Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Pillowcases for days


Remember this assload of fabric waiting to be sewn into pillowcases? It sat on the dining room chair for months while I felt guilty because I'm the idiot that volunteered for the project but meanwhile doing everything but getting them sewn. Enough guilt already, the fabric needed to go away. I serged at least 70 pillowcases. Why the hell was I procrastinating? This is fast and easy, if not a little noisy.

Next, I turned under the open edge twice to sew border. As you know, ironing is key for crisp edges and consistent borders so the assembly line speed realllllly slowed down at this point.

Thinking a contrasting thread would be interesting; straight stitched.



The gingham fabric is a lower quality blend so it slips and slides, thus, straight stitch shows every inaccuracy. Zigzag is better and kinda cute.



After doing 10 or so, I realized I might need help. A couple chicks in my volunteer group offered to help months ago so I sucked up my pride and asked if their offer still stood. Of course! Yay, new sewing friends!!

Miss Sanford (remember her fabulous refinished bar?) took 25 pillowcases and then taunted me with phone photos of her fun stitches! She was having a blast with her fancy schmancy sewing machine's decorative stitches. Miss Sanford had never taken the time to try all the stitches and enjoyed seeing them stitched out on the pillowcases! It's a win, win. Take a look at just a few of her good time with gingham samples.



Duh! With 25 remaining instead of 70, I took Miss Sanford's lead and tried some decorative stitches myself.




I've said it before, I'll say it again:
Necessity is the mother(fucker) of invention.
One of my stitches totally chewed through the fabric, forcing me to cut it out from the presser foot. I trimmed the hole including the three layers of fabric but there wasn't enough fabric to refold the edge again. Bias tape to the rescue! Dang, wouldn't you know it? It was the very last pillowcase! AND the cutest of my batch!



Unable to stop, I experimented with tone-on-tone accent stitching on a white flannel sheet. Next time I'll try a wing needle. Have fun with your decorative stitches!

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