guest tutorial from notes from a very red kitchen

Katie (from Notes from a very red kitchen) is a new friend, and we adore her! She's approachable, encouraging, has an absolutely adorable daughter that she's always making great stuff for and loves making projects in bulk as much as we do. And we love the fabulous, original ideas she shares on her blog! We also LOVE it that she's here today with a scrap-busting, Spring DeStashing tutorial!

Hi everybody!  I'm Katie and I share stuff over at Notes From A Very Red Kitchen.  I love the idea of de-stashing, especially since I'm one of those people that tends to hang onto stuff "for the perfect project" instead of just using it for the current project.

And one of the things I'm terrible about saving are scraps.  Scraps, scraps, scraps.  Of course they're useful for a lot of projects, but sometimes they just seem too skinny or too bright to really work in a bigger project.  What do you do with those scraps?

Why, wear them on your head of course!  Headbands are a great way to de-stash because it allows you to use up those scraps you've been hoarding of your favorite fabrics without having too much of a good thing.  And of course it never hurts to add a cute little knot, right?  So let's bring out...

Ready to get started on your own?

Here's what you'll need:

• lightweight fabric (about 1/16 of a yard)  (Mine came from this wonderful shop)   
• 4 1/2" of 1/2" wide elastic
• 2 medium size safety pins
• measuring tape
• other general sewing supplies

*Notes:

• All seam allowances are 3/8" unless otherwise stated.
• This pattern is for an adult, but it would be really easy to convert the measurements to make these for a child.
• Terms of use: This tutorial is for personal use only.  Please do not sell items made using this tutorial.  Thanks!

Now let's get started!

Step 1: Measuring your head

First, grab your measuring tape and measure where you'd like your headband to fit.  If you come up at about 21" to 22" then the measurements given here should work just fine for you.  If you come up more than an inch or two bigger or a little smaller, you may want to adjust the measurements I give here so that your headband will fit you just how you like it.  :)

Step 2: Cutting your fabric and elastic

 Cut four strips of fabric to the following dimensions:
-14" long and 1 3/4" wide (long strips)

Cut one short strip to the following dimensions:
 -8" long and 3 1/2" wide (short strip)

Also (not pictured) cut one 4 1/2" long piece of 1/2" wide elastic.


Step 3: Sew your short strip into a tube, attach the elastic, and turn it inside out
To do this, follow steps 3-5 in the Basic Skinny Headband tutorial found HERE.


Step 4: Creating and using a pattern for your tie ends

 Cut a piece of paper so that it's 1 3/4" wide.  It doesn't really matter how long it is.

Fold it in half lengthwise (i.e. hot dog style).

Cut off a rounded tip.

 Unfold your paper.  Your pattern piece is now ready to use!

Line the tip of your pattern piece up with one end of each of your long strips.  Pin the pattern piece on and cut your new tip.

Again, make sure you use your pattern piece on one end of each long strip.  The other end will remain square.


Step 5: Sewing your long strips together

Take two of your long strips and line them up on top of each other, right sides together.  Pin in place.

Leaving your square end open, sew around the sides and tip of your long strips with 1/4" seam allowance.

Pin and sew your remaining two long strips.

Step 6: Preparing your long strips for turning

Cut out a small triangle at the tip of each long strip, being careful not to snip through your seam.*

Continue to cut out triangles (notches) along the remainder of your curved edges.  I also like to make a small snip through the remaining triangles.  Again, be careful not to snip through your seam.  Do this for both long strips.

With your long strips still inside out, press your seams open.  I did this by pressing all of the seam allowances in on one side.

Then I turned my strip over and pressed all of the seam allowances in on the opposite side.  Do this for both long strips.

*Note: Looking back, it would probably easier to press the seam allowances in on each side and then go back and cut the excess fabric (notches).  Either way would work fine, but I think the way I did it takes a little longer since it can be tricky to press in all those little triangles.  :)

Step 7: Turning your long strips right side out

Reach your fingers inside the end of one of your long strips.

Using your fingers, start to turn your long strip right side out.

Once you've got it started, grab a crochet hook, chop stick, or some other kind of long, skinny tool to help you turn your strip right side out the rest of the way.  I used a crochet hook that I had on hand.

Poke the not-so-pointy end of your turning tool into the tube you've started.

Holding firmly to the end of your tube, push the turning tool up into the tube.  As you do this, gently pull down on the end of your tube.  Your long strip will continue to be turned right side out.

Once you reach the point where your tube is longer than your turning tool, push the tube down onto the turning tool and pull on a different part of the fabric.  Do this until your long strip is turned right side out completely.  Use your turning tool to carefully push out the point of your long strip.  Do this with both long strips.

Your long strips will now look like somewhat of a rumpled snake.

Reshape and press both long strips.

You should now have two nicely pressed long strips and one short strip with the elastic encased.

Step 7: Tying your long strips into a tidy little knot

Cross the tips of your long strips across one another, right over left.

Fold the right strip under the left strip and bring the tip back up.

Now cross the left strip over the right strip and fold under.

Congratulations!  You now know how to tie a square knot.  :)

Now measure the entire length of your long strips tied together and make sure it's about 18" long.


Step 8: Attaching your short and long strips

To do this, follow the instructions in Step 8 of the Basic Skinny Headband tutorial found HERE.


Step 9: Tidying up your scrunches

To do this, follow the instructions in step 6 of The Wonky Button Headband tutorial found HERE.

Ta-da!  You're finished!

I'm really enjoying how this headband turned out.  But I also think The Knot Headband would be absolutely adorable on little girls for summer time.  Please be sure to add pictures to my Flickr group if you make one!

For more of my headband tutorials,  see the TUTORIALS section on my blog.  Enjoy!

Thanks again for having me ladies!  Good luck to all of you de-stashers out there!  :)

Be sure to go say hi to Katie and her very red kitchen, y'all!