Making Good Use

Pillowcase Tote How-To

A couple of people asked for a how-to about making totes from pillowcases.  They're really quick and easy to make, and are ideal for spring and summer. 

These are some samples I made to go with the instructions given for my Pillowcase Totes in the first issue of 'Sew Hip'.

Measure 18 inches from the bottom of the pillowcase, draw a straight line at this length across the width of the pillowcase and cut across.  This gives the body of the bag.  Fold over 1 inch on the top edge of this part of the pillowcase and iron flat.  Now fold over a further 1 inch and iron this flat too.  This gives a neat seam to the top of the bag.

From the remaining top portion of the pillowcase measure an 8 inch wide strip, avoiding any seamed pieces at the very top of the pillowcase.  Draw a straight line across and cut out.  Cut the 8 inch wide strip on either side of one side seam, open it out, and carefully cut away an excess material from the innner pillowcase flap (if there is one).  This strip will become the handles.  Fold the 8 inch strip in half lengthwise and iron a crease.  Cut along this crease so that there are two 4 inch strips.

Decide how long you would like your handles to be.  I usually make them 23 - 24 inches long.  Whatever length you decide you want your handles to be remember to add an extra 3 inches for seaming and attaching the handles to the bag.  Try to keep the original pillowcase side seam as the centre of the handles whatever their length.  Cut the strips to the required length.

Using an iron, fold each strip in 1 inch at eah short end and iron flat.  Then fold in 1 inch along each long side and iron that flat too.  Fold the two long sides together and rion flat.  This should give you handles that are approx. 1 1/2 inch wide x your chosen length.

A more recent make. A plain pillowcase jazzed up with some vintage linen bird appliques.

Sew down the folded part on each short side of the handles.  Then sew along the folded edge length-wise on each handle.  

Sew around the top of your bag.  Turn the bag inside out and on one side line up the sie seam on top of the centre bottom fold line.  This will give you a triangular shape. From the peak of the triangle mark down 3 inches and mark a straight line across.  Sew across the line twice for added strength.  Repeat the process for the other side of the bag.  Turn the bag inside out.  (You can miss out this bit if you want a simpler bag shape.)

A lovely spring-like butter-soft printed cotton pillowcase ended up as this bag.

Decide where you want to position the handles on your bag.  I usually put them about 4 inches in from each side, and pin the handles in place.  Check that the handles match up on each side and that they aren't twisted.  Attach the end of each handle to the body of the bag by sewing a rectangular shape around the edge of each one and then diagonally from one corner to another.  The transformation from pillowcase to bag is complete.

Please let me know if something is unclear or is a howling error.

If Winter's Here, Can Spring Be Far Behind?

These really cheerful British-grown daffodils were bought last Friday as tightly-furled buds.  Since then they have blossomed wonderfully, filling the hall with their breath-of-spring fragrance.

Somehow this winter seems to have lasted forever.  It started very early - the last week of October - and has just been unrelentingly miserable every since, cold, dark, wet days and, more recently, heavy snowfalls and ice.  I'm fed up with having to wear layers and layers of clothes and two pairs of socks just to keep warm indoors (and that's with the heating on too!!)  I think a lot of the problem, for me at least, is the fact that we've had no summer for the past two years either - and it's really beginning to tell now.  Three straight years of winter - by gum, I've had enough.

Anyway, with the hope that spring really may be just around the corner, I picked up these two pillowcases in the charity shop yesterday (50peach) to make some tote bags from.  The yellow one with water lilys on just shouts warm summer days to me.

For anyone in the UK who saw the Channel 4 programme 'Britain's Tightest Person', you might be interested to know that the lady who wore the boys underpants instead of knickers (as she claims they are much cheaper and better made) has started her own blog with loads of interesting money-saving ideas. 

Giveaway Monday - 3

Up for grabs this week is a little Cath Kidston zipped pouch.  This was originally given free with Easy Living magazine, and I was lured into buying the mag just to get hold of the pouch.  Somehow I never got round to using it and it resurfaced during my recent de-cluttering, so I thought I'd see if anybody here would like to make use of it instead.

It's clear plastic with a pink, blue and lemon floral pattern and a pink zip. The pouch measures approx. 7 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches and there is a 'Cath Kidston for Easy Living' label to one side.  Would make a great little make-up bag, a storage bag for embroidery thread or crochet hooks, or for carrying any small craft project around in.

Just leave a comment on this post to be entered into the draw for this little pouch.  The 'virtual hat' will pick a winner on Saturday 14th February.  It weighs practically nothing so I'm happy to post anywhere in the world.

And the Cranks Cook Book Goes To ....

