tea bags for play - tutorial

really they should be called super scrap busting overly sweet but really loved play tea bags but i am sure even the best search engine would be boggled by this.

to complete this project you will need

a sewing machine
scissors (or a cutting mat and rotary blade)
fabrics (details below) and co-ordinating thread
iron and ironing board

for each tea bag you will need

for the tags
out of your scraps cut one 1x2 inch rectangle, if you can do this one the bias you will reduce fraying
out of your bonding medium cut one 7/8x7/8 inch square

for the string
cut one 5 inch lenght from either 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch ribbon

for the 'bag'
cut one 2 1/2 x 5 inch rectangle from tulle

for the tea leaves
about a teaspoon of fabric and thread trimmings
i recommend tossing your tea trimmings together to loosen the dusty flecks
 
putting it all together....

to start reduce your stitch length under 2 mm ( i used 1.6mm)
fold your tulle in half and stitch a quarter inch seam down the two sides that meet the fold, leaving a completely open edge at the top

trim your threads and turn each 'bag' inside out
fill each bag with your tea trimmings

..... move onto your tags and strings

get all the bits up on the ironing board and place your tag fabric face down and place one end of your string at one end overlapping by a 1/2 inch place your small square over the string and press to fix in place

remove the backing and fold the fabric over to meet and press to fix in place
pop back to the sewing machine and stitch 1/8 inch seam around your tag
cut threads

i have this dark washi at my 1/4inch seam line it does help spotting your tulle

to put everything together

fold the top open edge of the bag inward enclosing your trimmings
at the folded edge begin sewing an 1/8 inch seam pausing before you reach the middle

lift your presser foot and insert the tag string a 1/2 inch into the bag, lower the presser foot and continue with the seam until you reach the folded edge again
to secure your string stitch a second line across the top of your tea bag.

now just trim up your threads and enjoy

now i have made some assumptions - dangerous i know

always use stay stitches at the beginning and the ends of your sewing
and that you are not going to drive yourself nutty if thing are not perfectly square, the tulle does slip a little - if you ever find a young one who produces a protractor and measuring tape when you present them with a handmade gift do let me know

feel free to use this tutorial to make these for giving and selling but please link back to this tutorial.

have some crafternoon tea

miss yoyo meets master magnet

for these little ones to pep up the mundane or gleeful things that end up on your fridge

you will need:

• scissors
• thread 
• fine sewing needle
• cotton fabric scraps
• yoyo maker or template
• magnets 

notes before you get to excited

for the yoyo magnets i used

clover 30 mm yoyo maker with 20 mm diameter magnets

clover 45 mm yoyo maker with 30 mm x 20 mm rectangular magnets

clover does have a larger size again and if you were planning to go jumbo i would suggest not only a larger magnet but also inserting a disk of card or plastic to help support the yoyo.

i picked up my magnets from a dollar kind of store and they came free with soot, dust and muck, give your magnets a little washing with some dish liquid before you start 

yoyo do really take very little fabric so considering most fabric stores cut minimum 20 cm lenghts you could consider choosing a charm pack or other quilting fabric set to get a mix of fabric if you are not hording your scraps in a draw like myself.  also there are a few crafters out there who sell there designer scraps by the bag or weight which is another avenue to build a stash for mini projects

and on fabric keep in mind large prints and patterns get lost on a yoyo.  i find that stripes are particularly suited to these addictive little circles

after that it is all pretty easy

fabric plus yoyo maker, needle, thread and go (the clover instructions are very clear if you have one) 

the main point is to place your magnet in the center of your fabric after your running stitch is completed.  then enclose it in the fabric and tie it off.  i chose to put a few extra stitches across the pleats to add a little durability when it is being pinched on and off.

i have a little selection of the clover brand yoyo makers, they are reasonably inexpensive, a cinch to use and easy to get a hold of, if i had any young girls to buy for i would be thinking a little swag of fabric and a few of these would make a lovely little present.....i digress

hopefully you now have something sweet to keep or to gift, most likely you have enjoyed these wee things more than you thought and have so many you are forced to give them away

sadly it would seem i am not the first to put these two things together but i do hope you enjoyed my take on it

a little fridge humour, sorry i could not resist........late in the day, the littles are sleeping and the sun is fading