Noodlehead

guest posting with jess!

2012-05-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

Stop on over today on the Vintage May tour at Craftiness is Not Optional, I'm sharing a cute little pleated tunic!

Have a great weekend!

flashback tee

2012-05-23T09:15:00.002-05:00

[Just sharing this post here, originally a guest post on Elsie Marley!]

Hey! Kids Clothes Week Challenge is back, I'm happy to be guest posting today! I got to try out Made by Rae's Flashback Tee pattern! I can tell you that if you have children in your life at all, you really should have this pattern in your arsenol. Rae has every detail covered, so if you're new to knits, you can jump right in and feel at home. Seriously.

I did struggle with picking out my fabrics, I've got a huge tub of knits that I have stashed, for no real reason. The only thing is that I didn't really have anything that my girls liked. Except this one print. I love it! I ordered it from Girl Charlee a long time ago and have been saving it for the perfect thing, this was it. I made both a 5T and a 3T long sleeved out of 1 yard. And if I ever complain that my kids wear matching clothes more than I'd like, you can kindly refer me to this post and tell me it's my own fault.

Oh and I also busted my twin needle right before I went to thread it. Bummer. Lucky for me there's more than one way to hem a shirt, love that about sewing (and Rae's lovely tips).

I can't wait to see all the awesome kids' clothes coming up, thanks for having me us Meg!

stuff

2012-05-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

a little improv block in the mail today...

Have you guys been following the Vintage May series on Craftiness is Not Optional and Skirt As Top? Lots of cute vintage style being passed around. My post is later this week. They've also got a cool Pinterest board, check that out when you have a few hours to kill.
Color Your Summer II by Delia Creates and Kojo Designs is starting soon, I get to hang out and share something, just need to narrow down my ideas now! Starts June 4th, which is already just around the corner!
Hope everyone had fun at market, did you spot Anna Maria Horner's new line, Field Study?? I love the feathers quilt. Gorgeous. You can oogle over a ton of fun pictures about it here at Sew Sweetness.

swiss dot shirt

2012-05-17T09:12:00.000-05:00

A shirt for me! I'm so excited about it, I have been craving this kelly green color for a long time. Found this lovely and soft swiss dot fabric on sale at Hancock Fabrics the other day and had to take it home. I've been trying to use up the fabric I have, but when I stop to pick up some buttons the other day, I couldn't help it!

It's really soft and comfy, this pattern is about as good as it gets for me as far as comfort wise. It's New Look 6871, View D, and I've made it before in voile. Might be making another one soon, too! Plus it's just a pullover style top, no buttons or zippers to deal with so it comes together pretty quick!

I think it's perfect to wear to work under a cardigan. Again, I made the same adjustments as my first top, no interfacing and omitting the bottom band. That's it! (I made a size 10, just an FYI, I'm usually a size M).

Hope everyone at market is having fun! I'm headed to Minneapolis this weekend to visit my brother and his family, might just try spending some of my gift certificate at Crafty Planet that they had given me for Christmas. yay!

her quilted pillow

2012-05-14T10:38:00.002-05:00

This was the mother's day gift I made for my mom. It coordinates with the Swoon quilt I made her. She requested a pillow for the bed she has it on and I think it's a nice finishing touch for the bed.

I worked until the very last minute on this, but I'm so glad I finished! I was quilting it with about a half hour before I had to leave the house for the day and just managed to finish. After I gave it to my mom I tried to open up the zipper and it got stuck! I was so mad!!!

Luckily my dad came to the rescue with a pliers and we got it open, phew! The zipper pull had actually pulled past the end stops, but after we pulled it open I sewed the zip a little shorter so it won't happen again.

[our attempt at a mother's day pic]

Hope you had a lovely mother's day. What do you make for the mother in your life? Or maybe you made something for yourself? I'd love to hear about it. :)

[just had to show off this cool vintage table cloth my Aunt Mary has, love it!]

vintage-y dress

2012-05-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

Have you guys heard about the Vintage May series that Skirt As Top and Craftiness is Not Optional are putting on? I'm pretty excited that I was asked to join in, Kristin and Jess are two awesome friends of mine and they're always coming up with great things! So my guest post is coming up later this month, but I had to try a couple ideas first.

