Warm and Cozy Sweater

                              Warm and Cozy Sweater 

                               How to make a warm and cozy sweater the easy way


Materials and Tools

You will need:

- 150 cm length x 150 cm width (or minimum of 140 cm width) polar fleece or thick jersey or knitted fabric of your liking

- Scissors

- Measuring tape

- Meter Stick or long ruler

- Small ruler

- Chalk or fabric marker

- A sewing machine

- Thread

- Hand needle

- Sewing pins (to hold fabric in place temporarily)

- An iron and an iron board

- A Random Button :)


Pattern

This is as simple as it gets!

Cut selvage (pic 1).

Mark these measurements on the fabric, following pic 2. Check it to make sure you got it right!

All measurements included in pic. 2 take into account the seam allowance of 1 cm except the for the neck opening where you should add an extra 1 cm.

A seam allowance of 4 cm is included at the hems of the body and on the sleeves.

If you bought fabric that is less than 150 cm (e.g. 140 cm) in width you may reduce the sweater body width up to 10 cm.

This pattern is good for sizes S to XL. For people of S size, the sweater will be loose and drapey and for people of XL size the sweater will be more form fitting.


Tips for Cutting Fabric

Cut fabric following the marked lines .

For the sweater body cut a rectangle. Mark the center on this piece of fabric. Fold it in half lengthwise. Mark the neck opening according to measurements provided on the pattern picture. Cut it out leaving a 1 cm seam allowance

For the sleeves, cut two rectangles. Fold each in half lengthwise. Trim the sleeve in a slightly curved line to reduce the sleeve's width closer to the wrist . Repeat for the second sleeve.
Tip: place the cut sleeve on the uncut one and draw a line along the edge. Then cut the second sleeve with the same curve. By doing this you are ensuring that both curves are the same.

For the collar: if you have a strong pattern on the fabric as on mine try to match the center pattern of the collar (pic. 7) with the pattern on the front of the sweater body (the deeper part of the neck opening will be on the front of your sweater).


Results of Cutting 

As a result of your cutting you should get:

- One rectangle for the body of the sweater with a hole for the neck opening.

- Two slightly tapered pieces of fabric for the sleeves.

- One rectangle for the collar.


Seams 

 For fleece it is better to use elastic seams. Some sewing machines have a function with which you can create specially designed seams for knitted fabric or jerseys which look like the seam on pic.

If your machine does not have it use a narrow zigzag seam.

While sewing, make sure to slightly stretch the fabric.


Sewing Sleeves

 Match the center of the sleeve with the center of the body rectangle (place fabric right side together).

Sew.
Finish the seam with a zigzag or use a serger if you have one. Depending on the type of polar fleece you may omit the finishing.
Repeat for the second sleeve.

Don't sew on top of the pins! You may not only break your sewing machine needle but you may also damage the machine itself. Remove the pins just before your seams get close to them.


Side Seams 

Turn the sleeve seam allowance toward the sleeve .

Pin the fabric along the edges of the sleeves and the sides. Try to match the seams of sleeves and the fabric patterns (if you have one) - this step will help to create a more professional look for finished product.

Sew. Once you get to the sleeve seam stretch the fabric a little bit to create a straighter seam and continue sewing.


Collar 

Fold the collar fabric in half and sew it on the short side. Crease the seam allowances open. Double the collar over, leaving the seam inside.

Place the collar into the neck opening and pin it evenly, slightly stretching the collar fabric. Check to make sure you pin it evenly! Sew. 

Hemming Body and Sleeves

To finish the bottom of the sweater mark a line on the wrong side 8 cm from the edge of the fabric.

Fold the fabric so the edge aligns with the marked line. Pin it.

Stitch with a zigzag or any other decorative stretchable seam.

Do the same for the sleeves.


Finished Sweater

Now you are almost finished your sweater!

Iron the seams on low settings. Check for and trim any loose threads.

You are done!

Put it on and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Bonus 

 From a leftover piece of fabric cut a rectangle wide enough to wrap your head and a minimum of 30 cm in height.

Fold it so one side overlaps another by one centimeter. 

Stitch using a zigzag . 

Cut the fabric close to the seam on the right and wrong sides . 

Gather the fabric along one edge using a hand needle and thread.

 To finish your beanie take a random button or cut a circle from a piece of sturdy plastic. Cut a circle from the fabric slightly bigger than button.

 Gather the edges of the circle together using a threaded needle to make an enclosure for the button.

Attach the button on top of the beanie. 

Roll up the unfinished edge a couple of times and your hat is ready to go!


Enjoy! 

Stay warm!

https://www.instructables.com/id/Warm-and-Cozy-Sweater/

Paper Candle Shades

This is a tutorial on how to make flameless/battery-operated candle shades using paper and a wood-burning pen. Paper is a readily available material, meaning that you can make multiple variants of these shades - not just the ones shown in this instructable. If you want, you can make mood-oriented shades for a variety of celebrations such as Halloween, Valentine's Day, etc.

For this project you will need:
- Paper (I used standard A4 printer paper).
- Scissors or a utility knife.
- Craft glue.
- A [preferably metal] ruler.
- A pencil.
- Flameless battery-powered candles (I used multi-color ones).
- A wood burning tool with decorative ends.
- Extra cardboard to lay on top of your project surface and under the soon-to-be-burned paper.
- Wooden or metal stick/pipe for rolling the paper (optional)

Lay a thick layer of cardboard onto your work surface. This is done to prevent the wood-burning tool from damaging your table while you are working.
The next step is to regulate the wood-burning tool's temperature. Heat the device and test it on some spare paper. If the resulting burns are colored brown, then you have heated it to an appropriate temperature. If the color is too pale for your liking, you can increase the temperature a bit. If the tool burns the paper black, then decrease the temperature.
Working with paper is similar to working with wood, only the material is more fragile.

After you have finished testing your wood burner, chose a design that suits you. I chose simple diagonal lines which I made from a combination of tips provided in my kit. Apply this design to your pieces of paper.

Measure the circumference of your candles. From the paper you have burned, measure and cut rectangles with a the length equal to the original width of the paper and the width equal to the circumference of the candle + 1cm. You can vary the height of the paper to change the height of the candle shades.

Take the burned pieces of paper that you have cut out and roll them around a wooden stick to cause the paper curve. This will make it easier to glue later.

Lay some glue onto one edge of the paper (height-wise) and roll it into a tube around the candle (without gluing the actual candle). This will ensure that your papers can fit the candle.

If the candle fits into the paper tube, your project is complete.

Set your candle shades somewhere where they will be noticed and enjoy the complements of your admirers :)

Faux Wood Notebook Cover

Sometimes you get a notebook which suits all your needs in size and format but is lacking in appearance. Aghh!

By following this instructable you will alter this situation.

For this project you will need:
- Notebook with a cover that you don't mind experimenting on.
- Woodburning pen.
- Paper (big enough to cover your notebook front with surplus).
- Scissors.
- Craft glue (Mod Podge).
- Cardboard or several pieces of extra paper to lay on your work surface for protection.
- A paintbrush.

Regulate the temperature of your wood burning pen to get a nice brown color on your paper and draw lines resembling wood grains. By applying a slight amount of pressure with your heated pen you will be able to achieve a wood-like texture and color on the paper (Pic 4). I wish I could convey the feel of the paper's texture through this instructable!

My notebook had a very bright logo so first I decided to glue a white paper on top to cover it. The next step is to fold your "wood" paper over front cover and get some sharp creases. Snip the paper in the corners to ease folding.

Glue the "wood" paper on the cover. Let it dry completely.

After the glue has dried coat the cover with Mod Podge and leave it to dry. Coat both sides of the cover to prevent warping.

You get a nice wood looking cover for your somethat boring notebook!

Bonus Idea:
Add some decoration by burning borders and headings on the pages of your notebook or diary!

Creative Arts Competition 2018, Western Fair, London Ontario

This year, the Western Fair gave me 4 first, 3 second and 1 third place prizes!  Happy, but I hope I can do even better next year with the quilts.  (I already have some fun ideas 😊)