In the past we've always covered Valentines Day with cutesy DIY tutorials and (mostly edible) ideas. This year we thought we'd save those waist lines and share a gift that's a little more practical and something that your man is sure to love - surprise him this Valentines Day with a custom-made bow tie made with your very own hands!
You will need:
30cm of fabric
iron-on interfacing*
thread
pins
scissors
sewing machine
How to create:
1. Download the Bow Tie template and cut out. Staple or stick part A and B together to form the complete pattern.
2. Iron the fabric before cutting out the pattern. Fold the fabric in half widthways and place the smaller end of the template on the fold. Pin in position and cut out according to the measurements indicated by the black lines. Repeat this step to give you two complete bow tie pieces.
3. Use the same template and method to cut one piece of interfacing. Pin the interfacing to the wrong side of one of the bow tie pieces and iron together.
4. At this point you should have one bow tie piece with interfacing attached to it and one without.
5. Take the two matching pieces and pin the right sides together. Using a 5mm seam allowance, sew around the perimeter leaving an 8cm opening in the middle of part B.
6. Trim off the four corners of the bow tie, this will reduce the amount of bulk when you turn it inside out. Snip small notches along the curved edges to help when pressing. Note: perform this step carefully as you don’t want to cut the seam stitching.
7. To turn the tie inside out, insert the blunt end of a chop stick, or something similar, into the wide end of one side of part A, gather the material and turn inside out through the 8cm gap in the middle. Repeat for the other side.
8. Use a large pin or needle to pull out the creased fabric and shape the bow tie. Lay the bow tie flat and press with a steam iron.
9. Sew the 8cm gap closed with matching cotton.
10. See below for the completed bow tie. To learn how to tie the bow tie, check out some YouTube tutorials.
TIPS: Interfacing needs to be thin, if it is too thick you won’t be able to tie the bow tie. If you are new to sewing, it is worth buying extra material to have a practice run. This will give you the opportunity to practice sewing a curved seam and make any alterations to the size.
Good luck and Happy Valentines Day!
MW x