Throw Pillows from a Throw Blanket!

One of the easiest and thriftiest ways to update the look of a room is with decorative pillows.
Every one has them. In fact, I dare you to take a count of the throw pillows in your house!!!
I don't just have pillows on the furniture....I have pillows in the closets waiting to take their turn in whatever decor scheme suits my fancy.

 A trip down the pillow aisle of almost any home decor store is pure temptation for me.

A pillow is affordable.....
A pillow is not a forever commitment like a piece of furniture.....

Why You Need to Know How to install a Zipper!

The Kate Spade design aesthetic is one that I have always loved.
My heart broke when this icon lost her battle with depression.  What a tragedy.

The other day I was at HomeGoods.

I was thrilled to find this pack of 4 wonderful brightly patterned cloth napkins with her label.

Here is something Kate Spade that I can afford!!!

I knew that this cheerful pattern called "Flower Box" would make great summer pillows for the living room.

Since these pillows will be seasonal, I decided to make removable covers for existing pillows.

It is also nice that they are removable because the pattern has a bright white background that could get dirty.








I am not going to bore you with instructions on how to make a pillow cover.
You can figure out that you put the right sides of the two squares together and sew around the edge.
You need to leave an opening along one side to turn the pillow cover right side out!

THAT is where knowing how to install a zipper comes in.
A zipper closure is the absolute neatest way to close the edge of a pillow.

Yeah....I know all the excuses you are coming up with to avoid this!

• "it's easier to just hand stitch the edge..."
• well.... actually...a neat hand stitch closer is pretty hard to get "right".
• "zippers are expensive....."
• well....actually....you can buy a whole bunch of zippers for less than a bottle of inexpensive wine.
  
  
  
  
  

• "I never remember how to install a zipper...it looks complicated...
• sew4home has put together the ultimate tutorial for installing a zipper
• plus you will learn some crazy things about the history of zippers.
• for instance: "Interestingly, Elias Howe, the same man credited with inventing the sewing machine, received a patent in 1851 for the first zipper, which he called: "Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure."  Can you imagine trying to tell someone to "check your automatic continous clothing closure!!!???

HOW TO INSTALL A ZIPPER 

 Success!

Hey...wait a minute....there were only 4 napkins in the package.
How did I make Three pillows?

One pillow is made with two napkins back to back.



I "cheated" on the other two and used some nice white duck fabric for the backs.
(this is a great trick if you are making pillows with super expensive fabric)





I hope this inspired you to learn how to install a zipper.
If you already know how....I hope you are inspired to go make a pillow!

https://www.123freevectors.com/free-fashion-design-brushes-zippers-stitching/

Have A Great Day!

Goodwill Clothes Alteration Hacks

I haven't posted about thrift store shopping in awhile.
Never fear....that does not mean I haven't done any thrift store shopping!

This week I was perusing the selection of pants in my closet.  Yikes...it is filled almost entirely with black pants and jeans leggings with some fancier pairs for dressier events.
I pretty much live in Yoga pants until it is time to go out.  Then casual is the rule. Ahh...the life of a retiree!

I headed to the thrift store this week with the goal of finding some summer pants that were not jeans or black!  It is usually a mistake to go to the thrift store with a specific item in mind.  Mostly that will be disappointing.



But the Good Will gods must have been watching over me this time.
I found not one, but three pair of summer pants.
AND.....a super cute summer sundress.

But here is the deal!
They were the perfect PRICE....but not the perfect fit.

Instead of passing these bargains up....I knew with very little time and effort I could cure what ailed them.

 I am pretty short so almost any pair of pants is going to need hemming up!
The red pants were the right length but were not tapered enough.....
The white pair and khaki pair needed hemming.....
The sundress hit the floor and then some on little me....and I wanted tea length because I know I will get more wear out of it.


Knowing how to do some basic alterations and/or tailoring is one secret for success at the thrift store.

