Fear of Yo-Yos

For the longest time I had an irrational fear of yo-yos. Don't ask me why, I just thought they were VERY complicated and VERY hard to make. Maybe it's because I never had anyone in my life making them that I always thought they were some great mystery.

I recently picked up a book at the craft store that I just HAD to get...Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle by Tone Finnanger. I'm drawn to crafty books with amazing pictures and this one is full of them. However, quite a few of the projects use yo-yos as decorations. Uh-oh! So for a while, I was just content to look at the projects and dream about how wonderful they would look in my house, if only I could make one. But after actually reading the book, I found a little tutorial on how to make a yo-yo and thought, I can at least try. What will it hurt to try it out?

So a scrap of muslin and embarrassingly an hour later, I had a yo-yo! It took me a while to get the feel for the fold and gather, the right length of stitch to create a nice small opening in the finished product and not a huge hole, but it was a grand success. So I promptly found another scrap of fabric and made another yo-yo. Now I had two yo-yos (of different sizes mind you, since I just free-handed the circles instead of using an upside down cup or something) and had to figure out what to do with my new little treasures. I was really proud of them, okay? Couldn't just let them sit around in the craft room forever. So I dug around a bit until I found a brooch backing and a cute button. Sew them all together and viola! Instant badge of honor! Yo-yo, you do not scare me anymore and I think I will use you in many ways over the coming years. My next ideas include a pillow for my daughter's room and possibly a garland for our Christmas tree...hmmm...