DIY Scarf Hanger With One Fat Quarter & Only 3 Seams

Happiness is scoring a bunch of reusable grommets...

Almost three and a half years ago, I picked up a drapery panel at Value Village. When I brought it home, I discovered that it was actually two layers: a white polyester overlay on top of a bright pink cotton. It turned out to be unexpectedly versatile.

It was subsequently turned into a couple of bags, the Oriole and a modified convertible backpack, as well as a zippered pouch and a wallet. You also saw it last week as my tangram puzzle.

The main reason I bought the drapery panel, however, was because of the grommets. A lot of discount store curtains have grommets on them, but not many have the kind that you can remove and reuse.

These are identical to the plastic snap-on version sold by Dritz. I did a quick search and a package of eight would cost me $21.91 online. My entire curtain panel only set me back nine dollars (and yes, there were also eight grommets on it).

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Funny thing, though, about the grommets. Every previous time I've considered using them, they didn't quite make the grade.

Recently, however — after making yet another scarf for myself — it occurred to me that I needed a scarf hanger, with the grommets functioning as holes to pull the scarves through.

So it was that in the early morning hours of another of my many restless nights, I pondered how I could make a scarf hanger as easily as possible. The next day, I pulled out my remaining fat quarters of Tim Holtz's Eclectic Elements fabric and picked one.

An Eclectic Elements fat quarter...

If you stop to think about it, there aren't many things that you can make out of a single fat quarter that's not a pouch, a placemat or something similarly mundane. I actually run across many projects designed for fat quarters, but when you look into them, they call for multiple fat quarters.

This one truly uses only a single fat quarter. But don't let that stop you from considering other fabric sources, such as a pillowcase. I've used several pillowcases in my projects (most notably, the lining of my Goddess of the Sea bag used to be a pillowcase); those found in discount shops often feature decent prints and yield a good amount of material for a couple of bucks.

Putting grommets down to plan the spacing...

In terms of difficulty, what could be simpler than attaching a panel of fabric to a clothes hanger? (This one came from a dry cleaning service years ago and is a bit wider than a conventional wire hanger, but the concept is the same with any hanger.) The best part is that a fat quarter — i.e., a piece of fabric that's approximately 22" x 18" — of quilting cotton is perfectly sized for this project.

Choose one with a print that isn't directional, because the fabric will need to run sideways. (Oh, and because I really like this particular selvage, it's staying on as a design "feature".)

Ensuring that my grommets holes are properly spaced...

To give the whole thing some firmness, I used a piece of Peltex. And because I learned my lesson from a previous experience, the holes were cut into the Peltex before inserting it between the fabric.

The interfacing provided a clean slate to draw whatever lines I needed to position the openings evenly.

Holes cut out with a seam ripper...

Since I used the grommet as a template to trace holes, I cut about 1/8" around the outside of the traced circles to ensure that the holes would be big enough. (A seam ripper was the perfect tool for the job, by the way.)

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To confirm the title of this post, sewing this up consisted of only three seams. The first two are these ones along the sides:

Seams one and two...

After sewing up the sides, I turned it right side out, then inserted and fused the piece of Peltex (fused to the front). The next step was to snip away the fabric at the location of the holes (again, a seam ripper works well to start the job) and install the grommets.

Grommets installed...

I had briefly considered a "removable" solution for the hanger, but then thought, why would I ever take it off? So while hook and loop tape, snaps or buttons are an option if one were to go that way, I just wanted to sew across the top and make the hanger a permanent part of the contraption. (Note that if you have an open ended pants hanger, this would not be an issue.)

Therefore, the third seam is the one that encloses the hanger across the top.

My new chiffon scarf gets first crack at the hanger...

As I said above, I liked the look of the selvage and therefore decided to make it part of the design.

View of the back...

You can see from the above view of the back that I did not sew all the way from end to end, due to the hanger being in the way. (I folded the hanger down onto the panel when I sewed, since I would otherwise not have room for either side of it under the arm of my sewing machine.) I did some bar-tacking along the selvage at both edges to compensate.

