T-Shirt Pillows

Every so often, a shirt comes around that is just too great to be stored in the closet. You might try to wear it as frequently as possible to share the awesomeness with the world. After all that sharing with the world, eventually it starts to wear out. That, my friends, is a sad, sad day. This is a story of two such shirts.



Behold the awesomeness that is this pink Elvis t-shirt that was a Birthday gift from my best friend, and this Golden Girls shirt my Gram gave me as a Christmas present. I have had a slight obsession with both Elvis and the Golden Girls since high school, if not before. Yup. I’m so hipster I liked these things before it was cool to ironically like them. Adjusts unnecessary glasses and sips PBR.

They’re both made of very thin material and were starting to get a little worn over the years. I was worried that a hole would develop and it might be lost forever. The best course of action was obviously to turn these great t-shirts into great pillows.

You Will Need:

Nerdtastic t-shirts
Scissors
Ruler
Chalk or Pencil
Sewing machine (or needle/ thread/ perseverance)
Stuffing
Straight pins
Embroidery floss (optional)

Square Pillow


Lay your t-shirt flat and decide how much of the main image you want to be featured on your pillow. Take a deep breath and thank the inanimate object that has been worn so many times and started so many conversations. Tentatively, hesitantly, and mournfully cut the sleeves and collar from the shirt. Have second thoughts. Decide to continue and tell yourself you’re giving it new life. Cut up the side seams of the shirt and across the shoulder seems, separating the shirt into two pieces, front and back.

Turn halves inside-out, use the ruler and chalk or pencil to draw a square on the shirt featuring the design as desired. Pin the two sides together inside your lines. Carefully cut out your square.

Use your sewing machine to stitch around the edges leaving about 3-4” open at the bottom of the pillow. Remove the pins and turn it right side out. Stuff your pillow A little fuller than you think it should be; the filling will flatten out over time. You can also use a pencil to help get the stuffing all the way into the corners. Once it’s full, use a slip stitch to sew up the last few open inches. You can stop there OR you can add tassels. And when you have the option to add tassels, why wouldn't you?

To make the tassels, don't listen to me. I kind of just messed with embroidery floss until it worked. Seriously. Each one is slightly different. Since I can't be trusted when it comes to tassels, this tutorial will be much more useful. When they're finished, just run a few stitches through the center of the tassel into the corners of the pillow.

Circle Pillow



The circle pillow shares a lot of steps with the square pillow but you have to be extra careful not to tug the fabric while machine sewing the edges or you'll end up with a lumpy circle. T-shirt material is notoriously difficult because it is so stretchy. I used a lamp shade as a guide for a perfect circle because I'm a classy, classy lady. Don't forget to leave a few inches open to turn right side out and stuff. Afterwards, stitch it up and you're all done.



Any favorite t-shirts laying around that need a makeover? Do you know how to make a good tassel? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Business Card Holders

It is possible to be simultaneously crafty and professional?

I found this wonderful tutorial to sew business card holders, which seemed like the perfect thing to make as I prepare to start my first big girl job this week. I changed mine from the original ever so slightly; Melanie from The Crafty Cupboard made a super helpful and thorough tutorial that you should definitely check out if you plan to make one. Ready to make your own?

You Will Need:

2 pieces of fabric 5-1/2” X 4-1/2”, one for the cover and one for liner

2 fabric pieces cut 2-1/2” X 4-1/2”

small hair tie

small button

sewing machine, or needle, thread, and perseverance
Mod Podge or thin cardboard (optional)

Start by sewing a double hem on one 4-1/2" side of each of the 2-1/2" X 4-1/2" pieces. Pin the 2 smaller pieces to the front of one 5-1/2" X 4-1/2" pieces. The hemmed sides should go towards the center. The larger piece used here will becoming the lining. You can use the same fabric for all of them, or whatever combination you'd like. Baste stitch around as close to the edges as you can (the original tutorial recommends 1/8" seam allowance) to tack the pockets onto the lining. You could skip this step, but I feel like it makes them a lot easier to work with.

Pin the other 5-1/2" X 4-1/2" piece that will be your outside cover, right side towards the stitched pockets. In the center of one 4-1/2" edge, feed the hair tie through. Leave about a third of the tie outside of the fabric; the part you just fed through will become the button hole.

Stitch around the edges with a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving just enough space to turn everything right side out. The original tutorial used interfacing to add stability. I didn't have interfacing... I didn't want to go buy interfacing... So I didn't. Instead, I used a mixture of methods to add stability. One method was to cut a thin cardboard box into two rectangles that were just a little smaller than the card holder when measured together. After the fabric was turned right side out, I used the turning space to insert the cardboard inside the fabric and move it into each half. A stitch down the center kept them in place. The other option was to use a light coat of Mod Podge over the cover. Both worked well. Also, one time I totally forgot to do either and it still turned out pretty cute. There's really no way to lose.

Whatever stability method you choose, after you finish it stitch around the edges of the entire piece to close the turning hole and make a nice clean finish. Add a button to the opposite cover side from the hair tie. DO NOT make the same mistake I did and accidentally sew through the pocket when adding the button like a goof. I've had finer moments. A stitch down the center between the pockets finishes everything off.