This dress for Emily being one of them. It's really similar to Jess' dress yesterday in it's construction. So be sure to check out her tutorial here if you want to make something similar.

I had this Sandi Henderson print at the bottom of my fabric stack forever. I'm not that fond of it, even though I think it's really pretty. So I figured cutting into it without much of a plan wouldn't be hurt so bad. Luckily it went pretty smoothly, I ended up completely lining the top (which is all about comfort as far as I'm concerned). No itchy or scratchy seams.

I also did a hem facing, totally love it. I like being able to add in a secondary fabric for an extra special touch. I also used some vintage buttons that I have had forever, I think they're the perfect match!

That's all for now! I'm excited about my guest post later on this month!

ps, I'm off to Amanda Jean's book signing tonight in Madison, wohoo!

sherbet pips jammie pants

2012-05-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

A spur of the moment type thing this weekend. Decided I needed to cut into the lovely Sherbet Pips puppy fabric I had been hoarding (by the lovely Aneela for Moda). I kept thinking pajamas for these prints. And maybe I'll make coordinating pajama tops for these pants someday, but I just don't think they'd wear them. But these pants will definitely get worn, the last set I made has definitely been outgrown.

I used the Slumber party Jammies pattern by Make It Perfect. It was already traced and ready to go, so that made things even easier. I changed the cuff a little so I didn't have any hemming, and used 1" elastic instead of 3/4", hopefully that'll help keep them up where they belong! (The cuff fabric is a random polka dot from Hancock Fabrics and the other is Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House)

I keep thinking how my kids are in a phase now where they aren't wearing much of what I make them, usually whatever I make gets worn a couple times and then they forget about them. The soft knit shirts and pants that I've made get worn the most. So I'm thinking I'll try to be a little more selective when making them clothes, hey, maybe I'll just end up making more clothes for me instead!

crazy mistakes and some tips

2012-05-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

You might think that everything I sew turns out pretty great and that every project goes smoothly, well, think again. Some projects do go really well and as planned, and I love that. But that's not real life. So don't ever get down on yourself if something you try to make doesn't turn out as planned, it happens to me, to everyone. I sat down the other night to make myself a tiny pocket tank by grainline studios the other night.

It didn't go well. And there were warning signals that as I look back, kept dinging in my head. But I thought I was doing okay, everything seemed pretty smooth. Then I finished and went to try it on and, ugh, looked horrible. And I mean horrible! At first I thought maybe I just picked the wrong size, but as I fiddled with it in front of the mirror I realized my problem. In the first step, when you sew the bust darts, I totally messed up. So from there on it was like a train wreck. So I'm turning this into a few tips for you! Great, huh? This applies to any kind of sewing, not just this pattern (because it was and is really awesome, you should check it out!).

1. Read and follow directions, note all pattern markings. Here's where I screwed up the most, I jumped in didn't read the directions, forgot to look at the pattern markings for the darts and jumped right in. Be sure to look things over, it'll be well worth your time!

2. If something doesn't feel right to you or look right, you're probably right, go with your gut. Once again, I tried up the tank after I sewed up the darts, thought they looked kind of pointy and too generous, but I just brushed it off, against my gut feeling. So if something doesn't seem right, double check, re-read the directions.

3. If you're sewing a garment, try it on as you go. No rules here, just try it on, even if you don't have the facings finished or sleeves attached, just give it a quick try, look in the mirror. You'd be surprised at what you might catch.

4. Up late? Frustrated and tired usually doesn't make for good decisions. If you're not feeling it, pack it away for the night, you'd be surprised what good rest will do. After I realized what I had done, I chose to sleep on it and fix it the next day, I ripped many seams and re-sewed almost the whole tank. I was able to at least save the project, not exactly as I had hoped, but it's wearable and I'm happy.

Hope that helps! Sewing for yourself can be really rewarding. ♥

panda bear

2012-04-30T08:41:00.000-05:00

I'm making a few things for Natalie's upcoming birthday. I can't believe she'll be 6, for her it's not soon enough - all her friends are 6 already according to her.