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May I say again how much I love this fabric collection? This particular one is called Correspondence, and features various stamps and postmarks. (It's still available online.) When I chose it for this project, it was because it was one of the few non-directional prints that I had. In seeing the final result, however, the fabric stands out in a way I hadn't expected.

Room for the rest of my chiffon scarves...

Yes, I've made a lot of scarves over the years. Here are my two t-shirt infinity scarves added to the hanger. 

Loaded up with my t-shirt scarves...

Speaking of fabric, my new chiffon scarf is made out of one of my own designs: Blooming 1.

Something that proves its usefulness within seconds...

Mustn't forget the very first scarf I ever made, out of my Pride and Prejudice fabric.

Accommodating all of the scarves I've made in last five years...

I'm thrilled when something easy to make serves an instant purpose. While I can't say that I've been waiting forever to make a scarf hanger, it's clear that I can use one!

And how great is it that I finally got to use my grommets? I'm pretty sure, however, that I never envisioned them being put on a scarf hanger when I bought that drapery panel years ago.

'Til next...

Free Pattern/Tutorial: No Sew Fabric Tangram Puzzle

T is for tangram...

Happy new year to one and all. 

Since that greeting doesn't negate the fact that life for most of us is the same as it was last week, today's post features a quick project that will help you through our continuing challenging times.

It's a no sewing required fabric tangram puzzle.

If you look up the definition of a tangram, you'll discover that it officially refers to a set of seven geometric shapes that are used to form different configurations; i.e., a puzzle.

This one is a four piece variant of the idea. The inspiration comes from an actual plastic puzzle that I've had since my school days.

My childhood tangram puzzle...

I don't remember who gave it to me, but over the years, it's provided hours of relaxation as well as vexation. While I'm able to solve all of the forty variations shown above, at any given time, I may not recall how to do so in a timely fashion.

With some scraps of fabric, a medium fusible interfacing like Decor Bond and some fabric glue, you can put together your own tangram puzzle to keep you occupied during any further pandemic lockdowns. I've put together two sets of templates for the project — one big, one small — which you can download here.

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The easiest way to do this — if you have a large enough piece of fabric and interfacing (a 10.5" long by 4" wide piece will give you room to maneuver for the smaller set of templates) — is to fuse the interfacing on first, then fold it in half lengthwise.

Single piece method of cutting...

Lay the templates out into a straight line configuration (puzzle #15) on top of the folded fabric and you can simultaneously cut out two of each piece. (Because this will be thick, avoid the fold line for best results; i.e., do not try to cut against the fold and then slice in half afterwards.) After cutting, jump down to instruction #4 below to finish.

You need two sides of each template...

Otherwise, if you are working with smaller scraps (or if you want the pieces to be made out of different fabrics), I suggest the following approach.

Cut pieces on the fold...

1. Fold your scrap of fabric and interfacing in half and place a horizontal edge of the template along the fold line. (Yes, in this case, you can cut along the fold!) Then cut around the template with a rotary cutter. (If you don't have a rotary cutter, you can trace around it and then cut with scissors.)

NOTE: The templates are not symmetrical! Be sure to confirm that the interfacing is correctly folded compared to the fabric. In the above picture, since my fabric is folded with wrong side out, the interfacing is folded with fusible side in.

Fuse the interfacing and then cut in half...

2. Fuse the interfacing to the fabric. Repeat the process with remaining templates.

3. Draw a line down the middle of each piece and cut into two.

4. Finish by using fabric glue to adhere each set of pieces back to back.

Prepare remaining template pieces...

As a check for accuracy, you can tell from the straight line configuration that all pieces have the same width. Carefully trim off whatever is needed to make it so.

Run an iron over the pieces one more time to set the glue.

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Now that you have your pieces, you can start on the various puzzles. If you search for "wikipedia t puzzle", you'll find a graphic showing one hundred and sixty configurations to solve.

Just 40 of the possible ways to solve this tangram puzzle...

To keep it simple, here is my original set of forty puzzles. And here is puzzle #1 solved.

Puzzle #1 solved...

If you've never done these before, the trick — if one can indeed call it that — is to envision the final form from a diagonal point of view rather than strictly horizontal/vertical.

