How to sew a pillow with piping, a zipper and a lining

So I was looking this up online and I could find pillow tutorials with a couple of these features but not all three. I took some time to figure it out and now I'm going to show you how I did it!

Just one note, I did it with 1. a regular zipper and 2. a regular zipper foot. It's also put together with materials I had already. So there are other ways to do it, such as with an invisible zipper, but in the end I was really happy with the results.

First of all, the fabric. I had a beautiful end piece of hand printed chintz that I found at the Textile Museum Sale. It's a gorgeous 1920s Scalamandre pictorial print called China Rose, and there was actually just enough to make two large covers, the same size as the existing cushions I had on the couch.

Here's my trick for cutting out matching cushions with a pictorial print. Arrange the two halves of fabric so that the print is aligned then cut out two matching front pieces and two matching back pieces. The front is different from the back on each pillow but the two pillows match. Just a nice little detail.

To make your piping cut narrow strips of fabric on the bias and use it to cover a length of cord. You can buy cord for piping by the yard at fabric stores. You can use ready-made bias tape to cover your cord, the same fabric as your cushion, or a contrasting solid or print fabric. I used an olive green that matched the leaves in the print.

Despite the fact that this is a very nice fabric, it was a little bit thin for pillows. This means that without a lining the pillow wouldn't have a nice smooth luxurious look that does justice to the fabric. So I cut out two more squares of sturdy white cotton fabric for the linings.

Now that you have all that prepared you're ready to put it together.

STEP 1. Using your zipper foot, attach the piping to the top side of the cushion. 

Snip 3 little cuts in the extra fabric of your piping so that you can bend it neatly at the corners.

When you get to the end, pull the cord from one side out of its fabric casing a little bit, and trim the cord at an angle.

Then open up the empty fabric casing and fold it over the other end of piping. It's hard to describe this but it makes a neat join without two thicknesses of cord overlapping.

Don't do it right at the corner like I did, it's more difficult if you're working your way around the bend at the same time. I wasn't thinking ahead!

STEP 2. Attach the zipper to the bottom of the cushion (with an overall pattern it doesn't matter which side you attach it to). Place the zipper face down and open next to the piping and sew it as closely as you can to the piping.

Close the zipper and sew it to the back of the cushion.

This is what you have at this stage, the cover has the piping and zipper attached:

At this point you can decide you've had enough and finish your cushion without a lining. Just open your zipper up, pin the cushion right sides together, sew the three sides and you're done! You can serge or pink the edges of the fabric so that they don't fray. If you don't have a serger and the fabric is really prone to fraying (such as a loosely woven wool) you can cover the edges with bias tape.

Otherwise if you'd like a lining carry on to STEP 3.

STEP 3. Attach the lining piece to the zipper. The zipper will be sandwiched between the lining and the outer fabric. Pin it in place then open up to see if it's right before you sew. When the lining pieces are attached there should be nicely finished sides on both sides of the zipper - no raw edges showing. Repeat for the second lining piece. At this point I like to finger press the fabric next to the zipper so it doesn't get snagged when the zipper is opening and closing.

This is how it should look:

So far you have only joined the lining on the zipper side.

STEP 4. Align the cushion cover so that the the outside pieces are facing each other, right sides together, and the lining pieces are facing each other as well. Pin all around carefully. Make sure the zipper is open!

STEP 5. Sew all the way around, but leave a 6" gap at the bottom of the lining. Remove the pins as you go.

STEP 6. Trim the corners, then turn the cover right side out. Hand or machine stitch the gap in the lining closed. Insert your pillow form and you're finished!

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Tour de Fleece - sort of

In June we were watching the FIFA World Cup. Bradley was waking up early every morning to watch it before going to work. Then that was overlapped with the beginning of the Tour de France and he started watching that every morning. Now that it's over I kind of miss it. How likeable is Andy Schleck??

So I had heard about the Tour de Fleece but never participated. If you Google it you'll find lots of blogs with spinning posts. It's just like the Knitting Olympics but for spinning. You set yourself a spinning goal and spin while the Tour de France is on.

This year I unofficially joined up with the goal to finish up a few spinning projects. I had little bundles of spindles with partly spun roving stashed all over the house. So now I can show you some more of my finished yarn!

I've decided that with all the work I was doing spinning fine (and trying to be even) singles, I would try keeping more of my yarn as singles. I like having thinner yarn and more yardage. A single isn't as strong as plied yarn but depending on what you're making it can be fine. And they're so pretty!

The first skein I finished was a silvery grey corriedale that was part of my birthday present from Bradley. It's a nice fat skein, kept as a single ply with just a wash to set the twist. (When yarn is freshly spun the twist is still "active" so setting the twist means finishing the yarn so that it's ready to be knit or crocheted.)

