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Simply Sewtastic Blog is moving.  We created a website that contains a products page, photo gallery, and a blog.  Come check it out.  Also the Etsy site is still thriving.

http://www.simplysewtastic.com/

See you there!!

Front Door Curtains

When we moved into our new house, we had 1 big privacy issue, our front door.  We have 2 huge glass windows that give the neighbors a glimpse into our private lives.  Sewing project #1 in the new house was MAKE CURTAINS.  Below I will show you the steps and thought process I used to make privacy curtains.

Our front door.  You can see our obvious need.

I chose a light knit decorative fabric that would have flexibility when the door was swung open.  I went for long vertical lines to enhance the height of our ceiling.  I also chose a fabric with Earth tones.  I like Earth tones for their ability to match everything.  Since we don't have a lot of furniture and haven't chosen wall colors, Earth tones were a good neutral place to start decorating our new home.

On the back side of the fabric I added a liner.  I chose Roc-Ion Thermalsuede.  I chose this because it blacks out light and shadows coming from inside our house.  In addition, it provides an insulation barrier to the windows.  Combining these two fabrics still allows light to come in.  You just can't see us from the outside.

After measuring the window and cutting the striped fabric, I cut the liner.  I cut it slightly smaller than the striped fabric.  This allowed me to hem the stripped fabric to the liner for a clean look.  I hemmed and sewed down both of the long sides.

Next, I had to determine the exact length of the curtain that I wanted.   I folded over the top and bottom of the curtain to allow space for a curtain rod.

I gave them 1 more look over while my husband installed the curtain rods.

Voila!! Curtains in a day.

My neighbors no longer get to see me in a robe.

And in no time, Bloo managed to find a way to still look out the window.  We have since taken out the bottom rod so he won't break it.  The curtain hangs free flowing.  Luckily, it provides the same amount of privacy with or without the rod.

Bench Cover Encore

Here are a few pictures of the runner that I made to go along with the bench cover.  As you can see from my not so photogenic pictures, the runner is a huge diamond shape.  I was able to use the same lining fabric for the underneath and the same bias tape for the edging.  I unfortunately don't have a picture of it in the clients home.  Hopefully, at some point I will get one. 

It's finished!!

It has been a while since I posted.  Owning a house is proving to be lots of work.  Since my last post, we have dealt with multiple leaks that needed immediate repairs.  I also have been busy preparing for 2 craft shows.  And now I am trying to Deck the Halls of my new home.  I will post those pictures soon.  Most importantly I am happy to report, I have completed the bench cover project.  It turned out fantastic!  My client loved it so much I am making a table runner and decorative pillow out of the left over fabric.  Here are the pictures of the rest of my progress.

This is the fabric.

My display of how it will look as I work on it.

A perfect Fit! 

Now for the trim.

Kitty, please be nice to my cover.

I used a matching color basting tape for the trim.  It will protect the edges from wear and tear.

The table runner is a diamond shape.  It will make more sense on the client's table.

I used the same under lining on the runner as I did on the bench cover. 
I had to piece fabric together as I didn't have a big piece of the lining fabric left.

I used the same binding as on the bench cover. 
Stay tuned for the grand finale.
I can't wait to see the entire set in her house. 
It is going to look so elegant.
Last step the pillow. 

It worked this time!

Due to a family emergency and countless home improvement nightmares, I had to take a break from sewing.  Hopefully things have now calmed down and I am getting back into it.  I started my curtain project, while waiting to go try out my bench project.  I will post the curtains once I finish the bench.  I am happy to report round two of making the bench cover liner was a success.  The cover fit perfectly.  Now I can start cutting the top layer of fabric.  Goals this week, finish bench cover, finish curtains, and make a yoga mat bag for another client.

How bench looks without the cover.

The client wanted the cover to go over the front curved part of the bench and to stop at the ridge.  The top has a layer of batting for a little extra cushion.

The sides and back will fall just above the legs once the top layer is sewn to the bottom layer.

Here We Go Again

I have, finally, started my chest cover project.  The cover consists of two parts.  The top layer and the under layer.  The top layer is made of a delicate prequilted decorator fabric.  It was very expensive.  The under layer is made out of simple broad cloth, with a thin piece of batting for extra cushion on the top of the chest.  I decided to make the under layer first.  See below for my progress.  Everything was moving along swimmingly, until I tested it out on the chest.  I decided to start my project as a break from the house projects, during my staycation.  Well, apparently that wasn't the best idea in the world.  I bit off a little more than I could chew.  I measured the chest wrong. I ended up being off a couple of inches.  Luckily, I thought to test out the under layer before cutting the top layer.  So I remeasured the chest as compared to what I had made and now I am back to the beginning.  Below is attempt #1 progress.  After I complete attempt #2, I will show you what it looks like on the chest.  I forgot my camera the first time. I guess that was destiny, since I had it wrong.

The hope chest. The cover will go over the top down the 2 sides and back to the floor.

Cutting out the pieces.

Here I have sewn on the four pieces and sewn batting to what will be the top.

I have now sewn the sides to the back piece.  Now it is starting to take shape!

The underlayer of the chest cover.  I laied it on a box to see what it would look like.  Where the front corners of the top piece meets the side pieces is a curve.  This is suppose to mimic the curve of the chest, had I gotten my measurements correct.  In attempt #2, you will hopefully be able to see the curved portion better.

Thus,

Here We Go Again

Finally

My move in projects are finally almost complete. My closet organization project was a huge success and a huge bill but that is besides the point. I finally was able to move the rest of my crafting supplies in from the garage.  Now it is time to start sewing!  I spent my Labor Day weekend visiting with family.  Of course, that visit included a trip to Joanne Fabrics to get more projects. I received all the fabric to start my bench cover custom order. This is my first project in the new house. Measuring and cutting starts tomorrow!