Puzzle #2 solved...

Puzzle #2 is actually one of the easier ones. Also, if you look closely at the two identical components of this configuration, you'll quickly find the solution to a couple of others.

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As I hinted at earlier, the great thing about this kind of puzzle is that after you figure out the various solutions, you'll likely forget most of them over time. That means you won't soon grow tired of it.

This one here (#7) gave me fits.

Puzzle #7 solved...

Recommended for puzzle lovers of virtually any age, this little four piece set is easy to make for an all-occasion gift. (For a storage solution, perhaps check out this fabric envelope.) 

If your household is looking for new ways to survive yet another lockdown, consider making a set for every family member and have a competition amongst yourselves. (If you get truly stumped and need the solutions, you can find them online.)

'Til next...

2020 Year End Musings

Part of an old business card...

In mere days, we'll be flipping the page to a new calendar year and into a new decade. (If you recall the debate about "the new millennium" twenty years ago, there was never a year zero, so the decade of the twenties actually begins next week.)

Anyhoo. Today's post is a mishmash of thoughts that come to mind as we close off twelve months we won't soon forget.

20 Years of eSheep

Speaking of the new millennium, in January 2001, I registered a domain name for my consulting services. It's seems unreal that in a couple of weeks, it's going to be twenty years old.

Pet sheep parading around the
borders of my desktop keep
me entertained...

At the time, I was winding down a long running relationship with a local firm and wanted to cast my net a little wider. Web services were on the rise and I figured an online presence to show and share my work would be advantageous. (Kinda like what I'm doing here, now.)

Before I could do so, however, I had to come up with a name. I remember mulling over a few that reflected various interests of mine at the time. After a couple of weeks, I eliminated all but one of them as most likely being transitory.

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The idea of "electric sheep" — to be spelled eSheep per the digital trends of the day — was a concept that I felt strongly would stay relevant to me over time.

Science fiction fans among you will recognize the origin. It's a nod to Phillip K. Dick's 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the story otherwise known to the casual lay person as the movie Blade Runner. The odd thing about the homage is that neither the movie nor the book — which are significantly different from one another — are among my "desert island must haves" (they are way too dark and dystopian), but they've had a lasting impression on me over almost forty years.

Visiting with the Fort Saskatchewan sheep herd that maintains the city grass every summer...

It's compelling to ponder what makes us human, or what might prove us to be human. The book/movie has several themes, but this was the overarching one that has kept me engaged with the story over the decades.

Anyway, if you were ever curious about the name eSheep Designs, there's the long history behind it. When I started this blog, I just fell back on what already existed and added a virtual "design division" to my enterprises.

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More Disappearing Blogs and Websites

For a period of several weeks through November and into December, I held back from visiting my regular blog stops and YouTube channels. Sadly, so many of the blogs that I've regularly visited over the years have gone dark. I decided to "save" posts from the ones that were still active and consume them all in one sitting.

But even when bloggers run out of steam, you're generally still able to browse their past posts and see what you may have missed. This isn't always the case, however, which leads me to....

What's the deal with SewMamaSew?

If I'm not mistaken, the website has been offline for over a year now and no one (hello Kristin Link?) has provided any explanation as to what's happened. Facebook and Twitter accounts for SewMamaSew still exist, but despite many people asking via those platforms about the missing website, no one has deemed the queries worthy of a response.

Don't people deserve answers? Doesn't their support of the site during its heyday entitle them to the common courtesy of an answer? Am I the only one who's dismayed by the increasingly pervasive attitude that it's okay to ignore something if it doesn't serve [my own] purposes?

Scalloped edge fat quarter baskets...

I mean, by now it's obvious that SewMamaSew is probably not coming back — duh on us — but here's the twist: the site featured tutorials that were not permitted to be replicated elsewhere. The site being gone means that those tutorials are as good as gone, and I'm not sure that the designers of those projects know or have the option to put them up elsewhere.

