Sunday, January 27, 2013

Stashbusting Sewalong - January - Covering a chair and a neck pillow


I, tigergirl, commit to using a lot of pieces of stash fabric in 2013. I also commit to not buying any new fabric/patterns/notions except for those that I need immediately to finish current projects until August.

This sewalong is being hosted by Cation Designs & Emily aka EmSewCrazy, for more info. see this post.

I told tigerboy about this - he was puzzled as to why I'd do it (helloooooo, you've seen my sewing room) and then he decided he'd join in (but in his case, it's no more wood).

The theme for this month?
"January: Itty Bits! Sew up those remnants left over from another project, use up some of those tiny scraps that you've been saving...as long as it's less than a yard of fabric, it counts!"
So, with that in mind, I used most of the leftovers from the green meanie Burda dress (that I haven't posted) to make a cover for my sewing room chair - something that I've been meaning to do for a couple of years. The piece I actually used is a skirt piece (either front or back - can't remember) that  I cut out and then realised I hadn't added seam allowances - woops.

Yep, I should be able to make it work ......... just.

Round off the corners before overlocking around it.
Turn over, turn over again and stitch down, leaving a a gap to thread elastic through.

Chair seat covered!
The most time consuming part was threading the elastic through the channel. I have to admit that I ran out of motivation by the time I got to the back rest of the chair. There's very little fabric left now and it'll need to be pieced, possibly even augmented with another fabric - I'll let it percolate in my brain and move on to something more interesting to me.


 Recently I bought a neck pillow for when I'm reading in bed - works perfectly but there's one problem, it doesn't have a removable cover. Itty Bitty Stashbusting to the rescue! Initially I thought I'd use some offcuts from tigerboy's pj's but as I was going through the offcuts box I came across the last little piece of a table runner we bought in Ecuador a few years ago that I'd used to make cusion covers (still haven't put the buttons on them).

The cushion covers sans buttons to close.
There's the still intact table runner (we bought two) in action, as it has been for a couple of years.

The neck cushion, all covered.

I did a pillowcase type opening - not a good idea, getting that cushion in was like trying to stuff a sausage through the eye of a needle.
My original thought that this woven fabric would negate the squishyness of the pillow proved correct, so I will make another cover in the knit. I'll also use a zip opening to counteract that sausage through the eye of a needle effect, in fact, I imagine getting this cover off to wash it will peeve me enough that I'll unpick the end and put a zip in this one too. Anyway, it looks better than I expected.


So, this stashbusting sewalong means that my fabric buying for 2013 is done until August when I'll reassess - not such a big deal as I've already acquired a bit this year:
Spotlight had a 30% off sale
I showed this fabric to tigerboy "Oh wow, that's soooo beautiful!"
"If I made you a shirt with it, would you wear it?"
"Yes, it has all my favourite parrots - buy everything they have hone!"
"I'm not buying it all - are you sure you'll wear it?"
bla bla bla
I actually had to write and ask the seller if they had more than they had listed - he was on tenterhooks for a day until we got the answer.

Of course, with the combined shipping and knowing that US postal rates were increasing significantly at the end of January, it seemed only reasonable to make the order up to 10 yards with fabric I wanted, so I got these as well. 













My stashbusting sewalong has even been tested! Last week I happened to walk past a Lincraft - 50% off everything!!! They even had some gorgeous black cotton lace ........ no, tiger, just walk out right now, there will be other sales ...... and that's what I did (ok, I went and bought a coffee and donut instead but that's still progress!)

18 comments:

  1. Great work on the chair and cushions - revamping my boring black sewing chair is 'on-the-list!'
    You walked past black-cotton-lace at 50% off!!! That is mighty strong will power - well done, and donut well deserved...J

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    1. Finally we get our electricity restored after the storm ........ it was actually two donuts, but who's counting, I'm on a fabric diet, not a food diet.

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  2. I tried such a pledge once - lasted about 2 weeks until the siren call of fabrics reached my ears and sales on patterns came to my inbox. Good luck with yours.

