POUF OR STOOL

Large pouf stuffed with fabric scraps

This idea comes from Maya Donenfeld's book, Reinvention. She has instructions for three sizes of poufs and recommends using scraps to stuff them.  Wanting to make one large enough for an adult, I opted to make the 24" X 12" one. Thinking that maybe putting a smaller one inside would help to keep the shape better, I made a 16" X 10" one first.

It was made from purple fabric and stuffed with just about one whole leaf bag full of scraps, then whip-stitched closed. No need to use a zipper for this one.

The purple one was stuffed inside the 24" one. This will only work if your zipper is just about as long as the diameter of the pouf. My zipper was 23", taken off a dress from the thrift shop.

After carefully centering it inside, I stuffed down scraps all around the inside pouf, packing firmly as I went.

I ran out of scraps and put some yard goods on the very bottom, which will be easy to retrieve due to the zipper. As soon as I start more projects, I will replace the yard goods with fabric scraps; might take a few months.

The 24" cover is made from wool pants and skirts. There is a handle, but as heavy as this turned out, it probably would not be wise to use it for fear of tearing the seam, although I did sew over it several times. Incorporated in a panel on the side is a small cross stitch that had been setting around for decades, probably. Using one of the underutilized embroidery designs on my sewing machine, I added a leaf design along a seam on the top of the pouf.

HGTV's STROLLING THE BLOCK QUILT

STROLLING THE BLOCK QUILT

In 2002, HGTV had an applique quilt block a month project which featured houses for each month of the year decorated to reflect the month's general happenings.  I just now finished it! It was a lot of fun choosing fabrics from my stash. The applique was ironed on, then blanket stitched around each piece. The first two months I had done the blanket stitching by hand in 2002, but when I picked it back up again a couple of years ago, I just used my machine blanket stitching. 

You may be able to download the pattern at the website in bold below (which I got to from here - http://groupbox.com/ViewTopic.aspx?&iTopicID=ds1+MZIzqmI-&iGroupID=6lcZL19AC9o-). When I downloaded it, not all pictures would download, so I just followed the written instructions and guessed on how some things should look.

http://web.archive.org/web/20031204163301/http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_lnb_gutter/text/0,1783,HGTV_3938_4907,00.html#

This is only the third quilt I have ever done, and I tried my hand at free motion quilting, which was not as hard as I anticipated. The outside border is where I did most of that making a flower and leaves quilting. The instructions suggested using a variegated thread which I did.

Using the walking foot and monofilament thread, I quilted in the ditch and around the appliques.

I only did other quilting where there was more than 2" spacing between seams, so in the skies mainly.

 

HOW TO HANG A QUILT

HOW TO HANG A QUILT

My quilt measures 55" across and was made to display as a wall hanging. Before attaching the binding, I made a pocket for a rod to be inserted into. I cut a 9" X 56" piece of fabric, hemmed the two ends, ironed in half, then sewed the raw ends into the binding seam as it was applied. I had about 1" space on each end of the quilt. The bottom of the pocket was blind stitched down to the back of the quilt. I was going to put a 1/2" dowel rod inside it, but they don't make them that long, then I read about the Hang It Dang It, but did not want to spend that much money. My husband suggested conduit, but that would make it stick out too far, I thought, plus it may sag.  I opted for a thick wood molding that will not sag, which I found at Home Depot, and they cut it to size for free.

I spent less than $4.00 for it. It can be hung by resting on a nail on either end, or by drilling small holes about 3/8" in from each end and putting the nails through those, and since I made the pocket shorter on each end than the quilt top, the molding does not show.

Happy Birthday Banner for Cake

Since decorative writing on a cake sometimes is not practical, I made a banner tied to skewers to poke into the top of any type of cake.  I used printed paper goods cut into two-sided triangles that were glued onto a string or yarn.  These particular triangles are a finished size of 1.25" wide by 1.5" long.  A strip of paper 3" wide when folded makes the final 1.5" long measurement.   The backside also has lettering, so I wrote H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y on a scrap of paper, turned it around and wrote the same letters under it, so I was assured to get the correct letter behind each one when writing on the triangles.

GARAGE SALE TAGS

for clothing and jewelry

Get some card stock. Color with magic marker stripes. Cut into squares with craft scissors. Punch a hole. Insert rubber band through. Hang on clothing hanger with info and price. That ensures your tags aren't switched during the sale. 

The jewelry tags are just smaller, and use crochet thread instead of rubber bands.

Slip-over Coasters for Wine Glasses

What a great idea from Half Yard Home by Debbie Shore. These will keep the condensation off your tabletop as well as provide a fun way for your guests to remember which glass is theirs, if you make them all from different fabrics. Any glass that has a wine bottom type will work.

First measure the diameter of the base. Add 1-2" to get the diameter you need to cut your circles, and find a glass or coaster that is that size to serve as a template. You may need to make one or two samples to make sure it will fit over the glass bottom.  You need two circles for the top, one for the bottom, and one of batting or felt.

Take the two top circles and press in half. If you desire to add a strip of lace or ribbon, lay on top, and sew close to the folded edge. To assemble for sewing, place felt circle down, then add bottom fabric or oilcloth right side up, and the two halves right side down on the very top. Pin together and sew completely around the outside edge of the circle. Trim to 1/8", turn, and press.

Add a button, ribbon flower, or other adornment to one side, if desired. Or before assembly, you could monogram one half circle. Have fun!

Fabric Tote for Walker

Walker tote

Tote for Walker

My mother-in-law needed something to carry a pen and phone in to 
attach to her walker, so after getting ideas online, I came up with a piece that drops over the front bar of the walker.  It has two large outside pockets and shorter divided pockets on each inside.

As shown above, there are seven pieces: a 12" X 23" backing on which I put velcro to keep from slipping off the bar, a 12" X 23" lining on which are sewn the shorter pockets, a handle to assist in lifting off walker if needed, and the 2 outer pockets which are 12" X 16" and folded over to create 12" X 8" pockets. 

Assemble the pieces as shown, then flip the outside velcro piece on top so right sides are facing, sew around, keeping a 4 to 5" open area to turn. Make sure handle in on the correct side and topstitch all around which will catch the open area, so no need to slip stitch closed.

The outside fabric was a jumper and the two other fabrics are from blouses. Of course, I got each piece for $.49 on Salvation Army's day of the week when a certain color is ready to be taken off shelves and they mark down to a crazy $.49 price.

Another Fabric Box

Yet another fabric box.... this one uses cereal box cardboard inside for stiffener. This idea is from the book, Sunday Morning Quilts.  The authors' quilted the outside of their example, unlike mine. A cute labeling system is just a square of clear plastic sewn on with a walking foot. The cereal box pieces are inserted before sewing up one inside bottom edge. The box is very stable. Cutaway handles would not work in this application.

Repurposed Suede Jacket as Seat Cover

I found a use for yet another 49 cent item from Salvation Army. This seat cover is cut from the back of a suede jacket which had three seams, but looks good on the chair. Since the jacket had soiling at the cuffs and collar, as well as a ticket showing it was just dry cleaned, it couldn't have been worn. Hmm, I have a red suede jacket in my closet in the same condition...

Fabric Cube Bin

This fabric storage bin is made from two blouses bought at the Salvation Army.  It is the same as the burlap coffee bag ones in a previous blog about the book, Reinvention. The back inside wall is from a blouse front with a pocket.

I stitched 1/4" up each outside corner seam after constructing, using the Garnet Hill inspiration, for greater strength as these are just lightweight cotton fabrics, but with the cotton batting inside, they stand up fairly well.

My plans are to make three coordinating bins to put under a low table in a bedroom.

Reversible Purse

Reversible purse is in Sew the Perfect Bag from SewNews, which I checked out from the library.

All the fabrics are recycled linen. The floral print was a skirt, the light blue was a pair of pants, and the green, a jacket. The buttons were on another jacket. Of course, all were gathered at my Salvation Army for $.49 each.

The purse requires 4 pieces that measure 28" X 18.5" in a triangle shape with the ends chopped off. Since using deconstructed garments, I had to seam two pieces together. I modified the the book's instructions and added a pocket on two sides in this seam. Cut two squares for each pocket, sew to each piece so they are opposite each other, then, when sewing the seam, at the pocket square, pivot, sew around the pocket, pivot back to the seam, and continue. Better instructions for adding a pocket are at a Modicum of Ingenuity blog. Thanks, Jessica.

Play Time Fun With Cake Slices

Grandaughter, Ady, wanted to pretend to be a bakery owner and sell slices of cake to me. So I made a strawberry frosted cake from scrap fabric and stuffed it.  The slice was a bit rounded at that point.  Later I found some foam laying around the house that I cut and stacked and made into firmer foundations and made lemon, blueberry, and grape (!) per Ady's instructions, and redid the strawberry.
Buttons, beading embellishments, and most of the fabric were all from my Salvation Army $.49 Saturday specials.  These make safe play things and are fun to create.

