A Different T Shirt Quilt Stadium Blanket

I was so excited to create this T Shirt quilt for a dear friend! 

I was inspired to try a variation on my standard T Shirt Quilt when I saw sweatshirt fleece at Jo-Ann.

I backed this quilt with sweatshirt fleece, with the fuzzy side facing out, with the intention that this quilt could be used as a stadium blanket.  On those chilly Friday nights, you could wrap yourself in something as cozy as your favorite sweatshirt!

The blanket is a hefty 5 feet by 6 feet and uses 20 shirts.  I cut the shirt larger than my standard quilt and eliminated the sashing strip.

The recipient of this blanket gifted most of these shirts to our family!  Don't worry, even though I used up twenty shirts, there are plenty left hanging in our closets!

I oriented the shirts along the wider side of the rectangle.  I figured that this way, when you are wrapped up in this blanket, everyone could read the T shirts!

The kids absolutely fell in love with this blanket.  I'm not sure if it was the bigger size, the weight of the blanket or the fuzzy fleece.

Even though it feels hefty, the blanket folds up compactly.  

 

I was thrilled to make this for our friend. Since I know he's reading, I'll add that your generosity to this family is greatly appreciated - as well as your friendship!

Whip up a memory blanket for yourself - or I can make one for you.  It's listed in my Etsy shop here.

Tuscan Dinner Party

The second annual Tuscan Dinner was a success.  It was very similar to last year's except that we had four couples this year.  We rigged up a table extension, which accounts for some of the lumpiness.  I didn't realize that my tablecloth wouldn't fit, so I also had to do some last-minute adjusting with what I have in the house (which isn't much!)

My typical Friday schedule involves planning a weekly menu and grocery shopping.  This week I woke up to a gurgling toilet while I was in the shower and a sudden odor of sewer gasses.  I quickly got out, flushed the toilet, (dressed) and ran outside to talk to the sewer workers.  They said I should run all the faucets and flush the toilets, that they were "hardly applying any pressure"....well, I went to our downstairs bathroom and the toilet had gurgled so much that the WALLS were sprayed with toilet water!  Ugh....so I got my Murphy's Oil Soap and washed all the walls.  Then I cleaned and scrubbed both bathrooms and disinfected the floors.  THEN I went grocery shopping.

By this time, the Italian wines were looking pretty good, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't 5:00 anywhere.  So I slowly prepared for our dinner.

Inspired by all those lovely, romantic movies that take place in the Italian countryside, my fascination with water bottles and outdoor dinners was born.  

My two little bouquets were easily spread among so many bottles that I had to grab a few old wine bottles that I placed around the house, including the (squeaky clean) bathroom!

We set the table under our deck, which creates the feeling of an arbor.  My husband and I hung white lights which gave a perfect glow as darkness fell.

I was thankful that it was a sunny day, but it was only supposed to reach a daytime high in the 50s and our guests were not arriving until 7:00 PM.

We had some Reisling from my 5K winery, some Chianti and a Tuscan cabernet.  We had two varieties of Italian beer.

The evening is all about food, conversation and friendship.  We simplified the menu this year and changed up the order a bit.  We started with a simple cheese and antipasto plate, followed by bread sticks and a baguette and dipping oil.  Next, a fantastic wedding soup with toasted pine nuts and veal meatballs.  We served the salad next, although it is supposed to be served after the main course.  The main course was a Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables.  The roasted dinner is easy for me to prepare ahead of time and cook while I am enjoying the other courses.  We were considering a Tuscan steak, but then that would require fussing with the grill.  This evening is truly about sitting around the table!  We ended the meal with a delicious Taramisu.

I was excited to use the wine barrel candle holder that our neighbor's made for us last year!

We did have the chimenea to warm up by.  But we didn't need that because one of our guests brought Grappa.  It is typically drank (drunk?) after dinner.  I was expecting something of a dessert wine, like ice wine.  Noooooo Grappa is more like turpentine!  Us ladies politely tried to sip it.  I suppose you need to drink it like a shot!  The guys gathered up some of the waste Grappa and poured it down the chimenea.  A four foot fireball shot into the air!  But somehow, the guys managed to finish the entire bottle of Grappa.

As evening fell, the air was still and our "arbor" was quite cozy.

Another year, another wonderful evening with friends. Tradition.

