Tag: cotton

Fat quarter travel pillow

On By CarynIn Craft, Life Hack

I don’t like the U shaped travel pillows. I’ve tried several, and the bulk pressing against the back of my neck (really anything around my neck) drives me nuts. So I made a different kind of pillow. It is ideal for reclining chairs because it has two side pillows so my neck doesn’t twist too far, and no stuffing behind my head. The best part is that I made it with one fat quarter, some thread, and poly fil stuffing.

Photo description: fat quarter (18”x21”) of quilting fabric with a pineapple motif

To make the pillow, fold a fat quarter in half lengthwise, right sides together (9” x 21”, doubled). Sew along the edges, leaving two 4” gaps on the outside thirds of the long edge (for stuffing later).

Photo description: fat quarter folded in half and sewn with two gaps on the far edge, on a model 66 treadle sewing machine

Clip the corners and turn the pillow right side out. Fold the case in thirds, mark the line, then sew seams along the lines. This divides the pillow into three parts.

Photo description: pillow case divided into thirds and being sewn using the fold as a guide

Fill the outside sections with stuffing, then sew the gaps closed. I usually do this by hand, but the foot on my model 66 has such a nice tiny toe, I thought I would try on the treadle sewing machine. It worked well.

Photo description: sewing the pillow gap closed using a treadle machine fitted with a standard foot
Photo description: finished travel pillow laying on the work surface of a 1916 Singer treadle sewing machine

It amuses me that the fabric coordinates with the “red eye” decals on the sewing machine. I can report that the pillow works great, especially for naps.

Throwback Thursday: chair organizer

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

In May of 2013 I made this arm chair organizer that has pockets on the side for magazines and notebooks. I’m not sure why I didn’t sew on something to hold it down on the seat cushion, instead relying on butt power, but I am pleased how nicely I trimmed out the pockets using bias tape.

Photo description: floral fabric with a black background sewn with three overlapping pockets trimmed in green and filled with books
Photo description: other side of the organizer with different sized pockets to hold different books, electronics, and magazines
Photo description: over exposed photo of the chair from the front and the organizer stretched across the arms of the chair, no butt anchor

If I were to remake this project, I would add fabric to tuck down on the sides of the cushion, or maybe even go all the way around or under the cushion. Hm. Maybe I didn’t have enough fabric so had to rely on butt power. It would have made more sense to run the center section under the cushion.

Egyptian cotton fiber page

On By CarynIn Craft
Photo description: scrap book page with an Egyptian cotton card from Hearthside Fibers upper left, single spun and chain ply yarn upper right, unspun fiber middle left, twined weaving swatch middle right, knit moss stitch swatch bottom left, crochet lace round bottom right

I spun this Egyptian cotton sample on an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel fitted with a high speed whorl. Egyptian cotton has a longer staple length so is less inclined to form pills. It was nice to spin and worked up into the swatches well.

I enjoy spinning cotton, but is definitely a sitting activity, either on a wheel, or with a tahkli spindle. I also avoid wearing black, as the small fibers accumulate everywhere.

Visible mending: striped clouds

On By CarynIn Craft

My youngest’s favorite stretchy jeans developed a couple holes that needed mending. I asked her if she wanted a colorful woven patch, or flowers. She said striped clouds. Um. Ok. Hm. That isn’t in my bank of mending pins on Pinterest, but I’ll give it a go.

Photo description: pin sized hole in knit jeggings, backed by a jar of cream I used as a darning tool

I tried outlining a cloud, then filling it with stripes of chain stitch. The outlining was meh, but the chain stitch was surprisingly well suited to the stretchy material, and it grabbed the edges of the hole and pulled it closed.

Photo description: white thread used to make a striped cloud with outlining

For the second hole, I didn’t bother with the outline.

Photo description: cloud stitched with white thread using a chain stitch
Photo description: picture showing both visible mends on the leg of the pants

The stitches do look better from a distance, more cloud like. I would use a chain stitch again for visible mending on stretchy material. Spirals might be nice.

It doesn’t need to be fancy

On By CarynIn Craft

If you don’t have a swift or a nostepinne (or don’t want to go upstairs then get them), the back of a chair and a roll of paper work fine to take yarn from skein to ball form.

Photo description: skein of hand spun cotton hung on the back of a wood chair, and center pull ball of yarn started on a roll of card stock, black dog looking on in the background

I rolled up two skeins of hand spun cotton this way. This is the cotton that I spun from raw bolls then three plied two ways: crepe and chain ply.

Photo description: two nostepinne style balls of cotton yarn, chain ply on the left, crepe on the right

I’m most interested in how these two preparations knit up. Yes, I’m looking forward to swatching. I’m weird like that.