I get sentimental about things that other people would probably not even think twice about throwing away or donating. I have old ticket stubs, concert programs, newspaper clippings – those things I can put in a scrapbook. But I’ve been known to hoard be sentimental about clothes too, and only recently have I been purging all our closets. Sometimes there’s just that one article of clothing you want to keep. See this old collegiate sweatshirt…

Julie Tiu in 2002

…Became this pillow. (I know, after 10 years, right?)

An upcycled sweatshirt made into an envelope pillow – meaning, you can slip the cover on and off. Very easy for washing. Could be a cute gift for Valentine’s Day, too.

Recycle Your Favorite Sweatshirt (I didn't even attend this school. Got the sweatshirt because it had my last name!)

And here’s how I did it.

1. Take your clean sweatshirt of choice and lay it on a table or on the floor.
2. I cut the sleeves off first. Then set aside.
3. Next cut along one of the side seams of your shirt and along the shoulder seams. This will open everything up. I did it this way to give the largest piece of continuous fabric.
4. Cut off the bottom hem and collar (cuff material) also. At this point you may need to iron the shirt (highly recommended).

   

5. You may need the sleeves for extra fabric. Cut off the cuffs and cut along either side of the seam.
   

   Sweatshirt sleeves cut open

6. For a 16 x 16 pillow, you will need three pieces of fabric: (1) 16-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ for the front, (2) 12-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ for the back. (See my fancy sketch below.) I needed to use the extra sleeve material for one of the back panels. Just piece together if you need to.
7. Try to center your focal point. I didn’t have too much choice – just went as high as I could.

   

8. Prepare the back pieces first. Fold along the length (16-1/2″) and press 1/2″, then fold 1/2″ again, pin and edgestitch. Do this to the other piece. Press both pieces. Note: I found the zig-zag stitch easier to do with the stretchy sweatshirt material.

   

9. Lay the front piece down, right side up. Next lay one of the back pieces, wrong side up, matching the raw edge with your front piece. The finished edge should be somewhere in the center area. Lay the other back piece with its raw edge along the other side of the front piece. Now the finished edges of your back pieces should be overlapping one another.
10. Stitch around the perimeter with a 1/2″ allowance. Backstitch as you start and finish. When complete, remove and clip your corners, and turn rightside out.
11. Stuff your pillowcase!

So here’s the thing – you can adjust the size of your fabric for any size pillow by just adding 1/2″ to your finished size. The back pieces take a little math.

16″ x 16″ pillow – cut 16-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ (front) and 16-1/2″ x 11-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

14″ x 14″ – cut 14-1/2″ x 14-1/2″ (front) and 14-1/2″ x 9-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

12″ x 16″ pillow – cut 12-1/2″ x 16-1/2(front) and 12-1/2″ x 11-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

12″ x 12″ pillow – cut 12-1/2″ x 12-1/2(front) and 12-1/2″ x 7-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

]]> http://www.julietiu.com/2012/02/02/sweatshirt-recycling-upcycling-project/feed/ 2 http://www.julietiu.com/2011/12/08/5-gift-ideas-for-your-little-ones/ http://www.julietiu.com/2011/12/08/5-gift-ideas-for-your-little-ones/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:30:24 +0000 Juliet Tiu http://www.julietiu.com/?p=4059

Loving handmade, handcrafted gifts for the kids. So, I’m sharing these links with you.

1) For the little “rock star”, wooden teething and grasping toy by littlealouette

2) How about for the superheroes in your life? A Superhero cape for your crusader by Susipants

 3) Made with Rubberwood and Organic Cotton, “I Love My Planet toys” are fun and safe for children. Check out the rubberwood Giraffe at Peaceful Parlour.

4) Cooking Time play set from Studio Wren – super cute!

5) A cute “So Handsome Tie T-shirt” by We Choose Joy

What are some of your favorite buys this season? Or are you making a lot of your gifts this year?

Here are some gift ideas for the foodie in your life, or for yourself! These food books live on our bookshelves with the exception of the children’s book and Ruhlman’s Twenty. That’s on my wish list – maybe Santa will leave it under the tree for me. Click on the images for more information. What’s on your “to-read” list?

Hello sunlight! No more waking up in darkness. Daylight savings time ended this morning at 2 am. Did you remember to turn your clocks back? It’s so easy now that we all have computers and cell phones, but how would you like to turn back time on these wall clocks?

DIY Wall Clock Kit from Radius Design

Talin Wall Clock from Crate and Barrel

Cool Kids Contemporary Clock from Tik Tak Things

I thought it might be fun to give an apple to my kids’ teachers like Kendra did (guest blogger on Tatertots and Jello), but last year we gave spider plants and they grew with the class (cute play on words that wasn’t intentional). This Fall I added a little flag to usher in the school year. A little card would suffice for your teacher… or even a handmade picture by your student!

Spider plants are so easy to care for. They don’t need much light, and if you forget to water them, they’ll wilt, but won’t die that easily. These were just replanted, so they look a little droopy. But I’m sure in a few days, they’ll start to perk up.