Ruby Star Wrapping Button~Down Shirt Bag : :

Today is my stop on the Ruby Star Wrap-Along!

I chose to make the Button-Down Shirt Bag -- a smart, simple, and seriously quick sewing project!!



Ruby Star Wrapping : : Creating Packaging to Reuse, Regive, and Relove, is the brand new book by the lovely and adorable Melody Miller and Allison Tannery. My friend Sukie is hosting a Wrap-Along, invited me to join in, and I'm so glad she did!

This book is full of fun and thoughtful ideas! Each teaching you through step-by-step instructions how to create amazing, thrifty, easy-to-make unique and beautiful projects for gift giving that are really special and lovely! And what's really, really awesome -- it shows you how to do just that by re-purposing and recycling many items that we all already have or have access to!



I decided right away to use a button-down shirt I bought a few years ago, that never fit me right, but I loved the details and decided to hold onto it in case I ever became a tall, thin, modelesque woman -- yeah right!



I actually plan to make two bags out of the shirt I'm re-purposing! This first one is for my daughter and she loves it! I used a heavier ticking fabric for the lining, to add some sturdiness since the shirt I chose is a very thin cotton. For the bag straps, I decided to keep with the up-cycling theme of this project, using one of the belts that came with a pair of the boys cargo pants from the Gap or Old Navy. It worked great!!



I think it turned out super cute and it's definitely the quickest bag I have ever made!!







You can find all the details, prize info, and the list of blogger's participating in the Wrap-Along in Sukies post right here! You can pick up the Ruby Star Wrapping book at Roostbooks, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Random House.

Be sure to add your own Ruby Star Wrapping projects to the Flickr Group! And, don't forget to link up your Wrap-Along projects at Amy's blog for a chance to win great prizes -- You can link up right HERE!

Thanks again, Amy, for having me on the Ruby Star Wrap-Along! For more great ideas, be sure to check out the rest of the blog stops : :

11.7.12 - Anna of noodlehead

11.9.12 - Amanda of A Crafty Fox

11.12.12 - Elizabeth of Oh, Fransson!

11.14.12 - Brooke of Pitter Putter Stitch

11.16.12 - Erin of Two More Seconds

11.19.12 - Jennifer of BettyCrockerAss

11.21.12 - Rochelle of Lucky Lucille

11.23.12 - Sukie of Sukie - don't you know who I am?

11.26.12 - Elizabeth of Don't Call Me Betsy

11.28.12 - Gina and crew of Bolt Neighborhood

11.30.12 - Ellen of the Long Thread

12.3.12 - Katie of Swim, Bike Quilt

12.5.12 - Faith of Fresh Lemon Quilts

12.7.12 - Lee of Freshly Pieced

12.10.12 - Maureen of Maureen Cracknell Handmade

12.12.12 - Sara of Sew Sweetness

12.14.12 - Colleen of The Busy Bean

12.17.12 - Amy of Diary of a Quilter

12.19.12 - Monica of The Happy Zombie

Sew Mama Sew! is also participating in our Wrap-Along by hosting a Ruby Star Contest! They are sharing all the details right HERE today!

So... get those Button-Down Shirt Bags made and join in the fun to win some fantastic prizes!!!





And finally, I have some BIG NEWS to share : Tomorrow I'll be back with an AMAZING GIVEAWAY Event that I am a part of! I'm so, so excited about this one -- you all know how much I love a good Giveaway!! If you can't wait until tomorrow -- visit my friends Rachael &  Lindsay today! ♥,  Maureen

To. Do : :

Today I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and well aware that I may have just a few too many projects waiting to be finished and started.

I thought it might help to make myself a little to-do list. I'm also hoping you might help me make a few decisions. Here it goes...

-- I just started this Dresden project the other day that will become a new Fall pillow for my Mom. Right now it measures 12" x 18" and I hope to have the finished pillow front be an 18" square. I'm just not sure what I should do to add the other 6" I need -- add a single fabric? patchwork? a few stripes of fabric? I'd love your ideas on this one!



