Pink Chalk Studio » Blog Archive » First Day of School

First Day of School

Sep 5th, 2007 by Kathy

New t-shirt, hand-me down jeans, designer headband and a ceramic heart found in a pocket, an excellent start to the new school year.

I made Leil 5 reversible headbands. She LOVES the mini-flowers, no question about who her mother is. I immediately had a request for more headbands in each colorway. Yes, I’m outing myself, I bought mini-flowers in every color Superbuzzy stocks. Don’t tell Greg. Thank goodness the price per yard of these fabrics has no relation to the cute looking very small package that arrives in the mail.

I’m going to link you to a tutorial by Kate at KC Quilts. The technique she demonstrates for the elastic piece is the same as what I do. I really like this technique (also great for children’s play crowns) because it encases the elastic so it slides easy over hair.

While my construction is the same as Kate’s, my fabric dimensions are different and I don’t taper the main section. My version fits a 9 year old with really big hair.

Two pieces for the main headband cut 2″ x 16″ (1 1/2″ x 15″ finished, 1/4″ seam allowance on the sides with 1/2″ turned in on the ends), interfacing cut 1 1/2″ x 15″ to give it some stability, one piece of fabric for the strap cut 2 1/2″ x 11″ (1″ x 10″ finished, this piece isn’t reversible I just make a tube from one piece of fabric), and elastic cut 7″ long (6″ finished, 1/2″ on either end tucked into the main headband).

Off to enjoy a few more hours of silence…

Posted in Sewing | 32 Comments

32 Responses to “First Day of School”

on 05 Sep 2007 at 3:19 pm1shannon

Look at that curly hair, so cute! I love the fabrics, these are great. Thanks for the instructions and link, I’ve been thinking about making some for my two nieces and maybe a couple for me too!
on 05 Sep 2007 at 3:45 pm2Nancy

Thanks so much for the inspiration and link! My 5th grader just saw your daughter’s oh-so-stylin’ headbands and now wants one too. Nothing like peer influence to get the tweens on board to mom’s sewing! I’ve even got sushi fabric stashed.
on 05 Sep 2007 at 3:45 pm3Katie

She has a gorgeous head of hair! I love the headbands. I could never wear them, the back of my head is completely flat….sigh.
on 05 Sep 2007 at 4:32 pm4ummhana

What delightful headbands. I love that they are reversable. I am definently adding this to my list of things to make.
on 05 Sep 2007 at 4:34 pm5Ashley

So cute on Leil–happy first day of school!

Re: Superbuzzy, I was showing the site to my sister this weekend–she’d asked where I got all my cute fabrics–and when she saw the prices she was all, “so that’s for what, five yards?” And that was for the $16-17 ones. I didn’t have the nerve to explain that I had actually put a 1/2 yard of the $27 Putti di Pome in my last order!
on 05 Sep 2007 at 5:08 pm6Amanda

Wow, she has a to-die for set of locks!
Great headbands. I could use some for my on going bad hair days!
on 05 Sep 2007 at 6:43 pm7Alicia A.

I hope you ALL had a wonderful first day!
on 05 Sep 2007 at 7:13 pm8Kate

Thanks for the link! Your headbands look great and I love that Superbuzzy fabric. And, of course, all that hair.
on 05 Sep 2007 at 7:49 pm9April

i just couldn’t resist and made up a couple today. thanks for the link and dimensions for a nine year old. just the right size for my daughter.
on 05 Sep 2007 at 8:02 pm10Jessica

Wow, love the patterns on those bands! And all those curls, too!
on 05 Sep 2007 at 11:36 pm11Siow Chin

Thanks for the link, I can understand the request for more ! I love the one with the pandas.
on 05 Sep 2007 at 11:53 pm12mrspilkington