Instructions: Draw a circle using a plate on the foam and divide into eight pieces, use a box cutter to score and gradually slice thru to make the pieces. Use the pieces to trace on each piece of fabric and add a 1/4" seam allowance while cutting out. The white or chocolate cake part can be just one long piece.  Sew the two frosting pieces together first, then attach the cake, sewing up the back, across the top on one side, then the other, and down the other side. pivoting at each corner. Then sew only one side of a brown bottom piece to one side of the cake. Insert the foam (if stacked, glue together), then slip stitch closed the remaining seam.

Reinvention - Garlic Onion Burlap Sack

This is also from Reinvention. What a great way to store garlic and/or onion--in a burlap bag so they can breathe that looks great in the kitchen. I made a stencil and used fabric paint for the garlic bulb and onion on the front. The burlap is part of a coffee bean sack that was used for the storage cubes.

Reinvention - Coffee Bean Burlap Sacks

These 2 projects are from the book, Reinvention, which has oodles of projects using various cast off materials. The first is using coffee bean sacks that I got at a regional coffee shop. These went over big as Christmas presents with the boys/men. For the insides, I used jackets or dresses that had pockets, making extra storage. They are made with batting in between the burlap and the lining.

 

Garnet Hill has some like these made from canvas fabrics, and the vertical edges were all pinched out and topstitched probably since the flimsier fabrics need a bit more support.


This next project, a reversible bag, was made from a long linen dress.  The top front of the dress had the  stitching already on it that is used for the front pocket.

 

I will be making a couple more projects from this book later. Definitely, a great book to check out from the library, or to buy.

Small Felt & Fabric Dove with Bread

 Here is Mildred the Dove with Baguettes at Panera Bread after purchasing her loaves for her family. This is another project from the book, Little Birds, referenced in the post before this.

 It was such fun to craft this project using felt for most of it with cotton for the backs of the bird, wings, and the baguettes.

 The outline backstitch work reminds me of redwork that was popular with women in the early 1900's. I liked using just one thread of embroidery floss; seems to keep the illustrative quality easier to control.

Small strips of fabric were wrapped around wire, then inserted into her tummy and sewn shut.  A coating of Mod Podge or fabric glue keeps them from unraveling.

Penguin Toy

The book, Little Birds, has the most adorable birds to craft contributed by many different artists.  I chose Pikku, the penguin to make for my grandchild who likes to play Club Penguin online.  The interesting part of this project is the round piece of cardboard inside the bottom which was a little bit hard to handle. I like the fact that it can easily stand up.

Retro Hand Bag from Used Clothing

What fun to make a useful item from no longer useful clothing.

The center fabric is from a pair of capris from the local Salvation Army store bought when they were on clearance for $.49. Since the full fabric width needed could not be cut from one leg, the tiny green-checked fabric on the sides was from an old pair of culottes. The lining was also from the SA store and was a pair of homemade lounge pants. All I had to buy was a metal ring for the handle and a magnetic clasp. The lounge pants had patch pockets, so I utilized one for one side of the lining and made another to add to the other side, so there are 2 pockets inside. If I made again, I would add a pocket to the outside back.

This pattern was in a book from the library, and was called Retro Purse. I think the print fabric actually looks like something from the 40's; a kind of Hawaiian kitsch.

The three items of clothing before cutting.

Fabric Scrap Pups

Are these cute or what?  From another book I found at the library...I think it was on using scrap material.  The puppies are from felt.  The only variation I made was to put rice in the bottom of the bodies when stuffing to allow them to sit better.  They are about three inches tall.

Artistic Binder Clips

With a little Mod Podge as glue and sealer and an advertisement from a magazine for Gustav Klimt needlework kits, these plain old everyday binder clips are now pretty and fun.

Easy project with big impact!

Dining Chairs Painted and Recovered

BEFORE

and AFTER

Although the wood was in good condition, my daughter-in-law, Winavie, wanted a cream painted look for her four dining room chairs. The badly stained seat fabric had to go. We both loved the bright, modern, and colorful large print she finally chose at Joann Fabrics. As she said, "So Anthropologie!".

After hearing Nate Berkus say they used spray paints on furniture, I decided that was what to use for this transformation. That worked beautifully! I started with a rust-colored primer because Winavie wanted a slight shabby chic look with worn edges, which I needed to sand down. A light sanding should be done before painting and in between coats. I sprayed on two coats of cream, sanded sparingly for the worn look, and added a top coat of clear to finish the job. Acrylic paints dry so quickly, too. As the can warns, time will harden the paint, so be careful the first few days or weeks to not bang the painted pieces around!