WIP: A Denim Sofa Arm Cover

Piecing together some denim remnants, on the ol’ sewing machine I learned on, to make an arm cover for our sofa.

Once this cover is done, I’ll likely make one for the other arm. With these kinds of home projects I prefer to take it slow, one little piece at a time. Plus I’ll have to collect 'n' piece together more denim, not only for the other arm cover, but I’d also like to make some pillow covers with denim as well.

Plus... this old Brother sewing machine. Beautiful, isn’t it? I may have the paperwork for it, I’ll have to find it, but I think my mom got it new in 1964, maybe 1962.

When I was in junior high, I was taught machine sewing - among other things - by the remarkable Mz. Walker in her home economics class. I could go on - and on - about her. She taught me so well that my mother had me do the lion’s share of sewing after that… especially putting in zippers, and other fussy work that she claimed I was better at than her. It was high praise from a very critical woman. That said, Mz. Walker taught me the value of a seam ripper because she’d have you take things apart and put them back together if you were cutting corners, or making less-than-perfect seams. I think of her often with a grand fondness. 

All this rambling aside, it’s this old sewing machine that delights me. I feel so blessed to have it. It’s mechanical, and I can take it apart, clean ’n’ fix things and put it back together… as I have done many times over the last 50+ years.

Years ago I used masking tape to mark the .5 inch point. The tape's long been removed, the dried adhesive lingers. I may have to clean that off. Or leave it.

Peace. 🕊

Great Balls of Fabric

Goodness, gracious … today, among other things, I finished ripping the cotton strips from the vintage 70's fabric I had targeted for upcoming projects and sat down at the trusty sewing machine to bind the strips together to make these balls of cotton "yarn."

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Curtains

Simple tab curtains for my slider.

Free salvaged fabric too. Good deal.

Tablecloth Apron . . .

You may, or may not, be aware that I am making standard herbal and Nature-related products for sale for the first time in many years. In fact, I will be vending at earthstock in Plainville, CT as well as offering my ever-popular weedwalks and doing some recycle/upcycle demonstrations. I have a cash box from the old days, but decided I would prefer a light-duty utility apron with multi-pockets to manage any dollars and other handy items.

As I considered what salvaged or scrap fabric to use I remembered the little card-table sized tablecloth that I got from my mom with the matching napkins. It had small holes and rust stains where the napkins had been pinned to it for probably some 30-years or more. I can't remember the last time my mom played bridge, and I'm certain this was its purpose.

In that little faded-drab-pink tablecloth I saw my apron.

A few cuts . . .

Some piecing and stitching . . . and I had my new little four-pocket apron.

Plus, with the small pieces that remained I created two more bookmarks.

And what is old is made new again!

Scraps of Inspiration

What to do with the leftover strips and scraps of fabric from those other projects I've been playing with? What to do . . ?

I sat with this query a bit and then went on to one my other many, many interests. As I closed that tiny fraction of a chapter in my life, there it was - the inspiration I had asked for. What was that other interest, you ask? What was the inspiration? Well, consider what was made manifest and then you tell me . . .

Craft & Whimsey

This morning I was inspired to mesh craft with craft and craft. This inspiration led me to make Dream Pillows. The creation of dream pillows combined the craft of sewing with the craft of herbalism and the craft of, well--the craft. Seven 7x7"-ish pillow covers came into being, each filled with a 5x5-ish soft pink pillow stuffed with .75 ounce of a dream pillow herb blend. The blend includes hops, lavender, pink rose petals, chamomile, scullcap, lemon verbena, rosemary and a touch of white sage.

All seven little pillows are made from salvaged and scrap fabric. Waste turned to healing loveliness.

Then I paused to sit with all the scrap and salvaged fabric and was moved to make a bag, this time something akin to a shopping bag. As it came together I felt the spirit Dr. Suess had guided a fair portion of my piecing and stitching, for the result is truly more whimsical than functional. And that pleases me.

Even as I type these words, I see and feel more pieces of those scraps joining and forming more craft with craft and craft . . .

A Brief Case

A heavy corduroy skirt from the Salvation Army . . . remnants from drapery my mom made some 50 years ago . . . remnants from (that same) heavy cotton mattress-pad (also discarded from mom) . . . chop-chop . . . snip-snip . . . stitch-stitch . . .

For something like a buck-fifty I have a new padded briefcase, of sorts, perfect for my laptop and some files or whatever. I even graced it with an inner pocket. It is rough-sewn, nothing fancy, but very functional and rather good looking, if you ask me.

The drapery made the lining and the trim. The corduroy, complete with already-sewn-in detailing, made the exterior. And, of course, the mattress-pad is sandwiched between.

You can see that my MacBook fits nicely with some room to spare.

So, there it is. I conceived it a few days back. I started it yesterday. I finished it this morning.

I hope that as you celebrate renewal or resurrection in this season of spring that you will consider the regenerative forces in your everyday, ordinary life.

I hope that, in this season, however you may honor it, that you will seek and find something to recycle, recreate, repurpose with meaning and value to your life and the lives around you - today, yesterday and tomorrow.

Ashe.