Project #15: Sew Decorative Pillow Covers

If you looked carefully in this previous post, you may have spied a new addition to my living room. There are more, and they were so easy! My $5 Kirkland's clearance pillows had seen their better days and were desperately needing replacement. I was looking for something that matched the rest of my decor a little better and was a little more trendy than just a solid color. I really wanted a print. So when Jo-Ann's recently had all of their home decor fabric on sale for 50% off, I jumped at the opportunity to peruse their fabric selection. Luckily, I found some great stripe and floral prints that worked just perfectly with my colors.

And that was no easy feat, considering I didn't have any swatches with me. In fact, this decision took a long time because I wasn't really sure what I wanted to go with--duo tones, tone on tones, or multi-tone prints. In the end, I'm quite satisfied with my multi-colored choices, and even happier with the prices. The material came in at $5 per yard on sale, and each yard made TWO pillows. I also had an extra percent-off coupon on top of this, so I was practically giddy over my deal.

Here's how I made FOUR new pillow covers for under $10!

Sew Easy Pillow Covers

Materials:

• 1/2 yard 45"-wide fabric
• Coordinating thread

Equipment:

• Sewing machine
• Iron and board

Cost: Under $20
Level: Easy
Time: One Night
Instructions:

1. Cut the fabric into an even 18" strip.
2. Cut the strip of fabric into one 18" square (pillow cover front), and two 15"x18" rectangles (pillow cover back. If you are a few inches short on your fabric, you could make 14"- or 13"-wide rectangles, too.
3. Fold back approximately 4" of fabric along one edge of each cover back, so that you end up with two 11"x18" rectangles.
4. Place pillow cover front on flat surface, with right side of fabric up.
5. Place each cover back on the front, with right side of fabric down. Note that the backs will overlap so as to create a pocket for your pillow form.
6. Pin around edges.
7. Stitch a 1/2" seam around all edges.
8. Turn cover inside out and press seams out, especially in corners.
9. Finish by inserting an old pillow or pillow form (18").

There are no buttons or "sealers" on this project, so it's extremely easy to construct. I got on a roll and made all four pillows in just under an hour. My husband was even impressed with my time! Find a good deal on your fabric, and I promise you'll start thinking about having pillow covers for different seasons. Don't pillows make all the difference when changing the mood of a room?

Project #12: Sew Christmas Stockings

Whew! It's been a while! I nearly panicked when I saw how long it had been since my last post. Luckily, I've been busy working, working, working over the holidays and have plenty of ideas to share with you over the next few weeks. Once Christmas passes, there should be a few more home improvement and building projects, but with all the gift-giving and holiday home decorating going on, I figured you'd want that stuff pronto!

Last week I finally got around to decorating my mantel. I felt inspired by a few left-over blue glass balls from an old crafts project, so I decided to go with a blue, silver, and white theme this year. I'm really liking it, but my stockings aren't so coordinated. I have a couple of Dollar Store green ones, a couple of red furry clearance ones from Macy's (which aren't big enough to hold anything it seems), and a single white one that served as a gift wrap at one time. Not exactly cream of the crop when coodinating with my new mantel scheme.


I've always thought that one day I'd have personalized stockings for our family, but there was no point in investing in them before I had children or a more "permanent" home. Well, now that we have one little one and another on the way, the time has come to finally get Christmas stockings, I decided. Plus, JoAnn's was having one heck of a sale this past weekend (including an extra 20% off my entire purchse). So I snagged plenty of fabric, some fur, some beaded trim, and went to it. I do believe that this is the fastest turnaround any of my sewing projects has ever seen: I actually bought fabric one afternoon and finished the project that night. Unbelievable! Here's how easy it was.

