Vintage Yo-Yo Flower Garland With Playtime 30’s

Hi! I’m Casey Chatham from Sew Worthy Mama. I create quilt patterns designed with motherhood in mind. From playful projects that invite the kids to join in or cozy quilts to snuggle up with, my goal is to help moms find joy and creativity in sewing while bringing beauty to their homes and creating new memories and family traditions.

Quilted yo-yos are a favorite project of mine, especially since becoming a mom. Now that I have two little kids to chase around, it’s harder to find much time to sit and sew at my machine. So mobile hand-sewing projects have become much more enjoyable for me because they bring a little more sewing into my days without having to be away from my kids.

You only need a few things to make quilted yo-yos, so it’s easy to carry a little bag around. I’ve made yo-yos at soccer practice, in the passenger seat on road trips, in the driver’s seat while idling in the afternoon school pick-up line, sitting on the porch watching the kids play, and of course, just on the couch!

There’s lots of things you can make with yo-yos, from quilts and bedspreads to jewelry and from bags to home decor. Today I’m going to show you how to make a vintage flower garland using the Playtime 30’s fabric collection and vintage trim from Lori Holt. You can make it longer or shorter than mine, but I’ve designed this 12-flower garland to be easy to make with just a few fat quarters.

Supplies

The Clover Quick Yo-Yo Maker is essential for making quilted yo-yos. It makes them easily, quickly, and consistently. For this project, you’ll only need one size, the large, which makes 1 3/4″ wide yo-yos.

Everything you need:

• Clover Quick Yo-Yo Maker, Large
• Hand sewing thread – any brand you prefer, in a light or neutral color
• Thread Magic or other thread conditioner – to prevent twisting and knotting
• Scissors
• A short needle
• Lori Holt’s Vintage Trim in Beehive, Small – about 6 yards
• Fabric – for this garland I used 7 fat quarters:
  • 1 in Confetti Cotton Solids in Riley Yellow
  • 1 in Playtime 30’s Blue Ditsy
  • 1 in Playtime 30’s Sky Flowers
  • 1 in Playtime 30’s Kelly Toy Ducks
  • 1 in Playtime 30’s Green Building Blocks
  • 1 in Playtime 30’s Pink Gingham
  • 1 in Playtime 30’s Pink Bouncy Balls

Make Yo-Yos

Cut (12) 4 1/2″ squares from each of the 7 fat quarters. (16 are shown above, cut from 1 fat quarter. So you’ll have enough fabric for a few extra!) You’ll make 12 flowers worth of yo-yos: 12 yellow centers, and 12 from each of 6 prints, enough for 2 flowers each and a total of 12.

Follow the Clover instructions to make a yo-yo from each square.

Here’s the basic steps, plus a few extra tips I recommend:

1. Place fabric right side down onto plate (with a hole in the center) and insert the disc (with the wavy edge) on top, aligning the notches, and snap in place.
2. Trim the seam allowance to between 1/8-3/8″. I tend toward 3/8″.
3. Pull your thread through the Thread Magic or other thread conditioner. Knot both ends together to double your thread.
4. Insert your needle from the disc side through to the plate side.
5. You can work clockwise or counterclockwise, as long as your thread sits within the slots on the plate side and does not run between slots.
6. Stitch all the way around, keeping the thread inside the slots on the plate side.
7. Repeat the first full stitch, ending with your thread on the disc side. (Be careful not to pierce the beginning knot.)
8. Remove the disc by pressing up through the plate’s hole.
9. Pull thread slowly, but tightly to gather yo-yo.
10. Knot off your thread with a few tiny stitches near the inside of the yo-yo seam while pinching it closed so that the gathers do not loosen. Cut thread.

Arrange Yo-Yos and Assemble Flowers

Once all the yo-yos are made, arrange them into flowers with 1 yellow yo-yo center and 6 matching yo-yo petals per flower. You’ll make 2 flowers from each Playtime 30’s print. There are a few ways to attach the yo-yos into flowers.

By Hand

The most invisible way to attach yo-yos is by hand. But, it is slower than by machine. There are 2 main ways to sew them together by hand:

• Whip Stitch
  • Quicker, but slightly more visible (see photo above)
• Ladder Stitch
  • Slower, but slightly more hidden (see photo below)

No matter which stitch you choose, you’ll be able to attach 2 yo-yos by holding them right sides together and stitching. However, when it’s time to attach rows together, you’ll need to hold them flat just with their edges touching, and stitch from the back side.

For either situation, stitch about a 1/2″-5/8″ of the edge together. Too much and your yo-yos won’t lie flat. Too little and they may pull apart or distort under tension. Before you knot and cut, open up the yo-yos to check the seam, and adjust as necessary.

