Pillows Made From Recycled Sweaters

I know this is nothing new, I just thought I would show you mine.

 

Oh, I love not throwing perfectly good things away.

This taupe sweater (below) was not tall enough, so I used 

pieces of the sleeve to stitch across the top. 

Lavender Tub Tips:  Make the pillows to fit tight since they have a lot of stretch.  This doesn't mean to stretch them out, but you might make a test pillow first to give you an idea how loose or tight it will fit before you cut several at once.

Also, when stitching the bottom opening closed, do a fairly loose hand stitch.  I stitched my first nice and tight like I normally would, but popped the stitches when I tugged on them to shape the pillow.

If you have a serger definitely use it.  

The pillows pieced together like a dream using my serger.

Thanks for stopping by the Tub!

Ellie

Sewing/Cutting a Round Tablecloth

A while ago, I let you in on a secret of how you can use trash cans to make round tables in your home.  You can see that post here.  Today I'd like to show you an easy way to make a round tablecloth for that table, or any other round table you may have.

 

 Step 1.  You will first need to measure the width of the top of your round table.  Next, measure from the top edge to the floor, or however long you want the tablecloth to hang.  Finally, decide how you will finish the edge of the tablecloth.  Will you stitch lace to the edge, serge it, do a rolled hem,  or apply No-fray?  To determine your CUTTING LENGTH:  Add together the width of the top + the drop (length) x 2 + how much you need to hem (If rolled hem - add 1/2 inch, if serging - add 1/4 inch) x 2.

If you have a wide enough piece of fabric, like a sheet, go ahead and skip to Step 4.

Step 2.  Most fabrics are not wide enough for round tablecloths, which means you have to piece them.  To know how much fabric to purchase - take the cutting length you figured above and multiply times 2.  To cut my fabric for piecing, I simply fold the big piece of fabric in half matching up the top and bottom, and cut on the fold.  Then I fold one of those pieces in half lengthwise, and cut on that fold.  You should now have a large rectangle and two strips the same length as the rectangle, but half the width of it.  

Step 3.  I fold each piece of fabric in half width-wise enough to find my center point and start pinning the pieces, right sides together, from the center out. 

Stitch into place.  Open the seams and press nice and flat. 

(In my example, my strips are slightly shorter, but just a 

little and it will not alter the outcome.)

 

Step 4.  Fold the pieced fabric in half lengthwise, matching up the seams and the edges.  Now fold in half the other way, so the top and the bottom of the fabric are lined up.  I like to pin around the edge to keep everything from slipping.  

Step 5.  If you can work on a surface where you can stick a pin into it - that would be great.  My hard wood floors have little gaps between the planks and work perfect for me.  I've marked which corner you will want to stick the pin in.

Step 6.  If your tape is like mine and has a little nail hole, go ahead and measure from the edge of the nail hole to the flat metal edge of the tape measure (probably about 1/4").  Add this small amount to 1/2 your CUTTING LENGTH that you determined in Step 1.  If yours does not have this hole, just use 1/2 your CUTTING LENGTH.  Poke a stick pin into the center of the tape measure at the place that is 1/2 your CUTTING LENGTH plus the 1/4" - if you have a hole.  Now poke the pin through the folded top corner of your fabric and into your surface - if you can.

Step 7.  Put a pen or pencil through the hole of your tape measure, and carefully draw a curved line onto your fabric.  Your tape measure will pivot  on the pin at the top.  Take your time and don't pull on the tape measure, but rather use gentle tension and glide your marking.

Step 8.  Cut through all 4 thicknesses of fabric on the curved line.  When you open your fabric after cutting, you should have a nice, big circle.  Simply finish the edge of the circle with whatever method of hem you decided on, and you are finished!

It really is super easy and very satisfying to make a beautiful round tablecloth in your favorite fabric.  Start with a large sheet and give it a try.  If you do go for piecing the fabric, I would recommend you stay with a plain fabric until you get the hang of piecing fabric and are ready to move on to matching up designs.

Who is going to give this a try?

Thanks for stopping by the Tub!