I can't remember if I've explained how I set the twist, but all I do is wind the yarn onto a pair of purse handles and soak it for a while in warm water. I add a little bit of hand soap (Body Shop Satsuma) just so it smells nice. This also washes the yarn a bit extra in case the fleece wasn't perfectly clean beforehand. Then I rinse the wool, gently squeeze (not wring) out the excess water, whack the skein against the side of the sink - just a couple of times - then hang the yarn to dry. I put a light washcloth inside the loop of yarn so that it doesn't tangle and I find it helps absorb some of the water so that it dries faster. If the weather is nice I hang the skein in our backyard - a skein dried in the open air has a lovely fresh smell.

The second skein I finished was the Rusty Ship merino that I dyed myself. I had spun half of it already and it was sitting on a bobbin. I love how this one turned out. Keeping the singles makes the colours more distinct, with just a little subtle candy-caning (ie. two colours twisted together for a candy cane stripe effect).

Here's a detail:

Then lastly, I finished a nice rich brown Shetland from Lettuce Knit. I love Shetland, it's lovely to spin and the finished yarn is soft and cushiony.

It feels good to get some WIPs all finished. Also I like having some nice skeins ready for the fall when I'll start to feel like making some new winter knits.

But today was not all good, someone took a big bite out of our first homegrown tomato! Bradley planted peas, carrots and beets this year, and I planted some already started tomato plants from our local market and a herb garden. Everything seems really slow to grow, and we finally had one of the tomatos turn a little bit orange.. and just as I was thinking I should probably bring it in, there it was this morning with a big bite! Boo.

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Lacy camera case

I know I've been neglecting my blog when I find cobwebs on my camera tripod. Sorry to have been away so long! I had a tight illustration deadline that was keeping me busy and after a couple of weeks I tend to get out of the habit. As usual I can't show you the artwork until the project is published so I'll try to remember to show you later on.

Incidentally I've started getting a lot of "advertising" comments on my blog which means a comment that's really just a link to a business. Some of the businesses are.. um.. not family friendly.. and it can take ages to delete tons of these automated comments so I've had to add moderation to any comments on posts older than 2 weeks. This means that sometimes I don't see comments right away because the moderated comments only show up when I log in to write a new post. So sorry for delays answering any questions. I usually just reply on the same post where you left the comment/question so you can look for that, but you can also just email me directly, my email is there on the sidebar. Or include your email with the comment. As always comments are appreciated - it reminds me that people do actually read my blog!

So anyway, I was at a wedding with a friend recently who noticed my small handmade camera bag. I had made it years ago and it seems a little wonky to me, but she liked it and wanted me to make one for her. She has a typical bulky black leather/vinyl? bag and wanted a smaller one. It was good timing as lately she's been giving me lots of nice old sewing things, vintage transfer patterns, and bags of bias tape, trim, zippers and buttons, so it was a perfect chance to say thank you!

I love when people find old sewing things and ask me if I'd like them. "Are you sure you want this?" "If you don't want this stuff you can just give it to Goodwill.." I love that. They always seem surprised at how thrilled I am.

When I designed the camera bag for my friend I decide it was time to update my own and these are the results. It's a really nice thick soft wool that helps cushion the camera a bit. The colour didn't come out right in the photos and I can't seem to fix it. It's a bit more rich and warm.. Anyway I'm loving this teal blue lately. The floral print was actually a scrap from Jen Anisef leftover at one of the Workroom Trunk shows (thank you Jen!).

The inside is green seersucker. I like seersucker, there's something about it that makes me nostalgic, something comforting about the texture.

Then the outside is embellished with a bit of antique lace from the Sunday Market. I collect these things incessantly so I'm always happy when the right project comes along to use them. I just can't turn down a mason jar full of buttons or a bundle of vintage bias tape or lace.

The overall pattern is modelled on the wristlets I've been making lately with squared bottom corners. The wool is so thick that it was hard to sew with too many layers, so it worked out better having the lining fabric overlap the top to finish it. It kind of looks like a basket liner.

Anyway I now have a camera bag that I love!

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Yard Sale

I've been getting ready for the latest Trunk Show at the Workroom which is this Sunday. I'm excited about this one, lots of talented folks will be there indoors and in the backyard and as usual lots of temptation, I'm sure, for me to bring home a few things myself..

I'll be bringing bags - along with some clearance bags - pouches, needle books, pincushions, wool embroidered brooches, cosies, bird cards and jewellery.  For my rummage/craft supplies I have a few vintage sewing odds and ends, fabric packs and the covered button sets pictured above.

