In a Mid-Century Mode + How To

 Mid-Mod is back and I am embracing it with pillows to throw around on your Herman Millers, Eames and Knolls.

With the help of this book, I came up with authentic
 looking shapes evocative of the era.  Mid-Century
Modern Patterns is a coloring book for grownups by
artist and designer Jenn Ski. Look for her HERE and HERE

I do not try to duplicate the pages but choose elements that I like and a general arrangement which I draw out pretty roughly on Kraft paper the size I want the pillow to be.

 I then cut more accurate paper patterns for each element and number them with an identifying number and how many total of that number to cut.

 The most time consuming part of this whole thing is deciding the colors and prints of the fabrics to use. I have great heaps of fabrics in all manner of bits and pieces and I always seem to need another to complete my projects.  I had to go out and buy brown background fabric for these and brought home a completely wrong shade BUT JoAnn's let me return it for another shade. I have NEVER returned fabric before.

The next step was to trace all my pattern pieces onto a sheet of HeatnBond. I love this stuff. You can draw on one side then cut out the pieces and iron them onto the wrong side of the fabric. Cut the shape neatly from the fabric and the HeatnBond gives it a nice body. You then peel away the paper backing and it leaves a plasticky surface that can iron your pieces nicely onto the background and holds them in place to do very nice machine appliqué.

Before applying the appliqués I made decorative line stitching to go behind some of the shapes. I chalked out the lines to follow.

  The post-it hangs near my machine with the quick remainder for this old brain as to how to set up the various stitches I use.  You can see that I have a pice of fusible batting behind the fabric which I LATER line with a thin fabric so the batting is hidden. I line the reverse side but do not use batting.

                     Here are my appliqués all iron down and ready for the machine.

I have added echo stitching around
some shapes, too.
 That tear drop shape is cut from a little sample of faux suede. I also used it for some other shapes.

                                                            Here is the end result

And here is the reverse. I hide a zipper under that print fabric in the center and a bit of stitching so that back is usable, too.

                                                       The smaller 12 x 16 rectangle

 I experimented with a diagonal zipper in this one. It made getting the insert in it REALLY easy.

So are you into this old but new decorating or are you "been there, done that".

A Piping Tip + More Mid Century Mod

I'm posting early this week as I have something to show you.  While meandering through lots of sewing stuff on Pinterest I came upon a tutorial on how to add piping or cording to a pillow or anything for that matter.  I'm always in the market for helpful hints so I checked it out.  Well, I am hear to tell you I suddenly felt the need to post my own version.  I don't want to disparage the nice person's offering but...

This is the way my mother showed me and she was a real pro.  She did upholstery and slip covers as well as anything else with a needle and thread.
Here is her  simple and nearly invisible way to make the beginning and end of cording on a pillow meet up.

 Leave some fabric at the beginning of your piping unstitched when you make it. Then start pinning it down on your project's edge at the point where inserted piping begins. Pin all the way around.

 When you get back to the beginning point cut your cording and fabric at the end to exactly meet up with the start. They to leave no gap or bump. Then fold over that fabric so no raw edge will show.

 Pin it down.    Now sew down the piping all the way around with your zipper foot. I always sew this down securely before I attach the back side of the pillow.  Sewing all those layers at once is too hard and will not save you time in the long run when it all goes awry.  

 ALERT! I was noticing how close my fingers got to the needle while using this zipper foot.  BE CAREFUL.  I have never sewn my finger...yet! This is the foot from an old Elna (Mom's) that finally had to put to rest.  I resurrected it for my new Janome because the zipper foot that came with the machine doesn't let me get as close to the piping "bump" even when I move the needle position

Notice the difference?

Here's another thing that caused me to wince but not like a sewn finger.  That screw on the right goes up and down with the needle and I have gotten my knuckle rapped a few times.

                                     Here is the nice neat finish.  CAN you see it?

Fronts

 And here is the project I was working on.

I got into the mid-century modern mode when I offered to make pillows for Peter at Male Pattern Boldness.  See them here or in my previous post.

They were so much fun to do that I decided to get with the trend and make some for my Etsy shop where these are now listed.

Hoping other people like them as much as Peter

Detail

and Michael do because I'm going to make more in different colors and patterns.

Backs - The zippers are hidden under the center stripe.

Piping is the finishing touch that makes a pillow go pro.  I have made pillows without but they are never as satisfying.  

Peter's Pillows or Friends = Inspiration + Exhaustion

This week has been a rush...time wise and as a feeling.

I rarely do any crafts/artsy live events yesterday  was one of them in nearby Seville, Ohio. They are becoming quite an antique center. I never feel like I have enough stuff or the right stuff so I stitched up some last minute items.

Doesn't look like I'm killing myself here but the set-up and take down is exhausting and I did it in the driveway the day before to be practiced and ready. I love the brick wall background, but the trash cans kind of kill the ambience.  You'll notice this is a walk-thru booth. Some people walked in the street so as not to disturb me, which I found disturbing.

Didn't feel like I sold much , but when I got home and counted the cash it was okay.



THEN

Peter of the Male Pattern Boldness blog switched up his sewing and instead of making some of his superbly sewn garments, he made drapes.  I, who prefer non-garment sewing, challenged him that if he completed them, I would reward him with some new pillows for the sofa for more decor spiffiness.
Well, of course, he completed them in record time so I set to work immediately.  I didn't want to disappoint a friend.

If you are a blogger or a blog reader you know about these kinds of friends that the non-bloggers think you have made up.  But, when you find people with your interests who write entertaining and informative blogs you can become very attached. I hope this doesn't sound creepy. I am not a stalker and know the boundaries.

SO

I wanted something to complement the colors in the apartment and the style so I went out of my comfort zone and searched Pinterest for Mid-Century Modern inspiration.

These were my inspiration for the designs.

I planned it out on paper

Made little pattern pieces with Kraft paper then traced them onto Heat n Bond Lite which allows you to stick your appliqués to the fabric without pins.  You'll see that I had to get those lines laid down first before stitching down the fabric pieces which had to be applied in the correct order.

After this point I was too into the project to even think about taking pictures.  After completing the appliqué, I used a fusible batting and machine quilted in whatever way the design "told" me.

Here they are completed.  They look pretty good on the brown chaise lounge but the main color is a very lightly patterned gray.  I love that the lighter orange has a silvery dot and that darker crosshatch pattern has a sewing reference. If you will look closely there a actually needles in the design.

                           When attempting the closeup my grandson photo-bombed the picture.

       The backs are pretty nice, too IMHO.  The zippers are hidden under the orange and blue stripe.

And here they are in their new home in New York City on Peter's sofa.
Stop by for a visit at Male Pattern Boldness. You will need to scroll down a way to after the wacky patterned shirt.











Since my mention and thank you on Peter's blog,  I have received a huge number of folks visiting my Etsy shop.  If they were looking for these pillow they were disappointed. These exact pillows will never be repeated , but I'm definitely going to make some more in the Mid-Century mode very soon.