Studio Tuesday - T-Shirt Pillow Tutorial

A while ago my friend Lauren asked me to give a new life to a shirt her daughter Ava had loved but outgrown. I suggested turning it into a pillow so she could have it to hug and hold onto and look pretty on her bed. When Sage was a baby I made him this pillow from a great big shirt I found at a yard sale:

I simply cut out the front and back, sewed around the edge, and stuffed it. Super easy. I also did one this summer with a Yo Gabba Gabba shirt I got signed for the kids at Comic-Con (blogged here).

Ava's favorite shirt was smaller though, so I did this pillow a little differently. Here's the shirt:

First, I cut out the cute part.

Next, I ironed some HeatnBond Lite to the back, trimmed it, and ironed the image onto gingham fabric.

Then I stitched some lace around the edge of the image with a zig-zag stitch.

Then I found some fabric to back it. . .

and sewed around the edge, leaving an opening at the bottom.

Lauren also gave me an old flat pillow she had, which I ripped open, de-stuffed and and refluffed. When you're not making a project to sell, this is a great way to recycle old pillows. (Note to kokoleo personalized commission customers - I always use new stuffing for your projects.)

Then I turned the empty pillow inside out and stuffed it with the newly fluffed stuffing

Then I stitched up the opening at the botttom. Viola!

Ava's once-favorite shirt can now be her new favorite pillow.

Studio Tuesday - I love my magnets.

These aren't in my studio, they're in Erik's, which is really the garage. Or it was the garage, but it's currently crowded with an easel and paintings. These are the cabinets that hold garage-type stuff - the cleaners, scrubbers, sponges, buckets, etc. The magnets used to be on the fridge in our kitchen, but it was getting to be too much. I like them better on this.

In 1998, the summer after I graduated from college and before we moved to Savannah, Erik and Koko and I drove across the country and back in my Chevy Lumina. It took us 4 weeks and we didn't stay in any place more than one night. I made it a point to get one of those state-shaped magnets (that actually don't fit together at all) in every state we went through, plus some from places along the way. We've added to them since that trip and that's become my thing on vacations - to find the perfect magnet to remember it.

There's another cabinet beside that one. That's where we put all the weird stickers we get.

It's a work in progress.

Yo Pillow Pillow!

My favorite part about Comic-Con this year was when I got a t-shirt signed by DJ Lance Rock of Yo Gabba Gabba fame, as well as Erin Pearce, the voice of Toodee and inside of Brobee.

I lucked into a place near the front of the line at the Nickolodeon booth and then waited for an hour for my turn. I didn't mind though. The kids were safe and happy upstairs in "Comic-Con Kids Camp" and Erik was wandering around the expo floor doing his own thing. It was actually pretty Zen to just stand and stare at all the freaks and not have to corral any kidlets or get caught up in the crush of crazy comic book fans jockeying for the coolest freebie. When I got to the table and introduced myself, DJ Lance remembered me right away from oldskool Felt Clubs we did together years ago. That was nice. He's famous now! And rightly so. Yo Gabba Gabba rocks. I predict cult status in the future, if it hasn't happened already.

I asked him to make it out to Sage and McKenna, his #1 fans.

Sweet! I knew exactly what I was going to do with it when I got home. Fast forward a few days. . .

First, I cut out the important parts. . . (It's kind of hard to tell what it is at first glance, but it's his hat, glasses, and collar - you just have to imagine the rest.). . .

Then I stitched them all together, stuffed it generously, and turned it into a pillow (the perfect shape for hugging, I might add).

I also added "Yo Gabba Gabba" on the back.

Now whenever the show comes on they can get out their pillow and dance with their very own DJ Lance.

Break it down!

Retro Wednesday - For the Little People

I know I've shown our Little People village before, but tonight I gave them a sky.

