Mermaid Cloth pad tutorial

This tutorial is for long awaited mermaid pad! I have decided to make it available free to all! To complete the tutorial you will need to purchase this awesome fabric specially designed for Stargazing Seamstress. The designs on this fabric have been optimized to shrink to size. Remember to pre wash all your fabrics before sewing!
You can purchase the fabric on Spoonflower
I recommend using performance pique fat quarter, the fabric colour fastness and print quality is fabulous also you can get all the 4 sizes 10, 11, 12 and 14 inch on one FQ!
If you prefer cotton woven some prints can come out grainy, or not same vibrant quality as the performance pique. Also with FQ of cotton woven you will only get sizes 10,11 and 12".

Please join Stargazing Seamstress group on facebook to download your FREE core patterns featured in this tutorial:

FILES

 OPTION 1 OF SEWING THIS PAD

Core in the Seam

Assemble the core with your chosen absorbent fabric to your preferred

absorbency. (more about absorbency in future posts)
*It’s important that you cut one piece in exact shape of the ‘Core in the seam’
pattern piece.
Cut ‘Booster’ piece to add absorbency and keep the pad trim around the
edges (technique known as a stepped core where each additional
absorbency layer is smaller)
Stitching all the core pieces together will ensure they won’t bunch up
inside your finished pad

Take the doll pad cut and either trim away the blue area outside of the

seam allowance (1cm) or follow steps to ‘sew on the line’

  Place the doll pad cut wrong side up, you will still be able to see faint
outlines of seam allowance (the solid skin tone line around the pad
shape).

Match the core to doll pad shape, core piece will be same size as the doll
pad cut after it has been pre washed.

Pin the core to the topper fabric.

 Baste in place as shown on the picture above.
Avoid sewing across the ‘arms’/wings.
Stitch within the seam allowance 0.5cm from the core edge.

 *Skip this step if you have trimmed the excess blue fabric and are
sewing with the 1cm seam allowance.

 Use a light box or DIY a lightbox as seen on this picture here, where I’m using a translucent
lid from a plastic box and a table lamp to create a light box like surface.
Light box will help to see printed lines much better. Using washable pen mark the ‘sewing
line’ around the doll pad shape.
**Remember you are marking the inner line, the one that will follow the exact shape and
size of the pad not the seam allowance.

Pin the front to the backing fabric, right sides together.

Following seam allowance or the sewing line you drew sew along the
pad leaving small opening at one of the bottom edges.

 Trim seam allowance to about 0.5 cm, snip in the corners and notch the curves.

Turn pad inside out, with difficult parts use chopstick or a knitting needle
to bring all the fabric out.

Tuck the turning hole seam inside the pad, press and top stitch.

 OPTION 2 OF SEWING THIS PAD

Floating Core

For the base of a floating core cut rectangular piece of fabric the size shown on the core pattern, this can be a thin cotton woven or a muslin fabric.

Cut the Floating core piece and boosters to top up your absorbency out of your preferred absorbent fabric.

Trace the sewing lines with washable marker from printed fabric on to the thin cotton or muslin.

Attach the floating core to the thin base.

Place the base with the core onto the topper fabric.

 You can use washable glue on the edges to make sure the core base is aligned with printed fabric.

Pin topper right side together to the backer water resistant fabric.

 Following seam allowance or the sewing line you drew sew along the
pad leaving small opening at one of the bottom edges.

 Trim seam allowance to about 0.5 cm, snip in the corners and notch the curves.

 Turn pad inside out, with difficult parts use chopstick or a knitting needle to bring all the fabric out.

Tuck the turning hole seam inside the pad, press and top stitch.

***Please note that those are free patterns, do not redistribute, copy or sell! Do not share the files! All free patterns are basic and do not include same level of details as our paid for patterns.

Easter Bunny Cloth Pad Pattern and Sewing Tutorial

We had some fun at Stargazing Seamstress Facebook Group over Easter holidays. I like to Design fun unexpected things into ordinary items. This time it was an Easter bunny theme. I had taken my trusted 10 inch curvy cloth menstrual pad pattern and started drafting. You can find necessary patterns to complete this tutorial in my FB grup files, simply join my group and follow this links for:

FILES


***Please note that those are free patterns, do not redistribute, copy or sell! Do not share the files! All free patterns are basic and do not include same level of details as our paid for patterns.

You will need a rough cut of a topper material I used pink cotton lycra then a same size cut for the base of floating core (this can be a thin cotton woven, I've used a muslin fabric) and a same size backing fabric I used pink polar fleece.

Cut your core, and sew it on top of the larger floating core base. Make sure its centered, draw the bunny shape with a washable marker, straight on to the material. Here I've drawn the pattern shape on the topper material but you can do it on the base of the core to make everything quicker and easier.

Pin the floating core with a base to the topper. I have applied few simple bunny shapes and made a freehand embroidered eyes and a nose.

When that is in place, pin everything to the backer right sides together and sew along the marker line. You can skip the added features embroidery and pin all the fabrics together right away.

Trim excess fabric. Clip corners and turn the pad inside out. Use chopsticks or a knitting needle to poke all difficult shapes out, press everything down carefully, do it by placing your iron down straight not moving it back and front.



Make sure to tuck in the opening hole seamallowace and topstitch all around the pad. Add snaps and enjoy your hoppy bunny xx please share your pictures




Yours,
Stargazing Seamstress

Welcome to Stargazing Seamstress Home of Crazy ideas and extraordinary products

Welcome to Stargazing Seamstress blog.

Please excuse my writing I'm super new to blogging and English isn't my first language!
I really hope you will enjoy many Ideas I will try to share with you!

Why Stargazing Seamstress?

Well Stargazing Seamstress describes myself perfectly. This is what I do, what keeps me grounded, late night sewing at my machines. While everyone in the house is sleeping I'm gazing at the moon and the stars and dream of new patterns, prints and products. My mind never sleeps it's always on to the next idea a next project. That's why I need this blog to channel all that energy, all that thinking into a creative resource for crafty individuals. If you are handy with a needle and a thread, know your way around a sewing machine, are eco conscious or curious at least you should enjoy what I'm about to share with you on here.

Many of my sewing patterns will be geared toward reusable products. Making switch from disposable lifestyle to eco conscious one with a luxury, quirky twist.

Hopefully if time allows I will also be sharing some of my selfish sewing projects, pattern alterations and hacks.

I do not make a promise how often I will manage to post as life is very funny sometimes and makes it impossible to do things the way you want to do them!

I won't bore you anymore this short intro should be enough for now. I believe you will get to know me better in future posts and I will get a chance to get to know you to xxx

Please share your experiments with ideas you see here in my pattern group on Facebook, on demand sewing support available xx
https://www.facebook.com/groups/116154832157140/