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Three-cycle labyrinth fidget

by Linda Theil

Tina Sharapova of JTS Design posted her textile labyrinth, fidget-toys on the Labyrinth Makers FaceBook forum recently, inciting me to try my hand at making my own finger labyrinth out of fabric. My first venture is an 8-inch-square, log-cabin-pieced design with a three-cycle labyrinth stitched over the piecework, and a 5/8-inch button sewed inside to act as a game piece.

Log-cabin-mouse fidget, front

Log-cabin-mouse fidget, back

To make your own three-cycle labyrinth fidget, you will need:


Materials for three-cycle labyrinth fidget:
  • 8-inch square cotton for backing
  • 8-inch square iron-on fleece
  • 2.5-inch square cotton for log-cabin center square
  • variety of 1.5-inch-wide strips of cotton for log-cabin "logs"
  • 5/8-inch button or bead 
Proceedure

1. Beginning with your 2.5-inch square, sew ten 1.5-inch-wide strips of fabric to center square, alternating in log-cabin quilt-block style. Note: I cut my strips a little wider than 1.5-inches and that is why my block is almost 8-inches square instead of 7-inches or so. If your backing and fleece are larger than your pieced block, trim them to fit when you square up the block Alternatively, you can make a fidget out of two pieces of fabric; you don't have to make a pieced front to your fidget.


2. After you have completed your log-cabin block, iron the block smooth and flat, and square-up the edges. Then iron the iron-on fleece to the back of your completed block. Pin or clip your backing fabric to the block, sandwiching the fleece between the block and backing, with the backing fabric wrong side facing the fleece, and the right side showing on the back of your block.

3.Following the diagram below, use a close zig-zag stitch to delineate the boundaries of this three-cycle labyrinth, as follows:


  • Following the seam lines of your log-cabin quilt block, and stitching in the direction of the arrows, begin with the vertical line marked number one. Leave all your beginning and ending threads long.
  • Leaving the opening indicated stitch the first square marked number two, as shown.
  • Stitch the second square moving outward, marked three, leaving the opening indicated.
  • Stitch the final outer square marked four entirely enclosing the exterior margins of your quilt block, leaving a one-inch opening next to the vertica stitch-line.
  • Insert your button or bead into this opening, and give it a trial run through the labyrinth to make sure it will travel.
  • Then zig-zag the opening closed.
On the back of your block, tug the loose end of each thread to bring a loop of thread from the front to the back. Tie the threads into a knot next to the fabric and use a self-threading needle to bury the threads between the layers of your quilt sandwich. Repeat for all loose threads on back of block.

Bury your thread ends in between layers of fabric.

Self-threading needle

I have a couple other ideas for fiber labyrinth charms or fidgets: a leaf, a heart, and a bird, that I want to work on -- we'll see how that goes; and I will report back!









 

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