I wasn't happy with the way the wall used to look behind these toys. There were cords hanging down and this ugly thing

which regulates our sprinkler. When I found that cloud print fabric I knew what I wanted to turn it into a backdrop. I measured, cut, and stitched them to fit and inserted some tension rods to hold them in place.
Much better. The kids love this area and it's nice to finally have a space for them in my studio. A collector would gasp to see how hard they are on these rare and precious toys. I don't mind. That's what toys are for, right? These particular ones have logged hours of multi-generational enjoyment. There's a grain silo that goes with the barn, but the last time I saw it Sage had packed it full of Little People and was and was flying them around the house on a "rocket ship field trip". I can't wait for them to return and see their nice new sky.

Studio Tuesday - Hiding under the table.

There it is, the holy sewing trinity (although the middle one has been acting a bit hellish lately). I attached those curtains to my tables with adhesive velcro this weekend. It was a little obnoxious at first but I've gotten used to it. I just wasn't digging all my underthings being exposed for all the world to see. There seems to be an orange theme in the room and I happened to have a ton of this orange polka dot fabric (from this yard sale), so I went a little crazy with it. I still might bring it all the way around that table to the left. That, or take it off the side altogether. Having them up helps deter curious babies from getting into things she shouldn't - like drawers of zippers, bias tape, ribbon and yarn, and bins of neckties, pillow forms, dead bodies, and fabric scraps. What?

Studio Tuesday - What's with the lattice?

You may have noticed the intrusion of lattice behind my work recently. It's not my favorite design solution, but it works for now. The walls of this sunporch are thin and I was told not to try to hang anything on them. Bare white walls make me uncomfortable so I picked up this large piece of lattice at the hardware store to cover it up. It keeps changing depending on what I'm working on at the time and makes for a nice inspiration trellis.

The Raggedy Anne and Andy in the right hand corner used to hang on burlap banners in my childhood bedroom. They're much happier now that I freed them from their burlap and now they're just standing there waiting for me to attach them to something better.

The monster to the left is a stick puppet I made a while ago and stuck up there one night. He looks down at me with that big goofy grin as if to say, "Hey there crafty lady, whatcha gonna make today?"

Studio Tuesday - New life for an old thing.

Some of you may have been following the wardrobe saga (parts one and two). Well here, ladies and gentleman, is the end result. I spent two weeks working on it when I could - sanding, puttying, screwing and unscrewing, priming and painting. I probably could have put together 3 Ikea wardrobes in that time, but they still wouldn't have been as nice as this one. There's something very gratifying in restoring a piece of furniture.

I even painted the inside:

and covered the doors and drawers with contact paper.


The top seemed like a nice place to display my vintage luggage (filled with vintage needlepoint and embroidery pieces, quilt tops, etc.)

The cubby became my kokoleo office and now houses all my business info, tags, mailing labels, etc. The drawer below it is the packaging station full of envelopes, tissue paper, stationary, etc.

There's this odd square supporting a little shelf in the cubby. I hired this guy to oversee the place:

Drawer #2 holds a bunch of ladies shirts to be altered or embellished and the drawer below it holds toddler shirts. Surprisingly, these deep narrow drawers hold way more than the wide and shallow dresser drawers I had before.

The bottom drawer holds the miscellaneous - purse parts, tools, hats, bags, etc.

The closet:

There. Now I can move on. Mission accomplished. Wardrobe acquired. One little aspect of my life is organized. Hmmm, what should I obsess over next?

Studio Tuesday - The Clocktower

I got this tower at Target because it fit perfectly in this little space by the door. I even built it myself and screwed it to the wall. It makes a good bookcase/storage unit. The clock on top came from Ikea's clearance section ($10!). I like how it makes the whole unit look like a funky grandfather clock.

The cabinet hides a bunch of random whatnots:

Closeup of the shelves:

That "Musical Machine" plays the most annoying music ever. Naturally, Sage loves it. I haven't actually figured out how to thread it but he doesn't care. He likes to"make Braille" and watch the needle punch holes in paper.

That tin holds all my embroidery floss. I'm telling you this so I will remember it. I put them all in there a while ago and then when I needed some I completely forgot where I put them. I searched forever, gave up, and then found them days later. They're hidden in plain view.

That little pitcher is the perfect water dispenser for my iron. It holds the right amount and looks pretty too, unlike an unsightly water bottle which I'd been using for years.

I didn't even realize that the clock opened up until I got it home. The wooden boxes hold my kokoleo clothing labels and the tins hold special buttons.