We're madly in love with pandas, so I've been searching high and low for panda things. Luckily I had this little idea tucked in the back of my brain for a little while. I used the Square Bear pattern from the book Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan as a starting point. I used black flannel for the panda eyes, ears, legs and arms. Put in a little pocket for top secret stuff (maybe even a lost tooth someday) and there you have it.

I think she's gonna love it.

yoga pants

2012-04-27T08:54:00.001-05:00

I am so thankful I know how to sew. My youngest daughter is so small in the waist that I can hardly ever find anything in the store to fit her. And since I know it has to be comfortable and soft, the only way to get her to wear stuff I make is to use knits.

Slowly but surely knits and my serger are becoming my BFFs. I love how quick it can be.

[twin needle magic, loving it!, if you're looking for some good info on twin needles, check it out here]

I used Lil Blue Boo's Perfect Short Pattern as a starting point and made them into yoga pants. I slimmed down the pattern and just measured Emily's inseam measurement to make them into pants. I also inserted elastic into the waistband casing just to make sure they stay up. I really thought that helped, especially with the knits I wasn't sure about how their stretch recovery might be.

3 pairs down, now she has enough clean pairs of pants that she will actually wear and actually fit. Yay!

I also quickly tested out the size of the shorts pattern for Natalie and made her some shorts out of some knit scraps. She claims to not like them, but I'll let her pick out the fabric next time, hopefully that'll do the trick.

Ottobre Kids Magazine Winners

2012-04-26T08:28:00.002-05:00

I got distracted last night sewing some kids clothes for Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge. Hopefully will be blogging about those successes tomorrow.

And the winners of the Ottobre Magazines are:

#20

Tara-ComfyandPrettyBlog who said...

Thanks for great giveaway!

and the second winner is:

#136

thatmoxiegirl who said...

What an awesome magazine!

I've emailed the winners! Thanks everyone for entering, wish I could each give you one! See you tomorrow. ♥

Ottobre Kids Magazine Giveaway! [closed]

2012-04-23T05:03:00.000-05:00

[This giveaway is now closed, thank you to those who entered!]

It's spring cleaning here and I went through my personal stash of good stuff and figured it would be a great time for me to share some Ottobre love with you all.

What's Ottobre you say? Well, it's a Finnish magazine (written in English) that is loaded with patterns for kids from baby up to those tween years. They also have a women's version, but both are published quarterly.

The awesome part is that the patterns are loaded with details, you could probably learn every garment sewing technique if you sewed your way through these magazines. I'd say there for an intermediate type sewist, or someone who isn't afraid to try new things! I had subscribed to the magazine a few years ago and have yet to complete a garment from the magazines, so I figured they might get a lot more love from one of you! These magazine retail for almost $14 dollars a piece (and if you're curious you can purchase some here at Pink Chalk Fabrics).

Oh, and if you're digging the fabrics they use in the magazines, you can buy some at their etsy shop, they have a few magazines listed, too!

Please tell your friends to enter, tweet, blog, pin, facebook and spread the word!!

Ready to enter?

Two winners will be chosen, each will pick two (2) of their choice as shown (yep, I'm keeping one for myself, just for fun). The first winner I draw gets first pick.
Just leave a nice comment! One entry per person. Please leave your email address in your comment. You can leave it in a format like this if you wish: anna [at] gmail [dot] com, it's up to you though, if you have your email listed in your blogger profile, that works too!.
Open to international entries.
Giveaway ends Wednesday, April 25th at 10pm (central time).

i instagram

2012-04-20T08:44:00.002-05:00

Okay, so not a lot of motivation to sew this week, but I admit I've been having fun using instagram. Are you on?
Here's my week on instagram...

My name on Instagram is noodlehead531 if you want to follow along. You can also pop in here online and join in.

Hope you have fun weekend plans, I'm headed to an estate sale tomorrow, gonna find me some mid-century goodness!

a little fun for your monday

2012-04-16T09:48:00.000-05:00

Hey! Kids Clothes Week Challenge is back at Elsie Marley, I'm happy to be guest posting today, stop by for some fun, okay ?!

easter dress

2012-04-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

This is blog cheating at it's best. Never thought about blogging about this dress, I had made it almost 3 years ago now. But we were getting ready for church on Easter and Natalie decided she was going to pick out my outfit. I thought about it for a sec and let her go ahead and choose. She really was quite thrilled about it. Anyway, she pulled out this dress I had made and paired it with my tall leather boots. Future fashion maven perhaps? Watch out Stacey London.