If you think you have no sewing skills.....remember....the items you are working with cost less than a glass of wine in a restaurant!  You can take a risk and see what happens.

Here are my favorite alteration hacks:

Hemming: 

• Sometimes the easiest thing to do is just turn the existing hem under and do a few tacks with a needle;

• Fusible hem tape is a great time saver if you don't feel like sewing.

• Tightly woven knits like athletic leggings with lots of spandex can just be cut off with no stitching.  You will be amazed at how well the raw edge stands up to washing.

• Alas...sometimes you need to do an actual hem....but don't stress with finishing with hemtape and all that.  Just cut them off....turn it up and stitch. 

 Straps:

• So many cute tops and dresses have spaghetti straps.  When you try on an item....pull those straps up to see if the top looks better. It is an easy fix to tack the shortened strap to the inside of the back.  This trick fixes a couple of fit problems....saggy bodice, loose underarms, and in some cases, pulling the straps up makes the waistline fit better too.

 
Under the arm:

• When you see a top that looks just a little too big, sometimes it is a matter of just taking in the side seam.  This works especially well with sleeveless tanks.  The added benefit here is that you can fit the underarm area and taper it to the bottom.  This gives a little more room for your bottom too!

Baggy Legs:

• I like the look of fitted skinny legs on most casual pants.  These cute red pants are a great example.  By tapering the inside leg seam just 1/2 and inch, they went from way to "preppy" and hard to find shoes for....to perfect casual with sandals or flats.

Every one of these alterations can be done with a straight stitch with the sewing machine or a few simple hand stitches.
It is definitely worth remembering when you find something wonderful at the thrift store that has "possibilities"!

OR....you can call a friend who sews :)
OR...you can find a tailor shop.

AND....all of the above also works for any bargain shopping you do.  If you find a good deal....but the fit isn't good....think of the possibilities for a quick alteration.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Simple Almost No Sew Custom Shower Curtain

A Long Long Time Ago.....
I posted about the no sew shower curtain in the guest bathroom.  The complete tutorial for how to do this can be found on the link.
This curtain really doesn't look bad.....but heavens....it has been hanging around for over 7 years!  GASP!

 The dark brown walls will be staying for awhile.  We are redoing the master bath later on this month....and energy and budget for the guest bath just won't happen.

My challenge:  Find some way to freshen up the room with out spending too much time and little or no money!

If you are a regular reader, you know that for me, many projects start with a fabric inspiration!
Fabric stores are my happy place!
Speaking of happy....don't these little birds just make you smile?

I love the clean white background.
I love the multiple colors on the birds.
The green is bright and cheerful.
We can pretend the branches are brown...until we have time to paint!


 Here are the simple directions for an almost no sew shower curtain:

To make a shower curtain you will need 2 Lengths of fabric (typical drapery fabric is 54-60 inches wide).
1.  Four yards of fabric will give you enough fabric for a full looking curtain.

2. Cut the fabric in 2 pieces and seam them together (straight seam on the machine or fusible webbing will work...never tried to glue gun....but why not)

3. Cut a piece of fabric that is 8 inches wide from each of the pieces.....I cut this from the long sides of the fabric.  You will have 2 pieces that are 8 x 72.  Fold the strips to make tabs.  I don't sew these...it has never seemed to be necessary.  Cut the folded strips into 8 inch pieces for use as the tabs.

4. Turn both of the sides of the big square in to make a smooth edge.  You can stitch or use fusible web for this.

5. Fold the top of the square down to make a 2 inch "hem".

6. Fold the tab pieces over and pin them to the top.  Space them 5 inches apart with a 3 inch "loop".

7.  Stitch across the top of the curtain at 1/2 inch down and 2 inches down.  This will secure the tabs.
I imagine you could do this with a glue gun too!

8.  Measure your curtain to make sure you know how long you want it....then turn up the bottom for a nice hem.

9. Hang the curtain by the tabs on a tension rod.  I have a regular shower rod with a liner behind the decorative one.

There you have it!

