I FINALLY got the “Playing with Marbles: OOPS! One Escaped” wall hanging pattern finished and published. Not only is this cute for girls, boys, young or old (as you change the colors…), but it’s a wonderful LEARNING experience.
Playing with Marbles OOPS” by LJ Christensen
You’ll find 1) more than 20 colored graphs and diagrams to keep you organized, 2) how to make half-square triangles, 3) details for how to better deal with sewing points, 4) how to bind and make loops, and 5) even how to make an optional mitered border. That was hard to explain, so I added lots of photos this time–over 20!
AND of course, I included 6) how to stuff yoyos to make marbles. Are you confused yet or are you with me?
Let’s PLAY!
Take a small circle. Mine was 2 1/2″ (to coordinate with the 2 1/2″ jelly roll strips). Try drawing around a can or glass with a Frixion pen or other marker. Layer up several pieces to cut several circles at once.
Fold over the raw edge of a cirle to the back about 1/8-3/16″ and make running stitching around the edge. (“Running” just means in and out, nothing fancy.) See PHOTO.
If you were to pull this circle taut, you’d have a yoyo like Grandma used to make. But keep it a little loose so that you can easily push in a little bit of polyfill. (No, I can’t tell you how much. A pinch? A 1.5 cubic cm? I’d go with the pinch–don’t worry because it’s easy to add or remove.)
Now stuff it! (I enjoyed saying that!) You won’t be able to close the hole/gap. It’s the nature of yoyos. Again, don’t worry because that open area gets pushed against fabric when you sew it on. “Ladder stitch” just is a little bite from the fabric, down to a little bite from the marble, up to the fabric again. See the up and down on the right marble in the photo? Obviously, you pull it enough that it doesn’t show, but not enough to gather up. Knot off.
By the way, when you knot, you can use a quilter’s trick and “bury” the thread end. Pull the needle up through the stuffed yoyo and press down on the stuffing, pulling the thread a teeny bit more. Clip it off; the stuffing wlll puff back up with the thread end buried inside. Don’t you love it!?
NEXT–WHAT IN THE HECK DO YOU DO WITH “MARBLES”?
Besides collecting them, that is? One of my favorite things is to make berries. The holly decoration below is just a $2 pattern.
3D Holly Jolly Applique Embellishment #CC2205 – SewGoCreate
I’ve also made snowballs with them.
This is on the back of a sweatshirt, but it’s easy to use the applique elsewhere.
With Fleece as White as Snow–or NOT #CC1011 – SewGoCreate
On the FRONT of the sweatshirt, I used them as buttons–maybe toggles would be a better term? Same pattern. Just use narrow elastic for closure. The instructions are flexible. You can use ANY size sweatshirt, child or adult.
Let me know if you think of any more uses. I’m imagining grapes and maybe the center of a flower or a clown nose. Maybe bird’s eggs in a nest?
Please add comments if you have some ideas, and I could sure use some kind words of review for ad copy….just a hint. Better yet, why don’t you buy a pattern and try it? Then review it! Send me pics. I’d love to see what you’re making.
Sew….go create marbles and yoyos and other fun stuff!