Home Decor
Monday, April 10 2017
Creation: tote bag, throw pillow cover, and faux roman shade
Fabrics Used: Poplin Doo Be Doo Be Doo
The Visionary: Carmen, See Carmen Sew
Our Thoughts: We love this fabric and all the fun creations Carmen has made out of it! This Poplin print is a great pattern for the spring.
Hello everyone and happy Sunday! I hope ya’ll have had a great weekend enjoying the weather and hopefully stitching up something fabulous. This weekend I tackled some home decor projects, courtesy of Organic Cotton Plus (BTW they’re also offering all of my readers 10% off your next order by using discount code: seecarmensewOCP at checkout!). About a month ago, Organic Cotton Plus offered to send me some fabric in exchange for an honest review. Armed with four yards of cotton fabric, I stitched up a tote bag, a throw pillow cover, and a faux roman shade. To learn more about these projects and my final take on Organic Cotton Plus, read on!
Are you wondering what the difference is between regular cotton and organic cotton? Organic cotton is is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. It is supposed to be better on the environment. I found Organic Cotton Plus’s prices to be competitive. The fabric that I selected is still available (SKU CLD 159600) and is listed at $12.50/yard.
The website is easy to navigate and they have tons of fabrics available. They also offer free shipping on orders over $50. My fabric arrived promptly and was neatly packaged.
It’s cotton poplin and it had a bit of weight to it. Now, before I spark a national debate, I understand that there are different schools of thought when it comes to garment sewing with a quilting-weight fabric. I don’t do it. I’ll sew a garment with a cotton batiste or sateen, because it’s much lighter, but that’s it. So when I was finally able to feel the fabric in my hands I decided it would be better suited for home decor and accessories. My first project was an easy tote bag.
I did not use a pattern and instead just made it up as I went along. I decided the dimensions beforehand and factored in seam allowance. When it was time to attach the straps, I measured in three inches from each side for placement and then stitched them in place.
This is an easy project that is great for beginners. I used this project as a template and taught others how to sew their own tote bag at my local community education sewing class. Now my bag is filled with all of my travel sewing supplies that I take with me when I teach sewing lessons.
The second project I made was a faux roman shade. Unlike a real roman shade, my shade doesn’t require wooden dowels and other hardware. Instead, you attach ribbon to the top of the shade and you roll up to your desired length. At night, you can unroll your shade for privacy. It was a very easy project with big impact.
To cut out my shade, I first measured the width and length of my windows and used that as an initial guide. I then added four inches to the sides for hem allowance, four inches to the top for hem allowance, and eight inches at the bottom for hem allowance. Once I added all of those figures, I was able to cut out my rectangle. The rest of the project simply involved hemming, which was super easy with this fabric and an iron. No pins needed! Then I bought ribbon and stitched it to the top of the hem only.
From there, you can fold up your shade like an accordion or roll it up and tie it in place. I love how well the colors already matched the paint in this room.
I can’t believe after 5.5 years of sewing that this is the first time I’ve made my own shade. It was so easy and I will be making more shades in the near future. Lastly, I had about half a yard of fabric left so I decided to make a throw pillow cover.
This was so easy to make and I should have a new couch in a dark grey velvet by the end of this month, so I think my new pillow will add a fun pop of color. Construction was simply sewing three sides and adding an invisible zipper. No pattern needed.
This would also be a great project for a beginner. Anyway, thank you so much Organic Cotton Plus and I can honestly say that I recommend their fabrics. Customer service was excellent and the fabric I received was high-quality. If you’re someone who loves to sew with high-quality cotton that is environmentally friendly, go check them out!
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