Category: sewing patterns (not quilts)

FINISHED: Twister Sofa Back Pillows Re-Cover Project

With all that’s going on in the world right now, I must admit that I found it very difficult to focus and force myself to finish this Twister Pillows sofa back pillows re-cover project. That said, I am so very glad I did.

Pushing through the daily madness and finding my rhythm in sewing and quilting the new pillow covers was actually quite healing. I guess because I was doing something that I “COULD DO” instead of worrying and being caught up in the insanity. And at the end of the day, I had something to show for it.

Quick recap. Here’s the BEFORE sofa look:

Here is the AFTER:

As mentioned previously, I needed to make my pillow covers larger than the pattern so I simply enlarged the borders. I also decided to apply a scrappy binding instead of the prescribed “turning” method which would have been OK, but I love the look of the scrappy binding.

The Twister Pillows pattern offered directions for two methods of closure on the back: Envelope Style and Zipper Closure. I opted for the zipper closure and I really like the professional feel and finish. Here are a few shots of that:

Twister Pillow Back Side – Zipper Closure Finish
Twister Pillow Back Side Zipper Detail
Zipper Detail Close-Up

There you have it!

I loved the process of making my Twister Pillows! In fact, after I finish a couple other small projects, I would really like to design and make a coordinating Twister Table Runner to put on our coffee table that sits in front of the sofa.

What do you think?

Do the new pillow covers improve the look of our living room?

Have you ever made Twister Pillows or any projects using the Lil Twister Tool?

I’d love to hear your constructive comments and sharing below!

Sew BikeChicâ„¢ — Sewing a Recycle/Upcycle Bike Tube Coin Purse

Today I spent the day playing with rubber…rubber bicycle tubes that I recycle into usable items.

So I decided to try making a cute little zippered coin purse that is fully lined. I used my I-Zip Wallets sewing pattern as a guide for determining size and basic construction (note: sewing with rubber instructions are not provided in this pattern).

Here is what I came up with:

Recycled Bike Tube Zippered Coin Purse -- fully lined
Recycled Bike Tube Zippered Coin Purse — fully lined

Here’s a peek inside:

Inside the coin purse
Inside the coin purse…see, fully lined! 🙂

 

Working with recycled rubber–especially recycled bicycle tubes–presents a number of challenges.  One must collect it, clean it (many bicycle tubes are filled with SLIMEâ„¢ or other sealants), cut & prepare it (it curls, stretches and bulges in places due to the circular shape of the tube) and you need to know how to sew it.

Sewing rubber can be tricky in a number of ways.  For example, once the needle goes in, there WILL be a hole (that will be seen if you have to remove stitching).  Additionally, the rubber likes to “grip” and stick to many sewing machine beds as well as the presser foot.

I find it extremely worthwhile to make the effort in order to keep the tubes out of landfills.  It’s especially rewarding to turn toxic trash into an attractive, functional item that is super durable and FUN to carry.   🙂

If you like the style of this coin purse and would like to make one for yourself out of fabric, you may be interested to learn more about the I-Zip Wallets sewing pattern by clicking here (note: sewing with rubber instructions are not provided in this pattern).