Sew Marble Mazes from Home

(Cancelled) was Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 from 10:00am to Wednesday, June 1st, 2022 5:00pm (MT)
This event has been cancelled.

About

Do you like to sew? Have 6.5 " x 9" fabric scraps that you would like to put to good use? Sew marble mazes from home for Head Start children to play with during quiet time.  Simply go to this link for the instructions, https://www.applegreencottage.com/diy-fabric-marble-maze-pattern/

Supplies for marble maze

6.5 " x 9" scrap of fabric for the back

same size soft fusible polyester interfacing (stabilizer)

same size contrasting fabric for the front (choose a solid, no prints for the front!)

contrasting thread, pins a marble***

optional: two pieces of fabric (1.5" squares) in a contrasting color to mark the start/end of the marble maze.

Marble maze tutorial - steps

1 - cutting instructions

Using your free pdf template, cut rectangles along the cutting line (marked: red solid line):

• One piece out of your backing fabrics,

• One piece of soft fusible interfacing for the back and

• One piece out of contrasting fabric (solid is best).

• Optional: cut 2 tiny squares of contrasting fabrics (1.5 inch by 1.5 inch)

2 - add interfacing

Apply interfacing to the back of the backing fabric:

3 - mark corners

Take the front piece and place the 2 tiny squares in the opposing corners, on the green dotted mark (see the diagonal green dotted lines in the opposing corners? Those

Then sew diagonally over the tiny squares. Press to the outer side, so you've got tiny triangles now. Though helpful in playing the game, these markings are not totally necessary, you can safely skip the tiny squares and the entire step two if you don't have the time.

4 - assemble back and front

Put the two main pieces of fabric right sides together. Sew all around the pieces, using a ⅜" seam allowance (on the template, it is marked by a black dashed line (stitching line). Don't forget to leave a gap for turning and inserting the marble, just as marked on the pdf template.

5 - trim corners and turn right-side-out

Clip the corners and any excess fabric on seam allowance for a good fit and to reduce bulk on edges. (but be careful not to snip into any stitches!)

Turn right side out. Push the corners out using a point turner tool, a knitting needle, or a chopstick. Then press the piece flat. (only iron over cotton, never directly over fleece!)

6 -  insert the marble

Insert the marble through the opening, move it away from it (check out the area marked by the green star in the pdf template.) You can secure it using pins, so it won't move to where you don't need it to.

Then stitch the opening closed, by machine or by hand. 

7- stitch the marble maze lines 

Now, you'll sew the internal lines of the maze. To transfer the topstitching solid blue line onto the front fabric, simply cut off the frame of the printed pdf template (= the ⅜" seam allowance area), then place the paper template onto the front fabric, secure with a few pins to let it stay in place. Like this:

Now, stitch over paper. You'll remove it later. As simple as that!

 

Important sewing tips

1. Visibility: use a contrasting thread to make it visible. When playing, it's good to see the lines!

2. Safety: secure all stitches well (backstitching) if you're using the simple straight-line stitch. Or even better, use a triple stitch. It's safer, too, because there will be even less possibility for the marble to break through (toddlers are well known for persistence, and if there's a way to get the marble out at a place where the simple stitch has given in, --- well, it's better to either backstitch or use a strong, reliable stitch.

8 - remove paper

Remove the paper template. An easy task!

 

9 - topstitch around

The only thing left: topstitching around the border. Move the marble to a central position so it won't be in the way, you can secure it using pins, so it won't move. See the photo below:

 

Topstitch around the maze using an approximately ¼" seam allowance. You don't need the paper template for that, though i marked it on the template to give you a feeling how to proceed. Remember to keep the marble out of the way when sewing.

Done!

Registration
Opens Apr 18, 2022 8:00am
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