A Sham for Shane

Not too long ago, in my first post, I talked about this amazing Alexander Henry fabric I had just purchased - "The Outdoorsy Type". I am so thrilled with the outcome of my first project using it which was a pillow sham for for my friend Shane for Christmas.

I followed the envelope-backed pillow cover pattern from Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts (http://tinyurl.com/2wubt4f). This is a super easy pattern,perfect for the beginner as the sham is made from one rectangular piece of fabric. Here is the basic pattern:

1. First you need to determine the size of the pillow form you want to make the sham for.To figure out the size of the rectangle you will need, add 1 inch to the height and multiply the length by 2, then add 6 inches. I used an 18" pillow so my rectangle measured 19-by-42 inches. Once you have your measurements, draw the rectangle on the wrong side of your fabric using a fabric pen or chalk and cut it out. With your fabric facing right-side down fold the shorter edges in a 1/2 inch and press. Fold in a 1/2 again, and press. Pin and stitch 1/8 inch from the inner fold on both edges.
   
   
2. Fold the left and right edges in (right side of your fabric facing inward), overlapping them by 4 inches. Measure your square to make sure it matches the dimensions of your pillow before pinning and sewing.
   
   
3. Pin the edges of your square together and sew leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Turn right side out and use a point turner to push the corners out.
   
   *Instructions from 'Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Fabric Crafts' p. 210
   
   
   

Voila!!! A beautiful pillow sham for a great friend for Christmas :)

Sly, Like a Fox

My friends say I'm crafty. While I first thought they meant I was sly, like a fox, it seems more likely that they're referring to my affinity for all things handmade. I learned to knit from my Mom at a young age, and have since taken up every form of handmade craft that I can including crochet, needlepoint, emboidery, crewel, and most recently sewing.

I get really enthusiastic about starting a new project or learning a new technique and will keep myself awake into the wee hours to perfect it or finish that last row. However, I'm easily distracted by the allure a new project brings which has resulted in my shelves and closet spaces at home becoming filled with half done projects and dozens of books and patterns left untouched. I've made a resolution to start completing these projects, and only buy new materials with specific projects in mind - as opposed to buying skeins of beautiful yarns and yards of fabrics just because I like the look of them. My hope is that this blog will hold me accountable for actually completing projects before beginning 10 new ones!

As I'm writing this post, I'm reading an email from a girlfriend saying that our brand new Alexander Henry fabric (http://www.ahfabrics.com/product_details.php?p_id=1802) just arrived in the mail - and in true form, I have NO idea what I'm going to make with it.....sigh....

This is going to be harder than I thought.