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Saturday 25 February 2023

Start With a Circle...

Things to sew with circles of fabric
You'd be surprised what all you can sew starting with a circle...
... and end up with some pretty awesome things!

Over the past decade, I've featured several projects where a simple flat circle (or two) sewn up from two pieces of fabric is manipulated into a functional three dimensional object.

I recently came across yet another one, so to tease it up (full details to come next week), I thought I'd revisit the past projects, just in case you're a relatively new reader here and haven't seen them before.

Or if, by chance, you're a long-time reader — thank you ❤ — maybe these will serve as a reminder that you should try them out.

I must say, having had the chance to take another look at these, they were all rather fun to make... and at least half of them are highly useful.


This project was inspired by a bit of curiosity on my part while eating some Lindt chocolates one Christmas. The wrapper for one of the candies was made out of gold foil in the shape that you see here in this basket.

Waffle Cone Basket by eSheep Designs
Waffle cone hanging basket...

When I unfurled it, I was surprised to see that it was just a circle. So of course, I had to make something with that idea. Thus was born the waffle cone hanging basket.

The back of this is flat (and in this case, supported by some Peltex) so that it can hang nicely against a wall. After writing up the tutorial, I thought about how I could use it, but luckily, it was ultimately given away as a housewarming gift containing some flowers.


Several years ago, I came upon some "food" projects sewn up by some crafty people. I remember being quite impressed by them. There was only one, however, that made me take a second look and think, hey that would be a neat looking display item.

Fabric Fortune Cookie by eSheep Designs
Any size fabric fortune cookies...

I subsequently made myself several small versions, but this large one here was a gift... filled with a "fortune" with words of inspiration and some actual fortune cookies, of course.

This project also has the added benefit of being an unusual way of using up scraps, since you can do these in virtually any size.


This project arose from one of my first extended sessions on YouTube. Being fascinated by origami (how many times have I said that?) in paper form, I was totally taken with how it could be translated to fabric.

Fabric Origami Ornament crafted by eSheep Designs
An origami fabric ornament...

These have been made as Christmas tree or just hanging ornaments in all sizes. Yet another way to turn fabric scraps into something lovely and unique. (Plus, it takes no time at all. I called this original blog post "A Tute in Ten" and quite literally, this could be made in ten minutes.)


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CD Coasters

It wasn't like I had massive amounts of CDs to get rid of, but when I discovered that they weren't accepted in our blue bins for recycling, I looked for ideas online for how they could be reused and transformed.

Quilted CD Coasters by eSheep Designs
My first attempt at recycling CDs was a success...

Most of what I found involved smashing them up into tiny bits and using the prism-y pieces as mosaics. But I did eventually luck out in finding a couple of ideas that have served me well over the years. I see and use these coasters every day. (On the rare occasions that they've needed to be washed, I swish them around in the kitchen sink with the dishes and then let them air dry.)

Oh, and not only is this an opportunity to recycle CDs, if you use old kitchen linens and fleece from sweatshirts ready to be tossed, it's even more of an earth-friendly project!


Here's another CD recycling project that uses the actual whole CD. (I also see this one every day; one still holds my cell phone charger and another holds my sewing clips.)

Stacked CD Baskets by eSheep Designs
My second attempt at recycling CDs was arguably prettier...

The lid and the bottom of the basket are reinforced by CDs. Polyfil is used to give everything a puffy look.

By the way, both of these CD recycling tutorials have been PDF'd for your convenience. One is available from my Makerist shop while the other can be downloaded from the blog here.

Multi-Compartment Organizer

This has become a favourite of mine, as it sits beside my sewing machine being very helpful ever since I made it. Unlike the previous projects, however, this one requires sewing up two circles, but as you can see, the result is worth the extra effort.

Multi-Compartment Round Tray crafted by eSheep Designs
A round organizer with plenty of storage options...

To follow on a common theme, this organizer is perfect for using recycled materials. The blue stuff here used to be the covering for some chair pads.


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Finally, here is a sneak peak at my most recent "start with a circle" project.

Start with a circle...
What is this?

I can't give it all away yet, or you won't have reason to come back next week. ◕‿↼

But trust me, it's pretty neat. And at its simplest, all you need is a couple of fabric circles and some interfacing.
Sale!
This weekend marks the tail end of one of Spoonflower's best sales: 50% off fat quarters, tea towels and wall hangings with free shipping to boot! Check it out by clicking my sidebar graphic at the top of this post to get to my shop. From there you can navigate to explore the creations of any of Spoonflower's talented designers.

Spoonflower 50% fat quarters sale
With free shipping!
Remember also that you can always upload your own designs, and you don't have to be super creative to do so. For tea towels, a unique idea is to scan a favourite family recipe — perhaps in someone's actual handwriting — and have it printed for gift giving. (Tea towels are $9.50 each.)

One final reminder: a fat quarter of lightweight cotton twill is a good option for making a square throw pillow at minimal cost ($7.50 during this sale). If you've been thinking about it, don't miss out on the opportunity! In today's marketplace, you never know if "next time", the price will be higher.

'Til next...

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