Case Closed: How to Sew a Zippered Pillow.

Apparently, being sick for 11 days wasn’t enough for my body. Oh, no. I just had to pick up the same cold/allergy issues again just a week later. Although I have a bunch of projects that I already started, I decided to pick up yet another. This time, one that I can do sitting down while sick. I bought this fabric a while back, waiting for downtime to get it done. A lazy Saturday night is as good a time as ever!

Supply wise, grab some matching thread, a tape measurer (or if you’re real fancy, an actual measuring board), scissors, matching zipper, pillow form and fabric. When I buy my fabric, I usually just stick with even 1 yard. Since I was making two 20” pillows, I got 2 yards of the zebra print. As for the zipper, just grab one that’s slightly longer than your pillow form measurement.

If you’re shorter than 5 foot like I am, use the pillow form as a booster seat to allow for optimal sewing views.

Measuring the fabric has been a lot of trial and error for me. Since I’m too impatient to Google it, I’ve found measuring the width of the fabric a half inch LESS than the measurements listed on the pillow form bag makes a nice snug case (this includes the 3/4 inch seam allowance). When you measure, use the natural crease of the fabric from the bolsters as your fourth side, and cut the other 3.

After you’ve cut your three sides, flip the fabric so it’s right sides together and pin the two sides leaving the top open for the zipper.

Now to pin the zipper. Lay the zipper face down and pin the edge of the zipper to the RIGHT side of the fabric. Repeat for the other side.

Set your machine to straight stitch. I use the longer setting, that has a nice tight stitch. Make sure your supervisor is content with your work ethic.

I hope your supervisor is as friendly as mine is. Now you can start sewing. Sew the zipper down first. I find the perfect stitch for the zipper portion is when you line the edges of the zipper with the edges of your foot (see how the thread lands right in the middle?). This leaves just the right amount of room for the zipper to move freely without ever catching. Then sew the two sides of your fabric so the stitch creates a stopping point for your zipper.

Just don’t leave your seat unattended while you take pictures for too long. Move your feet, lose your seat!

Then you simply turn your case inside out, stuff your form inside, zip it up, and enjoy… er, let your cat enjoy your hard work.

Each case, if done properly, takes about 20 minutes. It would probably take less time if I weren’t a perfectionist. Or stop every few minutes to pet my helpers.

Tutorial Tuesday: How to Wrap the Perfect Present!

Or as my old sweatshirt said, Yo Santa, Wrap it Up!:

I’ve been wrapping presents for so many years that I’ve gotten this jazz down to a science. The hardest part will be explaining it. Cause it’s hard to cop skills, you know? I’ve always been a creative one, always scoping out projects to work on. So it comes as no surprise that I would love to wrap presents. Nor should it be news that I love making them pretty, and fixing them up way more extravagant than necessary for something that will be ripped to shreds faster than you can say Merry Christm. Mhm. So I’ll try my hardest to help you wrap your thoughtful somethings to make the outside look just as nice as the contents inside.

Here goes nothing! Step One: turn on Christmas music or a Christmas movie, and pour a glass of wine.

Then place your present on the wrapping paper, front of your gift facing the ground. Pull the end of the wrapping paper roll up to the top of the present about 1/3 of the way across and tape in place. Pull the roll of paper up and over your taped end and make a fold or cut where it crosses over the taped edge to mark where to cut. Then cut all the way across your paper.

Pull your new cut end over the taped edge.

Tape the paper in place.

Here’s where it’s a little harder to explain. Pick an end of the present to start on, and press the end of the paper down to the bottom of your package. See where I have that flap in the middle fold where the paper doesn’t perfectly line the bottom of the present? Press your paper down to crease it like I did then pull the paper back out and just cut a straight line across your crease and around your entire end if it’s uneven. Press the paper back down so it should show a perfect white square on the floor/table and make a crease down each side like shown.

Take the right creased side and fold it down towards the center and press it down to a crease. Repeat on the left side.

If you have anything hanging off the edge of your perfect triangle, like I did, fold it over out of view. No one will be the wiser.

Then fold your end up and tape in place. Repeat on the other side. You have now, hopefully, wrapped a present with paper.

Now onto the ribbon:

Cut a really long piece of ribbon. As long as you want since whatever excess you have can be curled. Using the halfway point of your cut as the center, wrap the ribbon around the BACK of the present then bring it to the front and cross your left side over your right to make an X.