So I figured we might as well snap some pics and blog about it. The fabric is by Amy Butler from the long gone Lotus Wallflower in Apricot (I think).

Simplicity Pattern 2702 View B

I'm still pretty proud of this dress. Although it does come with it's flaws. I've got some pretty crooked seams and whatnot, but it really looks pretty good overall. Not to shabby for 3 years ago, but I can definitely see where I've improved (thank goodness). I think I'll still keep wearing it this summer. ♥

happy quilt

2012-04-09T08:04:00.003-05:00

I've had this stack of fabrics waiting to turn into quilts for my girls. Most of the fabrics are by Prints Charming, Rainbow Garden collection, with quite a bit of Lizzy House thrown in and a bunch of others. The Prints Charming prints are on a so soft poplin base cloth, it's just too dreamy. I also used a few shot cottons for the patchwork as well as the binding. Just some straight line quilting and we're all set.

Emily had been asking me for a quilt for months, I think way before I started the swoon quilt for my mom. I had only made Emily one quilt before and it was a baby size quilt. Since the girls share their room, I think they'll eventually need bunk beds (right now we've got one twin size bed and a toddler bed). So even though this is a twin size quilt, she'll just snuggle under it every night until we make the upgrade!

Since I planned to make coordinating quilts for the girls, I knew I had to personalize it somehow. Improv pieced 'Emily' on the backing was the perfect choice. She'll always know it's hers. Plus I've been saving this text ikea print for a long time, it worked out perfect for the backing.

finished size: 70" by 90"

eggs

2012-04-07T17:08:00.003-05:00

wishing you a happy easter

had to make some eggs! kool-aid dyed easter egg tutorial via hey jen renee found on pinterest

bunny!

2012-04-02T06:35:00.000-05:00

You have to be careful about saying that word in our house, sends the beagle tearing around and looking out the windows. Just a quick little project for Easter, a faux chenille bunny. Check out the tutorial here by Sew Much Ado. ps. this is a George look-a-like Jeni!

I knew I had some black flannel laying around and since I'm on a mission to use up some of my toppling stash, a bunny it was! Seriously though, I'm so proud, I've been using up so many fabrics lately. I'm excited to show you a project that I've been planning on making for about two years now. It's making me so happy to take those fabrics off the shelf and put them to good use.

Anyway, a cute little bunny, who was going to make his way into an Easter basket, but we'll see if I can scrounge up some energy to make another little toy, and if not, he'll just be our cute (and only, how sad) Easter decoration for this year.

{had to throw in this shot from last fall, she looks so majestic here, hehe}

Hope you had a great weekend.

zakka along and some babble

2012-03-29T09:25:00.000-05:00

Just had to pop in today for a couple updates. I'm sure you've heard of the Zakka Style Sew Along hosted by the lovely Lindsey of LR Stitched, right? Well, I get to be part of it, and I'm super excited about the project I'll be sharing (you'll have to wait until August to see it though, hope you're patient!)

Here's the schedule of events:

There are 24 projects in the book and they'll be sewing right through it from start to finish.

The sew along starts Monday April 2nd with the first project in the book and will continue through Monday September 10th with a new project introduced each Monday.

Each blogger will be sewing a different project and will share their finished project and inspiration with you! How cool is that? And there's so many awesome projects in this book, you'll love it. Anyway, here's the list:

April 2nd :: Zig Zag Tote with Sew Fantastic
April 9th :: The House Pouch with During Quiet Time
April 16th :: Zakka Pincushion with Pink Penguin
April 23rd :: Sewing Kit with Monkey Do
April 30th :: Patchwork Pencil Case with VeryKerryBerry
May 7th :: Itty Bitty Quilt Block Magnets with Little Bluebell

