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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

I Made Pillows!

Sam loves his new pillow!

Last Saturday I finally unboxed the new sewing machine! One look at the 77 page instruction manual and about a dozen individual loose informational sheets and I knew that this was going to require some real concentration! I haven't really done any sewing on a machine since the early 90's, and even then I was really just a novice. My memory isn't all that great either, so this might as well have been my first time.

There are so many stitches and functions! It even sews letters!
With absolute silence in the room, I opened the manual and began to read it methodically. I did my best to absorb each word and understand the terms and the functions before moving on to the next section. I learned some new words (feed dogs) and had a few "aha" moments. It literally took me two full days  of reading and doing, but by Monday night I had the bobbin threaded, the needle threaded, and began to practice sewing on the pillow material.

I had to draw out a diagram to plan how I would sew the pillows, where they would fold, how much of a seam allowance to plan for, where the hand stitch opening would be, what size would work well for the beds etc... I thought having a real pillow inside of a pillowcase would be great, so I planned for both.


Once I had it on paper and felt comfortable with the plan, I cut the fabric. Before I sewed them, I wanted to incorporate name tags. This was probably the largest mental challenge; I'm sewing the pillows inside out, the tags need to be on the right finished side, and the label needs to face up. I really had to sit there for a long while and ponder all the angles! I kicked myself for not making the tags double sided!!! In the end, I figured it out correctly! My hand sewn ends could use more practice, but since they'll be hidden inside the pillowcase, I think they are great!

I used pink thread so that I could keep a good eye on my machine stitches as I went along.
 

A perfect fit for the bed!
After sewing and stuffing the pillows, I was feeling a little more confident with the pillowcases. Rather than just going by my planned measurements, I cut extra fabric and measured for length and width as I went along. It worked out really well! I love how they turned out!

Look at those stitches! Awesome, right!?!





The machine was a dream to use, and I will no longer be intimidated to make my own pillows! Hopefully, I'll be making lots of other great mini items myself, too! Making is the part I really love!

My to-do list is getting shorter and I expect to be finished up with this project by the end of next week. Then I can set up for the photos! In-between now and then, I am doing more on the organizational plan to my work space. More storage and a display shelf are happening this weekend! I'll post some photos when I get it all completed!

Have a great first week of November (OMG!, NOV?)! Anyone else in the mood for meatloaf!

Jodi

14 comments:

  1. Nice work! :] Pillows in pillowcases can be a chore, for sure!

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    1. Thanks, Brae! I'm so happy that the "breaking the ice" project turned ous so well! This means I will keep the machine handy and use it regularly! My husband and son are already starting lists of things they want me to sew!

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  2. I love your little name tags! Perfect! And the pillows and pillowcases look awesome!

    I just noticed the art on the walls next to your bunkbeds. So nice they each have their own little painting to look at. Can't wait to see more!

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    1. Thanks, Sheila! Sam has a photo of his straw house before the wolf blew it down, and Joe has one of his wood house. They were proud of their accomplishments and the photos remind them that they can do great things!

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  3. The name tags are so cute! I love little details like that. I was joking with my husband about all the details we put into our little houses that people might miss. However they make the houses so much more perfect! I love the way your house is turning out.

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    1. It is so true Morgen! There are little tongue in cheek items and details throughout all my builds! Usually only I notice, but that for me is part of the fun! When I go back to gaze at them (usually as I am dusting), I re-remember and enjoy a nice little "you're so clever" moment to myself! :O)

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  4. They turned out beautifully! I've been a big fan of YouTube for sewing. You can usually find someone with your machine, doing a specific task and doing the failing/correcting before you try it!

    I'm excited to see your next sewing endeavour

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    1. Thanks Kat! You are right! It seems there is a video for everything now! What did we do before the internet?!? I am so grateful to everyone that takes the time to share their knowledge on YouTube! Where would I be without them! Their confidence really makes me a little braver to try new skills and techniques!

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  5. Mmmm....meatloaf.

    Nice job with the pillows, I love the tags. Too cute!

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    1. Thanks Keli! I am soooo ready to move on from this project, but I still want it to have all the little details it deserves! I bet you can relate!

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  6. Wow, Jodi! The pillows are wonderful. You did a nice job on the corners, the tags are great and the pillowcases are fantastic! Good for you for taking the time to read the manual. It certainly paid off. That machine looks like it has a lot of features, have fun with them all. I'm looking forward to your next instalment of this story.

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    1. Hi Shelley! Thanks so much! Isn't it funny... my husband reminded me (during my manual study) that with tools I am excited and not intimidated to try them. He said why should it be any different with the sewing machine, it's a tool, too! He is right, and I hope I do use the machine and try all of the amazing features!

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  7. I love your sewing machine!!! Boy, they sure have come a long way since mine was new, back in 1979!!!

    The pillows and cases came out great. As everyone said, all of those little details like the name tags and things are so wonderful!

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    1. Thanks Kathi! It is way fancier than I think I need for sure! I'm not sure yet what I can do in miniature related items (besides pillows), but I had fun and hope to explore it some more!

      I mentioned to Keli above that I am already mentally done with the project and ready to move on, but I need to stay motivated and finish it like it deserves to be finished! The end is always the challenge for me!

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