365 Days Handmade

Making life a better place, one day at a time

Tag Archives: sewing


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Day 291/365: Simple Little Pocket Bag

The other day, one of my co-workers asked me if I could sew a small bag for her.  She showed me a piece of paper that she’d cut and folded in half.  “Like this, like a little pocket,” she said.

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I took the paper home and today I made the little bag for her.  It actually took me two tries; the first one came out a lot smaller and I forgot to fold the hem under twice.  On my second try, I made sure to add an inch when I cut the fabric, along with a couple other changes.  The finished pocket turned out a lot better than I expected.  Hopefully, my co-worker will think so, too.

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Day 262/365: Parasol Print Cotton Luncheon Napkins

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Ever since I took a fabric napkin sewing class back in November, Sean and I have completely stopped using paper napkins.  Cotton napkins are so much more nicer.  They’re not that complicated to make, either.

You wash, dry, press, and cut your fabric into 17″ by 17″ squares.  Then you press the hems.

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You mark the corners where you would miter them…

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…sew and snip…

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Press the mitered corners and tuck the hems under…

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…sew the borders, and you’re done!

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Day 220/365: Vintage Campers Pink Cocktail Napkins

I spent most of today cleaning the house and running errands, and then Sean and I drove down from Morro Bay to Ventura this afternoon.  I did make some time to whip up three cocktail napkins, though.

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This was a fairly quick project and a very satisfying way to use up a fabric remnant.

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It’s also a fun way to enjoy a plain old glass of unsweetened iced tea.

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Day 217/365: Blue-Green Flowered Print Dinner Napkins, Completed

This particular fabric had a cool name, but I don’t remember it. I do remember that the remnant roll consisted of 1.22 yards, enough to make four dinner-sized napkins.  Each one is approximately 18″ x 18″.  I would have staged a better photo with a plate of food or some delicious-looking edible thing to go along with the napkins, except there’s nothing photogenic in the refrigerator right now.  A slice of key lime pie would have looked beautiful next to one of these napkins.

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Day 216/365: The Start of a Fabric Napkin Phase

This past Christmas, Sean gave me a gift card to spend at Superbuzzy, my favorite local independent fabric shop in Ventura.  Unfortunately, for one reason or another, I wasn’t able to get to the store to spend my gift card, and it was burning a hole in my wallet.  So finally, while we were down in Ventura this weekend, I made time to go to the store.  I spent an hour browsing while Sean read a book in the Husband Waiting Area, where there is a sofa and coffee table for that reason.  I chose two yards of cute Japanese fabric and a handful of remnant rolls.  Since I’ve been on a sewing kick lately, I thought I would turn those remnants into assorted sizes of napkins (cocktail, luncheon, and dinner).

After washing, drying, and pressing the fabric, I got to measuring and slicing with my trusty blue Olfa rotary cutter.  Now I’ve got a pile of squares ready to be transformed into the best reusable napkins you could have on your dining table.

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Day 214/365: Set of 3 Quilted Placemats, Completed

8.2.2015

We got back to Morro Bay this afternoon and I finished sewing the binding to the third placemat in the set of three that I’d been making for my cousin.

Here is a view of their backsides:

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Reversible!

This was a fun little project and a good way to use up scrap fabric.  I’ve been enjoying the sewing and quilting process.  Now I’m thinking of sewing more napkins or making a quilted table runner.

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Day 208/365: Quilted Patchwork Placemat #1, Completed

Remember the nine-patch blocks that I sewed last weekend, and the quilted placemat that was just waiting for me to hand-sew the binding in place?

So I finally got around to doing that.

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Hooray! It’s done!

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And it’s reversible!

I also spent some time today going through the fabric stash and slicing, pressing, and sewing together binding strips for the other two placemats that I am making for my cousin.  I plan to work on them a little at a time this week, so they should be done in a few days.