For pictures of the goods (from lots of the vendors) that will be on sale and for details (where? when?) you can visit the Flickr page here.

Hope to see you guys there!

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Dressing up

This is my latest dress I've sewn. I made a few before this one but this is the first one I'm really happy with. When I started making my own dresses I made up my own patterns. I cut apart a simple dress I liked and used that as a starting point. I made changes to the shaping, added a waistband and neck band, moved the zipper and made the skirt more flared. I liked this new basic shape so much I made a few dresses with that design but it wasn't perfect so I wanted to try using a pattern.

I've found that vintage patterns have lots of good details that have helped me learn a lot about dress construction. I particularly love 1950s and early 1960s dresses with their pretty shaping, charming details and swishy skirts. Fortunately thanks to the glorious Mad Men, so does everyone else and there are lots of great vintage patterns on offer.

So I picked a basic vintage pattern (Simplicity 5022) to start creating my new dress pattern. I found it in an etsy shop called Sew This Patterns, here.

It had a basic fitted bodice which I adjusted for size. Vintage patterns don't need to be exactly the right size, if you're patient you can tweak the pattern to fit you perfectly. My vintage sewing books recommended making a muslin sample of the bodice using your pattern and then make adjustments until it fits perfectly. I actually did that. It's extra work to start with but it's worth it in the end. Once you've perfected the shaping on the sample you can go ahead and cut fearlessly into your fine fabrics!

So this dress has the bodice made from the pattern, combined with a 6-gore skirt pattern I created myself using instructions I found online. (Gores are just the separate panels that make up a skirt). Creating your own pattern means that you're using your own measurements and you can customize the skirt to fit you perfectly. I made my gore pattern flare a bit more so that the skirt would be wider. I do love a swishy skirt.

Then to complete the pattern I added some cap sleeves. I used the original dress I had taken apart as a starting point then made the sleeves a bit shorter.

The outer fabric for this dress is a white dotted swiss with blue floral clusters which is quite sheer. So I gave the dress a full white cotton lining. To do this, you basically sew up the dress twice, once in the outer fabric, then again in the lining fabric.

Sewing the lining to the outer fabric was not as easy as I expected. I sewed the lining to the neckline, turned it right side out and everything was fine. But when I sewed around the armholes I couldn't turn the dress right side out again. As Bradley explained, it was a topological problem and we couldn't figure out a solution. I ended up sewing around the armholes by hand. Any sewers out there with suggestions?

 The final touch for this dress was a handmade belt using a buckle kit. You can cover the buckle with any fabric you like. I also used grommets for the belt - another new skill!

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Buttons

I made it to Quilt Sunday at the Workroom last week but got there late. Lately I'm obsessed with sewing dresses from vintage patterns so I was happy to pick up a few more patterns while I was there. The more clothes I make the more I can see a pattern clearly. I've been practising looking beyond the styling on the front to see the shape of the garment. I'm still planning to show you some dresses I've made soon..

Quilt Sunday is great for quilters but you can bring anything you like to work on. I was making some fabric covered buttons, using some precious little scraps from my stash. When I cut up special fabric such as feedsack prints, I can't bear to throw away the leftover little pieces, so this is what I do with them.

I made some extra special buttons from an elegant vintage hankie with delicate little floral embroidery. I didn't like to cut it up but it had some spots on it that made it easier..

Lately I've also been working on some small projects for the home. I was offered the chance to do a review for CSN Stores. I had a choice from lots of wares from bathroom vanities to cookware. I was thinking it would be nice to have a fresh accessory for the kitchen so I chose a trivet made by Le Creuset. I didn't know they made them so I can't wait to try it out. I'll let you know what I think!

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Martha Stewart Monkey Cake

Francis lounging while Fifi does all the work

As promised, here are the picture of my birthday monkey cake. The recipe was from Martha Stewart, I had first seen it in the much missed Martha Stewart Kids magazine. Bradley used a different recipe for the interior, but it's still banana cake, of course.

I wasn't there, but these pictures were taken by Bradley so I could see that he had some help...

 Although Francis doesn't seem to be helping much at this point..

But he does seem to be helping himself to some icing sugar..

Yum! Francis is transfixed by the delicious icing.

And finally, the beautiful finished monkey cake. The cake dome has a lip around the bottom, so Bradley put the ears on a bit higher which makes the cake look a bit like a bear. Bradley used chocolate buttons for the eyes, cut ones for the nose and a twizzler for the mouth.

And just so you can see how it's made, here's the inside! The gist is that you use a circular pan for the bottom layer, and a bowl for the top layer. Bradley cooked the ears in ramekins. So clever.

And the cake was delicious! Next up, I've been obsessed lately with sewing dresses.. lots and lots of them..

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More birthday treats

Vintage treats: small "train" suitcase,  apothecary glass jar, floral tin from England

One of my other birthday treats was a trip to St. Jacob's where there is a huge Farmers' market, with a giant Antiques & Collectibles warehouse across the road. When we first discovered the warehouse in the winter, we were hurrying home, so I only had half an hour to rush through, so the big treat was to come back this weekend with lots of time to look around.

I've been meaning to recommend the place as it's amazing. It's the kind of place where each dealer has their own partitioned "room" and the contents range from gorgeous antique furniture to cheap and cheerful $3 vintage tins. The sheer amount of stuff will put vintage lovers into a happy daze.

There are also a couple of places in the town that have antiques. I found the little glass apothecary jar from Hamel Brooms on King Street in the old blacksmith's shop. I'm not sure what I'll do with it but it had a pleasing quality about it that I couldn't resist.

Then Sunday was the Spring Trunk Show at the Workroom, I had a great time and picked up a few treats. It's hard not to get tempted by the charming handmade things that inevitably surround me every time Becky and Karyn curate a show.

This time I picked up a pocket pony (I hadn't realized these existed but immediately discovered that I needed one) and a green rabbit from Stitch Face who is just as sweet as her creations.

I also bought a pretty vintage robe from Becky, that I can't seem to stop wearing. This picture really isn't doing it justice - it has flattering vintage shaping and a charming floral print:

Finally I picked up some fabric I can't wait to sew something with, from Kalpna's rummage department and some vintage dress patterns from Karyn.

As always the Workroom is such a homey place to have a trunk show, so much fun chatting with everyone and wandering around looking at all the crafty inspiration. We had a beautiful day for it. Thank you to everyone who dropped by!

My other birthday treat was that Bradley made me my very own monkey cake! I'll post that next.. I'm warning you now that the sock monkeys helped out so you can skip that post if you can't take the silliness.

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Spinning singles

I haven't posted about spinning in a bit so I thought I'd show some recent projects. I finished spinning the Koi Pond roving and was quite pleased with the results. When you dye roving in patches it's sometimes hard to predict how the finished yarn will turn out.

The main difference with spinning singles is that you're meant to spin with a little less twist. I also spun it a little bit thick and thin which is something you have to relearn after you've been spinning a while. You tend to get into a habit of spinning a certain way and I've been practising spinning thinner and more even yarn.

My next project is a beautiful blue and green merino braid from Freckleface Fibers on Etsy. It arrived like this:

Then I pulled it apart and wound it into balls like this:

And now I'm spinning it up!

It's so much fun spinning colourful braids like this, the colours shift as you go and you never get bored. Here's a detail:

Then yesterday was my birthday and one of my treats from Bradley was a surprise visit to a fibre shop he discovered. It's in Mt. Albert and it's called Gemini Fibres. I picked out lots of treats including a lovely new spindle made from white maple:

I also made up my own fibre sampler with lots of types of wool I haven't tried spinning before such as Falkland, Finn, Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) and Alpaca in beautiful natural colours. I can't wait to try each one!

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Front hall makeover

My other little spring makeover was in the front hall. I'd already done a lot of work on this tiny space last year. First of all there was an odd curved panel at the top that didn't serve any purpose. Bradley removed that and I repaired the holes that were left in the walls.

This is the "before":

We replaced the light fixture with a little acorn light. This one had a long stem but Bradley managed to cut it shorter so that it wouldn't hang too low and the door could open.

And finally the walls and ceiling had bumpy stucco that I skim coated. In case you're wondering, that little step took forever and I wouldn't recommend it unless you really can't live with the texture. It's doable in a tiny space like this but I think you'd really want to hire a professional for a larger wall.

My only real tip is that I found it was easier to gradually build up coats and then fine tune at the end with very thin coats rather than relying too much on sanding. Sanding that stuff makes a big mess! In the end I think it was worth it. I painted the walls to match the living room pale blue grey colour, Benjamin Moore's Green Tint.

So this Spring there wasn't much left to do, but the space still needed a bit of decorating. I added some hooks on the wall that replaced the clothes rail that used to be there. Most of our coats stay in the basement closet, so we don't need to keep everything in the front hall.

Then I found an old shelf in our garage that was left behind by the previous owners. It was a dull brown, with a damaged area on the lower shelf. So I filled that, sanded, primed and painted it Cloud White.

Originally I was going to put the shelf in the living room, but then realized it fit the front hall perfectly. Yay! It's perfect for baskets of hats and mittens, stacks of library books and any things that should be heading out of the house. For a finishing touch, I sewed some basket liners with blue and white seersucker using a great basket liner tutorial I found here).

p.s. This coming Sunday you can find me here!

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