To Sew: fabric pumpkins

Instructions at Thompson Family-Life.

To Sew: pillow with rosette clusters

Materials and Tools

• Feather pillow insert, 10 x 18" (25 x 45cm)
• For the pillow cover: 23 1/2 x 19" (57 x 47cm) orange felt or felted woven-wool fabric
• For the folded rosettes: 20 x 18" (50 x 45cm) orange felt or felted woven-wool fabric
• Matching zipper, 18" (45cm) long — optional
• Matching sewing thread
• Basic sewing kit
• Sewing machine

1. If you wish to make a pillow back with a zipper, cut out three pieces of felt for the pillow cover — one piece measuring 11 x 19" (27 x 47cm) for the front and two pieces measuring 6 x 19" (14.5 x 47cm) and 6 1/2 x 19" (15.5 x 47cm) for the back. If you wish to make a sewn-in pillow back, cut the back panel to the same measurements as the front. To make the rosettes, cut out 60 felt circles with a 3" (7cm) diameter.

2. Pinch each felt circle in the middle, and fold the sides in to form a rosette. Hand-stitch the base of each folded rosette to hold it together.

3. Starting at one end of the front pillow panel, hand-stitch the rosettes onto the fabric, stitching neatly and securely through the base of each one.

4. Continue adding rosettes, positioning them very close together to form a dense, wide row of rosettes through the center of the pillow panel. Make sure that the row of rosettes is straight and that there is the same amount of undecorated base fabric on either side of the row.

5. Make up the pillow back and join the front and back following one of the two options below. Insert the pillow form into the finished cover.

Sewn-In Pillow Back

This is a really easy and quick way to apply a pillow backing, and it requires only a small amount of hand-sewing. The back panel of the pillow is cut in one piece, to the same size as the front panel. The front and back panels are pinned together, with right sides facing, then machine-sewn along three sides using a 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance. Once the cover has been turned right side out and the pillow form inserted, the seam is turned in along the fourth side and closed with invisible stitching. The drawback to this method is that, once sewn in, the pillow cover cannot be easily removed for washing, and would require picking out the seam and resewing.

1. Cut a piece of fabric for the back of the pillow cover to the same size as the front panel, including the same 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance (or as specified). Place the two panels with right sides together, and pin along the seam allowance on three sides, leaving the fourth side open.

2. Using matching thread and a small to medium sized straight stitch, machine-sew along the three sides to join the front and back panels together, removing the pins as you sew. Cut off the corners on the diagonal, being careful not to cut through the stitching — this will produce neater corners on the finished pillow.

3. Turn the pillow cover right side out and insert the pillow form. To close the fourth side of the cover, fold the 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance to the inside and pin the edges together.

4. Stitch the two sides together, keeping the stitches as invisible as possible. To do this, work from right to left if you are right-handed and from left to right (as shown) if you are left-handed. Knot the end of the thread, and bring the needle and thread out through one folded edge. Slip the needle through the fold of the opposite edge for about 1/4" (5mm); bring the needle out and draw the thread through. Continue to slip the needle and thread through the opposing folded edges.

Pillow Back With Zipper

Although sewing in a zipper requires a degree of technical skill, this is still not a complicated way to make up the back of a pillow cover, and it is the method that I would recommend using, as it does mean that the cover can be easily removed for cleaning. The back panel of the pillow cover is cut in two pieces, which are joined together in the middle by the zipper, running horizontally. You will need a metal or nylon closed-end zipper in a color that matches your pillow cover. The zipper should be the same length as the pillow form.

1. Cut two pieces of fabric for the back cover. Both should be the same width as the front cover (adding a 1/2" [1cm] side-seam allowance, or as specified); one should be 1 1/2" (3cm) longer than half the length of the front cover, and the other should be 1" (2cm) longer, giving a 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance along the top and bottom edges, and a 1" (2cm) and 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance along the inner zip edges respectively. With the fabric wrong side up, fold in 1" (2cm) along the inner edge of the larger back piece, and press.

2. With the zipper wrong side up, pin one side of the zipper tape along the cut edge of the fold, with 1/2" (1cm) clear at each end for the side seams. Open the zipper. Using the zipper foot, machine-sew the tape in place along the folded edge.

3. Pin the other side of the zipper tape along the inner edge of the other back piece, with the fabric right side up. Machine-sew in place.

4. Fold the edge over to form a neat fold aligning with the zipper's teeth. Machine-sew in place.

5. With the zipper half open, pin the front and back covers with right sides together. Using a 1/2" (1cm) seam allowance, machine-sew around the edges. Cut the corners (shown in step 2 opposite); turn right side out, and insert the pillow form.

From Etsy's Handmade Blog.

TO SEW: hedgie

I have an old friend to share today.. in the form of a softie pattern. I think he's my very most favorite softie to date. I was positively beside myself when he was coming together. This was one of those rare times where the mental vision matched with the final outcome!

Here is a quick share on how to put this little dumplin' together!

I start every softie pattern with a muslin version first.
He was a tad on the lumpy side...
...and covered in pen marks...
...but I knew he would work his curves out once he was put together properly!
Properly meaning... MomChops would come over and sew him up MC Style!
THANKS MomChops!


