My royal wedding tea party, complete with bunting...

This doesn't really belong in a sewing blog, BUT there was a small amount of craft involved in making our pretty homemade bunting for our little royal wedding tea party!  Pinking shears, ribbon and a stapler was all that was required to put together metres of the stuff in no time - not very professional, but it did the trick! Thanks to my cousin Lois for doing the elbow work for this one!

Here are some pics of our fun afternoon...

Colourful cupcakes, scones and strawberries

Macaroons and fine bone china

The very popular sausage twists

Bunting over the table

Tutorial: Simple applique with fusible web and zig-zag stitch

Here is a quick run-down on applique with fusible web - a thin mesh of glue which attached fabrics to each other when heated.   I use fusible web with no paper backing for the purpose of this tutorial.

What you need:
Fusible web
Main fabric
Applique fabric
Scissors x 2 (fabric and general craft)
Iron (steam preferred)

Step 1:  Prepare pieces
Cut out fabric and fusible web for the shape you want to applique.  Make sure the fusible web is cut no larger than the fabric shape, and no bits peep out from the sides!  Place them on the fabric where you want to stick them.

Step 2: Iron the pieces together
Place a piece of cloth on top of the fabrics, to prevent fusible web coming into contact with your iron.  Using a hot iron, on a steam setting, iron down the fabric.  Check that the fabrics are glued well together before putting your iron away!

Step 3:  Sew on the applique with a zig zag stitch

On my machine, you select a zig-zag stitch and a narrow stitch (between 0 and 1 length) - the length depends on how you like it - try it out first on a scrap piece of fabric first.  On my machine the settings look like this:

It takes a little practice at first, but after a couple of tries, especially on the corners, it'll come!  A simple technique, but a nice effect!

Tutorial: Easy drawstring bag

Drawstring bags are one of the simplest sewing projects, yet one of the most useful!  Small ones can be whipped up as gift bags for kids' parties, and they're perfect as gift bags for birthdays, Christmas and for giving food gifts such as bread and cookies.  Also great for shoe bags for storage, and sports kits for children.  I made these three super-girly personalized bags for my nieces overseas for a little summer dress gift.

NB. This tutorial doesn't cover the letter applique.  See here for instructions.

What you'll need

• 2 x rectangular pieces of material the same size
• ribbon or string - 2 pieces of length equal to twice the width of your rectangular fabric pieces, plus 4 inches
• safety pin
• iron/ironing board
• sewing machine
• pins
• pinking shears (optional)

Step 1: Prepare simple hems

With wrong side facing up, fold down and press a 1cm hem on both pieces of fabric.

Step 2: Sew hems

Still with wrong side facing up, sew the hems down, on both pieces of fabric, then press.

Step 3: Sew pieces of material together

With wrong sides facing up, measure and mark 2 inches down from the top on each side, on each fabric.  
Note:This assumes you will be using a narrow ribbon for the drawstring - this width is double the width of the drawstring hole - if you are using wider ribbon, you will need to increase this width.

Place right sides together and pin.  Sew around the edge, starting and ending at the 2 inch mark, and leaving a 1cm border. 
Optional: trim edge and finish with zig-zag stitch or serger, or alternatively leave pinked if you have cut using pinking shears.

Step 4: Prepare and sew fold for ribbon insert

Fold and press at 1 inch point (i.e. half way to 2 inch mark and the start of your stitching.  Repeat with the second side.

Pin around the bottom of this fold, ensuring that you fold over the seam allowance as you go. 

Stitch close to the bottom edge all the way round both sides of fabric.

Press.

Step 5: Insert drawstring 1

Using a safety pin on one end insert one ribbon inside one of the stitched 'tubes', entering the second 'tube' on exiting the first, so the two ends of the ribbon meet again at the starting entry point.

Tie in a double knot.

Step 6: Insert drawstring 2

Repeat with the second ribbon, entering the opposite end to the first time, i.e. where the ribbons are now tied.

Step 7: Turn inside out

Turn inside out and press.  Voila!  One easy drawstring bag!