how to make casings

This is the post I have today on Pickup some Creativity, for the sewing 101 series.

What's a casing?
And how in the world to I make one?




I've totally asked myself these very questions when I started sewing....don't you just love when you are reading a tutorial and you think to yourself "I'd really like to make that, but I don't even understand the terminology?"

Hopefully, this little post can help you out with that.

First off.....What IS a casing?

Well, a casing is a channel made in a piece of fabric for inserting elastic or a drawstring. A casing can be made by turning the edge of the fabric over and sewing it down at a specific distance from the edge or by applying another piece of fabric such as bias tape to the desired location. Casings are frequently used at garment waistbands and cuffs.

The first time I used a casing (that I can think of) was to make simple pillowcase dresses....You need a casing at the top of the dress to thread elastic through.

I've also used casings every time I make a waistband in a skirt or pair of pants.

.....SO.....how do you make a casing?

Simple.

This can be altered to fit any size 'tube' you need. (You know, so a cuff can be smaller, and a waistband can be wider)

1. Determine how wide you need your tube to be. If I was adding a 1/2 inch or ribbon or elastic through my casing I would need to make sure my 'tube' was just a little bit bigger then that. By having it a little bigger the ribbon or elastic can lay flat in the tube....Bunchy elastic is NOT so good ;-)....That being said if the 'tube' is too big the elastic or ribbon can turn and twist in the 'tube'.

2. Start by folding the fabric over one time. The first fold can be a little less then the desired amount....For example, if Im still adding my 1/2 inch elastic, then my first fold would be about a 1/3 inch.



3. Iron down....Why? because it just makes things easier! Trust me.

4. Fold over again. This time fold down about 3/4 inch over. (This fold needs to be bigger then the elastic or ribbon). Why did I fold it over twice? because now the raw edge (or edge that frays) will be nicely inside the tube, and you wont have to worry about your material fraying when you wash it!





5. Iron down...again!





6. Now you need to sew down close to the folded line. Keep it close to the fold, and keep it even.






7. CONGRATS YOU ARE DONE!
Now add your ribbon or elastic through the tube






hmmm....not so sure how you are going to get that piece of elastic through that little teeny tube? Add a safety pin to one end of the elastic, it makes it a lot easier to thread the elastic through.

Splish Splash Dress

Today I am guest posting at Brown Paper Packages. Leisel has a great blog, if you haven't had a chance to check it out...well I'd suggest you go look...TODAY ;-) Here is the project I made. I think it turned out pretty cute...read the end and see what happened when I was making it though! The Project was part of Leisel's month of Pattern make overs

When asked to re-do a pattern, I started to think of what I wanted to make....well, with summer on it's way, we spend a lot of time at the splash pads around our house. So I thought I would work with a pillowcase dress pattern, and turn it into a swimsuit cover dress for my daughter.




With the pillowcase dress pattern, I decided to change it by using a different type of fabric and adding appliques.

Instead of a typical cotton fabric used in a pillowcase dress I used a knit material. (As a confession I have actually never used knit before, and it was much easier then I thought it would be!)

The bottom edge and armhole were a ribbed knit fabric (in the turquoise color). Both the bottom hem and the armholes where made by taking the ribbed knit material and making a bias tape. Need help making bias tape? Check here for help.




Doing something as simple as changing the type of fabric can make a huge difference.

The other change I mentioned was using appliques. The pattern for an applique can be found anywhere, clip art, a free hand drawing, I used my die cut machine to create what I wanted.



The key to using any applique is to remember to use Wonder-Under, especially on knit! The material shifts far too much, you need the Wonder-Under to help stabilize the design, then you can go around and satin stitch around the design......Changing your thread to match each piece of material will give you a much cleaner look.




I loved how easy and cute this simple dress turned out to be. I think that when you have a pattern you love, perhaps you don't need to look at making a major change to it, start simple by changing things like the fabric and adding appliques to your dress!



Summer here we come!

You know, I just cant seem to ever make a project with out something going wrong...and lo and behold this time was no exception.
When I was almost done with the project, I was multi-tasking (always a bad idea) I wrote something with a pen....not realizing it was leaking all over my hand and then picked up the dress...the WHITE dress, and the ink got all over the dress!




AHHH!



I quickly tried to remove the ink (Is that even possible?) All it did was make it seep through to the backside...

So I added some little circle appliques to cover the before mentioned pesky ink stains!

Problem solved!

Love,

I was the featured blog!

Today I was the featured blog at Tomato Baby. Jan...the head tomato is REALLY good at making great blogging posts. I read her post and thought

"Wow, could she really be talking about my little blog."

She just knows something that makes her blog look like a magazine article! I was very humbled and delighted that she spotlighted me. I hope you all go and check it out here!

Thanks Jan!

Love,

Re-usable lunch bag by Rhonda

I met Rhonda through my blog, and I am SO glad I did! I have enjoyed emailing her and getting to know her a little bit better. She has two fun blogs, one that is more personal but fun to read, it's called Life as I see it! The other that showcases her photography. I can spend hour looking at peoples photo's even though I don't know anyone in them, I just love great pictures! Yesterday Rhonda made this lunch bag, and I KNEW I needed to show more people! Seriously how Cute is this....



My mind has been going a million miles an hour thinking of all the cool drawing my kids have made that I would love to see 'eternalized' on projects.

I was also glad to know that one of my tutorials could actually be done, and even better could be done during nap time!

So here is Rhonda.....




"Hello! My name is Rhonda and I blog at here!

I spotted Kristin's post and thought hey I can make
that and I already have enough scraps around to do it.

I used her step by step instructions and it was super duper fast to
sew too!!

I cut out my pieces for the outside and the liner just as she said
and then decided I wanted to personalize the bag for my son. He is a
7 and a real artist. He has piles of art work and sketch pads full of
work. So I took one off this page



and traced it onto my outside material. (I used a thick muslin,
almost canvas, material I had in place of the Cord material Kristin
used)




I did some embroidery. Then it SCREAMS ALDEN to me :)



The finished product, full of lunch! I'd say the whole thing took me
30 minutes - mostly that long cause of the embroidery, without that
it would have been half the time at least!




Thanks Kristin!!!! :)"


Love,