-- With Halloween fast approaching, I just stashed these Denise Schmidt fabrics with hopes to make a patchwork, apron-style dress as part of Haila's Little Red Riding-hood costume. I am feeling very inspired by this recent pin! I just need to find the right red/white gingham and begin!



-- A little while ago I picked up this $5 chair that, as you can see, is in desperate need of recovering. Do you have a favorite Home Dec fabric? I'd love to see, I really need to find something soon!



-- The fabric I just ordered for finishing my new quilt top just arrived. After I add the border, this quilt top will be completely finished!



-- I'm hoping to make some more progress on my my Bottled Rainbows Quilt today! Sometimes I feel like I took on too much with my plan for this quilt. I cannot wait to have this one completely finished!



In the midst of so much, I'm doing my very best to keep up. Thank you for all the comments lately, it really helps!

Favorite T-Shirt Toss Pillow Tutorial : :

Today I'm sharing an up-cycling tutorial with you for a simple pillow cover using an old, favorite t-shirt  -- My Favorite T-Shirt Toss Pillow. A project designed to save your favorite t-shirt by turning it into a new pillow! It's a great up-cycling/recycling project, perfect for a favorite shirt that has sadly been stained, torn, or just doesn't fit anymore, or if you have the sweetest brother-in-law, who's in need of a new pillow before heading back college, that happens to have brilliant ideas for his sewing sister-in-law (as the case would be for me)!

What you'll need : :

• 1 - Pillow Insert in the size you plan your pillow to be finished at
• any old T-Shirt with a great screen printed or appliqued design
• cotton fabric for framing the T-Shirt design (I am using Metro Circles)
• Coordinating fabric for the pillow back (I am using Kona Solids)
• Heat-n-Bond or Fusible Interfacing
• cotton muslin (if using Heat-n-Bond, like me)
• Rotary cutter, mat, and straight ruler
• Note * Click on any of my images for a larger picture 

Cutting and Piecing the Fabrics : :

1. Choose a shirt that has a design you love 2. Cut out the design, leaving a 1/2" seam allowance the entire way around the design. This will be the center of the pillow. 3. Square up the sides of the design 4. Save those scraps, too -- they'll make great dust rags!



Layering Materials : :

5. Cut Heat-n-Bond or Interfacing to be just slightly larger than the T-shirt design 6. Layer onto Heat-nBond, press, trim away excess using a rotary cutter. (If you are using a fusible Interfacing you are done, if using Heat-n-Bond cont.) 6. Peal away back of Heat-n-Bond. Layer onto cotton muslin piece and press again.




Add Framing Fabric : : 

Note * This will vary depending on what size T-shirt design is being used, as well as what size pillow is being made. 7. Cut cotton fabrics including a 1" seam allowance for the framing fabrics. Measure your t-shirt design, what size fabric will need to be cut to create the finished pillow size? Using those measurements, cut fabric for the top, bottom and sides of the t-shirt design. 8. Layout your design with the framing fabrics 9. Mark a 1/2" seam allowance with each framing fabric facing right side down onto the T-shirt design 10. Following marked seam lines, sew 11. Press seams well 12. Repeat with all four framing fabrics




After these steps, the pillow top should look like this. Size will vary depending on the size of the T-shirt design, as well as the size of the finished pillow you are creating.


Sewing pillow together : :

Prepare back pieces. (These measurements are for a 12"x16" pillow) 13.Using the 9" x 12.5" fabric pieces, fold over one of the sides measuring 12.5" just a 1/2", press, fold over again, press. Sew along inner folded edge and along the outer edge, staying close to the fold. This will create the double seam finish. 14. Place pillow top piece RIGHT side up on your work surface. Place both backing pieces RIGHT side down on top of the pillow top piece. Pin and sew along entire perimeter using a 1/2" seam allowance. 15. Zig zag stitch around the entire perimeter, as well 16. Trim all four corners




17. Turn pillow right side out (You can see here that I added a stripe of grey fabric just for something different). Press well 18. Insert your pillow form and now you have your very own Favorite T-Shirt Toss Pillow!!!



Finished front!!!

Enjoy! Be sure to let me know if you give it a go!!!