarn
• Size G hook
• Yarn needle
• Scissors

Stitches=

• ch=chain
• sc= single crochet
• dc=double crochet
• sl st= slip stitch
• st or sts= stitch or stitches
• repeat ** means repeat the instructions between the asterisks.

American terminology

Bun cover:
Ch 8, sl st to join
Round 1: Chain 1 loosely (counts as first stitch), 11 sc in ring, sl st to ch 1 to join (12 sts)
Round 2: Ch 5 (first dc and ch 2), *dc in next st, ch 2, * repeat ** 10 times, sl st to 3rd st in beginning ch 5 to join (12 spaces)
Round 3: ch 1 loosely, 2 sc in space, *sc in next st, 2 sc in space*, repeat ** 10 times, sl st to first chain to join (36 sts)
Round 4: Ch 5, skip 2 sts, *dc in next st, ch 2*, repeat ** 10 times, sl st to 3rd st in beginning ch 5 to join. (12 spaces)
Round 5: Repeat round 4
Round 6- Hold hair elastic against the last round, and single crochet over the hair elastic into the stitches on the last round to encase and attach the elastic. Sc in each stitch around, sl st to join. Break off, weave in ends.

Hair fall-
Cut 18 lengths of yarn twice as long + 2 inches as you want the fall to be. Working with 2 strands at a time, pull them through the other elastic and tie in overhand knot close to the elastic.

To wear it, you make your bun- I just twist a section of hair up and hold it in place while slipping the bun cover over, then hold the bun cover in place while putting the fall over it. Slip a nice hair stick through weaving it into your bun to lock it into position.

The bun cover above is made with Darn Good Yarn's Chiffon Ribbon, and I'm giving the pattern to them exclusively. Follow Darn Good Yarn and Shala's Beadwork and Printables on Facebook to find out when it's posted! (I'll also update this entry then) 

Crochet bow pattern

This hair bow is crocheted to lay flat by using chains on the edges instead of working single crochets all the way around. I was trying for a rounded Hello Kitty effect. It's made in 3 parts which are stitched together then stitched to a hair clip.

You will need:
Worsted weight yarn- I used Lily Sugar 'N Cream in  Light Blue
Size F hook
Yarn needle

American terminology
Ch=chain
Sc=single crochet
dec sc= decrease over 2 stitches in single crochet
sl st= slip stitch
st or sts= stitch or stitches

Make 2:
Ch 8 (ch 7 plus 1 to turn)
Round 1: Sc in front loop of each stitch of the starting chain, ch 2, turn chain and sc in opposite loop of starting chain, ch 2, sl st to starting sc to join (7 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 2: Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), 2 sc in first stitch, sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc next st, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sl st to starting chain to join. (9 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 3: Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), sc in first stitch, sc in next 8 stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sc in next 9 stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sl st to starting sc to join (9 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 4: Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), dec sc , sc in next 5 stitches, dec sc, ch 2, skip ch 2 space,  dec sc , sc in next 5 stitches, dec sc, ch 2, sl st to first sc to join (7 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 5: Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), sc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sc in next 7 stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sl st to starting sc to join (7 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 6: Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), dec sc , sc in next 3 stitches, dec sc, ch 2, skip ch 2 space,  dec sc , sc in next 3 stitches, dec sc, ch 2, sl st to first sc to join (5 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 7:  Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), sc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sc in next 5 stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sl st to starting sc to join (5 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 8: Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), dec sc , sc in next stitch, dec sc, ch 2, skip ch 2 space,  dec sc , sc in next stitch, dec sc, ch 2, sl st to first sc to join (3 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)
Round 9-10:  Ch 1 to turn, (does not count as first stitch), sc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sc in next  3stitches, ch 2, skip ch 2 space, sl st to starting sc to join (3 sts on each side, 2 ch 2 spaces)

Break off end. Sew the two pieces together on the narrow ends.

Middle:
Ch 11 loosely
Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook, sc in each stitch across ch 1 to turn.
Row 2-4: sc in each stitch across, ch 1 to turn

Break off ends, wrap it around the narrow section of the bow and stitch ends together and secure to bow. Then stitch the bow on to a barrette, comb or hair slide!

You can also start with a chain 5, increase to 7 stitches and decrease from there to make a smaller bow. But I like this size!

Check out the gorgeous sunrise we had this morning!

