How to make a rice and lavender heat cushion

This little cushion combines warmth and aromatherapy to a perfect relaxing experience. Just place it in the microwave at maximum heat for a couple of minutes and enjoy the heat and the sweet scent of lavender.

Making a cushion is easy, all you need is fabric, rice and dried lavender flowers.

Start by cutting the fabric. How big do you want your cushion to be? Mine measure 46x21 cm (appr. 18x8.5 inches).
Cut a piece of fabric that measures double the desired size (don't forget the seam allowance!). I cut my rectangle 93.5 x 22.5cm (36.5x21.5 inches).

Fold the piece over, right side to right side and close both long sides of the rectangle plus the outher thirds of the short side. The middle third of the short side will remain open (this is where you will fill in the rice and lavender).

Now turn the cushion outside out throught the opening and draw evenly spaced lines onto the surface (use a pen that you will be able to get off later).

Now mix rice and lavender flowers. To fill the cushion I used about 750g of rice and 75g of lavender.

Mix both ingredients thorougly and start to fill part of it into the cushion through the opening.

When you put enough filling for the first segment, use a long object (I used a ruler) to move the rice and lavender all the way into the cushion.

Then close the first segment sewing along the first traced line.

Continue to fill and close the following segments in the same way.

Finally fill the last segment and close the opening by hand using a blind stitch.

Now place the cushion in your microwave and within minutes you will be able to enjoy it!

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How to make a blanket with sleeves

This is one of the best inventions ever! No more having to lift the blanket and having cold air entering when you need to use the remote or turn the page of your book. The blanket with sleeves gives you freedom of movement while keeping all of you cozy and warm.

To make one you need:
a blanket of the desired size,
fabric for the sleeves

My blanket is made of fleece and has unfinished edges, which is why first I hemmed all four sides.

Then I cut the holes where the sleeves would be attached. When measuring, There should be a good 20 cm (just short of 7 inches) of blanket above the sleeves. Between the holes consider the width of your shoulders.
When cutting the holes be generous, you want to be able to move freely when wearing the blanket. My holes have a diameter of 16cm (appr. 6.5 inches).

Next cut the sleeves. They should be as long as the distance from your shoulder to the middle of your hand (just where the fingers begin). The width should be the same as the circumference of the circle you cut plus seam allowance.

First finish the edge that will be down at the hands of both sleeves with a hem.

Then prepare the sleeve by joining the two long edges, creating the tube that will be the sleeve. Use a serger if you have one, if not join the two pieces with a straight stitch, then secure the raw edge with a zigzag-stitch.

Next attach the raw edge of the sleeve to the opening in the blanket. Proceed as you did with the previous seam (serger or straight stitch plus zigzag).

The blanket with sleeves is finished.

 

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How to make cat inspired quilted egg warmers

This quick and easy project is a nice addition to your breakfast table.

To make the eggwarmer I first prepared a paper template of the right size to cover a boiled egg.

Then I cut 4 pieces of my fabric and 2 pieces of batting, a little bigger than the template.

To prepare one side of the eggwarmer (you will need 2 of these quilt sandwiches, one for the front and one for the back) place one piece of fabric right side down, put the batting on top and then add the second piece of fabric right side up.

Next I quilted the sandwich.

 Then I traced the template onto the two quilted pieces, adding the seamallowance.

I cut the two pieces and added the cat's features to the front.

The eyes are small buttons while the nose and whiskers are embroidered.

At this point I pinned front and back together with the wrong sides facing outwards.

I stitched the pieces together leaving the whole bottom open and turned the eggwarmer right side out throught the opening.

I finished the bottom adding binding. For more information on how to prepare and attach binding, click here.

Et voilà... the cat inspired quilted egg warmer.

Have you made a project following this tutorial? Let me know what you think. Did you like it? Was it easy to understand and to follow? Do you have any suggestions?
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How to make quilted coasters

This is another quick and fun project, that adds color to your table.

The coasters can be made in practically any shape. I focussed on squares and circles.

To make the coasters find an adequatly sized template and cut 2 pieces of your fabric and 1 piece of thin batting for each coaster. Do not forget to add seam allowance.

Place the batting on the table, put the first piece of fabric right side up on top and then add the second piece of fabric right side down.

Sew a simple straight seam all the way around the piece, leaving a small opening in the middle of one side. Turn the piece right side out through the opening.

Now quilt the coaster as desired. I chose a squared spiral.

Start quilting from the center of the coaster moving towards the edges in order to avoid accumulating eccess fabric or batting in the middle. When done close the small opening with a blindstitch.

Prepare differently shaped coasters in various fabrics.
Deck the table and enjoy the colorful display.

Have you made a project following this tutorial? Let me know what you think. Did you like it? Was it easy to understand and to follow? Do you have any suggestions?
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Bedside lamp makeover

I got these bedside lamps from Ikea two years ago, and though they never were beautiful, they were pretty neutral and they were very inexpensive. Now, however, they had become extremely ugly, one had  gone yellow from the smoke of mosquito coil, while the second had spots of unknown origin.

Plus, they didn't really illuminate very well.

I spent some time thinking about what to do with the lamps. I tried to cut the covers, so in order to cover them with fabric, but the cheap plastic just broke. I was about to give up when I came upon this structure, that had covered the pots of my fuchsias when I bought them, and that I had never thrown away. Luckily, I had two of those.

I gave them an ivory finishing with the remaining spray from my sewing case makeover so that they wouldn't be easy to see through the fabric, at least with the light out.

Not only were these cylindrical structures free, they happened to be a perfect fit for the lamp base.

I decided to use a light fabric that would give some more light, so that it would be possible to read with these bedside lamps. I cut a trapeze from the fabric according to the measurements of my cylinder.

I joined the two short sides with a straight seam adding some zigzag-stitching over the raw edges.

And finished the upper and lower edges into a double hem with the raw edges hidden inside the hem, leaving an opening where to put elastic in.

Coccolina was in charge of quality control, here you can see here checking the elastic

The finished cover looked like a little skirt with elastic in the top and bottom hem.

The finished lamps are a lot nicer to look at than before:

 

And they give some more light, too.

What a difference:

Have you made a project following this tutorial? Let me know what you think. Did you like it? Was it easy to understand and to follow? Do you have any suggestions?
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