Sew Another Pillow

Don’t laugh…I’ve got my sewing mojo back.  I just have to keep going or I’ll never get done with my Godchild’s new bedding.

I found this baby pink ruffle knit fabric in my stash and thought it would make a cute pillow.  This pillow would be 16 inches and knowing it was very stretchy, I cut the fabric 15 inches by 30 inches.  Now, you’re wondering why I didn’t just cut two 15 inches squares, right?  Well, I want to make it easier to line up the ruffles.  So it would make sense to just fold the fabric in half width wise, run just one side seam.  Wouldn’t it be easier to only have to match up one side of the fabric?  Does that make sense?

First I wrapped the fabric around the pillow form and pulled it tight to double check my measurements.  I have a habit of screwing things up by a few inches.

Then I placed the right sides together.

Next, I pinned each individual ruffle together in hopes of them lining up at the seam.  Go luck with that.  LOL

Then you serge your seam and don’t realize your serger needle unthreaded until you go to sew the next seam.  Then you spend the next 20 minutes trying to rethread your serger needle, because you’re left-handed and half-blind.  Crap.

 

Turn it right-side out to check the fit.  Guess the point of pinning each individual ruffle was in vain.  Such is life.

Now turn in inside out and pin the remaining open edge.  Stitch a straight seam leaving at least 3 5 inches for turning and pillow form insertion.

Insert pillow form and stitch up the opening.  Done.

Now onto the doll cradle bedding…

Sew Must Stop Procrastinating

You know how they say that the shoemaker’s children have no shoes?  Well, sadly my beautiful Godchild (and Niece), Josie, had moved into her new room several months ago, yet her rotten lazy Godmother had not sewn her custom bedding as promised.

Poor Josie had even parted with her beloved cradle in hopes I would also make her bedding for it.  Little did that child know that it’s been sitting in my sewing room collecting dust for months.  Bad Godmother.

On Sunday, I realized I couldn’t take the guilt anymore.  So into my sewing room I went.

And after several more days of procrastination, I finally finished the first pillow of many more to come.  How long do you think it will take me until I finish the next one?  Quiet.

Oh and I have to make a detachable ruffled bed skirt for her Full size bed (which will have to be make into a Twin size one later in the year).  And of course, the fabric I’m using is a one-way print…UGH.

Has anyone every made a removable dust ruffle?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated from the Peanut Gallery.

Sew Reliable Iron Velocity V50 Review

Last month my Conair Craft Iron had to be retired.  I was quite fond of it as it was one of the few irons which had an auto shut-off override.  However, after a few short months, it started leaking on my beautiful silk shantung fabric.  It was time to shop for a new iron.

Off to the store I went where I found a mid-priced Rowenta iron.  Nice and heavy.  Brought it home, plugged it in, filled it with water and within minutes all the water started leaking out of the handle!  Not sure if I got a defective one or not.  How disappointing!  Right back to the store it went.

Then I remembered how Kathleen of Fashion-Incubator raved about her Reliable iron.  She even blogged about how to buy commercial pressing equipment here and here.  Now granted, her pressing set-up is something I drool over hope to have someday, but that someday is not just yet.  I needed a solid household iron that didn’t ruin my fabrics.

 

Off to the Reliable website I went in search of an iron.  I was debating between the Reliable Velocity V50 and the Digital Velocity V100 irons.  I Googled the irons to see reviews from consumers and came across Reliable’s Facebook Fan Page.  Reliable was having a contest to win a Velocity V50 iron!

To enter, you simply had to post a comment to finish the sentence, “Ironing…”  After deep thought, I posted, “Ironing takes the wrinkles out of my day!”  And guess what?  I WON!!!

My prize arrived a few days later and I immediately put it to the test.  What’s cool about it is it has two heating elements which give you continuous steam! And they are not kidding.  This baby steamed like no other household iron I’ve ever owned.  Holy Cannoli!  I felt like I won the lottery.

 

The Steam Ready feature allows you to iron continuously without the auto shut off feature.  This is a necessity for those who sew.

Now you’re thinking to yourself…this iron only has 7 steam holes, right?  Don’t be fooled into thinking the more steam holes the better.  Nope.  These 7 holes put out more steam in a concentrated area than those that have 3 times as many holes.  We’re talking some serious steam action here.

 

Being a Southpaw Left-Handed Diva, I was happy to see this iron has both Left and right hand steam activation buttons.  Smart thinking Mr. Reliable.

 

The V50 has 4 temperature settings.  All you do it push the center button to select a specific fabric setting.  It blinks while it heats up and then gives you a solid light when it has reached the desired temperature.

My freshly laundered Halloween placemats never look good enough to put on the table right out of the dryer.  Because they are made with thick cotton, the corners tend to curl up.

A quick pass and the use of the continuous steam feature were quite impressive.  Tada!  Watch out Martha!  Oh wait…Martha is still using that vintage Mangle ironing contraption.  LOL!  Maybe I should tell her about this awesome iron.  Nah…she can read about it in the September issue of Oprah’s “O” Magazine.  It made the “O List!”

I wonder if Jessica Jones (How About Orange) has one of these Velocity V50 irons.  She really should.

No matter how much I steamed my fabric, not a drop of water leaked.  Not one single drop!

There is only one thing I’d change about this iron…it should come in PINK to match my sewing room.  Only kidding.  Well, not really.  LOL

 

Disclaimer:  I won the Reliable V50 iron from entering a contest on Reliable’s Facebook Fan Page.  I was not asked to review or promote said prize.  My opinions and reviews are that of my own free will.