Sew a Christmas Stocking

Materials:

• old stocking (optional)
• large piece of paper for creating stocking pattern (or 4 pieces of copy paper taped together)
• 1/3 yard fabric for outside of stocking
• 1/3 yard fabric for stocking lining (optional)
• 1/2 yard 4" fur trim for stocking top
• 1/2 yard beaded trim (optional)
• 1" x 8" strip of scrap fabric or ribbon for stocking hanger

Equipment:

• sewing machine
• iron
• glue gun
• basic sewing supplies

Time: One night

Difficulty: Easy

Cost: Under $20 per stocking

Instructions:

1. Using an old stocking that you like the shape of (or just your imagination), draw a pattern for your stocking on the piece of paper. Be sure to make it wide enough to fit gifts and treats inside, and allow for seam allowances all around. I made mine a little longer than my existing stocking because it seemed a little short.
   
2. With fabric double-folded, pin pattern and cut stocking front and back out of outer material.
   
3. If lining stockings (my outer material was especially thin, so I picked up some fleece to give the stocking body and increase opacity), repeat step #2 with lining fabric.
   
4. With right sides together, sew (I serged) outer stocking together using a 1/4" seam allowance. Turn right side out and press.
   
   
5. With right sides together, sew (I serged) stocking lining together using a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim excess fabric close to seam. DO NOT turn right side out.
   
6. Cut stocking topper (fur) to size of opening (going all the way around the front and back of stocking), plus 1" for seam allowances.
   
7. With right sides together, sew ends of topper (fur) together, using a 1/2" seam allowance. Turn right-side out.
   
8. Stuff stocking liner into stocking outside, matching side seams.
   
9. Fold stocking hanger in half and insert on heel side along seam, with fold pointed down.
   
10. Insert stocking topper (fur) into stocking, matching seam to heel seam.
    
11. Pin through all thicknesses.
    
12. Stitch around stocking opening, using a 1/2 seam allowance.
13. Fold out stocking topper and hot glue beaded trim to the wrong side of the fur.
    
14. Turn down stocking topper.
    

I'm so happy with how my stockings turned out. I actually made four in just a couple of hours, and because my lovely, generous mom was in town with her embroidery machine, she helped me embroider our names across the top of each one. I love them! Because each stocking didn't use the entire 1/3 yard of fabric, I could squeeze more stockings out of my scraps, making this a very economical project. Could I have bought them for less? Maybe on clearance after the holidays. But there's no way that they'd be exactly what I was looking for or handmade with love by my mom and me. What a fun evening of sewing, and what a beautiful addition to my Christmas mantel!

What about you? Have you ever made Christmas stockings? How have you personalized them?

Project #11: Sew a Child's Chef Hat

I was looking for a fun child's gift for nieces and stumbled upon this cupcake gift set, currently on sale for about $6 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. That reminded me that I had snagged a free project pattern at Joann's recently for a child's chef hat. I decided that, if I combined those items with a box of cake mix and a can of frosting, I just might have a really cute gift bag for a birthday at a very reasonable price! What child doesn't love baking??



So I got to work on the chef hat project (the apron wasn't needed since one is included in the gift set). I had to read the instructions a couple of times to figure out exactly what was being described in the instructions. I have to admit that once I understood, I used the given dimensions but opted to go a slightly different route on assembly so as to avoid having to hand sew the facing seam. I'll outline how I did it below, and you have the original instructions linked above. Choose your own route! It took me about an hour to assemble two hats. With basic sewing skills, this was very easy.

Sew a Child's Chef Hat

Materials:

• 5/8 yard white fabric (I used home dec fabric, which has a nice weight)
• 3" length of 1"-wide elastic
• 5" x 22" piece of fusible interfacing
• thread

Equipment:

• Iron
• Sewing machine

Time: One Night
Cost: Under $20

Instructions:

1. Cut a 22" diameter circle for the hat and a 5"x22" rectangle for the band.
   
   
   
   
2. (Optional) Embroider (or use iron-on embellishments) on the band (as shown below).
   
