Quick Sewing Post

Finally got some new bedding...ours was old and tired.  I really love my new duvet cover and shams, but...

...the fabric was so slick that the pocket closures on the back of the shams weren't staying shut and the pillows kept sliding out.  It doesn't help that Beans is always sitting on them in her "Queen of the World" pose (with her monkey...story for a different post).

So, I uncovered my sewing machine and got to work. Some sew on velcro and ten minutes later, my pillow shams are staying shut and I'm even more thrilled with my new bedding.  Something so simple and easy can make such a difference.  This will work on any pillow with pocket closures.

Just lay out the pillow sham right sides out.  Figure out where the closure should meet if straight (ie., not pulling). Pin one piece of velcro.

Then pin the other on the opposite side of the closure. Double check they line up properly.

Sew each strip on.  Remove your pins and close it up.  That's it.  You're done. 

Now your pillows will stay closed and there is just a little box of stitching to show for it.  A little less frustration in your day...easy peasy.

Woot!  The "queen" seems pleased, too.

Tuesday, Tuesday, Touch Your Shoe Day!

Well, I have some finishing touches to do on my pajama pant project, but I wanted to share with you something I've been dying to show you. As you know, Superman is overseas for almost a year (he'll be back in December)...you can read about his adventures here. I've been sending him care packages with some regularity... Food stuffs, books, pictures, etc. have been going out via those Flat Rate Priority Mail boxes every few weeks.

To make things even better, however, Mr. M kindly arranged to have a foot locker of stuff transported APO to APO for me. I was so excited. I packed it full of some stuff I knew Superman would like: an xBox (duh!), some more food stuffs, a blanket I made for him and a special surprise. It seemed like they took forever to arrive and I couldn't show you this until Superman saw it. He finally has it, though, so I can share it with you!

This pillow is made from two sweatshirts I had made when the kids were little. The first was made when Valiant was roughly 1 and the second was made when Buttercup was probably the same age. Given that Valiant is now 14 and Buttercup is fast approaching 11, you can imagine that the sweatshirts had seen better days. When I realized how much Superman was missing the kids, I was struck by inspiration and a pillow form, a little red bias tape (not to girly) and some time at the sewing machine and I had something he could take with him anywhere!

What do you think? A hug from home is priceless, isn't it?
P.S. If you want to make up a sweatshirt for your husband, this is what I did:

Bought a sweatshirt, found an embroidery shop (they're all over the place) and went in with my plan in mind. The ladies worked with me to get just what I was after and, lickety split, I had a cute sweatshirt. A few years later, I was back at the same shop getting a new image to include our new baby. Pretty simple, isn't it? They weren't expensive at all and Superman treasured those sweatshirts and now he still can.

Sewing, Sewing, and more Sewing

Well, I've been felled by a cold. Seriously. I feel just crummy enough to want to whine, but not crummy enough to stay in bed all day. Crummy enough to stay away from Mrs. M's precious baby, but not crummy enough to excuse myself from my responsibilities. Do you know the feeling? Well, when I feel this way, reading doesn't cut it because I can't stay focused, but television gets boring fast! What to do? I started sewing. Once I got started, I couldn't seem to stop. I know it is Andrea at the Train to Crazy's fault...she's hosting this weekly Clothing Sew Along in which she is teaching you everything you want to know about sewing from picking out your fabrics to picking out your patterns: the works. Then I saw this tutorial for making European Pillow Shams by Prudent Baby (I found it via One Pretty Thing - I do so love One Pretty Thing!).

The result? This week I've made two surprise presents for Superman which I can't show you because I shipped them off today and he won't have them until the end of next week and if I were to show you, they would no longer be a surprise!

Andrea's sew along got me thinking, but I can't think of anything to make for myself...okay, that isn't true. I can't make anything for myself until I use up some of the fabric I already have. So, instead I made another fleece like this one for Buttercup.


This first one I made for her has already become too small and she misses it. The great thing about using this same pattern for everyone is that I'm learning more and more about how I like to put things together and I'm being brave enough to alter patterns and follow my own directions to get the result I want. The kids agree, Buttercup's fleece turned out really, really well. Enough room to grow in, but not so much that she's swimming in it. And the zipper didn't defeat me - wooo hooo!

Then I decided to go ahead and make some pillows to match the curtains I'd made for Mrs. R more than a year ago. As I said, this tutorial for European Pillow Shams at Prudent Baby got me thinking and I had this fabric waiting to be used. Throw in a couple of old pillows (12 x20) and I had a project! The curtains were a gift - Mrs. R bought the fabric (I found it for her on clearance, and it was exactly what she was looking for) and I did the sewing for her. Embarrassing fact? The curtains have been done 18 months...the pillows? One hour...sigh. At least they're done!

So, what else am I inspired to do? I'm making a nightgown for myself and pajama pants for Charming. (With a 37" inseam, he likes occasionally having pj's that are actually long enough!) I'm going to modify the very first fleece I made so that it will actually fit Valiant, as the one I made for him is getting a bit short. Oh, and I'm going to tackle a few potato bags! Have you heard of them? Supposedly a potato bag is the key to fluffy microwaved "baked" potatoes...I'm skeptical, but Mrs. M. is dying to make some, so I'll be a copy cat.

PS. As soon as Superman confirms receipt of his surprises, I'll show you what I made him...I just love it!