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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Fun T-shirt Pillows

Pillows from old T-shirts


     I recently had a client that asked me to make some pillows from a couple of T-shirts.  She originally wanted two smaller square pillows but when we laid out the square she realized she would be losing a lot of the logo so opted to go with a slightly larger square.

     The orange T-shirt had the logo printed near the neck edge so it would have been quite top heavy, image-wise so we opted for a rectangular pillow instead.  Even then the logo was so close to the neck edge it was somewhat off-balance.  I chose to take the small team logo from the back and fuse it to the front piece to balance it out visually.  I used the heavy duty Wonder Under so no stitching was necessary.

Overlap closure


     I opted to use the overlap closure for the back for such a casual pillow instead of the normal zipper closure I usually do.

Overlap closure


     I fused Shirtailor to the back of the T-shirts after taking them apart, similar to the same thing I do when makingT-shirt quilts.  I then cut out the size pieces I needed, and angled the corners to eliminate the dog ears.  I sewed the flap closures down and then overlapped them and sewed to the front piece, serging the edges for a neat finish inside.

Showing your team loyalty


     A fun project to show off your team loyalty!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Colton's Halloween Costume 2014

Colton's puppy dog costume


     This year Colton decided he wanted to be a puppy dog for Halloween.  Not sure how my daughter figured that out since he is only 21 months old but that is what she said he picked out.




     They bought the pattern, fabric and bias tape.  I pre-washed the fabric since it is a flannel and I wanted her to be able to wash it after he wore it.  The fabric did shrink a bit so I barely had enough to cut out the pieces.

Fabric and interfacing ready for sewing


     For the spots on the puppy dog I didn't want the raw edges and also didn't want a lot of heavy satin stitching weighing down the light weight fabric.



     I opted to use an appliqué method I had learned before.  I cut out fusible interfacing using the pattern pieces, approximately 1/4" larger than the pattern.  I then pinned it to the appliqué fabric with the non-fusible side to the right side of the fabric.  I sewed around with a 1/4' seam allowance.  Then cut out the center of the interfacing and turn to the inside and press.

Sewn on line

Trimmed around outside

Center trimmed out

Ready for pressing


     The first one I did wasn't smooth around the edges so I pulled out my circle templates and traced a circle on the fusible side of the interfacing and then sewed on the line.  It made a much smoother circle.

Left one with 1/4" seam allowance, right with drawn circle

     I then sewed the spots onto the other pieces using matching thread and the appliqué stitch, E1:23 on my machine.  After the spots were finished and sewn in place the rest of the construction went well.  I did serge all the edges so they wouldn't fray.  I hope he enjoys his puppy dog costume.




Wednesday, October 8, 2014

After School Sewing Fall 2014

      Meet the three newest students in my after school classes.  Claire is a neighbor of mine and has been doing a bit of sewing.  She is in high school and has been doing a bit of sewing for costumes.  Her dad thought she could use some basic sewing lessons so she can perfect her skills.


     Grace is also a neighbor.  Her friends have been doing sewing with me for a year or so.  She really liked what they were doing and decided to join them in lessons.


     Sarah is a high school student that after seeing the fashion and sewing shows on TV wanted to try her hand at it.  All three girls have earned their 'Sewing Machine Driver's License' and are working on their drawstring bags.

     On Mondays I have Elise, who took beginning sewing this summer with me, Bella, Aviva and Grace.  Tuesdays I have Nonie, Christine, Ellen and Cara.  Wednesdays is Lindsey, Natalie and Nick. Thursdays is Sarah, Hayley, Claire and Greta.

     It is interesting to see the different dynamics in each day.  Some classes I feel like I am trying to herd cats as the topic of conversation gets a bit out of hand.  They are always good though when I do finally put my foot down so to speak.

     I am going to do a purse challenge with them.  They will learn to make the basic purse in class and then make their own version outside of class.  They are welcome to bring the purse to class if they get stuck on a technique but otherwise they are going to be doing it on their own.  At the end of the school year we will have a contest/fashion show of their creations.


     I am looking forward to a fun filled year with them.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Chicago Marathon and JDRF



     The logo may be a bit blurry but my focus isn't.  Today's blog is a departure from my usual writing.  Today I am asking for you help in supporting JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

     In 11 days I will be running the Chicago marathon in support of JDRF.  I have a sister and a niece that both have T1 diabetes.  My sister was about 10 when she was diagnosed and my niece who just turned sixteen was diagnosed as a toddler.  It changes so many things for them and their families.

     By running 26.2 miles I hope to help find a cure for diabetes.  There are so many exciting things happening right now in the research world that finding a cure is not unthinkable.  Please help me in my cause by going to my page and donating.  Even $5-10 would be a big help.

     Next week I will tell you all about how the fall after school classes are going so stay tuned :-)