How to Make a Fabric Yo-Yo
Yo-yos are small discs of fabric with gathered middles that are used most commonly as decoration for sewn or quilted items. Yo-yos can also be sewn together in rows or columns and used as table runners, doilies or bedspreads. Yo-yos were wildly popular in the 1930s and even today, reproduction 1930s fabrics are frequently used to make yo-yos, preserving that Depression-era look.
Things You'll Need
- Plate, plastic lid or other circular object
- Quilt-weight cotton fabric
- Needle
- Thread
- Scissors
Instructions
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1
Using a plate, plastic lid or other circular object as a pattern, cut a circle of fabric anywhere from 2 to 6 inches in diameter. The finished yo-yo will be roughly half the diameter of the beginning circle of fabric.
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2
Place the fabric right side down on the table. Fold up approximately 1/4 inch of the fabric from the edge. With the threaded needle, begin sewing a simple running stitch through both thicknesses of fabric, all the way around the circle.
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3
Pull the thread tight to gather the fabric as tight as it will comfortably go. End off the thread by taking a few small stitches through a few of the resulting gathers. Turn the yo-yo right side out so that the raw edge is hidden inside and the open circle sits in the middle.
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4
The yo-yo is now finished and can be appliqued to a quilt or garment as decoration. To join two yo-yos together, hold them right sides together and take some tiny stitches through both close to the edge.
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Tips & Warnings
Sometimes paper or cardboard patterns can wear out and alter the size of the circles they make.
Even when the beginning circles are cut from the same size pattern, fabrics of different weights will make different size yo-yos. Therefore, when putting yo-yos together in a project, be mindful of varying weights and the possibility of having to compensate.