By Machine (bar tack stitch)

The fastest way to attach yo-yos is by machine. But, it will show. Use the bar tack stitch (also used to sew buttons on). If your machine doesn’t have this stitch, you can also use a wide zigzag stitch and set the stitch length to 0. I like to use a stitch width of 6.0, but you can set it to your preference. A smaller stitch will show less, but may also be more challenging to stitch into both yo-yos properly.

Butt 2 yo-yos up together and place them under the presser foot so that the bar tack stitch will stitch into one yo-yo on one side and the other on the other side. Stitch 15-20 stitches to attach 2 yo-yos.

Stitch Yo-Yos Together Into Flowers

Whether you are sewing by hand or by machine, follow this process to create 12 flowers:

• Sew 2 printed yo-yos together. Set aside.
• Sew one printed yo-yo to opposite sides of the yellow yo-yo, ensuring they are directly across from each other. Set aside.
• And lastly, sew 2 more printed yo-yos together. Now you have 3 rows of yo-yos to attach.
• Holding each row flatly together, connect the rows where each yo-yo makes contact with another. Trim threads.

Repeat 12 times to create 12 flowers, 2 of each Playtime 30’s print.

Attach Flowers to the Trim

Since there are 2 green prints, 2 blue prints, and 2 pink prints, you’ll end up with 4 green flowers, 4 blue flowers, and 4 pink flowers. Mark the trim with a pin every 12 inches, leaving about 3 feet before the first and after the last flowers for hanging. Make sure the trim does not twist between pins.

Align the yo-yo flowers at each mark and stitch 2 yo-yos from each flower to the trim. Attach 2 yo-yos per flower to keep the flowers from twisting while they hang. You could also hot glue them to the trim instead…I won’t tell! I kept my colors spread out like this: Pink 1, Green 1, Blue 1, Pink 2, Green 2, Blue 2, then repeat the same sequence again.

Hang It!

And, done! The garland is ready to hang, and it will brighten any space you choose for it! Mine has landed in my daughter’s room, draped over the top of a curtain and down along the sides. You might decorate for a birthday party or shower. The possibilities are endless!

What else can you make with yo-yos?

If you enjoy making yo-yos, you’ll love all the different things you can use them for. You can make a quilt, of course, but you can also appliqué them to clothing, bags, pillows, and more. Or stack them into snowmen, pumpkins, Christmas trees and more! Check out my Yo-Yo Resource page which lists my various yo-yo project tutorials from ornaments to embellished sweatshirts! You’ll also find the tutorial to make the bracelets below!

Want to Learn Even More?

(Note: The following Quilt ‘n Learn links are affiliate links, and I earn a commission from VIP ticket sales as a Quilt ‘n Learn teacher. BUT, you can also register for a FREE pass!)

Learn even more ways to use yo-yos at Quilt ‘n Learn! I’ll be teaching a yo-yo course online with 29 other teachers January 9-11, 2025. I’ll be teaching how to make this very flower garland as I walk through the basics of yo-yos. I’ll also teach you to make the bracelets above plus 2 types of Christmas ornaments, too!

As a free ticket holder, you’ll have access to each day’s batch of courses for 24 hours. Plus you’ll get each teacher’s freebie offer. But, if you want more…

VIP Bonus – Yo-Yo Checkerboard Pattern & Modern Yo-Yo Guide

You can get 6 months of access with a VIP ticket so you have plenty of time to view each and every course. Plus you’ll also get access to all courses all at once on January 9th — no waiting until each day of the event for batches of courses to open. And the best part? You’ll also get the VIP Bonus offers from EACH teacher as a VIP ticket holder. And you get them as soon as you sign up.

My VIP Bonuses are my Yo-Yo Checkerboard pattern with zippered game-piece storage, and my Ultimate Guide to Modern Yo-Yos with a Printable Project Planner (think two-tone yo-yos, asymmetry, and contrasting color).

From November 25th-December 2nd, 2024, you can snag a VIP ticket with a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal!

• Save 20%: Get a January Quilt ‘n Learn VIP ticket for $39 instead of $49. –Best for budget quilters!
• Save 30%: OR, get VIP tickets to BOTH the January AND July 2025 Quilt ‘n Learn events for $68 instead of $98. –Best for quilters who can’t get enough!

After December 2nd, you can still get VIP tickets for January’s event for $49 – an awesome deal for 30 teachers’ VIP bonuses — each valued at $20, at least! You’ll also be eligible for sponsored giveaways as a VIP.

I hope to see you there!

For more patterns designed with motherhood in mind, visit Sew Worthy Mama or follow me on Instagram. Find more yo-yo resources and tutorials HERE.