Easy Peasy Projects: A Pillow Case & Also A Thrift Store Scarf Shirt

I had a busy weekend for simple craft projects. It started out with me scanning the living room and noticing a visual atrocity that has long made its home on the couch. It was a large, square, zebra print pillow, which was acquired at a time in my life when I considered hot pink, lime green and all animal prints to be necessary fashion staples because they “go with anything.” (The jury’s still out on why I have not yet been featured on the Sartorialist for my preternaturally amazing sense of design and color.)

I decided to make a pillowcase for it from the navy blue fabric I once purchased to make curtains, which I never made (yet!). At first I thought I’d make a slip pillowcase by simply stitching together two blue squares with one open end, but I realized that would leave one edge of ghastly zebra print peeking out, so I decided to make the slightly more complicated kind.

I started by cutting a square for the front using the pillow as an outline. Then I cut two more pieces that were the same height as the initial square, but each a little longer than half of the square, so as to create two overlapping pieces that would form the slit through which the pillow could be stuffed. Make sense? Yes.

I hemmed the edges of the two smaller pieces, then sewed one (with the inside facing out) to the square piece. If you want a particular one of the smaller pieces to be on the outside, remember to sew that one to the square piece first, because when you turn it right-side-out, that one will be on the outside.

Next I simply sewed the sides of the other small piece to the square, overlapping the other small piece, and voila! A pillowcase!

I actually overestimated the size, so I made one edge a little smaller after taking Ol’ Stripey for a pillowcase test drive. Now it’s nice and snug in its new fashion forward casing.

Additionally, I made a shirt. A while ago, I saw this link on Reddit: http://www.starsforstreetlights.com/2012/03/diy-how-to-make-scarf-shirt.html It’s a blog post about a girl who made a shirt by darting together two square scarves from thrift stores. I thought it looked comfy and awesome and set out to make one for myself.

After scouring some thrift stores, I found several nice square scarves, but no solid colored scarves, so I decided to buy a yard of poly-satin fabric to be the back of my scarf shirts. This one is actually the third one I've made. The first was a cotton scarf, which was a little rigid. The flowy, satiny ones drape better on the body.

To start out, simply cut a square of the poly-satin slightly larger than the scarf you’re using. Then, hem up the edges of the poly-satin. I only hemmed three edges on this one because I’m a bit of a lazy crafter and I figure the bottom will always be tucked into a high-waisted skirt.

Next, place the poly-satin on top of the scarf, inside-out style, so the seam edges and the back of the scarf are facing out. On the top part, where you want your head to stick out, make a dart, or a small stitch at the very corner ends, and then also a few inches in from there on both sides. I went back and forth over each stitch a few times.

Turn it right-side-out and drape over yourself to get a feel for how you’ll wear it on your shoulders. Is the head hole too wide? Are you going to be wearing it off the shoulder? Adjust to your liking if necessary. Personally, I really like wearing these off the shoulder. Also, get a feel for where the arm hole should end. Hold or mark that place, then take it off, turn it inside out again, and stitch from the spot where you decided the arm hole should end down the side. You can stitch all the way to the bottom, or stop a little from the bottom.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “This isn’t a shirt! Why, this is just two squares of fabric that have been tenuously connected and now you expect me to drape them over myself like some boho peasant potato sack?” Well, yes, but probably with a high-waisted skirt or shorts. (Maybe there are other ways to wear it. I don’t know. I tried rocking it with a belt and jeggings and it really wasn’t happening for me.)

Again, I know what you're thinking and, yes, I did take several weeks of modeling classes in Gulf Breeze when I was in grade school! Thanks for everything, Mary Lou's Models!

Emily's (Soon-To-Be) Famous Veggie Stuffed Peppers

I wanted chile rellenos, but they’re typically breaded, fried, stuffed with tons of cheese and meat, and most conveniently available at the nearest Mexican restaurant. I wanted something homemade, relatively healthy and vegetarian but still protein packed, and I knew there had to be a better way to some yummy stuffed peppers, so I set out in my usual manner—scouring the internet for recipes, combining several of those with my own “whimsical” culinary know-how, and hoping for the best!

In the autumn I perfected a comfort food that reminded me of a dish my mom used to make. The original dish was a beef and rice stuffed acorn squash, but I turned it into a black bean, roasted corn and quinoa stuffed version. This chile relleno-like stuffed pepper recipe is something of a summery adaptation of that recipe, and, I must say, it turned out pretty awesomely. This dish could also easily go vegan; just omit (or replace with vegan alternatives) the cheese and Greek yog.

Ingredients

2 ears of corn, still in husk

Olive oil

Half of a red onion, diced

About a cup of mushrooms (optional)

Clove or two of minced garlic

Red wine vinegar

Liberal spoonful of cumin

1 cup of your favorite broth

½ cup white quinoa

Can of black beans

2-4 poblano peppers

Cilantro

Shredded cheese (I used a cheddar jack)

Tomatoes

Lime

Greek yogurt

S&P

-Roast corn in the husk on 350 for about 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

-Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions mushrooms and sauté until shrooms are tender and onions are translucent, then add garlic and sauté lightly. Add black beans.

-Mix in cumin, two small splashes of red wine vinegar and salt & pepper to taste. Scrape corn kernels into black beans, but save some corn for a side salad. Corn is great in salads!

-Bring a cup of broth to a boil and add slightly less than ½ cup of quinoa. Boil for a minute, then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.

-Place poblanos under broiler and char evenly all over, about 15 minutes. Move the oven shelf close to the top broiler to get a reasonable char.

-When quinoa is cooked, add it to the black bean corn mixture. Add a bunch of cilantro.

-Split the charred peppers open with a large slit, (but don’t cut in half), then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and put a little cheese in the bottom each pepper. Stuff each split pepper with lots of the black bean and corn mix, making it overflow with black bean quinoa corn goodness, and top with more cheese.

-Place back under broiler to melt and char the cheese.

-Make a quick salsa with diced tomatoes, a little diced onion, cilantro and lime juice. Put on top of cooked, stuffed peppers.

-If you like sour cream, take plain Greek yogurt (which tastes the same but is more nutritious and protein rich) and scoop some into the corner of a plastic zip top bag. Cut a teeny tiny bit of the bag’s corner off so it’s like a pastry bag and make an ornate squiggle of Greek yog over your pepper. If you’re serving people who think Greek yogurt doesn’t belong on a stuffed pepper, just tell them it’s sour cream. They won’t know the difference.

-Serve with a colorful side salad topped with corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and/or whatever pretty veggies you have lying about. Shake up a lime vinaigrette using lime juice, olive oil, a little honey, maybe some hot sauce (I used an aji amarillo paste) and S&P, all to taste.

-Take a picture and then enjoy your scrumptious meal with a Mexican beer! Ole!