Another new banner.

I will be happy with my banner eventually! I have just redone it again, same background but larger and with my facebook and blog details, and have uploaded it to my madeit store. Next on the to do list, writing my store policies. Not the most exciting task in the world, but it has to be done.

Patchwork Bookmark Tutorial

What to do with lots of little fabric scraps? Turn them into a cute patchwork bookmark! This would be a cute gift to pop inside a card for an avid reader, or just to keep for yourself. Here's mine, which will soon be available for sale along with some others in my madeit.com.au shop, and here's how I made it.

You need: scissors, sewing machine, 10cm ribbon, and some fabric scraps. Non-stretchy cotton is best, I used pinwale cord.

1. First decide how wide you would like your bookmark, this will depend on the size of your scraps. My pieces were cut to about 6cm wide, which gave me a 4.5cm finished bookmark. Then cut out your scraps to this width. Different lengths are ok. Use a book to estimate the length.

2. Next, sew two of the pieces right sides together, and keep adding pieces until they are all together in a line. I added an extra piece to mine as the seams made the length too short.

3. Next press the seams open.

4. Cut a piece of 10cm ribbon, fold in half and attach to the top of the right side. Make sure the folded end is pointing down towards the bottom, it will turn up the right way in the next few steps. Sew about 3 or 4 lines of stitching to secure.

5. Lay the patchwork strip face down on larger scrap piece of fabric, which will become the back of the bookmark. My patchwork piece was too long so I just trimmed it a little to fit. Pin right sides together, then sew around the edge making sure the seams remain open. Do not sew the bottom end, this opening will be used to turn it the right way out.

6. Next, trim the corners, and also the edges, then turn inside out.

7. Iron flat, turning the bottom ends in. Then topstitch all the way around, close to the edge. And it's finished!

New year, new direction, new facebook page

So with the new year comes a slight change in direction for Kanga Creative. I would love to concentrate more on creating eco-friendly things from my African fabrics, where the 'Kanga' part of my business name comes from, so it makes sense really. I do have a lot of leftover fabric from last year though, so I will be making toys and things out of lovely pinwale cord also until it runs out.

First thing was to change my facebook page from this one (Kanga Creative - Pram Snuggles), to this one - Kanga Creative. I wanted to drop the Pram Snuggles part of the page name, but facebook doesn't allow those kind of changes, so I have had to start over. Not an easy decision to make considering my original page has almost 1200 likers! 

Now that the facebook change is made, all I need to do is find some motivation, inspiration, and some ideas on the best way to market and sell my creations.