A Cheater Pillow

Here is the situation:

1. When I sew I keep the scraps. I save them in a plastic box. That box has been getting really full.

2. I have too many T-shirts. I hate to give them away because there are memories behind so many of them. But I need to lighten the load.

So I turned to my handy Generation T book for the instructions to make a pillow from a T-shirt. The instructions are really simple, so I'll simply describe them here:

Cut the largest square you can from the T-shirt, cutting through both layers. Cut a fringe all around, two inches deep, each fringe piece about 1/2" wide, plus or minus. Tie front and back fringe pieces together, using double knots, leaving an opening to stuff. Stuff with whatever you have available. In my case, the fabric scraps. Then tie the rest of the fringes. My pillow is lumpy and a bit heavy but I think that's fine. And there is no sewing involved in this project so maybe it doesn't exactly fit the blog, but where else can I brag about it?

The diapers are going out

I finished the twelve diapers I committed myself to making and I am packing them to send to my daughter and son-in-law. I could have sent them a couple of days ago but wanted to get some diaper covers into the box. It is looking like I may not find any in my town, though, so I am going to go ahead and send the box. I can order covers to follow or send them later if I do find them.

I got the pattern from my sewing teacher, who has had it since the 1990s. Here are instructions for a similar diaper, and this website has lots of links to diaper patterns and info on making your own. Here is a nice pdf pattern, a bit more complicated than the one I used but it looks like the directions are good. There is a lot of information out there for those who are interested.

The pattern I used is simple. The elastic is sewn in, no casing, the edges are finished by some kind of overcast stitch (those with sergers have a little advantage but most machines can do something suitable). The extra-thick pad is sewn inside. Our teacher also suggested sewing an extra pad from fleece where it can do the most good: connect with the poop. "The poop just slides off", she says. And it would, wouldn't it? Fleece has water-resistant qualities. I'm not entirely sure if the fleece addition would get in the way of the water-absorbing inner layer. In any case, I added the fleece pad to two of the diapers. Jury's still out, seems to me.

The good part for me was that sewing these diapers was easy enough that it became almost rote for me and I did not get impatient with how much I had to do or how long it takes. It takes maybe a half hour. I don't think I finished one straight through without interruption so I can't say for sure.

I am hoping my daughter and son-in-law like them enough to ask for more! I think I can get more creative as I go along.

Shopping Cart Seat Cover

View from front

and side

In my class last Tuesday I started a shopping cart seat cover, using a "Sewing for Dummies" pattern. Oddly, the directions are not as clear as one might expect for a pattern intended for dummies...there were a couple of places in there when I had to go over the directions several times and I actually got started wrong before I realized it. A few more illustrations would have helped.

The following day, Wednesday, I finished the cover. It was not as difficult as I expected it to be and I am very pleased with it.

That's elastic around the top facing, by the way. That way it stays when you drape it over the handle and around. There are other patterns that are more like ruffles, which may be a little easier.

Sewing class starts again

Today began the new sewing classes. In the morning Intermediate, the same class as last time. In the afternoon, Home Dec, a class that features patterns and instructions for home decorating projects. Today we received patterns for some window coverings and place mats plus table runners. I looked through the notions required for a window shade I liked and decided instead that I might want to make table runners and place mats. Many window coverings require a lot of parts! Oh, and because they finally arrived, we also got another baby pattern, one intended for last semester's baby class.

But of course that's for the future, for future classes. I had to show up today with some kind of project in mind, and I did. I decided on diapers. Yes, they are out of style these days, have been, in fact, since my children were babies, but I believe in cloth diapers. And Linda gave us a pattern for some cool ones last semester. That is the pattern I used. I made two today and I am excited about making more. I figure I will make a nice dozen of different patterns and include some diaper covers (either some I make or store-bought) and send them off to my daughter the foster mom. And her husband the foster dad. They might find them cute enough to use, to justify having to wash them.

As usual, the class was lively with what Linda's husband characterizes as "cackling", as in "hens cackling". He can say what he likes, of course. The cackling that goes on here is fresh and often very funny. Linda had stories. She always has stories. Others had stories, too, including one of being a "bad grandma". Bad Grandmas let their grandchildren get in harm's way or get messes in their hair. That sort of thing.

Next week some class members will bring lasagna, salad, dessert. I figure I'll bring the vegan lasagna but haven't figured out just which version yet. Linda pretty much always brings salads from her garden and I always eat those.