6 Ws- Boar Bristle Hair Brushes

6 Ws is a new idea I'm trying out, and this is the first one. Inspired by a friend who said that all of us take all these things we know for granted that should be shared. So hopefully at least a few of my friends will do the same thing and share some of the things they know and take for granted.

Why boar bristle hair brushes? Yesterday I was washing my hair brushes and trying to figure out how what looked like yarn bits got into it. The answer will probably remain a mystery, but teaching my daughter how to properly clean one, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

This will cover why use boar bristle hair brushes, how to clean them, and a bit about the different types. I'm not an expert. It's just my opinion.

Who should use boar bristle hair brushes?

If you have straight or wavy hair, boar bristle hair brushes will probably be excellent for you. Some people recommend them only for short or medium length hair, however, they were frequently used in history by women with very long hair. My own hair is waist length and the only hair tools I use frequently are a wide toothed pick to detangle and boar bristle paddle brush.

What is a boar bristle brush?

Basically, it's a brush with bristles made of boar's hair set into a base of some sort. After that, it gets a lot more complicated.
Some have cushions which means there is a soft cushion between the bristles and the base of the brush. Others are just bristles set into a brush base.
The brushes also come in different lengths and softness. Some are harder than others, and some are very soft. As you use different kinds, you'll find the type that works best for you.
The handle/base profile is in part determined by the length of hair you have. For example, the brush above is a large paddle that works well for longer hair. There are some great brushes designed specifically for men's hair which have short bristles and short or no handle at all.
Combination brushes will have two or more types of bristles, nylon and boar bristles is a popular combination.

When should you use it?

Not on wet hair. Ever. If you need to detangle while your hair is wet, use something very smooth with wide set teeth, a lot of people recommend wood or horn combs. I use a plastic hair pick, the same kind my son uses on his very curly hair. If you decide to use plastic, you can sand down molding seam marks by using wet wet/dry sandpaper in a fine size, rinse well and then polish it up with muslin. It seems like a pain, but you only have to do it once for the lifetime of your comb and it will be easier on your hair for taking the time.  Other than that, if your hair is dry, brush it once or twice a day.

Where?

You get what you pay for, there are some decent, inexpensive brushes that come from all over the world. More expensive brushes will last longer and are designed better. English brand Mason Pearson makes wonderful brushes with a rubber pad that helps cut static electricity, but they also cost over 100.00 each.
(okay, I stretched for where)

How to use and care for a boar bristle hair brush:

If you have longer hair, you'll want to get the tangles out before brushing. Brushing with a boar bristle brush is less about detangling and more about styling and finishing. You remember when you were a kid and your mom detangled your hair from the bottom up? That's exactly the opposite of how you should brush with a boar bristle brush. You should do long strokes, root to tip. A hard brush can be hard on your scalp, and a soft brush might be too soft. Find the in-between that works best for you.

To care for a brush-
The Mason-Pearson brushes frequently come with a brush cleaner. Most don't and the brush cleaner only works to pull out strands of hair and dust. It doesn't work on the waxy sebum from your scalp which will get on any brush you use.
Since bristles are hair, you'll clean it much like hair. Use the back of a comb running it back and forth across the bristles and tapping it bristle side down lightly every so often to shake off the residue. If you have hair (or yarn, seriously, why was there yarn in my hair brush?) in your brush, comb through the brush lightly. Don't force it, you don't want to loosen the bristles. Pull it completely off and clean the comb then repeat until all the stuff caught in the bristles is off. Get the bristles wet in warm water, then use a small amount of shampoo, work it into the bristles, and rinse well. Clarifying shampoos are best, they break up oil and hair product well. Then set the brush down somewhere safe to dry completely before using it again.
Do the first method, running the back of the comb across the bristles to shake loose dust daily. Comb out long hair strands weekly, and wash your brush either every 2 weeks or once a month depending on how oily your hair is or how much product you use.

Why use a boar bristle brush?
What boar bristle brushes do better than any other kind of brush is redistribute the oils from your hair. Those oils are vital for healthy hair, but just at the scalp, it looks awful. When the oils are redistributed down the length of your hair, your hair shines. Not an oily shine, but a healthy shine. The brushes also give a very sleek finish. My daughter likes them because they don't pull her curls the same way other brushes do, and she can get her hair well managed by washing it every other day and using a boar bristle brush between washes.  I like them because they do really make my hair very sleek and shiny.