Now pull your NEW left side up, and your NEW right side down. They should now be crossed over like a tie. Tie a knot and feed one of the ends behind your knot and tie again. Just do what you can to make it secure.

Then simply curl your ribbons with the blade of your scissors and tie more on if you’d like for fullness.

If you want, you can cheat your way through all that ribbon mess and tape the end of your ribbon to the back, wrap the ribbon around the front and tape it, then go back around the front and tape it in the back again. Then plop on a premade bow or just add curled ribbon to the front.

Or if you’re like me, add some flair of the alcoholic persuasion. What? It matched the ribbon! ;)

If this was too confusing, PLEASE let me know. I may make a video to make it a little easier to comprehend! Hopefully next Tutorial Tuesday will be easier, and not done at 11:41 pm Tuesday!

Inspiration= 5 Minute Fabulous Bracelet.

I was going through my monthly pile of magazines my mom brings over that she's finished with, when a necklace caught my eye. Then I saw it was at Target! But I wasn't won over by the pricetag of $30. What can I say, I'm cheap. So I decided to make one from my own supplies.

Here's the inspiration. I thought about making out a ribbon necklace like this, but I have way too many necklaces, and pearls are my everyday staple anyhow:

So I ran upstairs and grabbed some of my supplies. We just cleaned up the attic and I saved a few things that could be reworked into new projects. Of them, was an obvious fake engagement ring (I have a growing collection of them, I'm at 4 now) and a plain silver bracelet that I actually sized to my little wrist about 6 (!!!) years ago and never did anything with it. I also had quite a bit of ribbon left over that was used on our wedding favors. I grabbed two pliers to open up the chains, and scissors to cut the ribbon:

And I came up with this. It's edgier, which is more me:

I know the end result isn't much like the original, but I love it.

Painting Tips

We've been doing a LOT of updates. Which means we have quite a bit of practice, and have learned some tips and tricks along the way. I finally thought to document some helpful hints to get the job done with just a few important tools (some do double duty!).

So you decide you just HAVE to repaint that room AGAIN! Well, that's always my favorite phrase every few months. But I was brainwashed enough by commercials to finally try the Behr Paint+Primer:

And I loved it! I first tried it on my former black trim. I turned it from black to white with ONE coat. ONE!!! I ended up going back over it again in some spots that I realized I was a little light on. But really, one?! So I decided to just go ahead and spend the extra couple bucks to get it in my bathroom paint as well. I'm glad I did again. It's so nice and thick, and covers so well. It did take two coats because I went pretty dark and had a light color behind it, but it beats the pants off primering first.

But lets not forget prep work! I am really bad about this, not only do I hate dismantling, but I hate having so many tools in my way. Since we repainted the entire house before moving in, I had a real a-ha moment when I was opening up probably the 5th can of paint. I realized the tip of the paint can opener was the same size as the end of the flat head I used to take off the switch plate. Seeing where I'm going with this?

You guessed it. I was so happy to have just one less tool in tow. Also, when I was trying to remove this switch plate, I realized it was stuck, majorly, to the wall. Well, that handy dandy paint can opener comes to the rescue again!

Also, I've never understood why people waste SO much time taping off trim for edging. I always just use it for super tight corners only, such as around my bathroom fixtures. So when I went over to my moms to help her repaint her guest bedroom, she was actually shocked I didn't have tape with me! I introduced her to... dun dun dun:

Have you ever looked to the left of the paint counter at Home Depot and realized they have a sign that says "best" "better" and "good?" There really is a difference in quality depending on your brush. I'm sure some are thinking "well, duh Samantha." But you'd be surprised how MUCH better they are. I'm fond of the Purdy brand, it's never let me down. But I have NEVER needed painters tape once I discovered this heavenly brush. I can cut an edge almost perfect everytime, and my mom even became a pro at cutting the edges.

Painting is faster, easier, and better looking. So go for at least the "better," but it can't hurt to have the "best!" Be sure to wash out the brush when you're done until the water runs out clear. You don't want to waste such an expensive investment!

There's one thing I learned from the outrageous advertising efforts on Clean Sweep: Clorox cleaning wipes are good for cleaning up paint booboos on walls. If you accidentally drip on the baseboards when painting the walls, just wipe it off. It picks up the same as a wet washcloth, but it doesn't leave it wet like water would.

Now go get cracking on those (hopefully a little easier) painting projects!