Then it was just a matter of "shopping the house" for some art and accents to fit the new decor.

I changed the mats on these little pictures to white for a brighter look.

This canvas has just the right color scheme for the new room.

The ceramic birds look right at home with their "friends"!

The new update was worth the couple of hours spent.
Even with new towels...I think the total cost was around $50!
My kind of decorating!

Have A Wonderful Day and Stay Warm!

 

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Simple Boxed Corner Pillow Instructions

Fabric junkies know what a dangerous place a wholesale fabric store can be.


The Sweetwater Daughter and I took a trip to the fabric store with no real "need" in mind.


Of course....
what should my eye spy....?


This remnant was only $5.00 a yard and has all the right colors for our family room.





I knew it would be the perfect way to make the two Malabar chairs coordinate with the room.

Simple Boxed Corner Pillow Instructions

Fabric junkies know what a dangerous place a wholesale fabric store can be.


The Sweetwater Daughter and I took a trip to the fabric store with no real "need" in mind.


Of course....
what should my eye spy....?


This remnant was only $5.00 a yard and has all the right colors for our family room.





I knew it would be the perfect way to make the two Malabar chairs coordinate with the room.

Presto Chango Turtleneck to Jewel neckline Sweater!

Where do you stand on the "Great Turtleneck Debate"? 

Is this style a fashion classic or a fashion no no?

Yes, I know that this is probably not nearly as interesting as the current political debates going on.....

oh wait....

maybe it IS more interesting than the current political debates!

I kind of think that for me it is a matter of aging.  Over the years the turtlenecks that I used to love just don't fit as comfortably as they used to.

It couldn't possibly be that my neck isn't quite as smooth and thin as it used to be????

I found this fashion advisory for "a woman of a certain age".....

"You may think a ­turtleneck hides a sagging neck and chin, but it is more likely to draw attention to jowls."

Audrey Hepburn knew this....there are lots and lots of photos of her in her youth with the classic black turtleneck.  In later photos you see more v-necks and jewel necklines. 

Now....I would never aspire to looking like Audrey Hepburn....no one  could!
But in the great turtleneck debate....I need to vote NAY!

I am a sucker for cashmere!  I find the most wonderful cashmere sweaters at the thrift store. They usually sell for less than $10.  Sadly.....many of the prettiest cashmere sweaters are turtlenecks!  I buy them anyway! Then I use some "magic" and turn them into jewel neck treasures!

Want to see how?
You really won't believe how easy it is!

 This sweater is the prettiest blue (the photo really doesn't show it well).


Notice the classic turtle neck!



















All you do is pull the collar up and cut about half of it off. 

Leave enough of the ribbed knit to fold to the inside.

Use the wool setting on your iron and steam press the ribbing so that it exactly joins to the line where the ribbing joins the sweater. 

Time with the iron is well spent in making the next step easier.

It is simple to just hand stitch the raw edge to the neckline.

Use the tiniest stitches you have patience to do.....
Try to catch as many of the raw knit loops from your scissors cut as you can.
This will keep it from unraveling.

I don't get all hung up on using special knit thread.....this is a thrift store sweater after all!!

The finished jewel neck looks really nice....

It will feel so much better than the turtleneck....

It only took about 20 minutes to do this!

BTW....because my cashmere sweaters are almost all from thrift stores....I never dry clean them.  Use a gentle wash with Woolite and lay them flat to dry!  

 Where ever you stand on the turtleneck debate.....

Have A Wonderful Day!

Patio Cushion Update with Easy Sewing Instructions

I posted about these cushions for the patio chairs when I made them 2 years ago.

I noticed last week how much the elements have taken a toll on them.


YIKES!

And to tell you the truth....I am kinda "over" the Greek Key design.

It was time for a refreshed look for these babies!

When I shop at the fabric store, there are always wonderful fabrics that "call" to me.  I see things that I just know will be perfect for some project.

This is a perfect example of that!