They are great! It’s 2:50 and I just finished a slightly different headband for my 3 year-old with big hair for her first day back. Hope it was a great first day for all of you. She looks so cool — I can’t wait to show my daughter this entry in the morning (she’s started to wonder about/struggle with her hair).
on 06 Sep 2007 at 1:20 am13katrin

the headbands are so very cute! and don’t you agree that those items (like headbands) make you happy and give you a kind of “instant satisfaction” because they’re so easy to make but so lovely looking?!
my fave would be the one with the panda bears and the b&w inside. think i need to let my hair grow to make me some of those, too!
on 06 Sep 2007 at 5:56 am14Amy

All the girls at school are gonna be fighting over those I bet — so awesome.
on 06 Sep 2007 at 6:14 am15Adrienne

She is so cute! Love those headbands!
on 06 Sep 2007 at 7:39 am16Robyn

Love it all! And looking at her hair totally reminds me of me at that age, except I was so torn about what to do with it, how to treat it, etc. Finally figured that out in college! :0)
on 06 Sep 2007 at 7:50 am17C

gorgeous hair, awesome headbands. both from mom, I believe
on 06 Sep 2007 at 8:22 am18Miss Sassy

Dang. Look at that load of curly hair. The girl I would have been jealous of in school. The kind of hair to keep a headband in place. *sigh* Great headbands!
on 06 Sep 2007 at 9:05 am19sue

How cute! (The headband, too… )
on 06 Sep 2007 at 10:48 am20Mama Urchin

Oh no, we won’t tell Greg. Love that Panda fabric and that hair, wow.
on 06 Sep 2007 at 8:29 pm21Jenn G.

Love the headbands, I will totally have to make one (heck, why not a couple). Question though…I LOVE the Sushi material, I have been looking all over for it, and can’t find it–where where you able to find yours?
Thanks!
on 06 Sep 2007 at 8:35 pm22lovie

O.K. , now I have a new addiction-Super Buzzy. Just window shopping I think I spent $200.00! Yikes! That stuff is gorgeous.
What a glorious head of hair that child has!
on 06 Sep 2007 at 8:47 pm23Chara Michele

I like those headbands! Her hair is gorgeous and looks great with those headbands!
on 07 Sep 2007 at 7:45 pm24susaninfrance

oh thanks so much for that, i was just wondering how to do the covered elastic part of the headbands, which i think may work better than the open or tied kind for my littlest one who is getting mighty curly too–and it just won’t grow down, just seems to grow out!
on 08 Sep 2007 at 10:05 am25Kim

a heart in the pocket! what a lovely find. Leil’s hair is so gorgeous … and the bands a perfect compliment.
on 09 Sep 2007 at 2:26 pm26Péitseoga

so many great fabrics! hairbands must be great to use up those small and narrow leftover bits! gorgeous mini flowers.
on 12 Sep 2007 at 5:53 am27Lucy

Those are so cute. I will have to make some up. I love small projects that showcase favorite fabrics without using them all up. I like to be able to enjoy my favorite prints, and what better way to enjoy them the on my daughters’ heads.
on 13 Sep 2007 at 8:24 am28Summer Simmons

those fabrics are just too cute. love the headbands.
on 13 Sep 2007 at 11:06 pm29Rubyellen

I am still trying to figure out a way to hide a superbuzzy expense from my husband…The love for fabric adds us real fast on a credit card bill!!! Any suggestions?
on 21 Sep 2007 at 7:18 am30Leta

Lovely headbands! Her hair is awesome!!
on 03 Oct 2007 at 1:31 pm31Molly

I am new to your site and loving it! Thanks so much for posting your dimensions for the headband…I have a 10 year old with lots of hair and have the hardest time finding headbands for her! I can’t wait to make some…will be a good way to use up those scraps I save “just in case!” Will make great birthday gifts for friends, too! Thanks for sharing!
on 04 Feb 2008 at 4:54 pm32headband « by small means

[…] September 5, 2007 by april i popped over to pink chalk studio today and saw this. i just couldn’t resist giving it a try. i used the tutorial she linked to and her dimensions for a nine year old. […]