May 14th :: Raincloud Mug Rug with Quilt Dad
May 21st :: Zakka Block Quilt with I like Orange
May 28th :: Stem Messenger Bag with Sew Sweetness
June 4th :: Zip Organizer with Spotted Stone
June 11th :: Orchard Path Tweed Pouch with Don’t Call Me Betsy
June 18th :: Happy Couple Handwarmers with A Cuppa and a Catchup

June 25th :: Patchwork Potholder with Sew Take a Hike
July 2nd :: Water Bottle Holder with One Shabby Chick
July 9th :: Elephant Bookmark with Cut to Pieces
July 16th :: Patchwork Ribbon with {House} of A la Mode
July 23rd :: Delightful Linen Bag with Sukie
July 30th :: Bread Basket with Patchwork Notes

August 6th :: Sweet Sugar Cookie Sack with BettyCrockerAss
August 13th :: Little Pocket Pillowcase with Freshly Pieced
August 2oth :: Sweet Memories Photo Frame with Noodlehead (yay! that's me)
August 27th :: Pleated Coin Purse with Shape Moth
September 3rd :: Happy Garland Message Board with Maureen Cracknell Handmade
September 10th :: Nesting Boxes with From the Blue Chair

Lindsey is also hosting a giveaway on her blog today for the chance to win one of 5 copies of the Zakka Style book!

And as for the babble part of the post title, I found out the other day that I'm on Babble's list of the top 50 Mom Craft blogs of 2012, wow wow! Now before I give my acceptance speech (haha) you should check out the list, lots of my great blogging friends are on there. If I made my list though, I think it would have to include a bunch more!

Ayashe Shirt and Skirt: Round 2

2012-03-26T09:30:00.000-05:00

Good thing I usually have to make two of everything because I think I left out some stuff from the last post. Sometimes I just start writing the post and I get sidetracked into talking about something else entirely. Anyway, this is Emily's Ayashe shirt and skirt. I used Laurie Wisburn's Modern Whimsy for the shirt and pockets/facings on the skirt.

The skirt is a really soft yarn dyed cotton I had gotten from Yozo Craft, although I don't think they carry that particular fabric anymore (although if you want super cute stationary, they've got a ton of cute stuff!) . I just love the texture that fabric has!

I made Emily a size 2/3 in both the shirt and the skirt. Even though she'll be 4 later this summer, she's so tiny that I should have cut the size smaller in the skirt and just lengthened it. Maybe next time!

I finished it up at a little gathering we had this past weekend at Vanessa's house. Got to hang out with Jeni, Megan, Faith, and Deedee, which was totally cool.

Another fun project crossed off the list, and not to sound like a broken record (or a crappy advertisement), but seriously, Figgy's patterns are so well done and easy to follow. She even includes little handmade tags for you to put in your finished garment!

Ayashe Top & Skirt

2012-03-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Wahoo! I finally completed the coordinating skirt to go with the tops I made for the girls. The two skirts have been sitting on my floor all ready to cut out for almost a month now, and it was finally driving me crazy! I thought I could crank out two skirts in one night, but I've been going to bed on time too many nights in a row now so it was hard to stay up and concentrate.

Anyway, Shelly (of Figgy's Patterns) sent me the Ayashe pattern after I gushed on and on how much I loved all her new patterns and look of her new site. I couldn't help myself, the patterns just seemed so refreshing compared to a lot of what's out there.

I loved the way everything came together, it was fun showing the girls the different shirt options and letting them choose what they wanted. Heck, any effort that might give a glimmer of my crazies actually wearing the outfits I make them is worth the try.

Seems like it might get worn, but we'll have to see. Emily's is almost done, but that'll have to wait for another day. I did make them sort of matching skirts, but to try and make them a little more personalized, I made the waistband facing and pocket facing out of a contrasting fabric, green for Natalie and I think I cut out a pink print for Emily to go with the shirt I made her.

And lastly as if you're still reading, I did make the skirt a little longer (and I think I'd almost want to make it longer yet if I made another version - which I totally might because after I was done I decided that it was super fun to make).

Off to play this weekend with some sewing buddies, can't wait!! Have a great weekend.

[had to include a pic of goofy, too]

Tutorial: handmade piping

2012-03-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, hope you had a great weekend. Seems like lots of the US is having unseasonably warm weather this spring! Of course it's been keeping me busy outside enjoying the sun and the sounds of the neighborhood. I thought it would be fun to share a little sewing technique I've picked up along the way. Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering, but useful nonetheless.