Ellie

 

Heirloom Stockings and 101 Dalmations

When my children were very young, we decided it would be fun to let each person in our family choose the fabric and embellishments for their own stocking.  Now, when you give this kind of freedom and choice to a 3 year old little boy, you shouldn't be surprised when their stocking looks something like this:

 

 At the time, I tried to talk him into something a little more classic and traditional, but that kind of stuff doesn't appeal to a little boy.  So, a bright pink 101 Dalmations stocking it was!  I'm sure it will not surprise you that that same little boy was begging me to make him something different a few years down the road.   Oh how that bright pink stocking stood out from the rest -  but I wouldn't have changed it for the world.  It was so fun letting him pick what he liked at 3.  I did allow him a re-do a few years ago, and this is his stocking now:

He went more traditional this time, but notice we did have to add a patch for his future college.  He is reading over my shoulder as I write and wants to make sure everyone understands that he does not use the pink stocking anymore!  Ha, Ha!

Here are some of the other unique stockings we hang on our mantel:

I'm anxious to make a new stocking for my grandbaby, but she is only 7 months old and I want her to be able to choose her own fabric.  Until then, she can use the teddy bear stocking that her other uncle refuses to use anymore.  Why do they have to grow up so fast?

If making stockings is something you would like to do for your family and you need some help, please leave a comment and let me know.  I can post a tutorial.

Thanks for stopping by the tub,

Ellie

Recovered Bell Lampshade with Boa

We have a lamp in our Living Room that has been looking a bit "Second-Hand Rose-ish" for far too long.  I found a lampshade at a garage sale for $1 that was in good shape, but had the vertical trim pieces falling off.  The plan was just to glue it back together, but I decided to do something a little more colorful since that lamp is where your eye lands when you come in the front door.

So, this is how the shade looked when I bought it
 - nothing special.

For this type of shade, it is best to fit the fabric to the shade.  I lined up the fabric so the weave would fall horizontal at the front of the shade.  A solid fabric or an all-over pattern works best for this shape.

After I pinned the fabric to 1 / 2 of the shade, I ran pins vertically along the opposing vertical side supports of the shade.  This showed me where my stitching line would be.  I, then, used a marker and tape measure to mark 1 / 2 inch (since I was using 1 / 2 " seam allowances) from the vertical pins.  This established my cutting line.

Once I marked both cutting lines, I removed the fabric from the shade and laid it out on a second piece of fabric.  If your fabric has an inside and a face side, be sure to keep the right sides together.  I would suggest you lay the face sides together so you can cut, pin, and then stitch pretty much in one step.

Also, after stitching the 2 side seams I think it is a good idea to try the cover on for size.  My fabric had a lot of stretch to it, and I actually needed to take it in another 1 / 2 inch.  Once I was happy with the fit, I pressed the seams open and slipped the cover on the shade.  Since this cover needs to be glued in place to lay nicely against the frame, I lined up the seams with the supports and then pinned it along the top.

Next, I bunched up the cover and ran some E6000 glue about 1 / 4 of the way down each of the 6 supports.  I did this so I could smooth the cover from the top down and not get glue all over the fabric - which would happen if I ran glue down the full distance of the supports one at a time.  I also pinned it along the supports to make sure the fabric adhered to the frame.

 

To finish the cover, I cut the fabric at the top 1 / 2 " above the top of the shade and then glued it in place.  The pictures show slits cut in the fabric around the top, but when I cut it to 1 / 2 " - slits were not necessary.  They may or may not be depending on your fabric.  I trimmed the bottom of the cover even with the bottom on the shade and glued it down with a thin line of glue.  Finally, I finished the shade by pinning a feather boa as the trim.  I didn't glue it down, because I don't know how committed I am to the boa - but it looks the best from what I have on hand.

It's a little frou-frou, but I think it adds a nice pop of color in that corner and the feathers are kind of fun.  The best part is this project cost me $1 for the shade (garage sale), 50 cents for the fabric (garage sale), and whatever a feather boa is 1 / 2 off at Hobby Lobby.  Not too bad!

