Monday, October 10, 2011

POUF! sewing magic.




this project is dedicated to my lovely mother, who was thoughtful enough to pick up a Better Homes & Gardens magazine for me when she saw it for 50 cents! this particular magazine contained an image of a "pretty pouf" floor cushion that i thought was fantastic, and wouldn't you know they had a place you could go to on their website that gave a tutorial for it! score.

our living room is very spacious, and while we do have the seating provided by the sectional couch, a chaise, and a chair, we started thinking about if we had enough for hosting Christmas this year. i thought these poufs were a great idea for some casual, non-committal, smidgens of a seat that could be easily moved and/or stored. PLUS i had a ton of one kind of fabric that i got a sweet deal on and was wondering what to do with it. here's how it happened:



the tutorial came with a printable pattern, which, for your 411, is the very first pattern i've ever used. i liked it!
i layered the fabric as i cut so i wouldn't have to make as many cuts. efficiency is key.


i also used some white muslin to line the pouf with, for extra stability and luxury ;)

after all cuts are made, stack them right sides together WITH lining, then sew one side to make a pair of pouf panels

PAIR!

after all pouf pairs are sewn, press seams to lay flat, like so.

JOIN PAIRS! joining one pair makes half of the pouf.

measure from the top 5" down and do not sew the top 5" together, you gotta have a hole at the top to stuff the pouf!

the tutorial didn't say anything about using a walking foot for this, but with all the layers of fabric (4 at a time), i expertly deduced that a walking foot would be more appropriate to avoid bunching, so shake it if you got it



all sewn!

this is the best part, you can stuff the pouf with ANYTHING you want. the tutorial recommends stuff like old jeans, towels, and pillows to increase stability. i used all these things and more!

for my very first sewing project, a t-shirt blanket, still sadly unfinished and just really not right, i kept the scraps from the t-shirts and sweatshirts i cut up. at this time i really didn't understand why i was so compelled to hang onto a bag of shirt scraps, but alas, today is the day they became the perfect addition!

stick all the crazy stuff in first, then use fiberfill to smooth out the outer shape and the top for perfect poufiness.

time to suck it up and HAND-STITCH the top closed, ugh. i really hate hand stitching, i have no joy in hand sewing like some other people do, gimme a motor baby

top is all closed, time to fashion the top pouf piece

you may notice that neatness in stitching the top is totally unnecessary, because it'll be covered! yay.

another piece of the pattern


iron down seams

i also expertly deduced ;) that using fabric glue along with more hand-stitching would be better. i used small dots along the entire edge and throughout the entire middle, stacked some stuff on top of it to dry, and moved onto the worst part of pouf construction...

*side note: bring the double threaded needle up through the bottom before it dries down. just realized that i don't have any pictures of the top after hand-stitching! figures, my fingers still hurt from it, i just wanted to be done! i just used a simple straight stitch around the edge, no big deal!

while, i apologize for my husband's feet, i didn't want to use my own so beggars can't be choosers ;) TA-DAHH! ottoman, extra seat, super-cute casual decor addition, and made from junk i already had! i think i'll make another.

POUF! that word has lost all meaning!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

it's october today!

by my count it's been over 2 weeks since my last post, it feels like longer. it's too long, but i was admittedly a lil burned out after all those big projects right in a row, so i've been working on smaller stuff as of late, stuff for a big craft show coming up Thanksgiving weekend. i'm bringing a few things there to the show, but my main attraction will be my scarflettes! i am jumping into fall with both feet, i'm so ready for it, and i love it when it's cool enough to go out wearing a scarflette, it's so easy to complement fall outfits with one, and they are still unique in the fashion world so compliments are plentiful. who doesn't like a random accessory compliment? anyway, if you're unfamiliar, here they are! this is most of what i have done right now, i crochet like 20 of them and then add buttons, it's kind of a hassle to have all the button stuff out all the time so i just group the tasks, anyway, not important. what is important is that i can get just about any color you want, any size, and either use sweet vintage buttons or make buttons out of tons of colors and patterns of fabric!

awhile ago i asked on facebook for a quote about my scarflettes if you already owned one, i got great ones to use during the craft show, and i'll ask one more time and then enter those participants into a drawing for a FREE custom scarflette! so if you have one and would like to be entered please give me a quote on my facebook page!

please excuse the creepiness of the mannequin heads, but i gotta have models ;)
here is kelly sporting a lovely white scarflette complete with vintage pink buttons that perfectly complement her wintery complexion



you can see that a scarflette is ideal not only while wearing a jacket or coat, but also for accessorizing casual shirts on a crisp autumn day!
a small scarflette like this is $20

kelly is seen here with a citrine cowl that is perfect for those blustery winter months, a cowl is larger so it is easier to both fit it under your coat lapel to and up to your chin to cover as much skin as possible! this cowl is made with love and large fabric buttons

a larger cowl like this is $26

some people like to wear their cowls with one of the buttons undone, either at the top or bottom, for a totally new look! the extra scarf lays very nicely at the shoulders, which unfortunately, kelly lacks.

it's so warm and luxurious when you can bundle up this much with one scarf, and no TAILS!

here's kelly again with a green scarflette and vintage green buttons, this is a perfect example of a perfect fall accessory


here's jessie sporting a new color, sequoia, with four, count em FOUR coordinating vintage buttons! this cowl color would match any brown, white, or warm-color coat, and the vintage button collection on the scarf is a real eye-catcher ;)


jessie likes to wear her cowls with the top button undone for maximum luxurious comfort

the best part about these scarves is, ok two best parts- no tails to deal with, and they comform to YOU as you wear them! they are also washable and adorable

jessie's changing up her style with this vivid orange scarflette, complete with brown, cream, and teal fabric buttons. this is the kind of scarf that stands out in a crowd!



this is what i've got done so far, i have about 40 more skeins of yarn waiting, ALL different colors, and about 10 that still need buttons. so i'll be sure to update this page as more become available!









BUTTONS! these are the vintage buttons i have right now, i'm always looking for more!


more buttons and the jar of fabric i keep to make the fabric buttons

had to get a close-up of these sweet buttons because i just got them and can't wait to use em!

SCARFLETTES & COWLS

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