Lesson Five: How to Make a Halloween Pillowcase and Ghost

The excitement for holidays starts with my kids. So, I made my 3 year-old this pillowcase. His friend came over while I was making this ghost and his friend HAD to have one. They played with them all afternoon. Super easy and super fun (and cheap). We will be using the pillow case on Halloween to collect candy. Fun!

What you will need:
1/3 yd white felt
scraps of black felt
batting for stuffing (I used 1/3 of a 12 oz bag for each ghost)
Cut:
2- 9 x 15" rectangles
3- ovals out of the black fabric

Fold rectangle in half. Start 5" down the long side and cut a rounded edge to the center. Use this rectangle as a pattern for the other rectangle.

Place rounded rectangles on top of each other and zigzag the bottoms.

Pin the eyes and mouth on and sew around them.

Sew around the edges using a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave a 2-3" opening, then put the batting in (make sure the batting goes all the way into the zigzag at the bottom).

Now for the Pillowcase:

What you will need:

2/3 yd main fabric (24 inches)

1/3 yd coordinating fabric (10 inches- you'll have a little left over)

Cut:

1- 24 x 45" piece for main fabric

1- 4 x 45" piece out of coordinating fabric

1- 6 x 45" strip for triangles, then cut into 6- 6 x 6" squares and then cut those squares in half to make 12 triangles.

With right sides together sew the coordinating 4 x 45" strip onto the main fabric using 1/4" seam allowance. Press. Then finish the coordinating fabric raw edge by folding under 1/4" and pressing and fold under 1/4" and press again. Then sew along the folded edge.

With right sides together, sew two triangles together along two short sides, leaving the long side open to turn. Repeat for other five triangles. Turn right side out and press. You will have a small portion of the seam sticking out at the open long edge, trim.

Starting 1" from the edge, pin triangles across the top finished edge , over lapping corners a little. Sew triangles to pillowcase.

Fold fabric in half with right sides together. Using a 1" seam allwance sew the side and bottom. Turn right side out and press, then impress your little ones! They will love it.

Flower Bag

The flower ruffle is one of the easiest techniques to add personality to anything. This is my new church bag.

What you need:

2- 17x14" rectangles for main bag fabric

1- 11 x 14" rectangle for inside pocket (When cutting the 17 x 14" rectangle, you should have this amount left)

2- 17 x 14" rectangles lining fabric

3- 6 x 45" strips for ruffles (cut one of these strips into one 12 x 6" and one 33 x 6")

1- 4 x 45" for strap

Total Fabric Requirements:

1/2 yd outside bag fabric (you only need 14" so you will have some extra)

1 yd of lining fabric

Fold the four 6" strips in half and press. Then gather all four pressed pieces. Want to know the easy way to gather? (This is my favorite sewing secret.) Take a piece of string and place it on the raw edge of the fabric. Zigzag stitch across the string the length of the fabric.

Hold one end of the string and pull the other. (Simple right!)

Start making the flower by pinning one gathered 45" strip in a spiral. When pinning, fold under the beginning and end of the strip so that raw edges are hidden.

When you use one strip of fabric, start using the other 45" strip to spiral. Use the 12" piece to make the center of the flower.

Pin the 33" gathered piece onto the other outside bag fabric and sew using 1/2" seam allowance.

With right sides together, sew outside of bag together along the three edges leaving the top open using 1/2" seam allowance.

With right sides together, fold the pocket in half. Sew all three sides leaving a 2" opening to turn right side out. Turn and press. Pin on the inside of bag piece of fabric and sew along three edges, leaving top of pocket open.

Sew the lining of the bag together along the three edges, leaving a three inch opening at the bottom. Make straps by folding the 4 x 45" strip in half, wrong sides together, and sewing closed one short side and the long side using 1/4" seam allowance. Turn strap inside out placing sewn short side over a pencil and pulling fabric down, turning it inside out. Press. Top stitch along both long edges and pin to the outside of bag.

Place the outside of the bag into the lining of bag with right sides together. Sew lining to the outside of bag along the open edge using a 5/8" seam allowance. Pull the outside of bag through the hole left in the lining. Sew opening closed. Press and top stitch around the opening of the bag.

I would love to see your finished bags! Head on over to facebook and post them.

Lesson Three: Pleated Ruffle Pillow

Ready to get sewing!

I really needed a pillow like this in my life. Very simple, yet stunning. This is approximately 11"x 17". I used 1/3 yd of 72" felt. Felt is on sale at JoAnn's right now for $3 a yard and their batting is on sale too. I made this pillow for $4 ($1 for fabric and $3 for batting) and it only took an hour.


You will need
two 12"x18" pieces of felt
five 1.5"x54" pieces of felt (you will have a little extra)
small bag of batting
pins
scissors
matching thread

Starting 3" from one 12" side start making your pleats by pinning one end to the fabric and fold back over itself about 3/4" and pinning. Continue folding and pinning straight down the fabric. Repeat for the rest of the strips leaving 1.5-2" in between each row.


Trim excess strips of fabric.

Sew down the middle of each ruffle. Take out all the pins.

With right sides together using 1/2" seam allowance, sew front (with the ruffles) to the back leaving a 4" opening on the side to turn right side out. Hint: it is best when leaving a side open to not leave a corner open because it is harder to close a corner. Leave 4" open in the middle of a side.

Turn right side out making sure corners are completely turned. Stuff batting inside until the pillow is all the way full. Close the end by handstitching it closed or you can do what I do and use fabric glue.

You did it!