U-handblog

Simple origami Lily Flower tutorial

Because I enjoyed my visit to Kew Gardens so much I thought it would be nice to post a origami flower tutorial.  One of my first craft loves was origami.  I find it a really pleasant way to unwind it's also very useful; the amount of times I've used a spot of origami to keep little ones amused when it was raining outside, or given my mum a bunch of paper folded flowers as a pressie (when I was broke), and in a moment of madness I even asked Al if he would like to be engaged to me by writing the proposal inside a paper folded rose (which he now stores in his keepsake box.)

Here is a tutorial for one of my favourite flowers.  It's not hard to do even if you haven't done any paper folding before.  There's just a fair few steps because you have to repeat some of the steps 8 times, but I think it's worth it and you'll have this flower folded in under 15 minutes flat :)

NB: For my easy peasy origami lidded box tutorial click here.

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Here are two Lilies I folded earlier.  The paper is coloured on one side and white on the other which gives a nice stripe effect down the centre of the petals.
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1. Start with a square of  paper - I suggest NO smaller than 20cm or it will be too fiddly for first timers. Fold the paper in half both ways diagonally and horizontally and vertically to make a star as in the pic below.  Ensure all of your creases are sharp and precises as possible by running finger nail along each crease for every step of this model.

Fold a star shape in the paper.  Note how precise the lines are.  It's important to take your time in being precise and fussy when folding origami.

2.   Now fold the paper (right side out) into a triangle and using the creaselines as a guide begin to push one of the sides in as shown below...

Push one of the sides into the centre of the triangle and repeat with the other side. The result is shown below. 

View from top.  Push both sides into the centre, this will be the result.

3.  Ensure that the open edges of the shape are facing away from you and then take one of the sides and fold into the centre crease line as shown below...

Fold one of the side edges into the center creaseline and repeat with the other side edge and you will get the result shown below...

Now flip the model over, repeat with the other 2 side edges and unfold all of the edges again and you will get the result shown below...

As you can see we have just been making creaselines that will serve as guide for the next step.

4.  Take one of the folded side edges and slip your index finger into it as shown in the pic below...

That scar is the result of a small argument (that I lost) with my olfa cutter - we suffer for our art!  Slip your finger into the side edge/flap (or whatever you want to call it) and using the creaselines as guide press the flap down so that you get what looks like a kite with a white tip as shown below...

Now repeat the previous step with the other 3 flaps and you will get the result as shown below...

Result.  Notice how there are 8 'pages/sides' to the model; some of the 'pages' look like the picture above (with white tip) and other pages look like the pic below...

and others look like this (plain with no white tip) I'm just mentioning the difference in the way the pages look because it's important for the following steps.

5.  Ensure the a 'white tip' page is facing up and fold the shape in half by bringing the bottom tip and the top tip together as shown below...

Fold shape in half and make a sharp crease and unfold.  We have just made a crease line for later on.

6.  Ensuring you have the kite shape with the white tip facing upwards, take one of the top half side edges and (precisely) fold it into the centre crease line as shown below...

Fold the side edge into the centre crease as shown, repeat with the other side, and open out again and you will get the result as shown below...

Result. As you can see we have made creaselines for a triangle.  We are going to use these lines for the next step.

7. Follow the steps CLOCKWISE from top left in the pic below...

Clockwise from top left:  slip your finger into the top edge of the pocket (pic 1) and using the side creaslines as a guide pull the lip of it all the way down (pic 2),  ensure everything is aligned on the centre creasline (pic 3),  push the small resulting triangle upward on the creasline as shown (pic 4).

Repeat the whole of step 7 for the other 3 sides (with white tips).

8. Nearly there! Ensure you have a plain side (with no folds or flaps etc. on it) facing up and the open  tip open edges are facing away from you. Follow the steps CLOCKWISE from top left in the pic below...

    
Clockwise from top left:  plain side is facing up and the open tip ends are facing away from you (pic 1), precisely fold one of the side edges into the centre creaseline and repeat with the other side (pic 2),  repeat with step with the other 3 PLAIN sides (pic 3),  this should be the result (pic 4).

9.  Pick up the model with the side facing you (as in pic 4 of the previous step) and pull one of the petals downwards as shown in the pic below...

As you pull the petal down you'll notice it will only go so far downwards, at the point where it will go no further make a crease at the base of the petal.  Flip the model over and repeat on the other side.  Open out and repeat for the remaining 2 petals.

10. Grab a pencil or ruler and curl the edge of the petals to make things even more pretty as shown below.

Curl the petals under with a pencil or ruler and you're done!

Woo pretty! 

If you give this flower a try I'd love if you could pop photos of your finished lilies into the Tutorial Flickr :)

SUPER Easy Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

Thanks for your ironing board cover (IBC) tutorial requests. Calling this a tutorial might be pushing it slightly as it is outrageously easy, but then, really easy is really good right?  This one is for everyone who asked for it (especially Ian, because I love it when fellas drop in for a read).