After I had cut my pattern out in fabric I then cut out the dart areas
on the paper pattern so I could trace them onto the fabric
(I used vellum to print my pattern cause I seriously heart vellum).
That was the easiest way for me to get the exact placement of the darts.


The way you sew darts together is by lining up the point of the triangle and pinching them together.
You then sew down that line.


Here is a little bit better view.
Leave enough string (of both pieces) from the sewing machine
at the top of the point so you can tie a little knot.
This keeps dart from coming apart.


Here are both darts sewn on one side. The two fabric pieces are ready to be sewn together.
I actually cut out the rest of the paper pattern (along the dotted line)
...and then traced that shape onto the fabric pieces. This gave me the exact place to sew the seam.


Once you have your seam sewn you are going to want to clip your curves
(which is pretty much around the whole Hamie body.. he's a round sorta fella)


Trim your excess seams
(leave the opening part a little longer so you can tuck it in all nice and tidy)
NOTE: We changed the location of the seam opening to right under his snout
(it's correct in the pattern - this pic is showing the wrong location for the opening).
We found that when it was along his bottom it caused a major cause of the humpty dumpties!
We cannot have that now can we?


I used a leaf shape for the Hamie Back Spikes.
Sew pretty. Sew Hamtastic.


Here is a close-up of the leaves on Hamie.
I placed them with simple head pins for now.
But as soon as I am done typing up this little post I am going to tack them all down.
I already have about 8 tacked down now and it's going rather Hamtacularly.
I'll share the details of how I am doing this Wednesday!

Sew that's it! You can download the Hamie the Hedgie pattern below.


Hamie the Hedgie


From Lollychops.

TO SEW: ruffle shirt

I have been a big fan of Down East Basics and Shade for a few years now. I wear Wonder tees from Down East all the time. They are comfortable, modest (hide everything I need to hide and when I bend over it doesn't flash people) and since it is not baggy, I wear it under a cardigan all the time.

There is only thing I was hoping for... I wanted the same shirt, but with a little bit more feminity and flare.

Then, one day I was at a Down East store, and going through their sales rack and found this...(The folded shirt on the left is my old shirt, I am going to use this too.)




I couldn't believe my eyes, yes, I know, it was a $1!!! I asked if there are more in the back, but he said this was a left over from two summers ago, and there is no more... oh well, lucky me! I have a perfect plan for this shirt.

1. Cut the side of one shirt and open it up. Use the picture as a guide and cut up 6 peices of 2 1/2" X 12" and 2 peices of 1 1/4" strips.


2. Using big stitches, sew 2 1/2" strips a 1/4" from the edge. Pull one thread to make the ruffles. I made the the top of the ruffles 7" wide.


3. Sew the 1 1/4" strips together and make longer strips. Using big stitches, sew
the middle, pull one string to make ruffles.


4. First, pin the long strips around the neck line. Don't forget to leave the front part for the other ruffles.


5. Then, attach the front ruffles. Make sure that the center of the shirt and center of the ruffle lines up.


6. To add the second row of ruffles, measure 1 1/2" from the edge of the first row of ruffles and line the top of the next row to it. Sew. Repeat the process to complete the shirt.

You can stop here. The shirt look perfectly ok... but I added a corsage. If you want to do so, keep reading...


7. To make the fabric string: cut one 1/2" string and strech it. To make the corsage, cut 1" strips, sew the center with big stitches and make ruffle first.



8. Take the ruffle you made at step 7, and fold it in half.


9. To start sewing the corsage, roll up the end, and start sewing the folded part, and keep spinning and sewing...



10. There, you have a flower...Now, sew them onto your desired place and the only thing left for you to do is enjoy.


That is what I did today.



Except, Rachel kept telling people, "There is an American flag hiding!" and she tried to lift up the ruffles... shhhh, naughty girl.

Found here.

TO SEW: gathered flannel scarf

And it will happy you right up on a gloomy day.





First, pull out some flannel from your stash, pick some up from the store, or cut up an unused blanket.

Next, the length is totally up to you but I cut out two main pieces that were 60 x 8 inches, making a front and back piece to the scarf. Then I cut off 4 inches from both ends of the front piece.



Next, I cut two strips that were 20 x 3 inches. Then I sewed a basting stitch along the long edges of each strip, 1/3 of an inch away from each edge.



Then gather your fabric strips until they're as wide as your scarf front piece. (use this tutorial for a better explanation on gathering)



Pin the gathered edge along the bottom of your scarf, with right sides together.



Then sew into place using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Now, line up the 4 inch piece you cut off at the beginning with the bottom of the gathered section...



Then sew that into place as well. Do the same to both ends of your scarf.



Then sew your front and back pieces together. (You may have to trim some off of your back piece so that they are the same length.) Make sure to leave an opening along the side of your scarf to be able to turn it right side out. Then trim your corners.



Turn right side out, poke out your corners with a pointy object, and press flat.
(then hand stitch the opening closed)



Now you're ready to brave that fierce winter out there.
(or mild in my case...)

Found here.