 Last Summer I found this fabric on the $5 a yard shelf.  I bought 2 yards.

 I fell in love with the gray background and soft orange floral.

Two yards of fabric is a nice amount.....it is almost always enough for most projects.  And.....$10 always seems like a reasonable expense.


In the case of the new covers for the chairs...it was exactly the right amount.

Since the old cushion covers were made with the "pillow sham" technique, it was a simple matter of slipping them off and taking those nasties to the garbage can.

Use Your Printer to Create Custom Pillows

In this post I really will show you how to use your ink jet printer to make custom pillows. I will show you how to use muslin or canvas to make your own sheets of fabric to print on.  BUT....first I need to inject a public service announcement about the wonderfulness that can be found at your public library!
This is yet another reason to love your public library.

Did you know that you can check out digital versions of many popular magazines from your library?

FOR FREE.

Just hop on your library website and do a search for Zinio.  If your library supports Zinio then you can browse the collection of magazines just like magic.....a few seconds later you can read them on your phone, ipad or computer.  Follow this link to find out the specifics!

I used Zinio to check out the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living. (yes....you can read the newest issues of magazines)
I read an article, "Picture This", about using digital photographs in interesting ways.

 Oh, that is another cool thing about reading an emagazine.....you can take screen shots of the stuff you want to save!

 The ideas in the article were an inspiration for a couple of pillows I wanted to make.

I knew there were some different specialty printer papers in the cupboard.....hmmm....actually I have a LOT of different papers...

some for t-shirts
some plastic decal sheets
some post-it paper

then....aha....some canvas print "paper"!

Lighten Up! Summer Look For The Couch!

Summer is really here!

Time for the couches at Sweetwater to change into their Summer wardrobe!

Summer calls for smooth, cool fabric and a lighter color palette!

It is pretty simple to make "pseudo summer slipcovers" with very little sewing!

I love how changing out JUST the cushions on the couch creates the Summertime feel I am after!

Drool Bibs For the Sweetwater Grandbaby!

"I can't think why mothers love them. All babies do is leak at both ends."   Douglas Feaver   

 Isn't that the truth?

I have been sewing up some pretty cute drool bibs for the Sweetwater Grandbaby!

There are tons of tutorials and patterns out there! 

The Bandana Bib seems to be popular.....but personally....I think all that fabric up by the baby face is cumbersome!  If you like that look...here is a link to a pattern and tutorial!

Since there are many tutorials out there...I won't bother to write one....so check out the links I have found!

How to Make A Custom Ironing Board Cover!

Ironing and ironing boards are not exactly exciting topics!

Actually.....I don't do a lot of actual clothes ironing....but if you sew....you have to iron!
My Grandma told me (correctly) that the iron was the MOST important sewing notion!


I will say that crafting and sewing take a real toll on an ironing board cover!

Yikes....this is seriously ugly!  I am not sure what the red stuff is....and the scorch marks were getting pretty bad.


















It was actually getting so bad that I was laying down a protective tea towel when I ironed anything "nice"!

It was obviously time for a new ironing board cover! Because our ironing board is one of those "in the wall" built ins, it is kind of hard to find a cover that fits exactly. The ones for this model cost about $20 and come in GRAY or GRAY!  You know....that shiny gray metal color that is soooo attractive!

Customized Fabric Covered Wastebasket Tutorial

I was thinking that  I haven't been very crafty around Sweetwater lately!

Actually...my crafty skills have been busy helping design and create costumes for a Drama Performance at my old school. The costumes are amazing and fun head pieces instead of full body costumes.  The fun part is that the kids are heavily involved in making the costumes themselves....so I am more the "director" watching over flying fur and feathers and glue guns! I will write about that another time when I have pictures!

On to the transformation of this rather mundane plastic wastebasket into a customized fabric covered gem!!

There is really nothing wrong with it!
Except it is the wrong color for the decor in my Yoga room!

There was no way I was going to spend any money on a wastebasket.....

