Sunshine Pillows

Washable pillow covers are the best. Especially when they're made from 97% cotton, 3% spandex fabric that stretches just enough to make the on/off process super easy. The fabric is breathable, stays firmly in place on the pillow, and is super comfy under your noggin.

I have to mention that I covered pillows I bought at Joann Fabric on a St. Patty's day sale at 80% off. That makes these pillows even better.

Remember when I posted about crocheting doilies? These yellow ones happened right around that time.  I had this need to put them up against blue fabric for a sunshine-y effect. It's probably the time of year. I'm aching for summer!

I pinned them carefully, insuring that they were evenly placed and spaced before sewing them onto the squares of fabric that would become the pillow covers.

Sewing them on was a bit painstaking, but went quickly. And the yellow thread matched the yarn perfectly.

I made a simple envelope style closure with two smaller back pieces that were hemmed and overlapped one another. My serger does such an excellent job of finishing fabric. And, since these get washed frequently, the serged edges insure that the ends stay intact. I followed the serger with a clean, tight straight stitch to really reinforce those edges.

Voila! Pretty little sunshine pillows.

Versatile Melted Fabric Flowers

I made some pretty fabric flowers. And I love them. Because I can slap them on anything.

There are so many tutorials for these on the web that I feel it's pretty silly to explain it all again here. So, here's a good tutorial. She's very exact and careful in her process. I tend to be a bit more "carefree" in my execution. For instance, no templates. Because why? It's totally unnecessary here. But however you choose to make them, it's a pretty simple project.

And I really love the results. Here are some of the projects I've put together with these flowers.

Wreath

Baby Headbands

Bouquet

Brooches

Hair Clip

Bag Clip

Napkin Holders

The possibilities are endless!

Laminated Fabric Placemats

I love the idea of laminated fabric. But, it can be difficult to sew. I've found some good tips for sewing with it here and here. However, it's still been frustrating for me. So, I've tried to stick to sewing simpler things with it, like rectangles. Ha.

It's not a new idea, but I think it's super smart: laminated fabric placemats you can simply wipe off. And reversible, too, so you can flip them for a new look when you want.

I used a template that I cut from paper at the size I wanted to cut out all of my rectangles. Sewed the right sides together, trimmed the seam allowance and the corners, and flipped them right side out.

I was able to topstitch the mats, though it was not an easy feat for me. I found it pretty challenging to get my machine to cooperate at times. What really helped was placing some regular scotch tape on the underside of the presser foot as well as your feeding feet. It helped the fabric to more smoothly glide under the needle. It was still challenging, though, and I had to adjust my tension a couple of times before I got it right. Hang in there. It's achievable.

I think they're cute. And colorful. And clean-able. Excellent.

Also, don't you just love my peonies?