3. Iron fusible interfacing to back of band.
   
4. With right sides together, sew band together at narrow ends, using 5/8" seam.
   
5. Press seam open.
6. With right side out, fold band in half lengthwise, all the way around. Press.
7. At back seam, insert 3" piece of elastic so that it lays centered (lengthwise) at the base of the the band fold.
8. Stitch the center of the elastic in place by top-stitching in the band seam. (This will create a seam in the middle of your elastic.)
9. Sew one end of elastic three inches from the center seam. Stretch elastic so that fabric lays flat, and stitch down the center of the elastic back to the band seam. Release. Fabric will gather as elastic pulls up. Repeat for other end of elastic.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Using a high-tension, long-length stitch on your machine, gather edges of circle about 1/4" from the edge.
11. With right sides together, pin hat to band (at raw edges), spacing as evenly as possible. Pin frequently.
12. Sew a 5/8" seam around hat base to attach to the band.
    
13. Turn right-side out and press.
    
    

  

This was a fun project, and now I can't wait to give these to my nieces! (Shhh!) Don't tell them what they're getting!

Do you have any themed kids' gifts, like this baking-themed bag of treats? With the holidays fast approaching, we're all looking for original and creative ideas! Feel free to share some of your own!

Project #9: Sew a Small Baby Blanket

You always need a few good baby gift ideas. That's my opinion, anyway! In case you've had your fill of pillowcase dresses, pillow quilts, and wooden toy blocks, why not give a baby blanket a try?

This is a small blanket (roughly 11"x11" finished), but you could easily make it larger or full sized, as needed. A small size is great for traveling, naptime, doctor visits, diaper bags, or shopping. Baby can have something s/he loves without it taking up TOO much space!

This particular design was inspired by a blanket my daughter and several of her friends received as baby gifts. It is unique in that it has small loops of ribbon or trim sewn in the seams that baby can play with. This is great for little ones who are just developing early hand motor skills, but just as entertaining for older ones, too! (You can easily leave off the trims if you'd prefer.)

This project itself doesn't take up too much time or materials, and it's super easy to do. I bought some remnants of beautiful blanket fabrics and already had some matching ribbon scraps on hand. Read on and see how easy this adorable gift is!

Sew a Small Baby Blanket

Materials:

• Two pieces of coordinating blanket remnants (minkee, flannel, or quilter's cotton work great)
• Coordinating ribbon or trim remnants (ribbon, braids, or rick-rack work great)

Equipment:

• Sewing machine
• Pins
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Iron/ironing board

Cost: Under $20

Time: One night

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions:

1. Cut a blanket front and a blanket back out of the fabric remnants. Each should measure 12"x12".
   
   
2. Cut several 5" lengths of ribbon/trim. I cut 12 lengths (3 per side); you could do more or less, depending on your trim width, blanket size, and/or preferences.
3. Place blanket front right side up on flat surface.
4. Fold each trim piece in half and pin to blanket front, raw edges even with sides of blanket and loop toward the inside of the blanket.
   
   
5. Place blanket back face down on blanket front, matching edges.
6. Carefully un-pin each trim piece and re-pin, catching all fabric and trim. (You're essentially moving the pins from the inside of the blanket and putting them on the outside for sewing purposes.)
   
7. Using a 5/8" seam allowance, sew around the outside of blanket, leaving a 4" - 5" opening. (FYI: I used my serger again for this step.)
   
8. Turn blanket right-side out.
   
9. Tuck in unsewn edges, 5/8" each.
   
10. Press blanket, making sure seams are pressed out.
    
11. Stitch across opening, as close to the edge as possible, making sure seam allowances are turned in toward inside of blanket.
    
    

Could this be any cuter? I made 3 nearly identical ones with different trims--so fun! Just think of all the fabric and color combinations possible! What baby gift ideas have you made lately?

Project #6: Make/Sew Outdoor Cushions

When it comes to outdoor furniture, the difference between relaxing and total comfort comes down to a nice cushion. When I started looking for cushions for my new outdoor furniture, I was disappointed by the selection. Some were too pricey. Some were too flimsy. Sizing seemed to be a problem, too. My custom-built chair, for instance, took a 24"x24" seat cushion. I couldn't find that size anywhere in local stores (or even online!).

Most cushions in stores were quite colorful, but just not what I envisioned for my neutral back porch. I'm trying to stick to a chocolate and tan color scheme so that I can easily throw in splashes of color on a whim, without breaking the bank.

