Pillows & Curtains - Sewing & Cricut

Amusingly, I have used my sewing machine more in the last month, since I got this cricut, then I have in the 6 months prior when I had no cricut consuming my craft time.

The Cliff Notes Version:

1. Always use HTV on fabric.  I use Siser EasyWeed HTV, but cricut iron on works fine too.  HTV (heat transfer vinyl) and iron on are the same thing.

2. Envelope Pillow coverers are so, so simple to sew.  Great beginner project.  But you can also buy them on Amazon, or Ikea.

3. Look at Pinterest for pillow designs - there are so many great ideas there!  Don't forget that you can convert your designs to different colors for different holidays..  the truck above was a christmas design, with a tree in the back.  

I bought my pillow inserts at Wal-mart for about $4 each, but on Amazon, you can get FOUR, with shipping, for $10!  http://amzn.to/2yMJhdM  I also bought 2 yards of lightweight canvas fabric (right beside the muslin  in the fabric aisle at wal-mart) and that made two 18x18 covers, 2 16x16 covers, and enough leftover for a dust cover for my cricut, with more to spare...

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The covers are so easy to sew, this is a great project for a beginner.  There are more detailed instructions here - http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/08/easy-envelope-pillow-cover-tutorial/

The measurements: (width, x length x2 + 4 inches for seam allowance)

For a 16x16 pillow -  Cut a piece 16 x 36

For an 18x18 pillow - Cut a piece 18 X 40

Throw pillows are the only time you want the exact width with no seam allowance - because you want them to be snug around the pillow.

Hem the short sides. Then fold  - but more than in half.  For a 16 inch pillow, try something like 7 inches on one side, 9 inches on the other.  You want one hemmed side to overlap the other hemmed side, to form an envelope.  The link above has photos if you need better instructions here.  Trust me, once you do this once you'll be able to do this almost without thinking about it.  

I made all of my pillow cases before I ironed anything onto them.

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If you don't want to sew - Amazon has some nice linen ones in a variety of colors, for around $8. http://amzn.to/2iqG0GY  Or, a better deal - you can get a set of four for $16!

http://amzn.to/2hArRpU

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For the first design, I wanted to mimic the antique flour sack (a family heirloom) that hangs over the bench where these pillows sit.  I curve text using the phonto app, then uploading it to design space.  Wordmarkit is what I use to choose fonts - you can type in your text and it displays it in every font you have installed on your computer.  This saves me so much time in deciding what to use!

I've been using this htv vinyl - for LOTS of shirts, and for these pillows and the curtains, and potholders... It's the cheapest I have found  - but that is with free shipping through Amazon Prime.

  

12 inches by 6 feet for $14 - roughly $2.33 per a foot.

For the truck one, I bought a an svg on Etsy and modified it just a bit.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/470743024/fall-pumpkins-antique-truck-svg-vintage  There are several sites with lots of free red truck designs (that can easily be made in brown, with pumpkins in place of the trees) but I wanted the back view of the truck and couldn't find a free one quickly, so I spent the $3 for the design I wanted.  I have the red truck free designs listed here: http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/free-svgs-for-christmas-ornaments.html

Then I went back and bought more of that light canvas fabric, because I REALLY love this stuff, and I made new curtains for my craft area, which is in our laundry room.  I can't tell you how I made the curtains, because this is not something I followed a pattern, or any rules for, really..   too often I sew the way I cook.  :-)  My husband suggested I add the Fields Of Heather, since this is my craft area... the design is just a modification of the pillow design.

The "tie backs" are unmatched buttons from my buttons tin, held in place with safety pins.  LOL!  I love my button collection.  My grandmother, and my husbands grandmother, saved the buttons off everything. Which means I inherited some beautiful, unique, buttons.. but often only one or two of them.  This gives me another way to display them, and if I find a project I can use that button on, it's really simple to switch the buttons out.

I have a lot of this material left - I think a sewing machine cover with this design on it will be next..  but probably not until January, when I have a little more time to sit and weed this!