Project 11 - Upcycled Pillow Case

758 Days Left
NOTE: I've already done a pillow case, but this pattern is different, so counts as a new project.

Cost Breakdown
Fabric: Free --I got this curtain to use in my windows, it didn't work for what I needed. Therefore, I'm not counting it towards my financial cost, since it's an upcycled product.
Thread: Free (from my stash)
Pattern: Free (Designed concept on my own)
Total Cost: $0.00

Project Rating
Difficulty: Easy
Enjoyability: Excellent
Time: Excellent - Start to finish took less than twenty minutes.
Final Product: Excellent
Overall Rating: Excellent

Materials: Curtain

Instructions: I have a body pillow that is so cozy and wonderful, but it's red. Not that I don't like red, but everything in my room is blue. This splash of red just wasn't good in my room. I had purchased curtains for all my windows, but this curtain panel had a long ribbon off it that I realized wouldn't be safe for the children. I couldn't use it as a curtain. I decided to use the curtain as a pillowcase for my body pillow.

• First I folded the curtain in two and sight measured it compared to my pillow.



• I cut the extra material off, leaving the other three sides. Since they were finished edges, I wouldn't have to hem them.



• With the curtain folded in two with right-sides together, sew around two sides, including the raw edge. Leave the top open in order to put the pillow inside.



• Surge or zigzag stitch the raw edge to prevent fraying.



• Turn and insert pillow.

Project 9 - Quilt

856 Days Left

Toddler Bed Quilt

Cost Breakdown
Fabric: Free (My grandmother purchased all of these materials for me for my birthday back in September. Therefore, I do not remember how much each material cost.)
Thread: Free (from my stash)
Pattern: Free (Designed concept on my own)
Total Cost: $0.00



Project Rating
Difficulty: Challenging
Enjoyability: Excellent - I really love quilting.
Time: Poor - I started piecing this just after I finished Natalie's bed skirt.
Final Product: Excellent
Overall Rating: Good


Materials:
When I developed this quilt, I hadn't yet started this blog. Therefore, I don't know how much yardage you'll need. Each block is a 8" x 8" square, add a 1/2" for seam allowance. The short border is . The long border is . The corner squares are 6" x 6". Material for binding, backing, and batting. Thread. Rotary cutter and mat (while this is optional, I think making quilts without this handy tool would be frustrating and exhausting).



Assumption: Unless otherwise noted, quilting uses a 1/4" seam allowance throughout.



Instructions:
Top:

• Cut 6 - 8" x 8" blocks from each fabric.



• Lay your blocks out on a work surface to determine the pattern you want. Sew the first row of blocks together. Do this for each of the following rows. Square each row up.



• Once each row is assembled, you need to assemble them together. Match up the corners of each block and sew across.



• Add the short border to each short side.



• Sew the 6" x 6" square to the long border



• Add the long border.

Quilting:

• Square-up the top.



• Make the "Quilt Sandwich" by layering the backing, batting, and top. Check fit and view of quilt.



• Undo the sandwich so we can baste the quilt together.



• Cover work surface with paper. Place the batting on the floor (work surface) and spray with basting spray.



• Place backing on top of batting, right side up, smoothing out any lumps or wrinkles.



• Flip over so backing is face down on the floor.



• Spray batting with more basting spray



• Place top onto batting, right side up, smoothing out any lumps or wrinkles.



• Quilt the sandwich together. I used a very basic square pattern.

Finishing

• Using a rotary mat, ruler, and cutter, cut the additional backing and batting in order to match up to the top.



• Bind the quilt. I used a pre-made binding. Usually I make my own binding, but the extra material I needed for the binding was used to make Natalie's pillow case. I LOVED the way the purple binding turned out!
  

Natalie's matching bed set!

Project #8 - Baby Tag Blanket

919 Days LeftRibbon Blanket

Cost Breakdown

Fabric: Free (from my stash)

Thread: Free (from my stash)

Notions: $10

Total Cost: $10

Project Rating

Difficulty: Easy

Enjoyability: Excellent
Time: Excellent
Final Product: Excellent

Overall Rating: Excellent

Every baby I know who has a ribbon blanket or a taggie blanket seems to LOVE them! So, I learned how to make them. They are the most amazing baby gift.

