How to Make Piping

Hey there! It's time for another helpful tutorial! You might have had the chance to sew with pre-made packaged piping before. It's a neat little trim you can add to many types of home goods and clothing. But did you know that you can make your own piping using just about any fabric? And it's not hard at all!  Today I'm going to show you how it's done and then we'll even put our new piping to use on a fun project.  

Supplies: 

Your choice of fabric

Any size of cording (mine is 3/16" from Walmart)

Sewing machine, scissors, & thread

Optional: Batting for pillow project

Batman Blanket

Occasionally someone posts something incredible in our Patterns Group that everyone goes wild over, including myself, and we can't help but ask them to share their creativity with us.  Such is the case with Abbey Button and her Batman Blanket!

How cool is this kid?!  I know five kiddos at my house who would LOVE to have a Batman blanket! And you can't tell from the photo, but his arms are even spread out into the wings. Amazing!  Abbey used one of our free patterns as the base for the blanket and she has been kind enough to tell us how she made it. Awesome! 

How to Understitch (and How it Differs from Topstitching)

Hi! It's Kristen here. Do you know the difference between topstitching and understitching?  

There's a good chance that you have already learned to top-stitch, because most of our CKC patterns have you do it. I prefer finishing my edges with a top-stitch because it helps them lay flat and secure for the long term, no matter how roughly they are handled. I also like that it is done as the last step on a project, giving it that finishing touch. Basically, you sew along the seam 1/8" from the edge. That's it! See the curved edge below.

Tie-on Glitz Collars

A few weeks ago in our patterns group, I saw some adorable glitz collars made by a CKC fan using the collar piece from Karlene's shrug. They are so pretty. I asked her if she would be willing to share her techniques with us here on the blog, and I'm super excited she said yes!  So today we have the talented Lisa Kellerman of  Lil Pink Punkin Couture, ready to teach us how to make these super cute glitz collars.  Here's Lisa! 

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be here this week to show you how to make an inspired Glitz Collar accessory. This pattern is fun and easy. You will want to make tons of these. There’s so many options. Let’s get started!

We will be using Karlene’s Shrug pattern. 

Baby Bib with Bias Tape

Last week in our patterns group we had somebody asked how to apply bias tape properly. I thought it would be a fun skill to teach this week, and why not do it using a FREE (and super cute) pattern while we're at it?  So here's what I whipped up for you today:

I don't know about yours, but my babies were clever little things! I couldn't keep any bibs on their necks if they were the kind that fastened with velcro or snaps. Believe me, I tried. So I resorted to the kind of bib that ties in back, and I found that I loved them more anyway! 

For this style of bib you can use just about any fabric you want to. If you want a waterproof backing, you can use PUL fabric that is soft on the front and laminated on the back. (I know BWD Fabrics has some cute PUL fabrics.)  You could also use terry cloth, or upcycle a towel to make several bibs. Knit fabric makes really soft bibs, or you can even use flannel or cute quilting cottons. For any of these fabrics you can use one or two layers, depending on whether you want your bib reversible. The instructions below work for both.