How to Make a useful Headband - very easy & versatile
This Headband is a must have for my comfort and daily life. Whether working, dancing or on the bike I don't want my hair in the way but I need something soft and gentle to hold it in place. I found this version very useful:
. . .if you enjoyed watching this movie please don't forget to like & share it, thank you!
What you need .stretchy soft jersey with lots of cotton or it will be too slippery .a plastic ruler .a rotary cutter .buttonhole thread .a needle (sharps no4) .some thin pins .fabric scissors .tailor's chalk . . preparation Determine the size you need with a strip of your material (cut along the grain line) and mark it with a pin. I usually make it a tick smaller because the fabric will give, but not too tight to keep it comfortable. Add 1 cm for overlap and cut a rectangle of 10 cm width (across the grain line) and the desired length of your headband(along the grain line).
Using tailor's chalk mark a line 9 cm away from the edge and across the grain line. Repeat on the other side. The area between those lines will be cut into strips. Cut along the grain line from marked line to marked line leaving a 2 cm spacing between these strips. The strips make it more adjustable and it looks lighter and is also decorative. . . sewing Pin the edges overlapping 1 cm and thread your needle. Make a single knot close to the edge and a double knot about 7 mm further up. Start sewing a Cross Stitch by looping the thread around the edge first. Do this a second time and the space between these loops will determine the height of the Cross Stitch.
Come up and make the first bottom part of your Cross Stitch. Continue all the way to the other edge, finish with two loops, a double knot close to the fabric and a single knot 7 mm further away. Trim. Stretch the headband and make the strips curl up and it is ready to use.
An easy DIY sewing-project to make Hand stitched Knickers and the pattern to reproduce them again
This is to complete the movie that you might have watched.
and NEW: choose Lycra for some swim pants and make your Bikini Top aswell...
. . . tools . very good material like Bamboo/Cotton Jersey with some elastane . knickers elastic band . Buttonhole thread in colour(s) of your choice . Sharps needle No4
. thin pins
. tailor's chalk
. pattern paper or similar . pencil & paper scissors . a plastic ruler . iron . and your favorite pairs of knickers ... preparation You do not need to ruin your favorite pairs of knickers! I did it to make an accurate pattern and it is easier to demonstrate how to do so. But it is also possible to trace around your favorite knickers without cutting into them, just more fiddly. Cut open or not, trace around your knickers and transfer the shape to paper. Cut the template out using your paper scissors, fold it in half and see whether it is symmetrical. If not, average it and transfer the half again onto paper, this leaves you with your pattern. (As the fabric will be folded in half you only need the half pattern) Half your fabric along the grain line, and trace the outline of your pattern using tailor's chalk. Cut it out on the inner side of your chalk line. . . . construction Right sides facing each other pin both side seams, 1 cm away from the edge. Thread your needle. Make one single knot close to the edge and make a double knot about 7 mm further up. Start sewing with making a loop (up through the fabric, around the edge and up through the fabric again right next to the previous hole) and continue in a straight line a straight stitch, try to stay about 1 cm from the edge and keep the stitches even. When you reached the end run your fingers along the stitches finding the right tension between fabric and thread. Finish with a loop and knot off, first make a double knot close to the fabric using your nails to gently push it there and a single knot a bit further away, trim. Repeat on the other side. Turn the knickers to the right side, separate the seams and fold them to each side and pin. Repeat on the other side.
Thread your needle, make the single and double knot and loop your thread through both seams around both edges, basically make a loop on each side and come up again to start the first bottom part of the cross stitch. The top part of the cross stitch is exactly the same but moved to the right. You always come up again where the last stitch ended. Down and through the fabric for the bottom part, come up again to finish the bottom part where the last top stitch ended and move to the top part and through the fabric again, up and so on. Finished one side, make the 2 loops and the knots, trim and repeat on the other side. Keep the top and bottom part of your cross stitch in a line, so the stitch looks regular. If you have to restart with a new thread make your knots and continue. For more details see also my cross stitch blog post. Turn the knickers to the wrong side and fold 1 cm for the leg seam over and pin. Do this for both legs and repeat the cross stitch. Iron the seams, thread the needle, make the knots and start with the cross stitch. Finished with both legs there is only the elastic band to attach. Use as much elastic band as comfortable and add about 2 cm for overlap. Start pinning at the back, half the elastic band and pin again, and so on till you have pinned all the way around. Thread your needle, make the knots and start sewing a cross stitch next to the overlap (so you go over the overlap in the end).Stretch the elastic band while sewing the cross stitch all the way around, carefully to keep it aligned. Finished!
This project has waited a long time now to be realized. I always wanted to make my own knickers facing the problem that I could never find the favorite pairs of knickers again. I don't know why but I always thought knickers are too demanding to make yourself but the reality is much more pleasant: Easily done, easily repeated over and over again and soooo comfortable! But see for yourself!
