Tissue Paper Pom-Poms

When I moved into my college apartment, the girls previously there left these tissue paper balls that hung from the ceiling. They were really cool. Just recently while walking through Michaels I saw a kit on how to make them by Martha Stewart. I was unwilling to pay the price they asked for, so I went in search for it on her website. Note that Martha Stewart puts a lot of what she has published in books about sewing, food, etc online. So check her site first before purchasing a book or craft kit, it could save you  money. These pom-poms will work great for parties, little girls rooms, college dorms! They are cute, cheap and easy to make. Just follow Martha Stewart's tutorial. 

Making Pillow Cover w/Invisible Zipper

If you want to be able to take off pillow covering to wash it, this is the best method. With an invisible zipper the closing won’t look noticeable, but appear like a regular seam.

1.      Measure pillow, adding seam allowances.

2.      Transfer measurements to fabric and cut out two.

3.      Optional: Add embellishment to right sides of fabric pieces.

4.      Attach Invisible Zipper: Zipper packages will have instructions on how to attach. Note that you need a special foot on machine to attach an invisible zipper. Watch this video on how to do it.

5.      Place right sides together, pin around edges.

6.      Sew along the three edges, leaving zipper edge unzipped.

7.      Zigzag or serge around edges within seam allowances. Trim and press seams.

8.      Pull pillow covering right-sides out, poking out corners.

9.      Place pillow inside pillow covering and zip shut. YOUR FINISHED!

Flower Pillow Embellishment

    Got inpiration for this project from a picture of this flower I took while at

    the National Botanical Garden. This is a simple project any beginning

    sewer can do.

    

        1.    Cut 3-4 inch bias strips.

   

  

  2. Sew those strips together, making one very long strip. Needed length will vary depending on pillow size and on the amount of layers you want. For my 16x16 pillow my bias strip was 6-8 yards, making 8 layers.

   

    3.  Mark center of pillow with chalk or erasable fabric marker.

    4.  Gather a 2ft section of the strip and pin onto front panel of pillow, working from the outside spiraling to the center. Sew with regular stitch.

 

  

    5. Repeat step 4, overlapping the previous circle 2-3 inches till you have reached the center and are finished. TIP: the smaller the circle the more gathers you will need. If there is not enough gathers the strip will stand straight up, instead of lay down flat.

FINISHING TIP: Think about a rose and how tight the petals are in the center, that’s the look we are going for. After getting my strip in place to the desired look, I zigzagged the center, but made sure my gathered strip would hide the zigzag stitching. This will be semi-difficult to sew because of the small space. Hand stitch the center if it is too difficult to get the machine in there.

Make Your Own Ombray Fabric

 

Ombray: dyeing technique where similar color tones are used to go from light to dark. (ref) 

For this project I will be using white cotton muslin, $1.49 a yard at Jo-Ann’s Fabric. Fabric needs to be white or your colors will not come out the same as the dye packet. I will be dyeing the fabric in three different dye baths. For this project I used Tangerine Rit dye and Fire Red iDye. Jo-Ann’s Fabrics carries Rit, Dylon, iDye, etc.  I saw no difference in performance of the different brands; each did well. So just choose which ever colors you like.

Follow the directions on the dye packet, using the bucket method, NOT the washer method.

STEP 1

• Soak entire piece of fabric in the bath.
• [TIP: Water amount and length of time will after the concentration of your color. If you want it lighter dilute the bath and leave the fabric in for less time. Vice versa if you want it darker.]
• Rinse fabric till most of the dye is out. Don’t worry about trying to rinse it clear till the end of the third step.

 

STEP 2

• Mix up Fire Red iDye. Take half of it and combine it with half of the Tangerine bath.
• Take 2/3 of the fabric and soak it in the bath, letting 1/3 of the fabric hang out of the bucket.
• Rinse.

STEP 3

• Take 1/3 of the fabric and put it in the pure Fire Red bath, letting 2/3 of the fabric hang out of the bucket.
• Rinse till water runs clear. May have to run it through the washer. If so add 1/3 vinegar and 1/3 salt to load, will set the color so it won’t run in future washings.

Find Discounted Pillows

Buying pillows from craft stores can be pricey, costing $7 for a small pillow. For my Frenzy Fray pillow project I found 16x16 inch pillows in the clearance isle at Wal-Mart $2 each! SIDE STORY: I was hit on by a very bold man while shopping for those pillows...note to all you ladies, don't smile at strange men. For some reason they think its a invite to come hit on you, when really you smiled out of awkwardness because they were staring at you.... Anyways, the pillows are a bright pink, but that doesn't matter when you make a pillow slip. Another great place to look for discounted pillows are thrift shops (Goodwill, DI, etc.). And if you want to buy pillows from any craft store, I recommend holding out for a coupon. Lately, places like JoAnn's Fabrics are having 40% off coupons every other week. So just be patient and save!

Fabric Frenzy Fray Texture

I went to an art festival in Washington DC a couple weeks ago. A lady there made these beautiful pillows using a fun texture. She shared how she did it, so now I am sharing it with you, with my own twist.

This is a great project to use up all those scraps you have taking up space. This is great technique for home décor projects (pillows, blankets). You will need 5 different types of fabrics.

Step 1

Cut your 5 pieces of fabric to the specification of your pillow or any other thing you may be using this technique for.





Step 2

Layer the 5 pieces of fabric, putting the fabric you prefer the most on top.

Step 3

After lining up all the edges pin the layers so that they will not shift while sewing.
Step 4

With chalk draw lines along the bias grain of the fabric. (Never use a pen, can stain fabric. Invest in sewing chalk or erasable fabric markers. Can be found at any Joann’s) Visit this site to understand bias grain.





Step 5

Sew along the chalk lines with a normal running stitch.






Step 6

Cut through four layers in between the sewn lines, down the middle. DO NOT cut through the bottom fifth layer. Fact: fabric won't or will minimally fray when cut along bias.















Step 7

OPTIONAL: Take a needle and thread, periodically tacking the fabric. Once put through the washer and dryer, take out those stitches. Fabric will stay in place. This will add more interest.



Step 8

Baste around all the edges of you fabric piece. (This will help prevent fraying where you don’t want it to)

Step 9

Put the fabric through a cycle in the washing machine and in the dryer. Continue to wash if you want it to be more frayed.






FINISHED!!!

Wise Craft Fabric Flower

This is a great, easy fabric flower anyone could make. I used it to embellish a purse I made for a friend. This tutorial is by Wise Craft. I totally forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it my friend and she is now currently in Ukraine. For my flower I took scrap fabric that complimented the purse and used a rhinestone button to embellish it. Very Cute!

Martha Stewart Silk Flowers

The Martha Stewart website is a great resource to find free and cute craft tips. I came across this tutorial and just luv it! Click on the link so you can follow the tutorial. Silk Flower