• Here's our Cabot semi-transparent deck stain, in Cordovan Brown:
• Here's our rug from Home Depot:
  
• Here's a swatch (Rhino outdoor, khaki) of our curtains from http://www.fabric.com/:
  
• And I had already picked my inspiration "color" fabric for the time being. No introducing more colors or patterns than these (at least for now)! Here's the two coordinating fabrics (Richloom Coventry Spa and Covestripe Spa) we'll use--very sparingly--for throw pillows, from http://www.fabric.com/:
  

So you can see that patterned retail cushions were overwhelmingly TOO colorful for this purpose. (Maybe I'm just too picky or pre-planned?) And then some cushions had longevity concerns--do people really replace their cushions every year or two?!? Why would I spend that much money every year or two?

Well, being the project-craver that I am, I decided to make my own. After all, if you can't find exactly what you're looking for, just do it yourself. I ordered more Rhino khaki fabric, and started looking for foam. Foam is notorious for rotting, mildewing, and holding water--not what you want to hear when you're making outdoor cushions. So I opted to go with Nu-Foam, which is totally stain and mildew proof. The manufacturer recommends using this foam for boat cushions. I was sold. Luckily, my local cloth stores sold the foam by the yard. I was looking for 4" foam, but they only had 2" by the yard, so I purchased two slabs, cut them with an electric knife (a slightly laborious job), and glued them together. I also bought some extra thick batting to wrap the foam in to give it a little extra "cush." Nu-Foam is rather stiff, but seems to hold its shape well, so it just needed a tad extra help.

Next I set out to design my cushion. I didn't have a pattern. Instead, I sketched out what I was looking for: a square cushion with a zippered back so that I could remove, clean, or repair the cover (or contents) as needed. First, I made several yards of piping, using cording and 1-1/2" strips of fabric. Then, I cut one strip of fabric 22" long and 5" tall. I cut this in half length-wise and installed a 22" utility zipper. Next, I cut an 80" long and 5" tall piece that would wrap around the remaining sizes of the cushion and overlap (with ends folded under) the back zipper panel on each end (just to give it a finished look). Then I cut two large squares that were 25"x25" each. Finally, I sewed all the pieces together (5/8" seam allowance): top to sides (right sides together), with piping sandwiched in between, and then bottom to sides (right sides together), with piping sandwiched in between.

I was really pleased with the resulting cushions. They are exactly what I wanted. Though not quite as "cushy" as I would have ultimately liked, I know that these materials will last a long time and hold up to the weather that they will encounter while residing on my back porch.

These cushions went together quite well. Lining up the two squares is crucial, though, so that your cushion doesn't look slightly-twisted (a la an Oreo cookie)! Be sure to pin! I found ready-made 22"x22" square Nu-Foam cushions at the cloth store, which will make future electric knife episodes non existent. Plus, it will be cheaper, because I can use a coupon on each of these cushions, or buy them as they come on sale. I purchased my zippers on sale, and even got a great discount at Fabric.com when ordering my outdoor weather-proof fabric (plus free shipping on orders over $35). So all in all, I believe you could make each cushion for about $25 if you really stick to your guns and watch your spending. If that sounds steep, let me assure you that it paled in comparison to some cushions I perused at designer stores. And, I'd much rather pay a little more now to get a cushion that will last a while, with proper care. It took me one night to design my "pattern" and cut the fabric, and another night to sew two cushions! I'll call it a two-nighter.

What tricks and tips have you learned while making outdoor cushions? Can you recommend other materials that have worked well? How do you preserve your cushions so that you don't have to replace them every year? I'd love to hear/see your cushion stories!

Jennifer

Project #5: Applique a T-Shirt

Fall is in the air, and what better way to welcome the change in seasons but to celebrate with candy corn? Rather than going down to the grocery store and purchasing numerous scores of that deliciously sweet confection, I decided to celebrate with what else, but a project!

