How-to sew a yo-yo (or Suffolk Puff if you're British!)

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.

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