Now, next time I forget where any of these things are, I'll just come read this blog.

Studio Tuesday - Vintage it is.

It's not really a picture of my studio, it's a picture of something sitting outside my studio waiting to go in:
After much deliberation and weighing the feedback many of you offered, I went and got the vintage one. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Maybe it was the ghosts inside beckoning me, but I have a feeling they're good ghosts and I'm going to put them to work in my sweatshop. The guy gave it to me for $60 too. Sweet! Now I just have to fix it up a little. Still, it's better than having to assemble the Ikea one, and this one is solid. I think it landed in my path for a reason.

I was talking to Erik's mom (hi there!) on the phone the other day and she said it reminded her of the one Erik had growing up, which now resides in Sage's room:

They bought it used nearly 40 years ago. With a little TLC every decade or so, wardrobes like these hold up quite nicely. Ikea stuff? Not so much.

Studio Tuesday

So, I've decided for this here blog that I'm going to try to make Tuesdays "Studio Tuesdays" where I show pictures of my bathroom. Just kidding! I'm going to show pictures of my studio - table tops, inspiration boards, works in progress, etc. I think it'll be interesting to see how this room evolves over time.

I'm really loving my new space, mainly because there's actually space to walk around. Storage is the only thing I've struggled with but once I get a wardrobe I'll be 100% content. So far I've been getting by with this dresser:


but it's not working for me. I need a closet with a clothing rack to hang my kokoleo ladies and guys clothes. Plus, I want to fix this dresser up and give it to McKenna, who up until now has been living with cheapy plastic drawers. It's about time the girl gets something a little more substantial. Same goes for me. I've been coveting this one for months at Ikea:


It's $299 and I was planning on getting it when that George W. Bush I'm-sorry-for-being-such-a-sucky-president check comes in. Last week, however, I got all excited to find someone selling it on Craigslist for $99. I immediately called her and told her I wanted it and I could come right away to get it. The lady asked, "Are you positive you want it?" and I said yes, absolutely. She then said, "Okay, you can come on Sunday to look at it." On Saturday I called to make sure we were still on to come pick it up and she informed me that she had "over 50 people" interested in it but I was one of the "top 3" she had chosen and How much was it worth to me to get it? Long story short, I didn't end up being the "chosen one" and now just looking at the wardrobe brings up bad feelings for me. People like her give Craigslist a bad name.

(I considered titling this blog post The Lying Bitch and the Wardrobe, but I resisted.)

Aaanyway, the other day I saw this outside our neighborhood thrift store.


Not bad. Not awesome either. The closet part is a little cramped, one drawer has a chip out of the corner, and the inside felt a wee bit haunted.


Erik said I could easily fix the flaws, paint it, and air all the ghosties out. For only $75, it might be worth it.

What do you think? Should I hold out for the nice sleek $300 Ikea one that we have to put together? Or should I get the used vintage slightly flawed $75 one that needs some fresh paint and possibly an exorcism? Please, help me decide!

Made by Monday - things that are bright, and dark.

I've been having fun playing around with the patchwork stars I got the other week. I made these two sundresses (12 months and 3T) and I've also been experimenting with turning some of the stars into brooches and barrettes.

I finished up a Raggedy Ann sundress (12 months).

and then, because I was tired of doing bright and dainty things, I did some dark and skully ones:

I made that brown leopard skully shirt (4T) and another checkered/cammo one (5T) which Sage promptly claimed for his own. He found it in my studio and picked it up and said, "Wow, I sure would like something like this. Hey, it's my size! Can I have it mom?" I couldn't deny my #1 fan.

For my studio, I made this:
Which is just a board propped against the corner to hold all my spools, but more importantly, its a solution to the where-to-hang-my-thread? problem. Also, I hemmed and hung these curtains on the doors:

They originally hung in my sewing room in Bedington (3 studios ago) and have been in storage ever since. I also made my hair bright red this week.

or part of it, at least. The back is still blond. I figure since I'm not teaching anymore I have no reason to look normal. Watch out! I'm a wild and kerrazy red-headed housewife!