patterns

Cutting and sewing beanbags over the Bank Holiday weekend

Vikki Haffenden

The weather was so lovely, it seemed a shame to sit inside sewing. So this was an evening job.

Fabric

Fabric

Digital printed fabric unfurled before cutting

Cutting the fabric is much easier using a rotary cutter on a self healing mat. Make sure the blade is nice and sharp; I started with a rather blunt one, and realised I hadn’t changed the blade for quite a while. It cuts SO much better now.

Rotary cutter and fabric

Cutting with a rotary cutter is the easiest way to get neat edges

Fabric cut

Neatly cut beanbag blanks

I worked out a quick method to sew them without cutting the thread each time, but of course they have to be separated at some point.

Video to follow…

 

Turning them inside out was a bit of a chore, but when done whilst watching The Woman in White, it was bearable.  Using a collar turner to pocke the corners helped to make these crisp.

Turned bags

Turned beanbags ready for filling – thanks to Wilkie Collins for the entertainment

 

Lying on the floor is an Invitation for the dog to play

Vikki Haffenden

We have just spent a giggling 5minutes with me lying on the floor whilst Ross drew around my silhouette as a pattern for the person mat. 

Unfortunately Pepper thought it was a game. Only a few rips in the pattern paper resulted. Now it’s folded in half up the centre line and the outline firmed up.

Pattern and dog

The pattern with dog

Hand outline in paper

Close up of the hand

I luckily have two large curtains that are now spare, so those will make perfect backings for the mats. If they work OK  I may not make the vinyl mat  cloth is easier to fold away and transport.

Off to buy the felt tomorrow from good old Fabricland. £3.95 a metre, very good value.

Update: after all that, I’ve decided the ‘person’ is too complicated, and have reverted to a plain mat that the children will add mites in different sizes that will represent different scores in the bean bag game.

Testing out cool-melt glue-gun on vinyl tiles

Vikki Haffenden

Yes this seems to work. So I have taken the plunge and ordered two and a load of glue sticks for the workshop in two weeks time. I don’t think they get hot enough to hurt anyone, and the glue adheres really well, (and to me unfortunately). Whilst the fabric mat can be stuck with fabric glue, the glue guns will make the vinyl mat far easier to manage.

Fabric mites on mat

Trial mat

I will post a link to the instructions for making the legs once I have written them up.

 

Cutting out scabies mites

Vikki Haffenden
mite patterns

Scabies mites patterns x 4

The patterns are in a series of sizes so that the finished mites can be arranged and stories told in ‘families’. Drawn up in Ilustrator, they have been saved as pdf files, and if printed as ‘ actual size’ setting, they can be used as patterns.

 

Cutting them out of ‘spare’ fabric and offcuts from my personal fabric stash saved on material costs, and is also a better sustainable option.

cutting out patterns