Category: Home Sewing Series

2/17/2015 0 Comments

Repurposed Sweater Pillows

I think there's an old knit sweater lost in the dark depths of almost every closet across the country. These sweaters are usually thrown back there and forgotten because they're either trying to:

1.) suffocate the wearer or
2.) cut off the circulation of the upper arm.

Seriously. Every single sweater, from my entire life, falls into either of these categories. Not my favorite thing to wear, but I love the textures and patterns of a great knitted sweater. There are many clever ways to salvage these sweaters, but repurposing them into pillows may be my favorite!

These knitted pillows are so soft and cozy! And hey, they aren't trying to suffocate anyone! ;)
This is one of those projects that could be a quick, inexpensive DIY for an amateur sewist. (If knits intimidate you, skip the zipper and try handsewing.) Or just give me a call and I'll make them for you!

My favorite reasons to love these pillows....

They're washable.

They're inexpensive (I think I spent 20 cents on the zipper and $5 on the pillow form).

And the stripes line up perfectly along the seams! I love it when that happens.

So go ahead.

Take a look in the back of your closet.

You may find the ingredients for this simple home decor sewing project.

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Were you sitting there thinking I was just going to use part of the sweater and toss the rest? Oh no, no, no! I wouldn't let that gorgeous knit go to waste! I have a repurpose-ful idea for those sweater sleeves, too. But that's for another day, so stay tuned.

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1/6/2015 1 Comment

Reusable Gift Bags

Wrapping paper, tissue paper, shiny bows - it's all so pretty, but such a waste. It's especially wasteful how trash bags of it are tossed out on Christmas morning after hardly being used. I've managed to go my whole life without ever buying the stuff myself. I contribute this to getting loads of grocery newspaper ads in the mail (the colorful produce section adds a nice pop of color) and not being shy of reusing birthday or baby shower gift bags for wrapping Christmas presents. But with a growing family, I've been having to get really creative with my gift wrapping. That's when a customer came to me with the perfect project...reusable fabric gift bags!

Simple fabric, simple design, super effective. These can be made into any oddball shape or size and be reused for years, or even passed along with the gift for a more personalized touch. You can find themed fabrics to create holiday specific bags or plain fabrics for gift bags that can be used year-round. The fabrics for the bags featured here were picked out by a couple four and five year olds, hence the cheesy 'Christmas Kitty' print.

Looks like my gift wrapping problems are solved....well....as long as I can find time to work on my own long list of sewing projects. I have plans of making gift bags with and without the drawstring closures and will update with more pictures once that happens. (I'm giving myself a generous deadline of next Christmas!)
These reusable gift bags are a much more simple and versatile version of my Santa Stockings. Check them out! And let me know if want a set of these so your next gift giving experience can be a little more green.

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12/18/2014 0 Comments

Santa Stockings

My family and I finally own a home! It even has a gorgeous fireplace. What a perfect setting for Christmas decorations and stockings, right? Well, maybe. One of my roommates is a toddler and I can visualize just how curious he would become if I were to dangle colorful little stockings, filled with candy and secret surprises, above his head. But as a seamstress, this is something I've been looking forward to doing - making stockings for my family that we can use for years and years to come. So what's a girl to do?

Naturally, I took the idea of the traditional stocking and put a modern, Jordsen twist on it.

Things I took into consideration while designing the Santa Stockings::

They need to be toddler proof (designed so they don't have to hang from the fireplace) and peek-proof (may need to incorporate a padlock. I was a child once, I know how much peeking goes on).
I'm really good at Christmas shopping procrastination. I wanted to design them so they could sit under the Christmas tree, helping it look not so bare until the presents arrived.
I don't really get into seasonal/holiday decorating besides putting up a Christmas tree...another reason I liked the idea of designing them to go under the tree - everything is in one place.
I wanted a design with material utilization in mind. Stocking shaped patterns waste a lot of fabric.
The more space inside the bag, the less wrapping I have to do! (The work-from-home-mom in me is always looking for ways to be more efficient with my time.)

My son helped me pick out fabric so each family member gets their own personalized Santa Stocking (even our dog, Ninja, gets his own). I decided on a simple rectangular shape (just like Santa's bag) to get the most material utilization. I then lined each bag with felt to add texture and shape.

A furry little someone's stocking is already overflowing with treats!

I'm currently planning on tying the bags with ribbon to keep any curious little stinkers from peeking inside, but I've also added ribbon loops so we will have the option of hanging them by the fireplace if we wish.

I'm so pleased with how these turned out! It is exciting to begin creating these unique Christmas traditions and experiences with my family.

Want to see what else I'm sewing up for the holiday season? Check out my next blog post featuring reusable gift bags.....you'll never want to buy wrapping paper again!

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