Materials:

Enough material to make two 18" squares. I recommend fleece or minky, but flannel might work well, too. 6 different corresponding ribbons of 22 1/2" each. I recommend different textures and widths of ribbons to be appealing to baby. Matching thread. Cutting mat and rotary cutter optional.

Other options: You will need a total of roughly 6 ribbons for each side of the blanket. You can choose 6 different ribbons and alternate around or you can use many different ribbons totaling 24 ribbons

Instructions:

• Cut two 18" x 18" squares of the material.


• Cut the ribbons into 5 1/2" strips. You should have four strips of each color.


• With one square right side up, pin the ribbons around the square. I like symmetry, so my ribbons are in order.


• With a 1/4" seam allowance, baste the ribbon to the right side of the square.


• Place the other square over the one you just basted, right sides together.


• Sew around with a 1/2" seam allowance, leaving a gap to turn (I can turn this blanket with approximately 2 1/2" gap.)


• Clip corners and turn.


• Sew around the edge one more time with a 1/2" seam allowance.

Project #4 - Pillow Case

950 Days LeftPillow Case

Cost Breakdown
Fabric: Free (My grandmother purchased all of these materials for me for my birthday back in September. Therefore, I do not remember how much each material cost.)
Thread: Free (from my stash)
Pattern: Free (There was no pattern for this project)
Total Cost: $0.00



Project Rating
Difficulty: Easy
Enjoyability: Excellent
Time: Excellent - from start to finish approximately 20 minutes
Final Product: Excellent
Overall Rating: Excellent




Materials:
Same as the materials used in Natalie's bedskirt. 1 yd of main color (pink), 1/4 yd contrast color (yellow), matching thread, scissors, pins. Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler are optional.
NOTE: The amount of material is approximate, since I just used remnants from my other projects.

Pattern:

I made this pattern up. I took measurements from another pillow case and modified it to the way I wanted my pillowcase to look.

Instructions:

NOTE: I made an error in my pillowcase that I'm not including in the directions. I accidently made my contrast color rectangle too small and needed to make two to correct the problem. Therefore, in some pictures there is an extra, unneccessary seam in the yellow.

Allow 1/2 inch seam throughout, except on the last step of the hem.

Cut a large rectangle from the main color 24" x 39". Cut a smaller rectangle 12" x 39" from the contrast color. (The extra yellow rectangle is due to my mistake)

With right sides together, sew the 39" edges of the contrast to the 39" edge of the main color.

Fold up contrast color edge 1/2". Iron.

Fold up the contrast color slightly past the stitched edge the main color. Do not fold up 1/2 inch past the stitched as is the usual seam allowance. (See picture, this is not a very good discription.) Iron.

"Stitch in the ditch" to complete the hem.

Fold pillowcase in half, right sides together. Stitch around raw edges.

Clip corners.

Turn right side out. Finished!

A picture to show how the pillow case accents the bed skirt:

Natalie with her new pillow:

Project #2 - Bedskirt

1000 Days Left

Toddler/Crib Bed Skirt

Cost Breakdown
Fabric: Free (My grandmother purchased all of these materials for me for my birthday
back in September. Therefore, I do not remember how much each material cost.)
Thread: Free (from my stash)
Pattern: Free (Once again, a birthday gift)
Total Cost: $0.00


Project Rating
Difficulty: Moderately Easy - The directions were straight forward and easy to follow. I only struggled with the "deck" of the bed skirt, so I made minor moderations.
Enjoyability: Excellent - I was so excited to use this on my daughter's bed.
Time: Okay - The panels of the skirt were easy to create, but due to the challenge of sewing the panels to the deck, I decided a break from the project was in order.
Final Product: Excellent - It is a little long, but if I sew and additional 1/4" of the panels to the decking, that problem would be solved.
Overall Rating: Great- LOVE the way this turns out. I can't wait to finish the other items to finish Natalie's new bed set.

Materials:

1 7/8 yds of main color (yellow), 1 1/4 yds contrast color (pink), 1 1/2 yds decking (white cotton), matching thread, scissors, pins. Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler are optional

Pattern:

McCall's Home Decorating M4855

Instructions:

Follow the directions of the pattern for cutting and assembling the panels. Do not use the pattern for the deck.

For the deck, measure the length of your long panel and the length of your short panel. Add 1 inch to each measurement. Cut a rectangle with these dimensions.

Sew each panel to the deck with a 1/4 inch seem allowance. Sew around the panels and deck again 1/2 inch in from the previous seem.