Get Creative with a Basic Pillow

If you want to get inspired, teach someone else.  My Basic Sewing class at the Scrap Exchange (Durham, NC) was packed with 7 super-creative people  (men and women) who couldn’t  wait to see their fabric visions take shape. 

Just look at the first machine project from student Karen–

If you’d like to try your hand at a very personal pillow like her’s,  basic instructions from the class handout are given below.

Instructions for your PILLOW:

1) Cut 2 identical squares or rectangles that will be the FRONT and BACK of your pillow.  Cut them larger than the finished pillow, allowing ½ inch for seams on each of the 4 sides.

Note: if you were using a purchased pillow form, measure the form and add seam allowances to those measurements.

2) If you are adding appliqué or other embellishments to your pillow, stitch them to the right sides of the fabric now.  Christine can help you with appliqué technique.

3) Placing right sides together, pin around the back side of the fabric on all side of your pillow.  Now place two pins on either side of the opening you will use to turn and stuff the pillow.

Tip:  you will be putting your hand inside the pillow to distribute stuffing.  Make sure the opening is wide enough to let you reach all sides and corners. 

4) Stitch a one half inch seam around the pillow edges, pivoting at corners, leaving a generous opening for turning.

5) Press and clip corners to reduce bulk. 

6) Turn your pillow right side out and (gently) push out corners.

7) Stuff your pillow well using small pieces of craft stuffing, then pin the opening closed.

8)  Hand sew opening and fluff your pillow.  Now pat yourself on the back. 

CONGRATULATIONS you have created an original!

Reclaim a Vintage Coat with Cuffs

The calendar may say “Spring” but it’s cold and rainy in North Carolina on this April day–perfect weather for my favorite mid-thigh 1950s coat.

I loved the swing style, top stitching, big buttons and pockets the moment I saw this piece  hanging in  the vintage clothing store.  And it fit through the shoulders! Mine are large.But women of the 50s and 60s tended to be petite.  Vintage sleeves are always way too short for me.

So I added a self-lined cuff in brown fabric from my stash.  It matches the topstitching, and large original buttons perfectly. And my brown cuff covers a high-wear spot on the original coat–slightly frayed sleeve edges.

Another stash fabric–a brown plaid becomes a thin bias strip between the two fabrics.  This little detail makes my add-on cuffs look a lot more polished. 

I think it would be a good technique for vintage children’s wear, too.  What do you think?

Kiki’s Problem Solving Purse Organizer

Ok,  I am not a big fan of plastic– but this zip-top bag ORGANIZER works so brilliantly,  I had to make some for my friends and Etsy store.

Here’s the first one I made, my own purse organizer, which leaves all the other purse organizers I’ve tried over the years in the dust.   Inside, 6 zip-top pouches hold coupons, cards and other things (I never leave home without) where I can instantly see  and access them.   

No more digging in my purse!   And who doesn’t use zip-top bags for travel.  This design keeps them all together for easy organizing in hotel bath rooms. 

True to my REWIND mantra, the fabrics and trim are reclaimed. The buttons–reclaimed or vintage. The quilting and binding are a nice design touch I added to a Pinterest idea sharred by a sewing pal (thanks Teresa!).

See more of these organizers and other vintage and reclaimed fabric creations in my Etsy store. I’ve got lots on new projects on the sewing table for spring! What about you?

A Favorite Fabric Sale–Burlington NC

Check out the back of my pal Kristen’s car after Saturday’s Stevenson Vestal Community Fabric Sale.

And she’s  still loading. Kristen brought neighbor Nancy along to guard her selections and help wrangle her purchases. 

Every year I try to hire this strong, tall man to help me out.  But he  always tells me he has his hands full with his own family. 

And I did fine without him–scoring over a dozen lovely fabrics including silks and choice embroideries.  Here are the two “finds of the day”, large birds and crewel.

Plus–my trim bag runneth over…

As much as I could put in this bag costs just $10.  Which brought my grand total for the sale to $25.

Amazing. 

Even more amazing–all the money goes to charity.  Stevenson Vestal sews for decorators across the county.  Once or twice a year, the sell off all the leftovers from their jobs and donate 100% of the money to worthy causes.   No wonder I love this sale so much. 

“Like” Stevenson Vestal on Facebook to find out when sales happen.  Or send them an email to get on the notification list. 

And yes, it’s worth a drive.  Just ask my cousin Betsy who travels 3  hours from Virginia  to attend.  We’re always so excited, we wake up before the alarm.

What are your favorite fabric sales?  Maybe we’ll drive down (or up) there–

Label It! A Guide for Reclaiming Heirloom Fabrics.

I’m very proud of this little wrist bag I made for a friend from her mother’s vintage prom dress. 

But the part I like best about it is the handwirtten label I sewed into the seam.

In only 10 minutes, using  items I already had on hand (ribbon and a fine tip sharpie), I connected my creation to its story indefinitely.  That’s priceless.