    Love your cushion covers - great fabric. I must do one of those chair covers. Great idea. My cat has taken to sleeping on my office chair covering it with fur.

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    1. I've never taken a pledge before BeaJay because my will power is close to nonexistent but the overflowingness (yes, I made that up) is really starting to get to me so it was time. Notice the caveat I added?

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  3. Love the parrot and leaf materials:)
    great idea with the chair!

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    1. Thanks! They arrived yesterday - the puffin and leaf fabrics are much better in person, unfortunately, as I feared, the background of the parrot fabric is more lemon in real life - not a colour that I'm fond of and I don't think it looks good on tigerboy either so I have to think about whether it should be an entire shirt or not.

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  4. I am inspired by your chair cover, I had not thought of making one with an elastic casing!
    Your prints are gorgeous, I can see the temptation. Good on you for resisting 50% off at Lincraft. I told my family yesterday that I had not bought fabric all year and they laughed at me. They have no idea what restraint this has entailed ;)

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    1. I wanted the cover to be easily removed - it seemed the easiest option. I had to go to the same shopping centre with Lincraft in it again yesterday - I stayed well away.
      Tigerboy decided to join the stashbusting sewalong too (he's such a sheep!) - for him it's no more wood or tools for wood working, he's already busy trying to make excuses for purchases ha ha ha ha. Maybe if your family had hobbies that needed materials they might understand? Tigerboy wouldn't have had a clue until he took up woodworking.

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  5. Tigergirl, I love what you've done with your stash so far. With Butterick 5608, I've shortened the sleeve because it doesn't work to well if it's longer. I can't get my arm through the little gap! So Butterick 5608 is a good stash busting top option.
    You really have a fabulous eye for prints and colour. If you can restrain yourself at all, your definitely much better than me. I'm too easily swayed, so I just need to keep myself busy - sewing;)
    I look forward to Mr T's new shirt. Mr V will be getting something new next week too:)

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    1. I'll definately be going the shorter sleeves route, like you - love that look. Restraint isn't something I'm known for but I'm doing well so far!

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  6. Those fabrics are all beautiful and bright, and I'm so envious of how much space you have! When I'm sewing a casing, I usually put the elastic/cord in the fold as I sew (to the right of the foot) so that I don't have to take the extra step of threading!

    I keep meaning to re-cover my sewing chair, but there are always so many other projects, and I'm foolishly afraid that I might want to use my fabric for something else. Although it's orange flowers and more "me" than "us." Sometimes I miss living alone ;)

    I'm on a stashbusting mission of my own, although I haven't signed up for the pledge. Good luck!

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    1. I am grateful to have a lot of space but I was certainly ruing it this last week and a half because I had to clean it all to get our house ready to sell (soooooo depressing!) - sure did make me miss the two bedroom apartment I used to live in back in the day!

      Like you, I'm always afraid that I can use fabric for something 'better' too but I was cheating a bit this time because that was a too small skirt piece and there really wasn't much else I could have done with it .............. I'm slowly trying to get myself thinking "there is always more fabric to buy".

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  7. Hello, just stopping by to say hi. Maybe you don't have much time to blog or sew, but I hope you are ok.

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  8. thanks Elise - not much sewing has been happening - it's all been work, house selling and now the moving ugh!!! Now it looks like it'll take them between 9 & 20 days to hook up internet at the new house ........... seriously, how can it take that long?

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    1. Wow I would go crazy if I was disconnected from the internet for that long! Yeah I get how easily other stuff takes over from sewing, and moving and such is a lot of work. I hope it will go smoothly and you will feel at home quickly :)

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  9. Nice blog!
    And good work with the cushions!
    Can we follow each other?
    My blog is - loveyourdelhi.blogspot.com
    Following you:)

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  10. Hey Tigergirl - where have you been? Hope all is okay in your neck of the woods.

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    1. Bah, I'm still around but a combination of moving house, work rubbish and blog laziness dovetailed .... some sewing has been happening though, and now I have a new and bigger sewing room!

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