Now, about that shabby little table the lamp is sitting on.......

 Thanks for visiting the tub today!

Ellie

Parties I Will Be Linking To:

Sunday - The Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table and Dreaming, DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff   

Monday - Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesday - Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife,  

Wednesday - Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, 

Thursday - Open House Party at No Minimalist Here,   Catch As Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Friday - Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello  

Nursery Reveal For My Little Fleur

I've been a little distracted from other projects lately.......

Because I've been working on something

that has captured my heart.

The nursery for my first grandbaby!

We are almost finished.  

Want to see?

Yes, my little fleur is to be called

Paisley Ann.

If you should look at my Baby Girl's wedding pics 
(see some here), 

you will see she loves hot pink and brown.

This hasn't changed much in 

2  1/2 years.

I sewed the bumper pads, 

including the piping and the ruffle on top,

and this bedskirt to match the curtains.

  

Baby Girl made all of these

beautiful basket liners, as well as pillows, 

ties and picture mattes.

We had a wonderful time being 

mom and daughter working together 

to welcome our next generation.

Paisley girl, we are greatly

anticipating your arrival!

Thanks for sharing this 

very special time

with us.

Ellie & Baby Girl

Parties I Will Be Linking To:

Sunday - The Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table and Dreaming, DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff   

Monday - Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesday - Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife,  

Wednesday - Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, 

Thursday - Open House Party at No Minimalist Here,   Catch As Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Friday - Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello   

Sewing Unlined/Lined Curtain Panels - Part 4

If you've decided to sew your own curtain panels, it is my opinion that you should go ahead and add a lining to them.  It is a little more costly, both in time and lining fabric, but there are some worthwhile benefits from doing this.  (To see Part 1 of this Tutorial, go here.) 

Linings added to curtains 

-help block the sun from your decorator fabric, keeping it from fading and rotting.  At about $3 a yard, this is an effective way to protect your costly fabric.

-make your cover fabric look richer.  Even a cheap fabric will hang much nicer with a lining.

-block light to make a room better for sleeping or watching TV.

-help insulate your home from heat and cold, saving you energy dollars.

Any fabric can be used for a lining, even sheets.  Just be sure to choose a fabric that needs to be washed/cleaned by the same method as your decorator fabric.

Should you choose to purchase actual lining fabric from the fabric store, you actually have some nice options to choose from.  Light and middle-weight basic linings will work for most of your projects, but you can also purchase linings that add thermal warmth, or linings that are made to block out all light.

To cut the lining for your curtains, look at your measurements for the finished size of each panel.

Length - to cut the length of the lining, take the finished length of the panel (including the header and rod pocket) and add 5 inches to that measurement.

Width - cut the lining the exact width of the finished panel.  If you need to piece sections together, the process is the same as with your decorator fabric, with one exception:  if the lining fabric is the same width as the decorator fabric - cut your wide section about 2 inches narrower, and the narrow section 2 inches wider.  The width works out the same, but this keeps the lining seam and the fabric seam from lining up at the same place.  The problem you are trying to avoid is ending up with that is too much bulk in the header.  This helps to offset the seams when you put the lining and the cover fabric together.

To assemble your Lined Panels:

Press your bottom curtain panel hem and then stitch into place.  Refer to Part 3 here for more information on how to do this.

Now, press the side hems and then the top header and rod pocket - BUT DO NOT STITCH INTO PLACE.

Press a 3" double hem into the bottom of your lining.  Stitch the hem in place.  Again, see Part 3 for an illustration.

If your panel and/or lining appear to be wrinkled at this point, go ahead and press them again.

Lay your panel face down on a large surface - like the floor - and smooth it as best you can.  Next, place the lining face up on top of the panel.  Pin the bottom of the lining (where you just hemmed it) 1" above the bottom of the hemmed curtain panel.  You will need to lift the pressed side hems to allow the lining to tuck in.  After you have pinned completely across the bottom, smooth the lining from the bottom to the top.  Continue to lift the sides, tucking the lining under the pressed fold.

I forgot to take a picture at this point.  This is after I 

finished stitching, so it is all wrinkly again.