For example, the scalloped edge fat quarter baskets (shown here and currently featured on my "this week in history" widget) that I posted about two years ago is one such project from SewMamaSew. The author of that tutorial is Sherri from ThreadRidingHood, whose blog — ironically enough — is also inactive and hasn't been updated since November of 2018. (I will say, however, that — with some effort — I was able to track down the tutorial via the Wayback Machine; i.e., web.archive.org.)

Just another reminder to...

Download and Back Up Your Stuff

A few months ago, I started receiving a bunch of feedback on my post about Nancy Zieman's Best Nest Organizer Basket. Turns out the free pattern is no longer available at the link provided by the YouTube video and people were wondering if I knew where they could find it. I did some research and discovered that it's been included in a new book of patterns put out by Nancy's Notions. However, with demand, there usually comes a supply, and I have since found the PDF to be available on a totally unrelated website. (Who knows? Maybe someone I gave it to uploaded it for general distribution.)

When [New] Craftsy — sorta like New Coke but worse — opened up back in September, I was one of many who couldn't log on using my old credentials, even though all parties involved in the "Bluprint to dead to revived Craftsy" transaction had assured members that such would be preserved.

The process by which to recover credentials doesn't work either, as the system just doesn't recognize my email address. For now, I'm fine with that, since I don't feel a pressing need to have an account.

Are you able to log into your old Bluprint account?

The only reason that I could figure for lockout was that I had never purchased any classes from Craftsy/Bluprint. The fact that I was one of the few remaining independent designers who still had an open pattern shop when Bluprint closed did not save my credentials. The fact that I had purchased actual goods (fabrics) in the past did not save my credentials. So surely the fact that I had purchased indie patterns from the old marketplace would not have saved my credentials.

Luckily, I was always in the habit of downloading those patterns as soon as I purchased them, including the freebies. Apparently there were folks who still hadn't done so when Bluprint closed down, which leads me to yet another smooth segue.

You see the second part of the signoff signature that I've been using since April? Be smart...

Because You Just Can't Fix Stupid

I've tried to be more tolerant and less judgmental — AKA, my "be kind and polite" effort — but there are still things that I find myself complaining about on a regular basis.

You know the old saying about building a better mousetrap? Well, even though we sometimes have mice in our yard or in our shed, a better mousetrap is not one of my top priorities.

Do you do this??

A few times a year, however, I find myself wondering why someone can't come up with a better solution for lotion bottle pumps that leave a good 50ml of product at the bottom (!) or a coffee creamer product with a top that doesn't leak all over the place.

Still apropos...

Or why my curling iron's on/off button is right where I hold it, so that at least half of the time, I end up turning it off while doing my hair. There comes a point where bad design transcends being simply inefficient and ineffective, and just serves as evidence that a whole bunch of people really weren't thinking.

Anyway, there's my rant for the year, proving that one can rant online without being rude, mean and toxic.

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Sew Anything Blog or So Anything Blog?

Amazingly enough — in spite of what I said last year about the challenges of blogging into 2020 — I did manage to come up with fifty-two new blog posts. Was it challenging? Many times. (Finding inspiration is getting tough; even YouTube videos are starting to have that same old, same old vibe.) Was it worthwhile? Mostly yes. I had my moments of thinking "how much longer can I keep doing this", but it never got to the point of "that's it!"

[Although for those of you not on this side of the blogging equation, Blogger — the platform itself that delivers our blog contents to you — revamped itself this past year amid some controversy, with changes that many of us feel have lessened our blogging pleasure. My "current post" widget won't display the right image, so I've opted not to display any image. I now have an extra task of parsing through the autogenerated HTML code to remove extraneous tags with each new post that I create. (And if you don't know what that entails, be thankful.)]

The bottom line is that it's been over seven years — officially passed into year eight territory earlier this month — and I'm still here. Not only that, I'm still mostly on topic, as I want to continue focusing on sewing when I post... except for the odd ramble like today's.

And I still promise that when I decide not to be here, I will be clear about it. In the meantime, here's hoping for a better year in 2021.

'Til next...

Warren the Charity Bear — Two Ways

Warren the Charity Bear...

These uber cute Warren bears first came to my attention via the Patchouli Moon Studio blog, when fellow blogger Daryl P. made a whole hoard of them.

It wasn't until I recently saw them again — when she made several more — that I realized I had to get in on the fun.

I had originally dismissed the project via the I have no need for it, therefore why make it school of thought. But with babies beginning to appear on the horizon for a new generation of extended family members, I suddenly had a need and an excuse.

Not only that, I had the perfect fabric: my Luminescent Ocean Dreams in minky. So bright and colourful — stimulating for babies — and soft to the touch. (The design is based on photographs and feature an underwater scene embellished with butterflies.)

Fabric is my own creation called Luminescent Ocean Dreams...

The free pattern is by Wendi Gratz, of ShinyHappyWorld.com. (Would that we had such a world, huh?) She's got all sorts of fun stuff there, so I definitely recommend that you take some time to browse. And maybe download the pattern and start making your own family of bears; the pattern can be reduced for smaller versions.

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Warren (named after Warren Buffett apparently) was developed to be an easy to sew and easy to customize stuffie that can be made assembly line style for charitable giving.

It's a perfect pandemic project that you can do with your whole family to introduce them to the pleasures of sewing. Kids in particular will have loads of fun deciding what elements to add to their bear to make him one of a kind.

A simple shape...

The pattern comes with a variety of noses and muzzles — to create actual expressions — as well as an option for an oval belly patch or a heart. (Fleece is recommended, but I used a double layer of felt instead.)

There are options for the eyes depending on the age of the recipient. Since this is going to an infant, I glued and sewed all of the additional elements. I also made the eyes bigger since they might otherwise get lost in the busy print of the fabric.

Face elements glued and sewn on to front...

I played around by placing the pattern pieces on my fabric after cutting out the body and ultimately decided on a medium nose, with a wide muzzle and a heart patch.

Warren ready to be sewn up...

It's not part of the pattern, but I also gave him a tail on his back side. :-)

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By the way, while it's faster to sew up one of these with a sewing machine, this can be completely sewn by hand. I might even venture that — amount of total time notwithstanding — it might even be easier to sew by hand, since taking those extreme curves around the ears, arms and legs could pose a bit of a challenge.

It's the day before a walloping winter storm when I take Warren outside for a photo shoot...

My original intent was to make a family of Warrens in different sizes, but then I had a thought to take this in another direction.

Warren inside...

Why not turn him into a baby mobile? All you need is some single sided fusible Peltex, felt, fabric, glue, and fishing line.

I really liked how the template by itself looked so cute with the pudgy arms and legs. (Once you cut and sew the project, the seam allowance reduces the size of the arms and legs.) So I thought that if I reduced the template and used it to create a flat item that could hang, it would be yet another version of a baby gift.

Trace template onto a piece of Peltex...

Planning to make a mobile with three bears, I went with two templates, one that was reduced from the original by 50% — which I thought was perfectly sized for a "baby" version — and a second one that was upsized from the first by 125%.

For the fabric, I selected a black and white print that I had created for a Spoonflower competition two years ago. (The high contrast combo of black and white is apparently good for the brain development of infants.) 

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The process is simple. For each bear, trace the template onto a piece of Peltex and a folded piece of fabric (to get two pieces, for front and back) and cut.

All three bears have different sized eyes, noses and hearts...

Next, cut pieces of felt to make whatever other elements to personalize each bear. I didn't bother with templates for those, I just snipped freehand with a pair of scissors, ensuring that each bear would end up unique.

Felt features glued on; smile sewn in...

Hand sew the mouth, and then it's time to fuse the Peltex to the top panel. Finish by zig-zag stitching all layers together.

Complete Warren Family ready to be hung up...

To hang, thread some fishing line through the top of the head. Ensure that each line is a different length and the bears can simply be hung from the ceiling over a baby's crib or changing table.

Floating baby bear...

Here is a picture that provides an idea of the size difference between the stuffed bear and the largest one used for the mobile.

Warrens in two different styles...

Love how these turned out and I'm hoping that the recipients will appreciate them too! Highly recommended as a charity sewing project. Or for someone who loves to cuddle during this year's rule of "no hugging allowed".

Have a safe week before Christmas, everyone. 

'Til next...