The Spornette DeVille brush is very affordable and works well. The Mason Pearson brushes are better quality and more expensive.

Scrunchie- easy jelly roll hand sewing project

Scrunchies are one of the easiest hand sewn projects to make, and they are super handy. I use them at the gym a lot to pin back my hair. The ones above were made using jelly roll strips. If you've never done any quilting, you may not know about jelly rolls. They are strips of fabric cut selvage to selvage and 2.5 inches wide. There are lots of them available on Etsy. My daughter and I use them a lot for small sewn projects. You can make 2 matching scrunchies from 1 strip, 14 inches of elastic and thread.

You will need:

• 1 jelly roll strip OR 2 strips of fabric 22 inches long and 2.5 inches wide
• 1/4 inch wide elastic
• thread
• needle
• scissors
• safety pin

Cut the strip in half to make 2 22 inch strips, and cut 2 pieces of 1/4 inch elastic that are 7 inches long.

Fold the strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, thread a needle with a comfortable working length of thread, and make a couple small back stitches to start the sewing, then sew down the length 1/4- 1/3 inch from the edge. You can use a running stitch or back stitch. If you use a running stitch, make a back stitch every few inches to prevent accidentally gathering the fabric.

Put the safety pin on one end of the open tube through just one layer. Push the safety pin with the fabric through the length of the tube to turn right side out.

Attach the safety pin to the elastic and use it to  thread the elastic through the tube, gathering the tube as you go and being careful not to pull the end all the way through.

Bring the two ends of elastic together, overlap and stitch securely. Then tuck the edges of the tube in 1/2 inch, and slip stitch the ends together to close.

Repeat for the matching scrunchie.

This makes a good project for kids as well, and picking their favorite colors from a jelly roll can be a lot of fun. 

Coloring Page: Rose Window at Saint Denis- North

This is the North transcept rose window at St. Denis. The photo is from Wikimedia Commons.
One of the things I love about this window is the use of the zodiac in the 5 circle.

Here's my version to color. Click on the images for larger versions.
Small JPG version:

Large transparent PNG version:

There is another window from St. Denis to color here.

Recently I was sent some gorgeous vintage glass and a couple beautiful barrettes. I used some of the glass to make this bracelet.

You can find some details about how it was made here.
This is one of the two barrettes-

The barrette is made out of vegetable tan leather, and the wonderful artist who sent it does have an Etsy store, where you can get lots of different hair toys and leather masks- Beadmask. As far as the feather fall goes, that was made by a friend who I'll be setting up an Etsy shop for soon. Another extraordinary beader and artist named Teri Packel. 

Things I'm Loving Right Now

The Illustrated Hassle-Free Make Your Own Clothes Book  -I love this book, and it's currently 1.99 in Kindle format. Don't be fooled by the cover, with it's clean cut young lady from the late 60s- early 70s sewing. This is a non-fussy, completely groovy, peace, love, happiness and a pair of scissors hippie sewing book. It's instructions on how to make caftan patterns and tells you that you can sew yourself outfits completely by hand. The text reminds me a lot of my mother and her friends sitting on big floor pillows, with incense burning and a mix of fondue pots. My daughter loves this book as well. For 1.99, it's worth the risk to see if you'd like a physical copy.

Marian Call's Something Fierce- I woke up this morning with one of the songs from this album stuck in my head. The name of the song is Dear Mr. Darcy, over 1000 words long, it's the song which inspired the title of the album. "If you peel back the polite, there might be something fierce inside." - Marian's music has cross-generational appeal, it's a bit of coffee house, a bit of jazz, a bit of folk, and always intelligent. At times it's laugh out loud funny. She's a favorite singer of my family, and we go to as many all ages shows as we can. Check her website to see if she'll be in your area, she tours extensively.

Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town- The Persuasions were part of the soundtrack of my youth, but to be completely honest, I think I like the Talk of the Town better. This is another one of those groups that my whole family likes, a Capella with a  strong gospel influence.
(all of the above are Amazon.com affiliate links)


Garden planning! We are .5 inch away from the snowiest winter on record since Alaska became a state. But it's starting to thaw, and things are showing back up in my yard which gives me hope. I'm planning to put in more perennial herbs that are zone 3 hardy this year. Any suggestions?

Mod Podge!

