~ ~ LET THE "YO-YO" CHALLENGE BEGIN ! ! ! ~ ~

HEY GIRLS!

~ ~ WELL, it is time for a short training session on making Yo-Yo's!  I am not really sure why I am teaching the class since this is my first experience in making them. 

I have seen several Antique Yo-Yo Quilts through the years, and I LOVE THEM! 

So, I thought, why not make a Yo-Yo Quilt! 

WELL, at the time, I did not realize how many of those little Jewels actually went into a QUILT! 

WOW!  Now I am thinking on a much smaller scale!

I do have some neat things going on in my mind, but I don't want to let the secret out just yet!

So, in this Challenge, if you choose to participate, I will be asking you to design something out of the Yo-Yo's you make.  You can use anywhere from 1 to 1000 Yo-Yo's, and show us what you have created!

I am anxious to see what all of you can come up with! 

As you complete your projects, email me a picture and as much detail about your creation as you would like to share, and I will post them here on my Blog, as I receive them.

Just because someone else sends in a project and you are working on one just like it, that is FINE.  Send it anyway.  It will be different in some way from anyone elses.

~ ~ OF COURSE, for every project you send me, your name will be entered in a drawing for one of my Yo-Yo Creations!  I can't show it to you yet, . . . I'm still working on it!

OK, NOW FOR THE SHORT DEMONSTRATION!

~ FIRST, I want to say how NEAT the little Clover "QUICK" YO-YO Maker is!  It is so much FUN to use and GREAT for a take along project in the car or anywhere!

I just keep the YYM (yo-yo maker) in a small bag with hand quilting thread, scissors, needles and fabric, and take it wherever I go. 

IF YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW TO USE THE THE YYM, you can skip this part and start working on your Yo-Yo Creations!

I will be using black thread just so you will be able to see what I am doing a little better.  You will want to use thread that matches your fabric so that your stitches and knots will not show.

THREAD YOUR NEEDLE ~

Now, you want to take the first end you threaded through the needle.  Lay it on the first finger of your left hand.  Hold the needle in your right hand ~ 

Pull the thread tightly around your left finger and run the needle all the way through the center of the thread. 

 

If you pull the long end of the thread, it will bring the stitched through part of the thread up to the eye of the needle.

 

Now you will not have to worry about the needle coming unthreaded!

 

Now, take the end of the longer piece of the thread and lay it on your finger ~

Lay you needle across the thread - take your thread and warp it around the needle about 6 times (I know from experience, that a big knot is OK, a small knot will pull through the fabric when you pull it to gather up your yo-yo) ~

Move your fingers up over the thread wrapped around the needle, and run it between your fingers all the way down to the bottom of the thread ~

AND, YOU HAVE A KNOT ! ! !

 

NOW, take your YYM and separate it into two parts - lay the bottom yellow part on your working surface ~

Take a piece of fabric and lay the RIGHT side of the fabric down on the cup (not the right side up, that will make your yo yo inside out !?!?! , I know from experience) ~

Place the orange disk on top of this and pop it into place - if you have it positioned right, you will hear about 4 or 5 little pops - if you only hear one and the disk is hard to put in, shift it around just a little bit and it should pop in - make sure and put the side of the disk UP that reads Clover ~

Now , you are ready to trim your fabric around your YYM - trim down to about 3/8" of fabric - just enough to fold under and hold ~

Now, you are ready to sew - flip the YYM over to where the yellow side is facing up - with you left hand holding the YYM take your first finger and lightly pull the edge of the fabric onto the orange disk ~

 

Comments

[Jeanne]

Hi Donna, I want to do the yoyo thing. Beverly is sending me the kit. I have not found it in this small town. I won't be able to start until next week. I will be watching your instructions. Thanks Donna.

Love ya, Jeanne

[Jeanette]

I am a little late to the game (Just found your blog yesterday) and someone may have already told you this, but I thought I would tell you anyway, just in case.

I have made a million and one of these stupid things and have learned some tips along the way...

#1 The little lines on the back of the YYM insert line up with the little knobs on the cup. If you lift a tiny corner of the fabric and line up the line and knob the back will snap into place without having to adjust.

#2 if you take an awl and put a whole through the plate where the center bump is, then when you have your yo yo fabric inside you can take a pencil and make a little mark where the center of your yo yo is. When you take the fabric out, gather and knot it, put a little tacking stitch on the pencil mark, it will keep your yo yos centered and even.

I have been working on several projects for about a year now. One is a bolster pillow for my bed, another is a garland from halloween fabrics, and also a table topper from christmas fabrics.

My sister is making a Californial King size quilt, by hand, no little cheater tools. (She's the one that got me started but I like using the YYM.)

Anyway, I am sure I am probably too late for the challenge, but maybe this is the incentive I need to finish these projects up!

Wish I had found your blog a month ago =0)