A Pair of Pillowcases

We use king size pillows, but we only have full size pillow cases. I decided to extend those to the needed length, and so went out and picked up quilt fabric to add to the pillow cases. I chose 'fat quarters' that JoAnn's has for sale and simply matched them to the pillow case I'd brought with me.

First I ironed the pillowcases inside out, making sure the seams were flat. Then I cut off the seam on the narrow end, where I will add my fabric.



I get the fabric and make sure it's folded so that I have enough length (it works one way, but not the other, due to the way it's cut). I iron it that way and then use my quilting supplies to trim it square.

I'm using french seams on this project, as I don't have a serger.

I hem one short end of the quilt fabric, creating a finished seam, and then turn it inside out.

The pillow I have right side out. The quilt fabric goes inside the pillow, right side facing in. I match up the seams - the side seam on the pillow with the short one on the quilt fabric. Next, sew down both long sides, starting from the seams and going down. Don't finish them, just stitch the pieces together. I leave the bottom (the long seam) open while I do these sides.

Once both sides are done, pull the quilt fabric out of the pillow and sew shut the open end of the quilt fabric. You want to make this seam just a bit longer, say 5/8", than the outside edge of the pillow. This is your seam allowance to finish the seam and hide the fabric edges.

Trim the extra fabric on all the seams down to about 1/8".

Turn the pillowcase inside out, and tuck the fabric quilt back inside the original pillowcase. Sew the seams from this side to create the french seam on the inside. The frayed edge of the fabric should be completely hidden inside the seam. When the side seams are done, pull the quilt fabric out again and finish the last seam.

Enjoy your new pillowcases!


Two pillowcase pairs I made this way. The crochet afghan was made for us by my mother.

Silly Me

I keep forgetting I can just post about what we're doing, even the 'normal' stuff. That was a bit of the idea, right? So, here we go.

One of the local stores had a Big sale on Strawberries, so I made more jam. I've now learned not to make jam from pureed strawberries - you can't tell where the foam stops and the jam starts. I now have foam above the jam, in all the jars. *sigh* Ah well. Lesson learned!

Nearly all the fabric is washed and ironed. I've got one shirt almost ready to sew, just need to cut out the sleeves. Most of my sewing right now is actually repairs - beads coming off a skirt, fixing small holes before they get bigger. Hopefully I will get to some of that this weekend.

There are piles of watermelon rind in the fridge. I've also got another watermelon on the table, and the market is tomorrow. I doubt I will process anything tonight, as the fridge is full and I'm tired. So, tomorrow perhaps.

I did get my stashes a bit better organized. Once we get that last bolt for the treadle the Sphinx is in, I'll be able to shut the table again. The Spinx has been on non-stop display for months, and while she is beautiful, I do also enjoy the 'smoothness' of everything being put away.

We did try a new recipe tonight - zucchini and yellow squash, half a red sweet bell pepper, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Italian seasoning, then steamed. Good, if perhaps a bit bland; I'll spice it up more next time (more seasoning may be all it needed; those were big squash!). Very colorful, and lovely on the plate.

Treadle Sewing

Treadles are wonderful - they move at a speed easier to control than the electrics, and make very neat stitches. My treadles are a 1907 Singer 66-1 Lotus and a 1934 Singer 127 with Sphinx decals (pictured). I'm also looking for a handcrank - as it won't be attached to a table like the others, that will be my portable machine.

The Lotus and the Sphinx are both in tables. When they are not in use, they can be folded down inside the table, which can be used as a hall table or desk. The one below holds the Lotus. I don't have any good pictures of mine; McKenna has some here at her site.

Sewing on the treadles is just relaxing. I enjoy listening to the sound of the treadle, and the vibrating shuttle on the Sphinx (she kind of 'chatters' as she sews). The machines are extremely durable - the maintenance is 'oil where indicated' at the given time frame, rather than 'bring in to maintenance shop every six to 12 months.' There are 100+ year old treadles still being used (and one is mine!), which is evidence enough of the quality that is built into them.

As far as attachments - they don't use the newer ones (something about the design means the new ones don't work), so you won't have, say, a zipper attachment. There are plenty, though; I have a half-dozen attachments for my Lotus and I'm missing a few. Sewing on the Sphinx, I must admit I really haven't missed them. Even the zipper went on fine.

Links:

TreadleOn - the best one-stop reference for caring for your treadle, or restoring it.

The Treadle Lady - good information, and she does a wonderful job of conveying her joy in these machines.

YouTube:

Singer 66 - Basic operation of the treadle machine, just showing you the machine as she's treadling.

Antique Sewing Machine Display - She's sewing on one, and the video also shows several others on display. A wide variety of machines, one pre-Civil War. Very interesting!