Snow Ruffle Pillow

from soyouthinkyourecrafty

this tutorial will give you the basics on how to create your "snow" ruffle.

here are the steps i used to create my ruffles.

first cut strips that will be your ruffles.

cut them at 1 inch width and the width of the fabric (usually 42 to 46 inches)

then cut them in half.

you will end up with two strips at 21 to 23 inches each by 1 inch.

next with your sewing machine set to a running stitch (largest stitch, mine is a 5)

sew all the way down and make sure you leave some thread at the ends.

take the end strings and lightly pull ONE thread , this will gather your fabric. if you pull too quickly or tug too hard on it, it might break the thread.

you should end up with your fabric looking like this.

do this to as many ruffled flowers you would like to have.

next to create the ruffled flower, start by taking one end and wrapping around it like so.

next you are going to hand sew your flower. with a needle you will go through from one side to the other, and back again. like the picture shown above. once you secure a few layers together, wind some more fabric around and continue the process of sewing through and securing a few layers at a time. your flower should stay formed once you are done winding all the fabric around, finish off your flower by tying a knot.

once your flower has been formed, you will want to secure it to your pillow top. this can be any size you desire. mine was roughly 14 by 10 inches for the small one and 15 by 15 inches for the large square one.

to secure your ruffled flower i started in the middle of each flower and hand sewed each one of them on, in the desired spot i wanted.

this is the picture of the larger pillow top. if you'd like to you could always secure it even more by hot glue-ing your already hand sewn on ruffles (i have three boys can you tell i have had somethings destroyed if i don't re-enforce things?)

once you have the design done and sewn on your pillow top. cut out the same size and shape for the back.

with right sides together, sew all four sides using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving a hole at the bottom of your pillow.

pull inside out, stuff with poly fill and hand stitch closed.

here's what i did to create the "snow drift" if you will. make a wave and add a few extra flowers where the arrows are.

and there you have it! one super ruffly snow pillow. what design will you make?


come visit me at V and Co for more ideas and tutorials! thanks!!!! ;

Rollie Pollies

I love this wanna be luv sac for little kids! So cute!

from soyouthinkyourecrafty

Looking for hours of entertainment?

Meet, The Rollie Pollie:
It's a chair, it's a toy, it's your favorite pillow.

Made of durable cotton twill or soft vinyl, each bag is actually a slip cover (with another Rollie Pollie inside) then filled with mounds and mounds of soft cluster stuffing. So if it gets dirty, just zip it off and throw it in the wash. And with a handle on top, it's easy to toss around. Ready for a pillow fight? We'll let dad referee.

This is a MINI-Tutorial for the Rollie Pollie, showing the basics of how to make one.

The Full, Detailed pattern can be found at the MADE SHOP.
The detailed pattern includes: Tons of info about Fabric selection, sewing with zippers, where to buy the right filling for your Rollie Pollie, How-to make an Insert Rollie Pollie and a slip-cover to go over it (easy to wash), and TWO different sizes of Pattern Pieces, which can be printed right on your home printer!
In this mini-tutorial, we'll show you how to make the Insert Rollie Pollie.
Okay, let's get started!
The Rollie Pollie is made of two pattern pieces (shown in the drawing below). You will need FOUR of the SIDE pieces, and TWO of the Top and Bottom circles. If you'd like to add a handle, cut a rectangle about 1-inch longer than the circumference of your circle piece and about 3 inches wide.
If you want to make a slip-covered Rollie Pollie (by adding a zipper), you will need to make ONE of the SIDE pieces, 1-inch wider in the middle to accommodate the extra zipper seam.

Create your pattern pieces on a large piece of paper or on a piece of junk fabric. Then with a fabric Marker or Sharpie, trace your pattern pieces on to your fabric. Depending on your pattern size and the width of your fabric, you will need anywhere from 2-4 yards of fabric. For the insert Rollie Pollie, it's best to use white fabric (so it doesn't show through the outside slip cover). Twill and heavier cottons work best:
Once your pieces are cut out, place two of the SIDE pieces back to back, pin all the way down ONE side:
and sew down that side:
This next step is not necessary, but it will make your Rollie Pollie stronger. Serge off your seams. If you don't have a serger, do a zigzag or leave the edges raw:
Repeat the above steps, attaching all your SIDE pieces to each other. When you get to the last SIDE, YOU NEED TO LEAVE AN OPENING IN THE SIDE so that you can get the stuffing inside. I like to mark my start and stop points with pins, so I don't forget to leave an opening:
Then with all of your sides sewn together, place your Circle pieces on the top and bottom of your Rollie Pollie. Pin them down, sew all the way around, and you're almost done!
Turn the Rollie Pollie inside out and fill it with stuffing. I chose CLUSTER STUFF, found at Walmart. (The Rollie Pollie Pattern has more detailed info about all stuffing options).

Fill it as full as you like. You want it to have a little give. But the stuffing will also smush over time, so get a lot in there.
Pin the opening shut:
And though this is bulky to do, sew the opening shut with your machine. It doesn't need to look pretty because it will be inside the slip cover. Just make sure it's sewn SHUT!
Stick the Insert into your slip cover and......
You're done!
Fore more detailed info and helpful tips, please see The Rollie Pollie Pattern at MADE.

This PDF pattern is very detail-oriented, sharing with you all our favorite tips and info about how to make the Rollie Pollie perfect for YOU.
There are two files: a 19-page document of instructions and a 23-page document of pattern pieces (totaling appx 7 MB)....both which will be emailed to you and can printed to your home printer!

The pattern comes in TWO sizes:
Small - best for 1-2 year old Toddlers
Large - best for 2-6 year olds (girl pictured above in white dress is 5 years old)

Finished dimensions: (from one side of the rollie, half-way around, in a semi circle to the other side)
Small - 38 x 38 inches
Large - 50 x 50 inches

Note: Pattern pieces are symmetrical and can be enlarged if needed to accommodate older children. You will do this on your own (pattern pieces are only provided for the two sizes listed) but it's really just a matter of extending each piece, equal distances. Information on this included in the pattern.

Fabric/Stuffing needs are explained in the pattern but just to give you an overview, you will need appx:
2-4 yards of fabric for the Insert Rollie Pollie (cost varies depending where you buy fabric)
2-4 yards of fabric for the Slip Cover Rollie Pollie
4-10 bags of stuffing (cost varies on filling choice, but bags are appx $4-5/each)

Tag Wallet

I LOVE this idea from soyouthinkyourecrafty

What you need:

-4 pieces of 8-1/2 x 11 handmade paper

(the handmade paper looks like paper fiber pressed together, it's stronger and has more flexibility than card stock).

-lots of clothing tags in preferred colors ( I used about 40, but it will vary depending on their size)

- colored ribbon- optional (I didn't have enough tags and wanted to add more green so I used three strips of green ribbon)

-fray check

-a glue stick

-thread (I used 4 different shades)

-a piece of poster board

- a Dritz snap and pliers

- one button

Step 1: cutting the main parts

I cut three pieces of paper into the wallet shape. I used a black sheet for the outside (it was covered with the tags) and a green sheet for the inside. I used an extra blue sheet for the middle to add support.

Using my paper cutter I cut the black and green sheets down to a 7 -1/2" x 10" and the blue sheet to 7- 1/4" x 9- 3/4". You want the blue sheet to be a little smaller so it doesn't stick out of the sides during construction.

Next I made the curve at the top. With the green paper on it's back side I made two marks. First I marked the middle of the paper and then 2-3/4 " down the side. I then drew a curve between the two marks.

I cut the curve out. So that at this point only half of the top has a curved edge. Then I traced the curve onto the black paper and cut it out. Then I flipped the green paper over and traced the curve onto the other half of the black paper. After cutting out the curve on the black paper I traced the other half back onto the green paper. Now both pieces have a curved top. Since the blue peice won't be seen I cut it's curve by holding it up to the others.

Step 2: Constructing the front

I took my sheet of black paper and layed out all the tags in a random order, so that the entire surface was covered with tags. It's like a puzzle and will take some time to find the perfect fit for all the tags. I used fray check on the tags I trimmed and cut to fit.

Once I had them laid out I used a glue stick to hold them in place while I sewed around all the edges.

I sewed all the tag edges down by hand. You could use a sewing machine but I liked the look of big messy stitches. I used a few different types of stitches and four different colors of thread. This is the most time consuming part of the project. I stitched while watching TV, so it wasn't bad. I didn't stitch around the outside, I stitched it later when I sewed all three layers together.

Step 3: Constructing the Inside

First I cut five squares of paper each 3" x 3-1/4". I used three different papers. The lighter green and black were cut from the scraps. I sewed a seam 1/4 " down on four of the five squares. This keeps the paper from ripping when pulling cards in and out of the pockets.

Next I sewed the pockets onto the main green piece one at a time. Starting with the square with no seam at the top. I placed the square so that the left side of the pocket was 4 " from the bottom of the wallet and the top of the square lined up with the side of the wallet. Once it was lined up I sewed a seam at the bottom of the square to hold it in place. ( this square isn't an operating pocket it's just put here to add consistency and strength. The top of it will be sewn closed when I sew around the edges.

Then I took the next pocket square and lined it up with the first. I placed this one 3/4" down from the top of the first square and sewed it into place by sewing a seam at the bottom. This seam keeps your cards from falling down into the wallet and keeps the pocket in place with out sewing it closed.

For the next two pockets I lined them up same way but placed them 1-1/8 " down from the top of the previous pocket.

I didn't sew the bottom of the last pocket, as it was sewn at the end when I sewed around the entire wallet.

Now I sewed a 1/4 " seam down both sides of the pockets.

If you aren't comfortable just holding the bottom pocket in place you can use a little glue.

Remember to glue it at the bottom, you don't want to glue it closed.

The last part of the inside is a pocket for cash or your check book. I cut a 3 " x 7-1/2" strip of paper and sewed a 1/4 " seam down the top. I also sewed one more tag onto the pocket for a little whimsy. I didn't sew this pocket on at this point, but saved it for the end after I added the snap and sewed around the edges.

Step 4: Constructing the Middle

First I cut three strips of poster board two of them are 3" x 7-1/2" and the other is 2-1/2" x 7-1/2".

I glued these onto the blue paper. The first of the larger pieces was glued at the bottom and the second 4" from the bottom. The last piece was glued to the top and then trimmed to match the curve.

Step 5: Add the snaps.

First I lined up the three parts the front, middle and inside of the wallet

Next I marked where I would put the female snap. I made my mark on the inside, in the middle and up 1-3/4 "

Then going through all three layers I attached the female snap using the Dritz instructions. The inside will be covered by the larger pocket.

Now I added the male snap to the top curve. I placed it in between the top layer and middle layer. So it only goes trough the middle and inside layers. I found the middle and measured down 3/4" and attached it using the dritz instructions.

Step 6: sew on the button

I sewed a button onto the front directly over the snap to cover the bump created by the snap.

Step 7: Sew around the edges.

I sewed around the edges with a 1/4" seam. I started at the bottom and held the larger pocket in place as I sewed.

Step 8: Fold it into thirds and snap it closed.

I hope you love yours as much as I love mine.