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!