Too many items from history don’t have a name.

Heard that at a quilt talk last year and couldn’t agree more.  After helping my mother clean out two family homes, I’ve seen how so many things are lost because no one remembers why they were saved–not in heat of the moment at least. 

I want to change that.  And this little label is a great first start. 

So how do you reclaim and label your heirloom fabrics?  Any favorite projects?

Many Threads in my “Sew Cool” Wall Hanging

I just finished my new wall hanging which I hung  over a curtain in my sewing room. 

Don’t know if I’ll leave it there, but for the moment I love the look of milky light filtering through–like a window to the past.

Thanks to my sister for encouraging my me to buy the WHOLE box of  vintage doll clothes that I had no use for…other than to admire.   

My friend Teresa came up with the appliqued dress element.   She’s very good at picking cool projects  and  booked a whole day to sew with me at the Scrap Exchange. 

Another sewing partner from the Scrap, Karen,  gave me the net from an old wedding dress.  It made wonderful see-through pockets to hold the vintage doll clothes and other  bits of memorabilia like button cards and  my sewing valentines. 

Where ever this piece ends up hanging, it will remind me of three important things I’ve learned from my sewing: 

Creative friends make it better.  They affirm, inspire and nudge you in directions you wouldn’t have taken otherwise.

Believe in the happy accident.  If doll clothes and net find their way to the top of your sewing pile,  maybe they were meant to be together. 

And finally, don’t forget why we do this–make what makes you happy.  

So what’s making you happy in the sewing room this week?

Out of the Attic and into the Playroom–A Crib Bedding Project

Since January seems to be the month to cut clutter, here’s a great way to repurpose those crib bumpers, sheets and blankets moms just can’t let go of.

Yes, you could cut them up and make a quilt.  But that’s such a time commitment. I like to move from project to project quickly.  Three appliqued pillows were more my speed. 

Credit my pal Jennifer with the idea of fun, stackable circles.  She thought they’d be perfect for the playroom now, a growing girl’s bedroom later. 

Time investment–7-10  hours.

Cash investment– about $60.  (Foam is expensive).

Results–priceless (I think).   

What about you?  Any other ideas for upcycling crib bedding?

Best After-Christmas Buy EVER

I’m usually shopped out by the time Christmas is over–

But thank goodness I picked up this roll of gold rick rack at an after-Christmas sale about 10 years ago.

50 yards, marked down to  11 dollars and some change at a local garden/decorating shop.    Not much considering that I’ve used this great glittery, polyester rick rack every Christmas since. 

Here it is  holding holiday cards  draped from the mantle.  The gold clips came from the office supply store.  Like the rick rack, they’re easy to use and reuse.  In a few weeks, both will go back into the attic.

And here’s my gold rick rack threaded through a  homemade gift tag made with 2 decorative stamps and wine box dividers.     Reuse is catching, I guess. 

What’s your favorite crafty after-Christmas buy?

Holiday Sewing Goes Down to the Wire

Yes, that’s me doing some last-minute sewing just before the doors opened at last year’s St. Thomas More Holiday Craft show in Chapel Hill, NC.

I’ll be at Thomas More again this year–December 1st from 9 till 4 and I’ll probably be sewing right up to the wire again.

Along with my signature garden aprons; reclaimed fabric bags, pillows and scarves, I’m on a pot holder roll. 

Here’s some product testing in my own Thanksgiving kitchen. 

And here’s my sewing table–lots of  great 70s fabrics, old towels for extra thick batting and thread tails–lots of thread tails.    Oh my– The house is a mess!

I like to give these pot holders with homemade or purchased food, or a favorite cook book.  I think they make any gift more personal and unique. 

I’ll also be  part of new show on Dec 8 at Triangle Presbyterian Preschool in Durham, NC.

Joining me in both spaces will be hip knitter Gail Kennedy and best pal (pot holder assistant and number one cheerleader) Melissa.  Gail will be selling her very cozy pocket scarves, shawls and warmers.

Gail’s hip-hand knitted pieces

  Come by and say hello.

PS.  To see more of my vintage and reclaimed fabric creations or shop without leaving home, check out my ETSY store.

Roll your Fabric Stash

For years, I stored my fabric yardage in flat folds.   Moving them around became quite a workout over the years. 

Thank goodness my husband’s brain is wired differently.  “Looks like that would be easier if you rolled them up,” he said. 

He was so right. 

Yes– It did take many, many hours to roll and tie my large collection of yardage, which I  arranged on shelves by color. 

But the results were more than worth it.  It’s now easier to see what I have, and more importantly, I can  dig out fabrics at the bottom of the pile with out shifting an entire stack of heavy folds. 

I still use my labeled plastic bins for speciality collections like vintage tablecloths, embroidery, decorator samples,  etc.  But for yardage, rolling is a much better way to manage my stash. 

What about you?  How are you storing your fabric collection?