Last spring, I bought my daughter a long-sleeve orange t-shirt on clearance for about $2. Okay, I actually bought two. I also found some black pants with yellow, orange, and white polka dots. $4. All that was missing was the touch of fall. I decided to try my hand at applique, which I've never done before. After all, what's cuter and looks nicer than a well-done applique on children's clothing?

I knew my sewing machine had to be capable, but I still needed to do some trials and figure out the best method for actually sewing shaped fabric to the shirt. So off to the trials I went...

I started by trying to find a stitch on my machine that would give the effect I wanted. Some appliques look like a small zigzag, allowing some visibility of the raw edge of the stitched-on shape. Others use a "blanket stitch" look along the edge of the shape. I was looking for a solid, wide stitch that would totally cover the edge of my shape and provide a bold outline of my shape. On my machine, that called for setting a wide zig-zag stitch and then making the stitch length very short. On other machines, it meant selecting the "base" of the button hole stitch (the one that is wide and solid).

Next, I tried my stitch on a couple pieces of fabric. I found immediately that stitching that frequently on a piece of cotton fabric caused it to pucker; reinforcement was definitely needed. I also found that "steering" the fabric through the machine was challenging. The rate, speed, and direction of the stitches had a large impact on the outcome of the appliqued shape. It is particularly important to figure out how to do your curves, points, and sharp angles before you begin your actual project, so be sure to practice those. I highly recommend the practice sessions before beginning your actual project!

This is super-easy. I completed the whole project in one night, and it definitely cost under $10.

Applique a T-Shirt

Materials:
T-shirt or other garment
spray adhesive
lightweight iron-on interfacing (scraps)
scrap fabric for applique shape
coordinating thread

Cost: Under $10
Time: One night
Instructions:
1. Iron your t-shirt to remove all wrinkles.
2. Select an applique shape and cut it out of your scrap fabric. Sew together as needed. (For the candy corn, I got some orange, yellow, and white cotton. I sewed three strips together and then cut the candy corn shape out of the resulting rectangle.)
3. Iron the applique shape flat.
4. Iron lightweight interfacing to the BACK of the applique shape. Trim excess to the exact size of the shape.
5. Turn t-shirt inside out.
6. Cut a piece of lightweight interfacing slightly larger (1/2" - 1" all around) than the applique shape.
7. Iron the larger piece of lightweight interfacing to the INSIDE of the t-shirt in the location where the applique shape will be sewn.
8. Turn t-shirt right-side out.
9. Lightly spray the back of the applique shape with adhesive.
10. Place the shape on the t-shirt.
11. Applique shape to t-shirt using the desired stitch.

Applique looks great on home decor, clothing, and other items! (Think Christmas gifts!!) I'm thinking of adding applique flowers, hearts, and other shapes to more shirts, dresses, and pants for my daughter. Maybe a throw pillow with an initial. What else will you applique?

Project #2: Sew a Pillow Quilt (Quillow Pilt!)

When I was in elementary school, my grandmother made all seven of her grandkids pillow quilts for Christmas one year. They came as cute pillows with decorated fronts. These pillows unfolded into a cozy, soft blanket. And the bonus was that the pillow "pocket" served as a great foot warmer in cooler weather.



I took my pillow quilt with me everywhere--on road trips, on the couch, etc. And I still have and use it today. When we were younger, my brother and I often got tongue-tied trying to say "pillow quilt" and it often came out as "quillow pilt." Well, the name stuck in our family! We all have our own quillow pilts now and love them. They make perfect gifts for all ages. In fact, this year, all my nieces and nephews are getting handmade pillow quilts from me! I'd better get busy!

I made my second project by night this weekend. It's the first of my pillow quilts--one for my daughter. I think I could have done it in a single night, except I needed some extra supplies, and of course the cloth store isn't open at 11:00 p.m. I also think the pillow front took me more time, as I tried to decide exactly what to put on it. If I'd had an idea going into the project of what it was to look like, I probably wouldn't have wasted so much time just playing around and trying different things.