Time to get my craft on!

Time to use what I had!

Super Simple Almost NO SEW Ottoman Slipcover!

Recovering an ottoman can seem like a daunting project!

It doesn't have to be!

If you have an hour....

If you can sew a straight seam...
You can do it!

Would you believe THIS....?

looked like THIS just a couple of days ago......?
I think I recovered it (poorly) over 15 years ago and it was time for an update!!!

The process was pretty simple....but of course I forgot to take pictures!

BUT....

No Sew Box Cushions with a New Tip!

You can redo your cushions with this almost NO sew project!

I guess a lot of people are looking for ways to redo cushions without the cost of buying new or having them custom made at an upholstery shop!

Too funny.....but these box cushions that I posted about 3 summers ago are almost FAMOUS!

Seriously.....this post  about NO Sew Box Cushions consistently gets a hundred hits A DAY....go figure!

That is exactly the plight facing the Sweetwater Daughter this Spring.  

The cushions on the deck furniture had faded and had some serious sun rot!

The perfect project for "Almost No Sew Box Cushions"!

Steps for Perfect Cushions!

Going Straight! Placemat Tutorial!

The place mats at Sweetwater took a beating over the Holidays with all the entertaining we did!

It was time for new ones!  

I spent some time shopping for new ones.

I wanted something basic....probably brown to co-ordinate with our decor!

I found some at Overstock.com

 They aren't too expensive, but not exactly right and I want at least 8!

And these at Target are more what I was looking for, but it would still be $40 for 2 sets.....

I just happened to find some really nice plain brown fabric in the sale bin for $5 a yard!

 I bought 3 yards....cost of $15!

I decided to make my own!

If you are like me....you know it is always a struggle to sew something that needs to be perfectly straight and square!

AND 

to do it over and over and over again!

I was determined to come up with a plan to make it easier to get the place mats perfectly straight this time!

The 3 yards of fabric  is enough fabric for 12 place mats.

I planned a 2 inch "hem" for each single layered place mat.

I hit upon the idea of using my mat cutter as a simple way to cut perfectly straight edges.

The straight razor was the perfect solution....and the rulers built in to the mat cutter made it easy to be sure that each place mat was the same size!

The system made it super simple.....but any straight edge and pencil line would work.

I don't have a rotary cutter....hmmm....go figure??? but that would also work!

Now I had 12 perfectly straight pieces of fabric.....the trick would be to get the mitered corners the same size and keep the sewing part straight!

I cut a template for the mitered corner.  

Each side of the triangle is 2 inches.  

This way the miter will control the depth of the hem.

I cut the corners on all the place mats using the template!

Using the "most important" sewing tool....MY IRON...I pressed a narrow 1/4 inch hem around all sides and stitched it down.  More pressing to get it perfectly flat!

Now for the miter! And this is the really great trick! I surprised myself with how easily it worked!

Start by folding the two edges together.....remember the triangle that was cut off earlier....that makes this diagonal that is ready to stitch.

I used the serger....nice because that was another STRAIGHT line tool that kept the seam exactly the right size.  But a careful stitiching with the regular machine would definitely work too. Serging these seams meant I didn't have to trim the seams....so if you use a regular machine be sure to closely trim your seams.

Turn the miters right side out.....use a sharp tool to push out the corners and press the whole thing flat.

The beauty of this mitering system is the way it forces the 2 inch border to be exactly the same all the way around!

The final step is to stitch all the way around the mat at exactly 2 inches.

When I need a perfect size hem and do it more than once....I put a piece of tape on the machine as a guide!  This keeps me on the straight and narrow!

I have finished 8 of the 12 place mats.....if you got out a micrometer.....

you would see that they aren't absolutely perfect.....

but hey....like always say...

"I aim to be pretty good!" 

and these turned out "Pretty Good" if I do say so myself.

And....

at a cost of less than $2 a piece....a bargain besides!

Have A Great Day!

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