You get the idea, though.

When you reach the top, lift the pressed header and smooth the lining under it as well.

If you find the lining is too wide or long, trim it right where it meets the outermost fold of the side hems or the top fold of the header.

Pin the lining to the panel all along the side hems and along the top.  Since you will be stitching the side hems in place first, be prepared to remove some of the pins at the top.  Once the side hems are stitched into place, finish the header and rod pocket as described in Part 3.

That's all there is to attaching a lining.  Of course, you may want sheer panels, or may not care about the benefits from adding a lining - but at least you know how doable it is if you ever want to add one.

I hope you'll let me know when you get your curtain panels made - and please send some pics!  I've tried to give you a fair picture of what is involved, but I've also tried to break it down into a series of very manageable steps.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Sewing Unlined/Lined Curtain Panels - Part 3

The real work in making curtain panels is in cutting the fabric and ironing all the hems in place.  Once that prep work is finished, the actual sewing is pretty easy.

This is my prego Baby Girl working on her baby's nursery.
Isn't she so cute?

In Part 1 of this tutorial - found here - I shared some things to consider before you jump into making curtain panels.

In Part 2A - found here - I showed you how to arrive at the cutting LENGTH for your panels

And in Part 2B - found here - we discussed determining the cutting WIDTH for your panels and how to arrive at the total amount of fabric you will need for this project.

In Part 3, I'll show you how to iron your hems in place and finish your unlined curtain panels.  If you would like to line your panels, Part 4 will show you how to add a lining.  Since the order is a little different, it would be best to read Part 4 to understand how to assemble the lined panels, and then come back to Part 3 for the hemming tips.  

By now, you should have all of your fabric cutting finished. Here are the steps to complete your panels:

Step 1 - If you have not already done so, sew your fabric sections together to get the width you need.*  It is best to sew your seams from the bottom to the top.  If your fabric should move slightly when you are stitching, it will be less noticeable in the top of the panel where the gathers are. Press your seams.

 *Lavender Tub tip - when my panels are quite wide making them hard to work with, I will delay Step 1 and go ahead with the pressing only in Steps 2 and 3, coming back to Step 1. Then I will do the stitching part of Steps 2 and 3.  (Basically, press your hems in place and then sew your sections together).

Step 2 - Iron the bottom hem in place.  If you wish to add drapery weights, stitch one at each seam where you pieced sections of fabric together, and one on each lower corner about 1/2 " from the hemline.  Make sure you do not position them right where you need to stitch your side hems.  Stitch your hem in place by machine or by hand, whichever you prefer.

Lavender Tub tip - rather than using a seam gauge to press my hems in place - I came up with a method that goes much faster, saves my fingers from the iron, and seems to be more accurate.  

Instead, using a pencil (choose a colored pencil that closely matches the color of the fabric if there is any chance it might show through) mark a line on the fabric that runs parallel with the cut edge you are hemming.  If you will be making a double hem, take the finished hem width amount and multiply by 4.  Mark a line on your fabric that # of inches from the cut edge.  IE:  if you will be making a 1" hem, draw a line 4" from the cut edge.  Likewise, if you want a 4" double hem, draw a line 16" from the edge.  

Now fold your cut edge up to that line and press in place.  

Open up this fold and now line up the cut edge with the crease you just made.  Press without pressing out the first crease.  You should now have a nice double hem ready to be sewn in place.

Step 3 - Press your side hems and stitch.  The above mentioned tip works great here too.

Step 4 - Press the top of your panel into place remembering the measurements you decided upon for the header, the rod pocket, and the hem.  Stitch the bottom of the rod pocket first, and then measure up from that seam to mark a stitching line for the top of the rod pocket.  Stitch along the marked line to complete the rod pocket.

GUESS WHAT?  

YOU'RE FINISHED!!!  

ARE YOU JUST SOOO EXCITED YOU COULD SQUEAL!  

I TOLD YOU THE SEWING PART WAS EASY.

While they can be a lot of work, making your own curtain panels from your favorite fabric is very satisfying.

I'm so proud of you!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie