Monday, May 14, 2012

Reinvention by Maya Made

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I preordered this book months ago. I have been following the Maya Made blog for quite some time and when she announced the publishing of her book, I ordered it immediately. When it landed on my doorstep and I was able to flip through it, I fell in love. There are several projects in it that I knew I wanted to make. Not just that, but projects that I needed in my home.

A few years ago, I bought this remnant decorator fabric with the purpose of making floor cushions. I didn’t know what pattern to use but in my head I wanted some of the square cushions with piping. The problem was the stuffing. Foam is expensive and clearly not in the budget right now. But Maya’s book gave an alternative I didn’t think of. *Silly Me!*

Why not make the cushion and use it as storage for blankets, quilts and other unused linens. And that is exactly what I did. I made two of the large Poufs out of the remnant fabric. One is stuffed with quilts. One is stuffed with extra curtains, pillowcases, etc. And now I have perfect little poufs that can be used for seating or casual foot props. Since making them, the coffee table in the den has become a nice little workspace for me.

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Next up was the Summer Bolster. I made this out of two pillowcases that I had bought years ago to use in a sewing project that never came to be. Once I opened the pillow cases and sewed them together, I ended up with fabric longer than required, but I decided not to cut all of it off. A longer bolster is that much better in my opinion. I was glad I kept it. I rolled up the guest bed comforter and stuffed it inside. I used ribbon from my stash to tie up the two ends.
I’ll be making another one soon for the master bedroom.

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Since I was on a roll, I decided to pull out a few t-shirts that have been sitting in the corner waiting for a new life. I got most of these at Blissdom 2012 and added in a few more that have been in my bottom drawer unworn for years. I cut them apart and pieced them together using another remnant piece from my fabric stash as the backing. I did not add any batting as I wanted this to be a light summer lap throw, just a little something to drape when sitting in the air conditioning. I did not quilt it but I’m thinking about adding that latter when I am brave enough. I have more t-shirt pieces that will become another project soon. I’m just waiting for them to tell me what they want to be. :)

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If you are a sewer or ever so crafty inclined, you really should get this book.


8 comments:

  1. Go you and your bad-ass sewing self! I love it!

    And WHAT is it with the price of foam?.. I could stuff cushions with dollar bills and end up ahead!

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    1. When I had some furniture re-upholstered a few years ago, I was told the price of foam fluctuates with the price of gas because the foam is a petroleum product. I doubt foam will ever be reasonably priced again.

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  2. April,
    You are seriously my role model! I need that book in my life. I need to get crafty and I was just looking at my Blissdom tees like what will I do with them. I've been wanting to get a sewing machine!

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    1. I think everyone should have a machine around. They definitely come in handy. Get a good one and find some sewing classes in your area. You'll be off in no time. Just don't buy too much fabric to start. Stash hoarding is a sickness.

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  3. April! April! What a thrill to see you diving in... you are most certainly on a roll! Wow! I love everything you've made. It's fantastic to see your interpretations, too. You've inspired me to start a flickr reinventions group. Not sure if you're on flickr, but I'll let you know when I get it going. I believe others need to see the amazing work you're doing.
    Love,
    maya

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    1. Thanks! I'm definitely on Flickr. I'll add my pictures when you start the group. Thank you for visiting my blog and thank you for such a great book.

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  4. I love books like this! One of my favorites is Remake, Restyle, Reuse by Sonia Lucano. I'll be adding Reinvention to my list of books to check out.

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    1. I'll check that book out. Thanks for the suggestion.

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