I love using piping in projects. It's won my heart in a similar way as bias tape. I love that you can add a bit of color here and there and still keep things clean and classy. I've often mentioned in my patterns and tutorials that you can use handmade piping, but haven't ever gone into significant detail about it, so here we go.

Materials:

fabric, a fat quarter works great!
cording (or in my case some thin rope bought at home depot - hey, it does the trick!)
steam-a-seam double stick fusible web tape (mine was 1/4" wide)
spray starch

First you'll want to cut your fabric on the bias (in other words a 45 degree angle to the selvage edges).

There are techniques to make continuous bias tape (from a fat quarter - love that!) that you can use, but for me I like to keep it simple. And because of the fact that just about every time I try to make continuous bias tape I mess is up somehow and have to scrap it. A self healing mat, rotary cutter, and ruler work perfect for this, but you could also just mark the lines with a pencil and cut with your scissors. Just cut your strips on the bias at 1.25" wide or 1.5" wide depending on how thick your cording is. I found for me that when I cut it 1.25" wide that it worked perfectly sewing the finished piping into a 3/8" seam. I should note that you wouldn't have to cut the strips on the bias, especially if your final project used the piping on only straight or very slightly curved seams, but cutting on the bias will give you the most flexibility.

Joining the strips. Here's where I like to spray a little starch and press the bias strips, keeps things in place and makes it easier to work with later on. Place your strips right sides facing at a 90 degree angle like so:

Mark a diagonal line, sew along that line. Trim the seam allowance. Press seam open (or to the side) your preference.

Now for the fun part. Instead of using your zipper foot, a basting stitch, and sewing the cording in place, we're going to speed things up and in the process make it so you don't have to worry about any basting stitches showing up later in your project.

Just place your cording centered on the wrong side of the bias strip you've joined, tear off a length of steam-a-seam and press it down in place.

Peel off the paper backing. Fold over the bias strip and press in half with your iron, sandwiching the cording in the middle.

The fusible web hold everything into place. That's all! Now go make some piping and add some fun to your next project!

Yay!

envelope clutch pattern testers

2012-03-13T11:30:00.003-05:00

I love sharing what the pattern testers have made. It's always fun to see someone else's interpretation of the pattern. One thing I really do love about the Envelope Clutch pattern is all the possibilities. Small size, large size, wrist strap, shoulder strap, zippered pocket, card slots, piping. We even decided it was almost big enough to hold an ipad, so I included directions in the pattern for that too! Oh the possibilities!

Here's a little parade of Envelope Clutches for you to feast your eyes on. Thank you to my friends who helped test these puppies out, without their help, I'd be lost. And if you've never stopped by their blogs before, be sure to check them out, they're amazing!

Kristin (Skirt As Top), check out her post on the clutch here

Shannon (Luvinthemommyhood), check out her post on the clutch here

Darci (flickr photostream)

Mary Ann (Marie Sews)

Gail (Probably Actually), check out her post on the clutch here

Deanna (Little D and Me), check out her post on the clutch here

Nikki (The Girl Who Quilts), check out her post on the clutch here, she also already made one for her ipad!

Thank you!!

envelope clutch pattern

2012-03-06T22:27:00.000-06:00

[shown here in the small version - approx. 5.5” tall by 9.5” wide, with piping, squared flap and wrist strap option]

[shown here in large size option - approx. 7.75” tall by 11.5 wide, squared flap, piping, and should strap option]

Materials needed:

1/4 yard exterior
1/4 yard lining
1/4 yard canvas
1/4 yard fusible interfacing
magnetic snap - 14mm
1/2” Swivel Clasp & D-ring
scraps for zippered pocket lining, etc.
piping (optional)
zipper (optional)

In this pattern you'll find:

Step by step instructions with full color photos for making one Envelope Clutch.
full size print-at-home pattern pieces
magnetic snap closure instructions
instructions for 2 optional flap styles
zippered pocket option
card slot option
wrist strap option/thin shoulder strap option
piping option

For more views of the clutch, please jump over to this post and take a peek.