Apple green with the shade of pink I use for so much of this site. I'm currently making a friendship bracelet using those colors.

Hair toys! The peacock feathers were a gift from a friend. She's considering making more for sale, and I'll let you know if she does. The colored shells on hemp I made, and they click and clack against each other.

AND.. last but not least-
Monday Peeps will be on sale for roasting to make Peep S'mores, and so will Easter egg dye for coloring your natural fibers and feathers.

Button Your Braids- hair tie tutorial

I like buttons! This project takes 2 large buttons and 2 smaller buttons to make a pair of hair ties. The finished ties are wrapped around the hair a few times, then secure it closed by pulling the elastic over the button. This project is super quick.

You will need:
2 big buttons
2 smaller buttons- contrasting colors are great
1/16 inch elastic cord
Strong sewing thread
Glue- Super glue or PVA glue will work. It's used to secure the knot.
Scissors

Cut 2 5 inch pieces of elastic cord and thread each button with elastic, the two ends should come out on top of the button. Tie a square knot in the elastic.

How to tie a square knot

Secure the knot with a dab of glue and trim close.

Thread your needle, and go down through the top of the button and back up through the other hole, leaving a tail, tie the working end of the thread and the tail end of the thread in a tight knot. go through the button a second time, and when you come back up, put on the small button. Sew securely to the bottom button. When it's securely sewn on, bring the needle and thread between the two buttons and tie the end off to the tail, pulling tight so the knot is between the button. Tie a couple more knots to keep it secure, and cut off the ends of the thread as close as possible between the two buttons.

Wrap the elastic around your braid a few times, then pull the loop over the button to close!

My daughter loves these, and I enjoy the fun of them quite a bit as well. If you're using stash buttons, you can make a lot of these for a lot less than buying decorated hair ties. 

My new chou loom

If you look up the word シュシュ in Google, you'll find out that it means "chou" and that a chou is a scrunchie.
I asked Abigail of Abigail's Craft How To how to pronounce it, she said "shu-shu". There is a loom that's available in Japan for making them. It's a very simple pegged knitting loom. (Japanese site) This weekend, my husband and daughter teamed up to make me one.

The pegs are a little long and there are a couple other modifications that we've talked about making. But the chou on the loom is one that I knitted out of thrifted vintage acrylic yarn. I don't have any fuzzy or furry yarn handy or I've have tried it out of that. The wide open knit has a lot of stretch, and there is elastic in it as well. It's super easy to make scrunchies on the loom. They will probably make a few to sell in my Etsy shop. First there are a couple things that I want to work out.

I'm not a fan of acrylic yarn usually, this is from The Amazing Turnip Girl's stash.

This weekend I also made a pair of ear cuffs, that I'll be posting instructions for on Beadwork at BellaOnline later today. After trying a few ways to photograph them, I finally just put them on the loom.

I also made myself a very large hair bobble using tabletop skulls from Halloween. I'll post instructions for hair bobbles later this week!

Easy to Sew Flower Project

If you follow me on Pinterest, you've noticed that I've been posting a lot of Japanese and Chinese links, including a bunch for sewn flower projects. This hair comb is inspired by those projects. I first saw the technique on a sunflower.
Since I couldn't get to my large fabric stash, I had to work with what I had on hand, which was some jelly roll strip that were on my desk, so that limited the size. This is a largish flower sewn to a side comb.

You will need:

• 3 colors of woven fabric
• a scrap of felt
• stuffing
• needle
• thread
• scissors
• hair comb or pin back
• chopstick or knitting needle to turn

Because it takes only a small amount of fabric, charms and jelly roll strips work great,  or scraps from sewing projects or salvaged scraps from old clothes.

All the pieces are built off of circles. Because the width of the jelly roll is 2.5 inches, that was the radius of my semi-circle for the petals and leaves. If you're using wider fabric, you'll cut 3 5 inch circles, and cut them each in half for the petals. For the leaves, you only need 1 half circle. The center is 2 inch diameter circle. The piece of felt to sew all the pieces to is 1 inch diameter.

Fold the petals in half, right sides facing each other, and stitch the straight edge. Knot off. Turn right side out using the chopstick to get the corner out completely. Do a running stitch along the rounded open edge, and pull tightly to gather. Repeat with the other 4 petal pieces.

Now stitch the 5 petals together into a circle, pull tight! Tie a knot.