It's a fun gift and a good way to use up scraps as well. I may have gotten a little carried away. Each one took less than an hour.





As soon as I press "publish," I'm getting in the car and heading out to start the moving process! Here's to the eight hour drive ahead *raises coffee in a toast-like gesture* Can't believe it's already time to say goodbye to my family again and hello to this next chapter of life.

Do you use business cards? What do you keep them in? Any fun suggestions? I'd love to know!

Sheila

P.S. Happy first day of school for so many! My Mom's kindergarten class starts today. I'm not sure if the kids could possibly be any more excited than she is.

Dashboard Bean Bag

Did you have fun this weekend? I sure did! I went on a road trip to go camping with my roommate and her family. I thought we were headed to West Virginia, but we actually went to Virginia. Good thing we had a GPS with us.

I used to keep my GPS attached to the windshield with the suction cup but it would randomly fall off occasionally, scaring me half to death, and sometimes even falling off the dash completely at the worst times. It came with a piece to attach to the dashboard but I didn't like that it would be stuck permanently. After a while of searching for an alternative, I came up with this easy little bean bag.

(More after the jump!)

Cloth Picnic Napkin

Making a cloth napkin: Good. Making a picnic napkin: Awesome.

Originally, the idea behind this napkin was to keep a little kit in my lunch box. This would still work for that, but I realized while sewing it, and adding the silverware pockets, that it would be the perfect one-person picnic provision. 

Notebook Pen Holder

Now that Memorial Day weekend is over and I'm back in South Carolina, it's time to get back to business. How about a little something to help stay organized?

Have you seen Smash Books by K&Company? I think they're adorable. They're not paying me to say this, I just really like the stuff. Such a simple, but great idea that anyone can do. I've used a composition book like this for years. The accessories with the line are clever with a touch of whimsy. You've already seen the label maker in use with cereal box file folders. I fell in love with the elastic pen holder for the binders. It keeps the binder closed so nothing falls out and holds pens and pencils at the same time.

After multiple trips noticing these pen holders in the craft store, it seemed like it would be easy enough to make one customized for my little blog notebook. I would have bought the holder, but it would be way too big.

Isn't it cute? A good friend gave it to me years ago and I've saved it until there was a use cool enough to deserve it. Now, it holds bunches of post ideas and inspirations.

You will need:
Elastic, I used 1-1/4" thick. The length needed will depend on your notebook.
2" wide fabric strip at least 7" long
sewing machine, or needle, thread and perseverance

Start by wrapping your elastic around the notebook. It should stretch just a bit to overlap about a half inch, but not tightly. (If you bring your notebook to the store, you could pay just for the elastic you need. I don't think that far ahead.) Mark it and cut it to size.

Run a stitch across the overlap to make a circle of the elastic. 

Set the elastic circle aside and cut your 2" fabric strip. The length will depend on on your preference; 7" worked for this small notebook



Pin and sew a rough hem on the long ends of the strip. I was going for a lose, messy style so I didn't worry too much about the lines. Annnnnnddddd I never sew straight lines anyway.

Sew the short end of the strip over the top of the stitch that connected the elastic ends into a circle.

The best way to judge how far apart to sew the pen spaces is to use pens, oddly enough.

After a few pen spaces, I got the idea to include the second most frequently used item in the notebook: post-its. Each line was stitched twice, forwards and backwards, for stability.

I love it. It's so useful and fun, if I do say so myself. It took about 30 minutes using a sewing machine.

Do you have a "smash book"? Official or homemade. Would you want to include anything else besides pens and post-its in this holder? I'd love to know.

Sheila :)

Easy Cloth Napkins

Cloth napkins seem to be all the rage right now. I love that the trend is to have a set using a bunch of different patterns as shown perfectly here and here. Between those examples and the stash of fabric I need to start using up before moving, cloth napkins were happenin'. 

Cloth napkins are usually about 20" x 20". Fat quarters from the quilt section are about 18" x 22". You can buy a color-coordinated varied pack (using a 40% off coupon-woot!) and not have to worry about cutting to size; if you don't have a large, flat work space not having to cut fabric to size is a huge time saver.  The small size difference isn't noticeable.

You will need:
Fat quarters, as many quarters as napkins you desire
Lots of pins
Sewing machine

If you aren't lazy, you start by ironing. I clearly did not. Sorry.

If you are lazy or have finished ironing, you move on to the corners.

My Mom taught me a handy trick for making the corners, which is the hardest part of this project. In each corner, fold the tip over once, then fold it over again. Originally it was easier to stitch each corner as pictured. After a while I learned to hem the sides without needing this part stitched, so you will too I'm sure.

Double hem each side by folding the edge twice. It's the same idea as folding the corners, but in a straight line instead. It should make a perfect point if folded correctly. The tension on my sewing machine is a little out of whack so some of the stitches have character. 

Repeat this all the way around on each napkin to create your set.

Enjoy with something extra delicious. 

Do you use cloth napkins? I love the look and the fact that they don't waste paper, but I also don't want to waste water by washing them all the time. Have you found a happy medium? I'd love to know.

Sheila :) 

PS. Thoughts and prayers of healing and comfort to all those in Oklahoma. It's a scary time, but you have the support of the nation.