January | 2012 | Modesty Matters' Blog

Archive for January, 2012

DIY Eye Mask

Happy New Year!

DIY Eye Mask

Part of being healthy is getting a good night’s sleep. Sometimes, that can be difficult. Make your own (very simple) eye mask to help eliminate unnecessary light that may be keeping you awake. My daughter LOVES her eye mask & wears it nearly every night without fail. Little girls love to have a fun little mask to go with their nightgowns. As always we have made this project very easy because we are: Modesty Matters – You CAN Sew!

With just a few materials and about 20 minutes, you can have an awesome tool for a great night’s sleep. These can also be tons of fun for sleep-overs, as party favors, last minute gifts, stocking stuffers, or as ministry donations to a local nursing home or shelter. You could even have a “spa” day with your girls!

These eye masks are made using two layers of fabric (for thinner fabrics, you may want to thicken each layer by making it consist of two pieces, so 1 layer = 2 pieces [see photos below]). You can make both sides from the same material, or from different materials. Complementary color schemes would be fun, but so would different textures. I love for one side to be satin and the other side to be flannel or cotton. Ultimately, it’s up to you!

Before finishing, you could insert some lavender or chamomile leaves to make for a more relaxing sleep experience. It is not necessary, but you might enjoy it. =) Alternately, you could use a layer of fleece between the two outer layers for a more fluffy experience. Try some beans for light pressure, or rice for a warm or cool experience depending on your preference. (Be extra careful if you choose to microwave this as a rice eye mask. ALWAYS test it first.)

For this project, you will need:

A fat quarter (or two, depending on your preference)
Pins
Stretchy Lace or Plain ¼” Elastic
Machine
Thread
Sharp Scissors
Pattern/Template

A “Fat Quarter” is purely a quarter of a yard of fabric, cut differently than if you plainly asked for a quarter of a yard of fabric. A fat quarter is essentially a large square of fabric with only one selvage edge, whereas a quarter yard is a long, skinny rectangle from selvage to selvage. So, instead of being cut into strips, a yard of fabric is cut into blocks. (See image below.) Not all fabric stores will cut fat quarters by request and therefore you may need to ask.

Separate pieces of mask fabric into groups of two with wrong sides together.

#1-Stitch pieces of elastic to the sides of one group of fabric with the wrong sides facing each other.

#2-Fold the nose piece in half the long way. Press with a warm, dry iron (no steam). PIN. Stitch the raw edges of the nose piece to the nose curve of the same mask group that you just stitched the elastic to.

#3-Layer the other group of fabric in such a way that the elastic and nose piece are concealed or in a sense sandwiched.

#4-Straight stitch (seam allowance= 1/4″) around the layers leaving a 1½” section open. Cut notches
(cut & remove small triangles pointing in towards the seam) around the curves. This helps the piece turn well without crumpled, awkward edges.

#5-Turn and gently press mask, right-side-out. Push the edges of the opening (that you left in order to turn the piece right side out) toward the inside and also press.

#6-Top stitch, using about a ⅛” seam allowance from the edge, while being careful not to catch the elastic or the nose piece in the seam.

Done! J

***Click HERE for a PRINTABLE version.

We’ve joined the following hops to share our ideas this week: (Please visit one, or all, of these great sites for countless free project ideas and inspiration! If you are visiting from one of these great sites, thank you for coming!Your comments are truly appreciated.)

MONDAY:

TUESDAY:

WEDNESDAY:

THURSDAY:

FRIDAY:

SATURDAY:

Visit us online for other great projects and products!

www.ModestyMatters.net

January 24, 2012 at 5:00 PM 5 comments

Learn the Backstitch

Hand Embroidery using the Backstitch

with

DIY Felt Pillow

www.ModestyMatters.net

Here is a cute & simple little project that you can use to work on learning new hand stitches. Even the little ones in your house can do this one with your supervision. It makes for a great quiet activity and keeps little hands busy. In case you were wondering, this activity is also great for building eye-hand coordination and strengthening those fine motor skills.

The tools needed for this activity:

Pinking Shears
Sharp Scissors
Pattern/Template
Embroidery Needle
Embroidery Floss
2-8½ X 11 Pieces of Craft Felt
Batting
Sewing Machine (optional)

First, let’s dive into the backstitch, itself:

Give yourself a length of embroidery floss not more than 18 inches, and knot it off at the end. (I’ve used a double strand to make it easier for you to see what I am doing.)

Next, come up from the bottom side of the fabric a full stitch length ahead of where you actually want to begin.

Then, re-enter the fabric {back} where you originally wanted the stitching to begin…

…and pass the needle underneath to come up a full stitch length past where the knot was placed.

Now, re-enter the fabric from the top side {back} at the position where the knot is.

Again, pass the needle through the fabric and a full stitch length past where you came up last time.

Now, re-enter the fabric {back} where the prior stitch came through.

Continue to repeat this process until you have accomplished your goal.

Pass the thread through to the back side of the project and knot it off.

Now onto a way in which we can use this lovely and simple stitch! Use a piece of paper to create a template or pattern for your pillow.

(I cut a heart out of notebook paper, but you can probably Google just about any simple image and adjust its size in your printer’s dialog.)

Mark around the very edges of your template using pins in order to give you the ability to eyeball your stitching placement.

I knew that I wanted to stitch the word “LOVE,” so I folded my pattern piece in half in order to give me a straight line to draft the word upon.

With my sizing and spacing figured out, I wrote directly on the felt above my sample writing on the paper.

Through the top layer only, I began my backstitching.

There are lots of ways to do this: You can use a grid to help you with stitch consistency by marking where your stitches should begin. There is a fabulous product out there called Tiger Tape that Quilters use for stitch consistency. You could use a ruler. You could just follow the lines that you drew and try to keep your stitches the same length. I chose the plastic grid that I had handy.

*Stitch Consistency is keeping your stitches all the same length, tension, and same distance apart from each other.*

This is very hard to achieve by hand, however not impossible with much practice.

Using my grid for uniformity, I darkened where every other hole in the grid lined up. Then, I began my backstitch, as shown before, from the underside of the fabric one stitch ahead of where I actually wanted to begin.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Now that you’re finished with the hand embroidery, layer the two pieces of felt together, replace the pattern & move the pins to secure the pattern piece in place. Using pinking shears, cut around the outside of the pattern, leaving about an inch of space between the cut line and the pattern.

With your machine (optional) you can stitch around the perimeter of the pattern piece. If you’re really ambitious, you could just backstitch the perimeter. Remember to leave an opening in order to stuff this cute pillow. Then, simply close it with whatever means you chose to sew the perimeter.

You’ve done it! What an adorable way to practice your hand stitches! This would make a great teacher gift for Valentine’s Day, pet toy, doll cradle decoration, or seasonal decoration. Make three different hearts for Valentine’s conversation hearts as a table centerpiece. Do you have a special neighbor or friend? Is there a nursing home or rehab center nearby? This could really make someone’s day!

With whatever pattern you choose, and whatever word(s) or shape(s) you add, may you truly enjoy the process. Have fun!

Warmly,

Jen & Dee

Backstitch w/ModestyMatters.net