Next you'll do the leaves. Cut the half circle for the leaves in half to make a quarter circle, fold right sides together, and stitch down the straight edge. Knot off, turn right side out, and stitch and gather the round bottom edge.

Now to do the center. It's just a little puff in the middle. Do a running stitch around the center circle, pull to gather just a bit, put in a small amount of stuffing, then pull it tighter. Knot off and stitch the center on top of the flower petals. Try to enclose the raw edges of the flower center, and cover the raw edges of the petals.

Flip it over, and stitch on the leaves.

Then you'll sew on the felt circle on the back to cover all the raw edges. Attach to a hair comb, pin back or barrette!

Looks like spring if you're as a eager as I am to start seedlings for summer gardens. We've been getting so much snow that my husband doesn't understand why I'm looking at seed catalogs and sighing happily!

Eyeball hair sticks!

These are quick and easy to make, and I think they make a delightfully creepy Halloween season accessory.

You will need:

• Ping pong style eyeball favors- I got mine from a local party and costume supply store, a dozen for under 2.00
• decent quality disposable chopsticks- either scavenged from a meal, or in my case, I found a big bag of them at a thrift store, 61.5 pairs for 5.50! (one was packaged all by itself)
• Modelling clay
• drill and a larger drill bit- I used my Fiskar's Craft Drill which is hand powered
• E-6000 or similar glue

Not shown:

• saw
• 400 grit sandpaper
• Craft knife

Make a rolled snake with the modelling clay then make a ring, set the eyeball firmly on the ring. This creates a good base to hold the round shape for drilling.

Drill hole in the eyeball. You only want it going through one side of the eyeball, and I really like my craft drill for drilling small plastic things because it's quiet, doesn't go fast enough to melt the plastic, and it's harder to accidentally go too far through it.

Saw off the connecting top of the chop sticks, and sharpen the tip a bit with the craft knife. Disposable chopsticks are reasonably smooth to begin with. Smooth it further with the 400 grit sandpaper so they won't snag hair.

Using the craft knife, enlarge the hole as necessary in the eyeball so the top of the chop stick will fit into it, shaving off bits of plastic. A little big is fine.

Put a dollop of glue on the top of the chop stick, and push it in the eye all the way until it hits the top of the eye. Repeat with the other chop stick. Set aside and let the glue cure.

If you want, you could add a dripping blood effect along the chop stick using red nail polish. 

Model is the Turnip Girl, but I made a pair for each of us yesterday. My husband finds them pretty creepy!

How to make an Alice band

It seems to be my week for hair, after posting the button bobby pin tutorial, I decided to make Alice in Wonderland style headbands for my daughter and I. They are super simple to make with basic handsewing skills and make good tv projects. They can be modified. She likes a bigger bow than I do for example.

You will need 1/2 inch ribbon, Fray Check or clear nail polish, 3/8 inch elastic and needle and thread and straight pins to make this project.

Cut 3 lengths of ribbon, 14, 8 and 1.5 inches. Apply Fray check or nail polish to the cut edges of all 3 pieces. Let dry.

For the bow, sew the edges together, and then flatten it so the seam is in the middle of the back. Pin that. Find the middle of the 14 inch piece and pin that as well.

 Place the center of the 8 inch bow part over the center of the 14 inch ribbon and repin through all 3 layers of ribbon. Wrap the 1.5 inch piece around both layers of ribbon and sew securely in place. I used back stitches and didn't go through the top layer of the wrapped ribbon. Whip stitch over the edge of the 1.5 inch piece to sew it down.

Now you just need to add the elastic. Fold over the edge of the 14 inch ribbon on end 1/4 inch, then pin the elastic to the middle of that and sew down securely. Check sizing here, you might need shorter elastic depending on the size of the head and how stretchy the elastic is. Fold the other end of the ribbon and sew on the elastic, checking to make sure you don't flip the elastic.

Confession time- I don't actually use a measuring tape when I make these. I use a paperback book. Up the front cover around to the bottom of the back cover lengthwise is the length of the band, one cover length for a bow size I like, cover plus depth of the book on both ends for an daughter sized bow then I wrap the center piece around the ribbon with an overlap to cut that. If I'm using a not very stretchy elastic it's the width of the paperback plus the thickness, if the elastic is stretchier, it's the width of the book. 

This makes a very charming easy to wear ribbon bow.