I found myself with a bit of time to sew over the weekend. One of the people I follow on Instagram, Caroline or @stitchesbrew, is involved with foster children who are aging out of the system. She has been collecting handmade items (mainly quilts and pillowcases) to give to these 18 year olds who are trying to make a go of it on their own. I think this is a very worthwhile effort and I am happy to support it. Eighteen years old is so young to be completely on your own and while pillowcases and quilts won’t make it easy, it will let the kids know that someone cares about them.
In an afternoon, I was able to put together three pillowcases for the kids. I used some sweet fabric that my sister gave me a few months ago. (You might remember reading about this but if not, here is the post.) Making these three cases hardly made a dent in the yardage she gave to me. I know she is happy that some of the fabric was used for such a good cause.
The large scale of the fabrics lends well to something like these pillowcases. I added a tiny stripe of Daysail by Bonnie and Camille to add a pop of color.
These pillowcases go together so quickly. I used the ‘burrito tutorial’ that was posted by Leslie of The Seasoned Homemaker. If you haven’t tried this method before, give it a try. It is foolproof and the results are very polished.
These are packaged up and ready to be mailed to Michigan. Hopefully they will bring a smile to the recipients.
Linking to my usuals. Please take a look at the top of the page under Link Ups.
What a clever tutorial on the pillowcases. I’ve made pillowcases before, but her method makes so much sense! No more unfinished seams. Your fabrics are really fun; they will make someone very happy indeed.
Thanks Wendy. The method works wonderfully with these pillowcases. Using a French seam for that side seam gives a great finish to the whole thing. Take care Wendy.
What a great idea for those kids! I love the daysail fabric with the red and white. These are really cute!
Thanks so much. Love turquoise and red together, even just that small bit of trim. ?
The pillowcases are so great! And thanks so much for the link to the pillowcase tutorial. I was just telling my daughter that she could make pillowcases with some extra fabric I sent her, so being able to also send her the tutorial was perfect.
Good to hear this was helpful Laura! It is a simple process and has a wonderful finished look to it. Happy Holidays!
The pillow cases are cheerful and I love the little pop of “mint”. These will be treasured keepsakes, for sure. Thank you for sharing the tutorial.
These are super cute!!
These are so cool and look like so much fun to make! I will definitely flag that tutorial. That is also a great cause. My niece worked for a time with teens aging out of programs in California. My impression was that it was emotionally draining work for both her and the teens she was helping. I’m sure the pillowcases will brighten the day of anyone who gets them.
Great pillowcases, so cheery! btw like your tips on the open wide pouch, one I need to try yet! Also love all three of them, terrific fabrics indeed!
I made pillow cases for my niece and nephews, with the burrito method. I just love how they turned out. I kind of want to continue making them just for the heck of it. Maybe I can find some foster children who are aging out and do that for them as well. What a bitter sweet time for them, they do need to know there are people who care. You are so kind! Your pillow cases are so pretty!
I was actually thinking that it would be a good idea for me to research how to support foster children (especially those aging out) in my location so I can keep the efforts local. It doesn’t really matter -supporting children in any location is important. But it might be nice to focus on the need in Northern CA. Merry Christmas!!
These are great gifts and sure to be appreciated. You are a kind and thoughtful “elf”! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
What fun fabrics together! How fun!
Perfect fabric choices for these pillowcases. Caroline is in my guild (and my friend!) She is quite taken with the amazing response she has gotten with for this project. Thanks so much for helping out.
Karen, Thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed making the pillow cases and would love to find out if there are local organizations here in Northern California who would benefit by something like this. Maybe this is something new for me to work on in the new year. Wishing you a wonderful year in 2017!