LUDLOW QUILT AND SEW
Pillowcase Bag
Newsletter July 09
Make a pillowcase bag and sukodu board
Well August has been a busy month. Middle son Tom was about to start his first full time job so we managed a few days away in France before he went. It was my first attempt at driving on the right and not nearly as terrifying as I had expected!
Then the Shrewsbury Flower Festival which was as magnificent as ever. The colours and the smells were truly amazing and I came home determined to work harder in my garden. It has been said that if you are not sure what colours go together for your quilt, then take a look at nature and see what colours she puts together.
The one thing that I have realised over the summer is that you can never have too many bags. Even before the supermarkets stopped handing out so many plastic bags I had always preferred using my own. I hate the thought of paying for a reusable bag when it is so easy to make them. One of the easiest bags to make is from a pillowcase. It also makes a very quick and easy gift.Cut across the pillowcase 18" (460mm) from the bottom. This will be the bag itself. From the top of the pillowcase cut 4 strips 2" (50mm) wide.
These will be the straps. At the moment they are loops, so cut all 4 of them to 26" (660mm) lengths. Sew 2 strips together with right sides together and do the same with the other 2 strips. Turn them inside out to hide the seam and press. Sew a line of stitching close to each edge of the strip. For extra strength you can sew more lines down the middle of the straps.
Turn under a double hem at the top of the bag itself, pin and stitch in place. Depending on how much you think you might carry in the bag, it could be worth running a line of stitching across the bottom for extra strength.
Pin the straps to the inside of the bag, one on each side. I usually pin them about 4" (100mm) from the side of the bag. Check that the straps aren't twisted. Sew them in place with a zigzag square. Set the machine to full zigzag and stitch length 2. That's it - a new shopping bag made in very little time.
Another idea for a pillowcase is to make a drawstring bag (shown right). This is even quicker to make. Cut 18" from the bottom as before. Turn under a double hem at the top of the bag but this time make it a slightly bigger seam and lay a length of cord or ribbon inside the seam before you sew. Leave a gap of about 1" (25mm) unsewn for the cord to come out and tie a knot in the cord.
If you are wondering where all the pillowcases come from, they can be ones that I have ended up with that don't match any of the sheets or often I pick them up from jumble sales or charity shops. These are well worth having a look around.
I have picked up some amazing bargains - like this really pretty towel that I used as the backing for a bathmat, and there are often cotton items that I buy to use the fabric in a project. I've never actually measured it, but I am told that you can salvage over a yard of fabric from a man's shirt - and of course keep the buttons as well. They are bound to come in useful for something.
August is the time for days out and trips to the seaside. Do you have children, grandchildren (maybe your partner even!) who need amusing during long car trips? It's very easy to make games with felt - the bits stick to each other and are less likely to get lost. If any bits do get lost, you can always just cut another one.My favourite is a reversible noughts and crosses/sudoku board. I sew them back to back to make the board a little stronger - and there are less bits to get lost that way.
My boards are 12" by 9" (300mm by 225mm). They can be any size but mine happen to be that size because Hobbycraft has a special offer on multipacks of felt at the time of writing.
Take 2 pieces of felt and divide 1 into 3 sections across and down, and the other one into 4 sections across and down. Mark the lines with a pencil or fabric marker and sew along the lines in zigzag.
Then pin the 2 pieces of felt together and zigzag all round the edges.Take a 3rd piece of felt - a colour that will show up well on both the colours you have already used. Draw lines showing the height of the numbers that you want to make and draw the shapes of the numbers. You will need 4 each of numbers 1,2,3,4 and about half a dozen noughts and crosses. Cut them out and start to play.
I hope you have as much fun making these projects as much as I did.
The important point as always is to enjoy your sewing.
Best Wishes
Rose
rose@ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk
www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk