Thursday 11 December 2014

Need some stuffing

Hello. Thank you all for your responses yesterday, it made for some interesting reading. I see there are some new people visiting, forgive me for not welcoming you earlier. I do take note of what is happening on my sidebar, honestly. I'll go and have a look at your blogs as soon as I've finished this. 
I have made a couple of cushion covers out of men's shirts, started at college, finished at home, but I don't have any cushions for them. The easy way would be to go to a cheapo shop and spend a couple of quid and buy them, but you know me, have I got anything in the house that would do the job? Yep, surely have. A garden recliner that I just don't recline on any more. The frame is metal with some elasticated panels, and is not comfy at all. Must be some stuffing inside the cushions. Let's have a look. The fabric is faded anyway, so it looks a bit dull.
Aha, lots of foam crumbs. Just the jobby, now I need to get a big bag and empty it all out.

Turn my back for a minute and a cat takes up residence. Ha ha.

Once it was emptied I discovered that the inside is still quite colourful. I shall remove the plain backing and this will come in useful for another project. 
Remember this cover, the photo's I took previously turned out a strange colour. Yes, it is blue, now with a cushion inside. Barry gave it to me as a shirt, now he has it back as a cushion.  
I bought a shirt from the Age UK shop for £1, to make the second cover. This one didn't have pockets which makes the job a lot easier. I suppose you could leave the pockets in place, but they would be on the back of the cushion, and as you have to cut the shirt across the width just under the armpits the pockets would get in the way. If you are going to do this choose a shirt without pockets. Doesn't matter if it has short sleeves or long sleeves. 
I'm not sure that sewing a lot of buttons on a cushion cover is a good idea, it might be a bit uncomfortable against your back. I think this one is more for decoration purposes, it's pretty but not very practical. 

You know me and rooting in bins, ha ha. There is a big one in the sewing room at college. Look what I found. One of the students is making a fancy dress costume. This will come in useful.
They have been making pompoms, I'll have the offcuts, thank you very much.

This week the teacher showed me how to make a corsage out of teeshirts. There was only me who wanted to know, everyone else was doing their own thing. Two ways, you can cut circles in different colours and different sizes, and layer them with a button holding it together. Or cut long strips, fold in half lengthways and cut into the open edge all along the length, then roll it up like a catherine wheel in a box of licorice allsorts.

Sew a pin on the back, if you want to fasten it onto your clothes.

What did I have for lunch yesterday? Salad, ha ha. A big plateful. I ate the whole tub of  lentil and bean salad. They put it in a big plastic container to make you think you are getting a lot, but the container is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and it is only half full. The cost of it is £2.15. Even if I split it in half over two meals, it would still take the cost of the meal over my limit of £1. Glad I only paid 1p for it. 
For dinner yesterday I made a pan full of veg curry stew with the chopped onions, potatoes, and carrots. I ate one portion last night, froze two portions, and had the last portion for lunch today. Tonight I have had another salad, instead of lettuce I had the spinach, and in the middle I had potato salad. Boy was it lovely. My pee is now red with all the beetroot.

It's very cold and windy here. I am treating us to a bit of heat. Bugsy gets a hot water bottle underneath the duvet, he is camped out on the bed. I am working on an idea for another picture. I fancy making some cording, where you cut long lengths of fabric, twist it, and machine over it with a zigzag stitch to hold it together. Then sew it onto a canvas. Never tried it before, should be interesting.

Must go, I've got a cat still out, need to go and look for her.
Toodle pip.

10 comments:

  1. Hi can I ask do you use a pom pom maker tool?

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    1. Hi. I don't normally make pom poms, but if I did I would cut two circles of cardboard with a hole in the middle, like a polo mint, and use that. I wouldn't buy a tool, no need.

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  2. Hi Iiona, We used to make pom poms at school.... with the circles of cardboard just as you described..... I remember winding and winding the wool on the bus ride home! Love beetroot....fresh, not so much the tinned stuff. I also employ the "what have I got around the house, shed, yard that I can use?" method when making things. Have discovered quilting recently... can't really sew but I can cut and do straight lines.... so quilting suits fine. Needless to say scrap quilting, crumb quilting and using recycled fabric are my favourites. I make soup... lovingly called "scrap soup" here... and we have a phrase "put it in the soup!" for any small bits of leftovers. I freeze the bits and then create a tasty, cheap and filling pot of "free " soup. Enjoy your day.
    Cheers, Jo

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  3. It seems to me that what you pay for your food must barely cover what the store pays for the packaging. Good for you!

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  4. Love the heart cushion! Artistic dinner too...you'd pay a fortune for that in a posh cafe (or not!)

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  5. I love the striped pillow with the buttons!

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  6. Ha ha Ilona I had a massive salad for dinner last night and ate tons of beetroot, had the same effect on my wee too - too much information ??? :)
    Twiggy x

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  7. I love the striped pillow, and the flowers!
    thanks for sharing!

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  8. The pillows are really nice and the buttons add texture and a bohemian vibe,I think.Good idea.Oh that salad is calling my name-love beets.It's been a cold blustery snowy day here and our wood fireplace is being used regularly now.Here in Canada the central heating needs to be on regularly especially in the wee hours of the night otherwise the pipes would freeze.Our beautiful, long cold winters can make home heating costs very expensive.Have a good one, Destemona

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  9. Looks like kitty might be making a mess!

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