You won't need to make a casing, obtain cord for ties, or even thread a cord for the casing (which is fantastic for lazy busy ol' me) because we are going to use the casing from the old IBC. Of course, in order to follow this tutorial the casing on your old IBC will need to be intact.  If it isn't you will need to make a cover with all new casing - and if that's the case check out Anna's IBC tutorial where she shows you how to start from scratch and not be lazy like me (and hers is a funky orange 70's number).

My old IBC removed from it's frame.  The old cover has gooey fusible interfacing adhesive all over it, (I'm always getting that stuff on the flipping ironing board), and anyways this cover isn't very good looking.  I'm keeping the fleece padding, it's worn in the middle, but I can do something about that.

'Well hello there pretty thing, let's slip and slide together...!"   Here's my travel iron getting fresh with the new IBC.  The fabric is some Kaffe Fasset which I've had in my stash for yonks.  Perhaps it's a little extravagant, but ironing is so tedious that a cheerful IBC might just make it a bit more bearable...perhaps not.

Here’s How I put it all together

Shopping list (as if you were shopping and not using your own stash fabrics)

• 100% cotton fabric (quilt to medium weight works best)
• Some heavy-ish weight 100% cotton furnishing (home dec. weight) fabric
  

 NB: all seam allowances are 1cm (3/8”) unless otherwise stated. Pattern includes 1cm seam allowance.

1. Remove IBC and padding from ironing board - IMPORTANT: do not cut the ties or the casing, we need to keep them in one piece for later.  Smooth out the IBC completely flat and press (heh! now you've no ironing board to press the IBC on: you can use a towel on the table).

2.   Mark a 1" margin all around the IBC -  measure 1" (2.5cm) from the outer edge of the casing all around the IBC.

Measure & mark a 1" (2.5cm) margin all around the old IBC.

3.  Cut the 1" (2.5cm) margin off from the old IBC -  be careful NOT to make the first incision from the outer edge of the IBC.  Keep the precious margin for later.

Make the first incision straight into the 1" (2.5cm) margin.  Don't cut through the casing and string.

4. Cut out the new IBC fabric - lay  the old IBC (minus the margin you've just cut off) onto your new IBC fabric and using the old IBC as a guide cut out the new IBC plus a 1" (2.5cm) margin.  Set aside the old IBC, you're done with it now.

Snip snip all around the old IBC adding a 1" (2.5cm) margin.

5.  Pin the 1" (2.5cm) margin (with casing and tie) of the old IBC to the new IBC fabric - bring the right sides (and raw edges) of the margin and the new IBC fabric together.   Match the position of the flat edge and pointed ends (of the IBC) on the margin to the new IBC as best as you can - it doesn't have to be exact as all of this will be on the underside). 

Start pinning the two fabrics together at the flat end (or bottom end) of the IBC working your way up evenly on both sides (in other words do not pin one side to the pointed end before doing the other side).  Stop pinning before you reach the tip (see pic below).

I have stopped pinning just before the tip and there doesn't appear to be enough old IBC margin for the new IBC fabric.  That's OK; it's all part of the plan Stan.

I have made a pen mark at the approx centre of the tip of the new IBC.  I have also made a corresponding centre mark on the tip of the old IBC margin.  I'm am now going to pin the 2 centre points together and continue pinning the margin to the new IBC fabric....

...as you pin the margin to the new IBC you'll notice that the new IBC fabric ruffles up (can you say 'ruffles' up?  Maybe it should be 'bunches' up...achh. You know what I mean).   Ruffling up is OK, just keep the ruffles reasonably equal in size and be generous with the pins.

6.  Stitch the margin to the new IBC fabric - I would suggest no less than a 1cm (3/8") seam allowance, and stitch on the margin side, it's easier.

If you have a stitch on your sewing machine (like the one that my scissors are pointing to) use that because it does a straight stitch and a zig-zag all in one go which is handy because it stitches fabrics and prevents the raw edges from fraying at the same time.  Use a short length stitch for strength (because the margin is going to take a lot of tension from having the ties pulled taut in side the casing) with a wide zig-zag.
   
If you don't have a stitch like this on your sewing machine just sew using a short length straight stitch and then go over the raw edges with a zig-zag stitch.

7.  Cut furnishing fabric to fit ironing board frame - this heavyish fabric will bulk up the old ironing board padding and will prevent the grid of the frame coming through on my ironing  (which is sooo annoying!)

Use your ironing board as a guide and cut around with approx 2cm extra.

8.  Assemble your brand spanking new ironing board - righty, starting from the bottom: lay the new IBC wrong side up, then the old padding, then the furnishing fabric piece, and finally the ironing board frame on the table.  Jiggle the layers around until all is even.   Pull the ties until your fingers go white, tie into a bow, and you're all done.  I bet you can't wait to attack that mountain of ironing now...hmm... perhaps you can.

One new IBC using old casing and ties; clever eh?

I hope you enjoy giving this tutorial a go, if you do I'd really love to see a pic of it in the new "Bags made from my tutorials' Flickr group.  I'll be checking it regular!