I'm rating this project as easy. The only real difficulty  in this project is not the sewing itself. It arises in dealing with sewing such a large piece of fabric. It also stems from the level of complexity you choose to take on with decorating the front of your pillow. Otherwise, this is a very easy, straight-forward project! Enjoy, and be sure to share your own experiences and pictures making your "quillow pilts!"

Sew a Pillow Quilt

Materials Needed:

• 2-1/2" yards of 45”-wide, 100% cotton fabric ("Fabric X")
• 2-1/2" yards of coordinating 45”-wide, 100% cotton fabric ("Fabric Y")
• 2-1/2" yards 45"-wide (or wider) quilter's batting (light or medium weight)
• Coordinating thread
• (Optional) Remnants, ribbon, rick rack, buttons, etc. for decorating front of pillow

Cost: $20 - $30
Time to Complete: Two Nights
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Instructions:

1. Cut the following pieces:
• 2 yards Fabric X (finished size: 72” x 45”)
• 2 yards Fabric Y (finished size: 72” x 45”)
• 2 yards batting (finished size: 72” x 45”)
• 18" x 18" Fabric X
• 18" x 18" Fabric Y
• 18" x 18" batting
2. (Optional) Decorate the 18" x 18" piece of Fabric X as desired. Note that larger items should not be placed within the outer 2" of the square for seam allowances. (I appliqued a letter on this one using the same technique as described in this post about appliquing a t-shirt. I simply used MS Word to print the outline of a letter on an 8.5" x 11" letter sheet of paper, which became my pattern.)
   
3. Place the 18" x 18" piece of Fabric X against the 18" x 18" piece of Fabric Y, with right sides together. Place the 18" x 18" piece of batting on the back of Fabric Y. Match and pin all edges.
4. Sew all thicknesses together, using a 5/8" seam and leaving a 6" gap at the middle of the top edge of the pillow. (I used my serger in this picture, which made the seams a lot less bulky in the end!)
5. Turn right sides out. Press, easing seam out along edges.
6. Press under 5/8" of Fabric X and Fabric Y along 6" gap. Tuck batting underneath one fold of fabric. Pin. Edge stitch to close.
7. Place the 2 yards of Fabric X against the 2 yards of Fabric Y, with right sides together. Place the 2 yards of batting on the back of Fabric Y. Match and pin all edges.
8. Sew all thicknesses together, using a 5/8" seam and leaving a 10" gap at the middle of one of the short ends of the quilt.
   
9. Turn right sides out. Press, easing seam out along edges.
10. Press under 5/8" of Fabric X and Fabric Y along 10" gap. Tuck batting underneath one fold of fabric. Pin. Edge stitch to close.
11. To quilt blanket:
• Place the pillow, face down, on the right side of Fabric Y. (Fabric Y should be showing on the back of the pillow.) The pillow should be centered, left to right, on the blanket and flush left with the end that was edge stitched (see Step 10 above). The top of the pillow design should be along the edge-stitched edge of the blanket. Pin.
• Measure the distance from the edge of the pillow to the outer edge of the blanket. Add 1/4". This is your quilting distance.
• Measure, mark, and pin (through all thicknesses) the quilting distance down both sides (long edges) of the blanket. This will result in two stitching guides.
• Stitch two straight lines along the stitching guides from the top of the blanket (including on top of the pillow) to the bottom (lengthwise). You may want to use a slightly longer stitch length to compensate for the extra thickness.
  
12. Sew top of pillow to edge of blanket, using a 1/4" seam allowance. The bottom of the pillow (facing toward blanket center) should not be sewn to the blanket.
13. To fold pillow quilt:
• Turn blanket pillow-side down. Fold blanket in thirds lengthwise, along stitching.
• Fold over about 8" of blanket (non-pillow end).
  
• Fold blanket into squares (roughly thirds) towards pillow end.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Tuck blanket into pillow and fluff to form.
  

UPDATE: And now I've made five pillow quilts for nieces and nephews for Christmas. Check out these beautiful fabrics from JoAnn's, Walmart, and Hancock's:

All were decorated using the applique technique mentioned earlier.  I can't wait to give them at Christmas!