tutorial - embrodered rings , part 2

welcome back ! today we'll  make the base of the ring.

 please refer to part 1 of the tutorial before you start making the base.  
 
 
 

 
 
 

Our first ring will be 0.5 inch width.   Pick up pretty embroidery threads, a fabric to match and let’s get started!

 

 Cut your glossy paper to strips of 0.5 inch wide. I’m using strips from a magazine cover, in the total of about 30-35 inches long (or, for me, just 2 strips).   You may need more, or less, depend on your paper.   Don’t worry about it too much – use what you have. We will test the base within 5 minutes, so not much time wasted on experimenting with different papers!

 

Cut your fabric strip to 1.25 inch width. Make sure you have enough fabric to go around your mold, plus a little extra.

 

Fold the end of your fabric inside (wrong sides in), about 0.25 inch.

 

Wrap the fabric around the mold, pretty side facing the mold.  Leaving 0.5 inch overlaps, cut the excess fabric off.

 

The next step requires at least 3 hands so make sure you have the scotch tape and the glossy paper strips ready.   Wrap the fabric tightly around the mold, without stretching it. Place a piece of tape connecting the fabric and a paper strip together in the center.  Wrap the paper around and around the mold, adding tape between strips.

Make sure there isn’t any wrinkle in the fabric and tape the end of the paper the secure it on.

 

Fold the sides of the fabric on the paper. Once you have the folds over nice and tight, sew big Xs (like herringbone stitches) to hold it in place.  Sew extra stitch or 2 at the overlaps, flattening it a bit.

(You can leave the thread on for the next stage)

 

Carefully, take the ring off the mold, and try it on. Give it a gentle squeeze, noting it’s not too soft (we don’t want it to fold), or too tough.

 

Place the ring back on the mold.  Wrap a bit of yarn around the ring, leaving the edges clear.  Make it as bulky, or as fine as you like.   I’m laying yarn on the whole width once, adding one more layer in the center region.

Secure the yarn in place with the needle and thread, like before.

 

Take your ring off the mold; verify there aren’t any wrinkles inside.

Your base is ready!

tutorial - embroidered rings , part 1

 

Embroidery ring tutorial

 

Part 1 – gather your supplies

 

Part 2 – makingthe base

 

Part 3 –partitioning and marking segments

 

Part 4 –stitching

 

 part 5 - designs

 

 

Yubinukis are Japanese thimble rings.  Traditionally made from leather (if intended as a ‘working’ thimble), or silk for decorative purpose.  However, you don’t need expensive materials to make one. Gather a few basic sewing supplies and a pretty embroidery floss and let’s start!

Supplies, short list

1.       Mold

2.       Glossy paper

3.       Knitting yarn

4.       Simple white paper

5.       A strip of fabric

6.       Embroidery thread

7.       Basic sewing  toolbox: Scissors, sewing and embroidery needles, pins, pencil

8.       Scotch tape.

Supplies, the long version

1.       Mold – you need a cylinder, or a tube roughly the same width as your finger, or a little wider. I’m using a lip balm tube. It’s a little on the big size, but the rings are big and bulky, and aren’t likely to fall.   Sharpie markers, lipsticks, have a look around the house and find something (roll a newspaper inside your wedding ring if nothing else works).

2.       Glossy paper for the base - I’m using a TV magazine cover. As a thumb rule, it’s better to use more rounds of lighter paper, then less rounds of heavy/thick paper.  We want our ring to keep some flexibility, while not allowing it to fold.  You may have to experiment a little before you find the paper that works for you.

3.       Knitting yarn – the simplest leftover you have, as long as it’s not furry/fuzzy/hairy.  Color isn’t important – we will be stitching over it.   You don’t need a lot – if it’s long enough to go around your finger 20 times – it’s plenty.

4.       Simple white printer paper. We will use a thin strip of this paper to mark the partition around the ring.

5.       A strip of Fabric – try matching the color of the fabric to one of the colors of your embroidery threads (this will make mistakes/faults less pronounced).  Quilting cotton is great. Linen will do as long as it’s lightweight.  Any bias leftovers will do.

6.       Embroidery thread – traditionally Japanese silk , but we’re going modern – any leftover embroidery thread in your sewing box can do – from 1 strand of cross stitch thread, to number 5 hardanger thread . The result, of course will change accordingly.   Multicolor threads are my favorites (too lazy to change color often).

Metallic threads can add an interesting twist.

 

 

next part - making the base . 

rings rings rings

 

 

 

 all those pretty rings will go with me tomorow to my patchwork group as end-of-the-year-gifts.

i hope the girls will like them !

 

edit: gifts delivered yesterday, followed by 10 minutes of hearing how awsome i am. always nice to hear, isn't it?
i'm thinking of writing a tutorial, anyone interested?

edit 2 : tutorial underway, first part right here

linking to wip wednesday, sew many ways, much ado about monday, sweet sharing, sewcando and whoop whoop !  

my favorite quilt

sew mama sew is having a series about favorite quilts.   an interesting concept, isn't it?  it's an easy quetion for me. i've been Learning patchwork and quilting for about 4 years.

 

i'm trying to think back , to figure how many whole, full quilts i made in those 4 years:

 

 a mod quilt from oh fransson serie of tutorials.

a hand-sewn, hand quilted sampler

a Bargello quilt

a Jelly roll quilt for my step-daugther

a disappearing 9 patch quilt for my step-son, and another for my mother-in-law

a gnome quilt

a charity quilt for japan

 

after all of those, my favorite is the one i made for myself.  it's  a paper-piecing sampler , mostly from the flip flop paper piecing book .  i think it was the third quilt i made and it took me a loooooooong time to finish.

 i had a bit of fun practicing free motion quilting on this one. each block is quilted differently.  some aren't as good, but i consider it a Learning curve .

 

 

 

back is a nice soft fleece, making the quilt a little heavy, but more cuddle-ly. i did some embroidery around the edging to hide an un-even sewing line.

 

so why this is my favorite ? because i USE it . it's not hanging on the wall looking pretty and useless. this quilt is decorating the living room sofa during the day, and earning her keep every chilly evening.  it's even big enough to cuddle two (if the two sit close together - an extra bonus!).

cargo duffel bag and a wallet

finally finished, a cargo duffel bag. i really like the way it turned out.

 

made from noodlehead free pattern , with the awsome help of Sophie's sew-along. thank you both for the detailed explanations !

 some leftover scraps turned into a matching wallet (tutorial from here )  . both will go with me every week to the patchwork circle.

 my sewing machine really hated sewing the little wallet. i think it may be dying  (the machine, not the wallet) .

linking to finish it friday and tgiff

a new skirt for springtime

 the sun is shining, the birds are singing, there are maybe 15 degrees outside, but my skirt is ready and i WILL go out to photograph it !

do ignore my shining white legs.

 pretty embroidery hides un ugly top stitch. don't tell the sewing police.

 pattern is from the wrap skirt sew-along

flowers are shmelessly copied from don't look now

 

linking to finish it up friday and wip wednesday

log cabin embroidery ring

wip-wednesday