There are NEVER Enough Pillows

My girlfriend found these awesome pillow cases on Etsy.  She loved them...except for the price.  They were incredibly expensive ($50 for two cases!) and not to mention the $12 in shipping.  So, she turned to her friend that can sew anything...me!  And since she used to watch my son three days a week for free, I thought I could return the favor and make her some awesome pillow cases that were machine washable, kid-friendly, and free. Always a plus, right? 

I used orange satin circles in varying sizes and heat sealed (I burned them with a tea light!) them so that they wouldn't fray to create the flower.  Tip: All synthetic materials can be burned so that they don't fray.  I prefer serging if the edges won't be seen, but burning gives a great edge effect and rolls the satin slightly inward.  The more you burn, the more it rolls.  I'll put up a tutorial on how to make the satin flower (I can't explain without pictures...it just doesn't seem to do the ease justice!).  The middle is a coordinating button with the colors of the pillow fabric. 

The fabric is an outdoor fabric that I got at JoAnn's.  Although it says it should be dry-cleaned, it can be put into the washer on gentle or hand-washed.  I put it in with my blankets to wash. 

I also used this awesome tutorial from Cottage Magpie, although I didn't use the ruffles on the outside, for the actual casing. 

Here are the finished results.  I'm making some of my own to match my furniture, so I'll get a pic of what they looked like stuffed.  And the envelope enclosure on the back. 

The Truth Shall Set You Free

Oi, I'm going to go ahead and confess...I don't know how to do everything sewing related.  I had to Google last Wednesday what a French seam is.  Turns out I was doing it anyway (yay for luck) on a lot of the kids clothes and curtains.  The hardest thing that I just figured out TODAY?  Mitered edges on a baby blanket. 

Yes, I make a satin trim for my baby blankets.  I add about an extra 1.5 to 2.5 inches (depending on the size of the blanket; smaller for the lovey, larger for the stroller) and 'roll' it over.  I had the hardest time figuring out how to make perfect 45 degree angles for each corner.  I decided to roll it under and sew it.  I really liked the result because I could add some contrasting color from the stitches.  But how to make the all-mighty invisible mitered corner? 

Today, I found the link and the light bulb went off.  It was a beautiful moment.

Here's the link. 

And it was so simple. 

Mitered corners are at my fingertips.  I am going to miter everything. 

A Sneak Peak: New Pouches

After I had my first kid, I realized how hard it was to be an organized, forget fashionable, mom.  My diaper bag was a cheap black sling that held next to nothing and I could NEVER find anything.  I remember packing like eight diapers, but when it came time to change him I could not find one.  And the bag was small!  Finally, I found a really cute last season Vera Bradley make-up bag to put a couple of diapers in.  That was great for awhile until I had another kid and voila! I had TWO kids in diapers. 

This bag has gone through many stages, from being solely a pouch with no padding, to padding, to padding and stabilizer, to the end product: decorated, fashion-forward padding pouch that hold quite a few diapers and a wipes case.  And it's cute. 

Feast your eyes:

Each has a sewn-in hook and loop fastener (Velcro) to keep it secure.  A cute ribbon or pom adorn each flap to give it some needed flair.  I made my own buttons on some (so easy...note to put method in blog post) and added some coordinating or contrasting ribbon to make it really pop.  Overall, very roomy.  I stuff four diapers and a wipes case in there and it closes like a charm.  When I travel, my Kindle goes into it.  I don't know if it fits an iPad** as I don't have one and have yet to make a template for one, but it would not be hard to slightly adjust the pouch to fit an iPad. 

For my next go-round of the pouch, I'd like to add a diaper changing mat and a handle on top (or wrist strap!). 

There you have it!  I'll have a post up on how to make these.  Extremely simple!

-M

**Revised:  It DOES fit an iPad.  Yay!!!

I'm here! Love me!

I'm Megan.  I make super soft minky and satin blankets.  I also make pillowcases, seat covers, curtains, backpacks, totes, diaper pouches, sheets...pretty much anything that involves fabric and can be run through a sewing machine.  I HATE to hand-sew, but I'll do it.  Currently, sewing is not my full-time job, and it's not for a few reasons.  One, sewing doesn't make a lot of money (for me, anyway) and two, I really like what I'm doing in my day job.  Right now, as good ol' Hannah Montana put it, 'I've got the best of both worlds.'  Sorry for those of you that puked.

Ahem. 

My two kiddos LOVE my blankets and are the largest connoisseurs of such.  I made them satin pillow cases and they FREAKED.  So did my god daughter.  They make my heart melt and they are the reason I keep doing what I do. 

I sell some of my stuff on Etsy, mainly blankets.  You can check that stuff out when you click here.

For this blog, I'd like to share some simple tips on how to make the things that I do, because as complex and difficult as they look (that was sarcasm, people; you'll be seeing a lot of it), they really are very simple.  I'll be showcasing my items and letting you know where I'll be at craft shows.  My craft show items are at a discount because Etsy and PayPal take quite a few fees from me, not to mention shipping.  Let me know if you'd like to buy something from there and we'll figure something out. 

So, for my first act, please use the following coupon code for 10% off your purchase:  10offnow  (It's best to copy and paste).

Thanks!