macaron tutorial & giveaway
February 23, 2014 So. How long have I been meaning to write a tutorial for this cutest ever little macaron kit? Too long. But I finally got down to business and wrote it because The Cloth Parcel wants to give a kit away to one of you! I'm very excited about this. :)
Ok. For starters, this kit is cute cute cute. I bought four for myself a "while" ago. This is the second I've made and now I can hardly wait to make the other two.
Here's what comes in the kit:
You will also need a sharp needle with an eye big enough to thread 2 plies of embroidery floss and thread scissors. I also recommend white embroidery floss, but it isn't necessary.
The kit comes with instructions, but they are not in English. The graphics are pretty clear, but if you need a little more explanation, this tutorial will help.
One other thing - this macaron is assembled entirely by hand. All the sewing is done with the colored embroidery floss that comes in the kit. I always separated one ply of floss, folded it in half, threaded the ends and knotted the loop for all my sewing so I stitched everything with 2 plies (one ply doubled).
Step 1: To make the first lid, sew a running stitch around the edge of one LARGE felt circle.
Gather it slightly.
Divide the wad of stuffing in half. Set one half aside. Place the other half of the stuffing onto the cupped felt circle.
(Note: If you want the inside of your macaron to be a little puffy, don't use all of the stuffing in this step. But I like the outside of my macaron to be super puffy so I used all of my stuffing for the outside. You can always cut a few little circles from scrap quilt batting to fill the inside hollows, if you like.)
Then place a white cardboard circle on top of the stuffing. Gently pull the running stitch until it is snug. Tuck the stuffing under the cardboard as best you can. Secure the running stitch.
Make the second lid.
Step 2: To make the zipper into the circle shape, first mark the seam line.
The instructions say to stitch the seam 5mm from the teeth clasp.
If you work in inches, your seam should be a generous 3/16" from the teeth clasp.
THIS MEASUREMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT (she said speaking from experience). If your seam allowance isn't just right, the zipper will not fit properly.
I marked my stitch line with a pen (which will not be seen).
Pin the ends of the zipper (right sides together) and then following the stitch guide in the instructions, sew the ends of the zipper together with a backstitch.
NOTE: This step is where I would recommend using white floss. It's not necessary, but it does make your seam invisible from the outside.
Step 3: Sew a running stitch along both sides of the zipper and gently gather them.
Step 4: Slip stitch one lid to each side of the zipper.
Note: The instructions say to stitch the zipper 3mm (or 1/8") from the teeth. If you look carefully at the zipper, you will see a woven pattern. I've drawn a mark along the stitch line. Try to sew on that line. And you also want to match up the stitch line on the zipper with the edge of the cardboard circle inside the lid. You can feel it easily with your fingers. I know this sounds like a super fiddly thing to do, but it will make a difference in the finish.
Step 5: Slip stitch one small felt circle to the inside of one lid. (This is where you can add a bit more stuffing if you like.)
Tip: Fold the teeth back towards the outside to make it easier to sew.
Repeat for the other side.
Step 6: Attach the beads and ribbon.
You're all done! Super cute. :)
I'm going to use my macaron as a scissor fob. It's the perfect size to hold a bobbin of thread for binding, English paper piecing, hand quilting, ... ... ... Plus the colour of the felt matches some of the flowers on my scissors. I know you get how awesome that is!
I will put a link to this tutorial in the Tutorials & Free Patterns link in my navigation bar at the top of this page so you will always be able to find it.
If you'd like to win a macaron kit, please pop over to The Cloth Parcel by clicking here to see all the available colors for this kit. Then come back here and leave a comment (not an email) telling me which macaron color is your favourite. This giveaway closes Sunday March 2nd and I'll announce the winner Monday the 3rd. Good luck to you!
Reader Comments (161)
Thanks for the chance to win!
:) Linda
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this tutorial. I can see how the line might be a bit blurred.
As a pattern writer, I take copyright infringement VERY seriously. I wouldn't claim to be an expert, but I know more than probably the average person because it's part of my job and I did study a little about copyright in school. Believe me when I say I am the last person interested in engaging in a copyright dispute with anyone.
My motivation for writing this tutorial was to share my enthusiasm for the kit. I bought four myself, I've enjoyed making them from the kit and I am happy to share my appreciation of the kit with my readers.
I took great care to ensure this tutorial cannot be used as a substitute for buying the kit. I do not share any sizes or dimensions that are used for the components so the parts of this kit cannot be duplicated based on this tutorial. In fact, this tutorial is only useful to someone who owns the kit.
Also, because the instructions are only in Japanese I think this English tutorial will only help the company that manufacturers it. I am not benefiting financially in any way from this tutorial and I genuinely believe I am helping the maker sell more kits to non-Japanese reading people.
I'd also like to mention there are other free macaron tutorials on the internet that include all the detail necessary to make a macron from scratch. In my opinion, the appeal of the kit I featured in my tutorial is just that - it's a kit. I didn't need to go shopping around for all the supplies. I didn't need to make any templates. This kit is so awesome because it provides you with everything you need ... unless you don't read Japanese and have trouble following a pattern with just the pictures.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think this tutorial is meant to promote the kit, not to infringe on a copyright for personal gain.
I hope this clarifies things. :)
cheers,
Kristyne
I like the light pink kit best.
Sarah
Warm regards!
Ruth Lutz
Pam
scrap-n-sewgranny.blogspot.com
Hot pink!
Also a big thank you for the offer of a free kit.
I looked at the colors and the Hot Pink is my favorite! And a scissor fob no less!! I love it!