By purchasing this pattern, I also give you (the original purchaser of this pattern) the rights to sell Envelope Clutches made using this pattern (on a home based scale). Additional information regarding the license to sell is included in the pattern.

Approximate Finished Dimensions:

Small Clutch: 5.5” tall by 9.5” wide

Large Clutch: 7.75” tall by 11.5 wide

This is a 25 page PDF pattern with full size print-at-home pattern pieces and includes detailed step-by-step instructions with color photographs.

********************************************************************************
This pattern is a PDF file instant download.. Please be sure to check your email address listed in your Paypal profile, the instant download link will be sent to that email address (a screen with the download link will also pop up after you complete the transaction). If you choose paypal's e-check option, the instant download will take 5-7 days for the e-check to clear and for the instant download link to be sent. Please download the pattern to your computer for future use.

pieced heart pillow tutorial

2012-03-05T16:02:00.000-06:00

[Re-posting this today from a guest post I did on Ucreate a month ago. The flu has wiped out our house so I'm hoping to get the envelope clutch pattern up for sale either tomorrow or Wednesday.]

Hi Ucreate fans! I'm super honored to be here today. Kari always seems to round up the most fun sewing projects from around blogland. I'm Anna, my blog is noodlehead, I've got two little girls, am a working mama, and am trying to find the balance between my hobby, my job, and my family. I've got lots of tutorials and even a few patterns if you want to stop by and check them out!

Lately I really have been enjoying collecting vintage kitchenware, so this pillow is inspired by a vintage enamel bowl designed by Kaj Franck. Valentine's day is one of my favorites, so here we go!

Materials:

20"x 20" pillow form
2/3 yard white fabric (for background)
20.5" by 20.5" muslin for lining (optional)
20.5" by 20.5" piece for back of pillow
fat quarter (18x22) for heart
18" invisible zipper, I just shortened a 20" zip ** if you don't want to try an invisible zip, you can do a simple envelope closure
thread
templates: white background, red heart

Directions:
Cut out pieces, you'll need two of the half-heart shaped pattern pieces and two of the white background pieces. I would err on leaving plenty of wiggle room on the white pieces, then after completing the heart, just trim down to 20.5" by 20.5". You'll also need to cut two additional pieces 20.5" by 20.5". One is the pillow back the other you can use muslin, it'll line the font of the pillow and hide the heart seams and make it sturdy and durable for washing, etc.

Ready for the curves?
Don't be scared. Watch this video for piecing the heart.

Sorry, both parts I say wrong sides facing, guess I was nervous, it's supposed to be right sides facing! :)

Once you complete both halves of the heart, you'll have to pieces like this (they'll be mirrored though, obviously, to complete the heart shape):

Press all seams towards red part of the heart. I like to use a little spray starch to make things nice and crisp.

Trim heart halves, making sure you have room for the 1/4" seam allowance.

Place RIGHT sides facing and sew together.

Press center seam open.

Serge (or zig zag) pillow top and muslin together, also serge (or zig zag) the edges of the pillow back.

Install the zipper:
(You might also want to check out this invisible zipper tutorial too, it's how I learned to install one.)
I really recommend an invisible zipper foot, they should be relatively inexpensive (between $2-8), but you can also use a regular zipper foot. Press the zipper if you're using a zipper foot, it'll let you get close to the zipper teeth.

Align the edge of the zipper tape with the serged edge of the bottom of the pillow front, zipper open, zipper teeth and zipper pull facing down. Sew close to zipper teeth.

Align remaining zipper tape edge with serged edge of bottom of the pillow back. Sew close to zipper teeth.

Place pillow front and back RIGHT sides facing, pin, being sure to pull out the zipper tape ends (those zig zaggy things) and pin them out of the way. Be sure to open the zipper at least half-way at this point otherwise you won't be able to open it up!

Sew starting at the point where you stopped sewing the zipper using a 1/2" seam allowance all the way around, ending where the other side of the zipper had been sewn.

I like to taper in the corners to more of a 5/8" seam allowance, it gives the pillow and nice shape and the corners look nicer.

Using a pinking shears, clip the corners. Turn right side out, insert pillow form.

Thanks Kari for having me!