Sew Sew Showoff!: Paris Themed Pillowcases

Every person has a dream vacation spot. For some reason, I've always had this strange fascination with Australia and plan on making my way down under some day. My BFF's dream spot is Paris. She's always talking about it and even plans on learning some French so she won't feel like a complete goober when she takes her leap over the Big Pond.  So, as her birthday approached, I actually put some thought into her gift and decided to make her some Paris themed pillowcases.  I even came up with a cheesy line about Paris, pillowcases and dreams but thankfully I kept that one to myself. :-)  

They turned out even better than I imagined! I purchased the Paris Fun fabric from HisandHersFabrics on Etsy and the polka dot fabric from Joann Fabrics.  And a special thank you to the lady who helped me decide that the polka dots were the best option for the border. I swear, Joann's has the nicest people shopping there!

My BFF loved her pillowcases and plans on taking them with her when she finally dons her beret and sets off on her journey. Maybe I can get her to take pictures of the pillowcases at different Paris landmarks like school kids do with stuffed toys? Ha! Probably not, but I can dream, can't I?

Keep It Funky!

Tammi

In The Beginning…

My first craft event - "Girls Nite Out"/My first creations

What amazes me the most about Sew Sew Funky is that before 2011 I had no interest in sewing whatsoever.  Or starting a business for that matter. But as a good friend of mine (I can’t remember who) always says, “Things happen for a reason.”  So, I guess my getting laid off in November of 2010, my sister giving me a pillow case for Christmas which led me to go to Joann Fabrics looking for a pillow form to go in it, was all part of The Master Plan.  It was there that I saw a flyer for sewing lessons.  Sixty-five dollars for four sessions, two hours apiece sounded like a great deal.  So even though I never had an inkling of interest in sewing before, I decided since I had so much spare time I should give it a whirl. To my surprise and the surprise of pretty much everyone else who knows me, I really enjoyed it! So much so that I bought my own sewing machine and quickly immersed myself into the world of sewing.

I signed up for a gazillion sewing blogs, downloaded oodles and oodles of sewing tutorials, bought sewing books and became a self-proclaimed fabric junkie. Through my classes and my own trial and error, I learned valuable sewing lessons. Like always, always pre-shrink your fabric before cutting and sewing anything, because shrinkage is a bitch.  I learned this after making some pajama pants in class. When I finally washed them after the fact, I looked like I had gotten them from the girl’s department at Target! Another important lesson:  If you’re sewing something you’ve never sewn before, make a prototype! Don’t use the fabric you really want to use or you may end up wasting your fabric…and cursing the Sewing Gods along the way.

I began making handmade gifts for friends and family birthdays.  I started off with coasters and wine cozies then made a couple of bamboo handled purses for The Birthday Twins (two good friends who share the same birthday).  After that, I made a few cosmetic bags and they were a hit! Everyone kept telling me I should sell them and why the heck not? I had plenty of time on my hands. I thought about what I wanted my sewing business to be. I wanted it to be wild, crazy and funky…just like me. So, I came up with a name, got a logo designed, got some labels made and Sew Sew Funky was born!

Keep It Funky!

Tammi