Pillowcases for Gifts

Amazing what can be done in a relatively short amount of time, and if you don’t have many interruptions. (I have lots, so it takes me much longer than I normally estimate.) I thought I might be over my pillowcase craze, but it’s hard to stop. This doll pillow and quilt for my goddaughter was made with just some muslin, scraps, a repurposed baby receiving blanket and essentially 1/2 yard of fabric.

The receiving blanket, the thin kind that comes in three-packs, became the quilt batting. After quilting, I threw the blanket in the washer and dryer, to get that vintage-y feel.

Perfect for that special doll or plushy… this one is Sally, the Webkinz collie.

Made this cute Envelope Pillowcase for Valentine’s Day.

Jo-Ann Fabrics has some whimsy graphic prints. My girl is really into the peace sign…

I’m considering the pillowcase project again for the local hospital, but this time, enlisting some help early on. Eventually, it might be something that could be a partnership and not just during the holidays. Just food for thought.

Tags: pillowcase, sewing

Project Progress: The T-shirt Quilt

Remember this?

Now it has a backside.

It would’ve been finished a long time ago except for three things.

One – I miscalculated the amount of solid color fabric (Kona Coal) needed and bought too little.

Two – I usually wait until the sales to buy fabric, but Kona Coal is one of the most popular color at our local store which means it’s almost always out. I didn’t attempt to “special order” it, or comb the online stores either. So I waited. And then waited some more. Finally got the end of a bolt last week.

Three – I could’ve just made the quilt back all easy-peasy, but no. I had to get all fancy and try my hand at some wonky squares, and it was difficult just figuring out the final layout. Oh, the amount of sketches I did, and piecing things together on the floor. I told myself, “Sheesh, it’s just a blanket… just finish it already.”

And now, it’s done!

Going BIG with my first quilt.

Now it’s time to make the quilt sandwich… I have the batting, and a ton of safety pins to put it all together. As much as machine-quilting looks fun, my machine would probably explode if I even attempted to freestyle quilt. So, I think this one will be hand-tied the good old-fashioned way. My daughter really wanted to help out, and I think it’s something we can do together. Any tips on what sort of thread to use? Next time I go to our fabric store, I’ll be asking the ladies at the counter… they’re just as excited that my project is moving along, too.

Tags: blanket, crafts, doll blanket, pillow, pillowcase, quilt, quilting, sewing

Pillowcases – Another Project to Check Off

I finally finished these pillowcases, and taught myself how to do French seams from the Pretty quick pillowcase tutorial (& bonus french seam instructions) at Film in the Fridge. Think of the possibilities for the holidays?! I may be busy sewing for the next few months.

Notice anything? The design is upside down on the left hand pillow. Yes, lesson learned. Now I know what one of the tutorials meant by “good with non-directional prints”. I didn’t really stop to see how it was going to look. Abby didn’t seem to mind. She said, “That’s okay, Mom.” What a relief. Besides that, I turned the main fabric (apple print) 90 degrees contrary to what most of the tutorials showed. I don’t know if it matters. It’s just that if I didn’t, the apples would be sideways, and that’s not really what my daughter wanted.

Here’s a detail of the cuff from the inside. Nice and clean.

Basically, what you see right-side out is normal. What you see when the pillowcase is turned inside-out is this: the French seam. No raw edges.

Looking to add something to your list of projects? Here are some more sites that I scouted:

• This tutorial at jcaroline creative
• The pillowcase tutorial at Little Birdie Secrets shows a “tube” technique.
• To take my pillowcase skills to the next level, I want to try these two patterns at The Lazy Organizer. They’re just too pretty to not try!

Tags: bedroom, crafting, decorating, french seam, pillow, pillowcase, sewing