A bit of this and that : The headbands continue

Monday, June 02, 2014

The headbands continue

I wrote about The Great Headband Project of 2014 that was my first headband post. Today is the second. (Later, I wrote a third headband post here.)

In comments (on that post) Jen left links to headbands made with ribbon. Link one. Link two. Silky or grosgrain type ribbon on the top for decoration, velvet ribbon on the under side to prevent slipping, elastic in the back to hold it in place.

7/8" ribbon

I tried a couple and the girls loved them.

My girls have smooth/silky type of hair. We have great difficulty with things (headbands, barrettes, etc) sliding. It wouldn't seem like velvet ribbon stay put in silky hair, but it really does.

So, I started on headband project #2 -

We obtained the circumference needed for each girl (I was making for middle, youngest, middle's best friend, then another of middle's friends who happened to see the headbands and wanted some too . . .) by tying regular headbands (from my original post) on their heads, slipping off, measuring.

I discovered, while making ribbon headbands, there can be a half an inch difference in circumference of ribbon headbands, depending on whether I take an inside measurement or an outside measurement. This must be due to the thickness of the layers. So I learned to slip the ruler inside to get an exact circumference as I made each one.

Both of my girls needed 21" (inside measurement) headbands. Middle's first friend needed 19" (she is from the Far East and very tiny). Middle's second friend needed 21" also.

As I mentioned, I tried a couple headbands (before buying bulk supplies). To see if I could do it. To see if the girls loved them. To work out the whole measurement thing. Really important, ribbon is expensive.

The original set of instructions (link two at top of this post) used two different widths of ribbon (wide silk, narrower velvet). I used the same width for each headband. I made some headbands with 7/8" ribbon (silk and velvet). I made other headbands with 1 1/2" widths (silk and velvet).

I used 3/8" elastic on the 7/8" ribbon and 1/2" elastic on the 1 1/2" ribbon. I used white and black and nude elastic which I bought at JoAnns with 40% off coupons.

I am on JoAnn's email mailing list. They send a couple sets of coupons every week. I also am on their snail mail list. And they put coupons in newspaper. They allow multiple coupons in each checkout. I bought a few things each trip. EVERYTHING I bought was with 40% coupon.

I bought all my silky and grosgrain ribbon (washable, NO wire) at JoAnns (using 40% off coupons on each spool).

I ordered all my velvet ribbon from jpribbons on ebay because I wanted matching colors. JoAnn's has a small amount of black velvet ribbon only (at my store). On ebay, ordering from jpribbons, click the "request total from seller" (top of shopping cart, in tiny print) about making shipping come out right if ordering multiple kinds/colors/widths. Here is her 1 1/2" velvet ribbon. Here is the 7/8" velvet ribbon. She and I chatted on email about colors (she carries a lot of browns) too, she is very helpful.

The instructions (links at top of this post) fused the two ribbons together when sewing (to prevent slipping and to hold in place because they used two different widths of ribbon). I did not find that necessary (at all). I have been sewing for a very long time. I used the same widths of ribbon.

The instructions sealed the ends of the ribbons by singe-ing. I cut them with pinking shears and then zigzagged the ends (to prevent fraying and to hold the elastic). I also turned the cut edges of the ribbons in/folded them under, I am not sure the instructions did this.

The instructions used precise measurements. With turning the edges under and the slippery-ness of the silk ribbon, I did not rely on the accurate-ness of my cut measurements. I cut everything carefully. But slipped the ruler in, before sewing the second end of the elastic (closing the circle), for a final measurement. The final measurement for my girls (and one extra friend) was 10 1/2" (21" folded in half measuring on the inside). And for middle's best friend it was 9 1/2" (19"). If I measured on the outside, the inside was actually a full 1/2" smaller which made the headbands feel too tight on all of them.

I made a sign and tacked it on the bulletin board above my sewing machine so I did not get confused as I sewed:

Middle and youngest and middle's other friend
21" finished
10 1/2" folded in half
Cut ribbon at 20"

Middle's best friend
19" finished
9 1/2" folded in half
Cut ribbon at 18"

Yes, I am visual too. I took step by step pictures for you.

Two ribbons, wrong sides together, stitching down sides.

Here you can see the two wrong sides, together.

Here you can see the edges folded under to seal the pinked ends. I didn't actually pin as I sewed, but I pinned here so the ends would stay under so you could see.

I stitched all the way to the end and then reversed stitching to lock

I then slipped the end of the elastic between the two ribbons

I put the needle down into the ribbons, lifted the presser foot, and turned the ribbon so I could first straight stitch over the end, holding the elastic in place and then zigzagged over the end several times.

Here is the zigzagging (hard to see)

Then I sewed down the long, second side of the headband, turning the edges under when I got to the other end

I then took the headband out of the machine to do an inside measurement (9 1/2" for middle's friend on this one). I then cut the elastic, pushed the end down between the two ribbons and sewed the other end shut with first a straight stitch and then a zigzag stitch.