Gather supplies to sew yo-yo's

Yo-yo's are super fun and fast to sew. They can be used to decorate patchwork or used by themselves to make a coverlet. I have used them in several patterns.

You will need:

• Fabric
• Cardboard or template plastic to make yo-yo circle or Clover yo-yo maker
• Fabric marker
• Needle: Milliner 10 or 11
• Thread: 50wt minimum

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDF YO-YO TEMPLATES AND BLOG POST

Sewing a yo-yo from a template

• Trace a plate, saucer, anything that is the size you need.
• Select the fabric you want to use for your yo-yo and cut a circle from the fabric using a circular template.
• Thread the needle with a matching or contrasting thread, leave a 2-3" tail, don’t knot the end.
• Hold the fabric circle with the wrong side facing you.
• Fold the edge of the fabric circle about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) to the wrong side and start sewing with small, even stitches along the folded edge.
• Keep stitching around the circle's entire circumference, ensuring to maintain even stitches.

• Once you've stitched all the way around, gently pull the thread to gather the fabric. This will create a pouch or "puff" shape.
• Pull the thread tight to gather the fabric into the centre, closing up the hole.
• Then taking the 2-3" tail left when you started, make a knot with the thread and needle still attached to the yo-yo to secure the thread.
• Take the needle and thread that’s still attached through the inside and out the back of the yo-yo and knot it off and re-thread the other tails, doing the same.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDF YO-YO TEMPLATES AND BLOG POST

Sewing a yo-yo using a Clover Yo-yo maker

I have a video with annotations on how to use a Clover Yo-yo maker over on Instagram. LINK.

Attaching a yo-yo to a project or patchwork

Are you a passionate quilter who longs to create stunning patchwork quilts by hand? Do you dream of mastering the art of handpiecing? Look no further! My FREE three day mini masterclass delivered to your inbox: ‘Mastering the Basics: A Step-by-Step Guide to Handsewing Patchwork Quilt Blocks," is your ticket to becoming a skilled and confident handpiecing patchwork quilter.

Inside this mini masterclass, you'll find everything you need to know to create beautiful patchwork quilt blocks. From recommended tools and notions, templates and how-to handpiece videos. You'll learn how to create flawless seams, perfectly aligned corners and pivots whilst sewing an adorable house block.

 

The mini masterclass dives into techniques that will take your handpiecing patchwork skills to new heights. With step-by-step instructions , videos and detailed illustrations, you'll be able to tackle complex blocks and sew quilts.

Here's what you can expect over the three days:

• Day 1 - PDF guide for handpiecing tools and notions
• Day 2 - PDF guide and video instruction on templates for patchwork; paper, template plastic and acrylics
• Day 3 - Learning to handpiece, pdf and video instruction, including the adorable Homely block pictured here, to sew and test your handpiecing.

Imagine the sense of pride and accomplishment you'll feel when you complete your very own handsewn patchwork quilt. The mini masterclass will have you well on your way.

Sign-up for "Mastering the Basics: A Step-by-Step Guide to Handsewing Patchwork Quilt Blocks" now and embark on an exciting quilting adventure that will transform your patchwork. Enter your email below to start the three day mini masterclass. Let's create something beautiful together!

 

*By signing-up you will be subscribed to the Scrappy Digest newsletter, you can unsubscribe at anytime, but wait until you've received the mini masterclass emails first! 

Welcome to a year of quilting delights with the 2024 Block of the Month (BOM) Club! This exclusive club not only promises a creative adventure but also offers earlybird sign-up participants that joing by 31 December 2023 the chance to win one of two fantastic prize packs from our sponsors.

Read more

Needle turn applique, practice makes improvement

First up, practice, practice and practice. Practice makes improvement, start with a smaller project, like a cushion. Do some test projects. Want to see some of my earliest needle turn? Here you go LOOK, I don't need to pin it into submission anymore (lol). I really wanted to learn more and improve my needle turn applique, I loved the way applique looked, so I kept at it. At the bottom of this post are videos created to support my Bloom pattern series, but the tips are applicable to needle turn applique in general. 

We're all beginners at some point and taking the time to learn and improve is so satisfying when you start to see improved results. I could do a 5 minute talk and point out all of the 'issues' with my needle turn on my applique, but what would be the point?

With pieces of applique that have legs or finer details, when you're initially cutting out the piece, don't cut into these details, leave more fabric around them to 'protect' the edges and only snip around them closer once you're about to stitch. This will help prevent fraying and distortion of these pieces and also minimise frustration.

Oh, and it might be obvious but it's called needle turn applique for a reason. Use the TIP (the sharp, pointy, owie part) of the needle to help turn under the seam allowance to stitch down. You'll notice the difference once you do that. Another beginners tip is to finger press the seam so you have a 'pre crease' of sorts to assist with turning under the seam allowance.

The 'right' tools do make a difference

When I say 'right' I mean right for you! Try out different needles and thread. Needles and thread do make a HUGE difference when it comes to needle turn applique. My personal favourite needles for needle turn are Bohin Long Applique Needles and these days I also use a needle threader. The eye on applique needles is super small and 80wt thread is also very fine. My 50+ year old eyes need some assistance! 80wt aurifil is also a great thread for applique and one I use often, I have also recently been trialling Wonderfil Effina 60wt and liking the results so far with this thread.

The rule of thumb is to match the thread colour to the applique fabric, not the background, however, I often will use a light silver thread for most of my applique, there are some instances where I will colour match if there's too much contrast and I can see stitches, but 90% off the time this works for me.

These Karen Kay Buckley 4" small perfect applique scissors are just that, perfect for snipping seams and getting into finer details. These scissors have a micro serrated blade that keeps fabric from slipping so cutting is more accurate and helps to prevent frayed edges.

I use Roxanne Applique Glue and this particular bottle as the tip is fabulous and prevents you from using a lot of glue. You really only need very small amounts of glue. We're not gluing down the piece that needs appliquing we're just lightly attaching it. Keep glue away from the edges and seam allowances so it doesn't interfere with your stitching. Roxanne's is very strong, so if you use too much and then want to reposition a piece once it's dry it might be a struggle to separate the fabrics.

That's pretty much all you'll need. Thread, needle and glue. I do occasionally pin pieces down, it really depends on the design and what will suit the applique I'm working on. I really hope you try needle turn applique, it's a wonderful and mindful and creative technique.

A note about links

You may have noticed that some of the links in this newsletter are affiliated, which means that I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. I want to assure you that these links do not cost you anything extra and in some cases, they may even offer you a better price.

Ok, so you may see the Frolic Cushion and go oh I love it and I want to make it and then see it's needle turn and dismiss it. STOP right there! Frolic lends itself to all types of applique including fusible applique or machine. Choose the construction method that you've used before OR you could try needle turn.

Read more