Heather as she left comment number 6 - the number chosen by P whilst in his role as the 'virtual hat.'  Heather, I'll pop the book in the post to you on Monday. 

Stay tuned, as there's a very small Cath Kidston something as the Monday Giveaway next week.

Have You Seen the Price of Cards? - The B Side

I got to work on the dilapidated sewing book yesterday afternoon and cut out a few of the rather nice illustrations.

They do look 'quite' nice, but I think the paper is a bit too thin (probably utility paper) so you can see a faint outline of the printing on the back through the illustrations.

Some are worse than others, and I think I'll have to be more selective about what is on the reverse of the illustrations before I begin cutting them out and sticking them on card stock.

A rather pleasing find in the charity shop this morning - 3 x 20g balls (plus approx another 10g)  of kid mohair in a very pleasant raspberry shade.  No idea what I'll do with it but at £1.75 for the lot I wasn't going to leave it behind.

Have You Seen the Price of Cards These Days?

I've been getting rid of even more 'stuff' again - primarily books that have been removed from Amazon - as we had a charity sack come through the letterbox this week.  I can always find something for a charity that is prepared to take books.  If they won't take books then they get nothing from me, even if I've got other things to get rid of (this may be a petty attitude but I do get a tad annoyed when charities get picky about what they will or won't accept). 

Anyway, I came across a couple of books I'd kept back with the idea of making some cards from the illustrations.  As Mum had kindly given me some card blanks that were no good for her, I decided to actually get around to making them yesterday afternoon.  I found I had a very scary-looking craft knife that I'd picked up goodness knows where and although I couldn't find the small cutting board I've got I wasn't going to let that stop me, so I improvised by using a piece of thick cardboard.

I was quite pleased with the results.

The book had woodcut illustrations of a cat called Oscar with pithy quotes from Oscar Wilde underneath.

I did feel a bit like a vandal as I began ripping the book apart but that got easier the more I did it. 

Now I've got my eye on some of the lovely 1940s illustrations in a very dilapidated sewing book I picked up once.

Blog Reading - Not Just for Humans

Mum sent me over this lovely photo of Lily, mug of coffee near her paw, checking out her favourite blogs on the computer.

Lily (aka the high white half wit.  Don't ask, let's just say Lily may have been at the back of the queue when brains were being handed out) looks quite intelligent in this photo - which just goes to show that sometimes the camera does lie!!  She is extremely cute though and is very good at letting Mum know if there is someone at the door or if the phone is ringing (Mum being a little hard of hearing these days) which is why she is also sometimes known (among other things) as the 'hearing cat for the deaf.'

I'll Never Enjoy Washing Up

But, with a knitted dishcloth, it's certainly become less of a chore.  These blooming things are like magic, they really do cut through tea stains and general crud on dishes in the most amazing way.  Not only have I pretty much eliminated the need for a plastic washing-up brush, but I've also cut my consumption of Brillo pads considerably too.  Which is good because Brillo-type pads are now 89p for 20, and they only end up in landfill - along with the plastic washing-up brushes which I was getting through at the rate of knots.  Also, because I can chuck them in the washing machine when I've used them a couple of times (obviously not an option with a plastic washing-up brush), I find them much more hygienic.

I'd read about traditional dishcloths and how wonderful they were on other people's blogs, and had knitted quite a few for sale myself, but why I'd never tried using them is a mystery!!  I'm definitely a convert now - although I'm still going to get myself a dishwasher just as soon as we live somewhere with a big enough kitchen to instal one!

Giveaway Monday - 2

This week's Monday giveaway is this small hardback book 'Cranks Cakes & Biscuits' which was rescued from the Greenmetropolis cull.  For anyone who doesn't know the Cranks name, they are a small chain of wholefood restaurants.  There are all sorts of delicious-looking recipes in this book, including a triple layer orange gateau, sesame seed squares, marmalade cup cakes and rum and raisin tofu cake.  There are also traditional cake recipes, like a Christmas cake, Eccles cakes, gingerbread men and Bakewell slices.

If you'd like to be entered into the draw for the book, leave a comment on this post.  I'll draw a name from the 'virtual hat' on Saturday 7th February.  It's a small enough book for me to post anywhere in the world.

Now for the obligatory snow pictures.  Please bear with me, I know a few inches of snow are nothing to many areas of the Northern hemisphere at this time of the year, but here in the south of England this is quite an event.  In fact, the biggest fall of snow for 18 years.

 

 

I haven't heard any trains this morning so I'm presuming that they aren't running, there have only been half a dozen or so cars passing the house, and the only people who've ventured out on foot are the children in the road who are busy pelting each other with snowballs.  The snow continues to fall from a very leaden sky and looks set to keep on falling for some time to come.