***********************************************************************************

Note on my blog:  I have never blogged on any particular schedule, but recently have been inspired to do so.  My goal is to blog five days a week with the following topics:

Monday - Design - Design ideas I use in my home, design by others
Tuesday - Inspiration - People, shops, and anything else that I find inspiring!
Wednesday - Sewing - My own tutorials, tutorials I find interesting, sewing tips, etc.
Thursday - Thoughts on Life - family life, practical tips, recipes, ...
Friday - Shop updates for myself and Annie

Thanks for reading.  I am truly grateful for the blogging community!

Sewing Tutorial - Upcycle a Tee Shirt or Sweatshirt Into a Stadium Cushion

Because I

a) have too many T shirts and sweatshirts in the house
b) I have been freezing my behind off at football games (not literally, of course, otherwise I'd look like Heidi Klum) and
c) I am practical,

I was inspired to create a seat cushion for the cold metal bleachers that we sit on at the high school football games.

Like my T Shirt Quilt Pillow, I thought a T shirt or sweatshirt would make a good seat cushion.  I headed to Jo-Ann to purchase a piece of foam and some waterproof material for the bottom side.  I was planning on making a Velcro closure so that the cushion cover could be washed.

I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this neat alternative to foam:  Soft n Crafty Nu-Foam. (Presently I cannot find a link for it online - this may be the same item.)  It is "a superior alternative to foam for indoor and outdoor use!  Ideal for home decoration and camping accessories."  It is "washable, dries quickly, retains permanent shape and is unconditionally guaranteed."  Discovering that it was washable, I ditched the Velcro.

The last decision was whether or not to make the bottom of the stadium cushion out of a waterproof material.  Jo-Ann has marine vinyl, but that seamed like overkill.  Besides, it's only surface washable.  I considered laminated cottons, but hated to waste a pretty fabric on the seat bottom.  The PUL fabric is hand-wash. My practical side said that a seat cushion should be simple and washable.  My frugal side decided not to spend any more money and use a T shirt for both sides of the cushion.

So let's get started.  Sprinkled throughout the tutorial I will give you "options."

Upcycled T Shirt Stadium Seat Cushion Tutorial

Finished size:  15" x 8.5"

Supplies:

Soft n Crafty Nu-Foam, 15' x 17" x 2"
One old T shirt or sweatshirt
Thread, scissors

1. Cut foam.

Options: I researched popular sizes for stadium cushions:  15" x 8", 13" square and 14" square.  This cushion will accommodate any of those sizes.  I decided that by choosing the rectangular size, this foam could yield two cushions.


Mark the center line of the foam at 8.5"

Cutting the foam is a bit of a challenge.  I tried scissors, a serrated knife and a long, bread-cutting knife.  The bread knife worked the best.  I have used an electric knife to cut foam in the past but did not try it with this.  I used the bread knife with the foam flat on the table until the foam was almost cut completely through.  I then used my scissors to complete the cut.

Now you have two pieces of foam, each 15" x 8.5".

2. Cut T shirt to 16" x 10.5"

Option: 
- If using a sweatshirt, cut 17" x 10.5" .  A sweatshirt is less stretchy than a T shirt.
- It's OK to cut into the neckline, the hooded pocket, or a motif to make it fit.

Cut off sleeves (and/or hood) to make cutting easier.

Center your motif within a 16" x 10.5" rectangle.  Use a marking pencil to draw lines.

Use a can to round the corners.

Cut out the rectangle and a matching piece for the back.  (Or cut the front and back out at the same time.)

3. Create the handle.

Using extra fabric from the T shirt sleeve or another part of the T shirt, measure and cut a 11" x 3" piece of fabric.

Options:
- Use webbing for a handle
- Pull on the fabric and use it, unfinished, as your handle.

Sew the long edge of the handle together.

Using whatever turning method you prefer, turn the handle inside out.

Top stitch the handle on each side to add stability.

 4. Sew two sides together

 Pin the handle to the right side of the cushion cover, 2" from the side edges.

With right sides together, pin around edges.

Starting at the bottom edge, opposite the handle, sew around the cushion, leaving a 7" opening along the shorter rectangular edge.   Turn inside out.

Squeeze the foam in half and insert it into the opening.  It takes a bit of work to get the foam into position.

5. Stitch opening closed.

Pin the edges closed.

If you have the ability to move your needle position, move it to the left side. Sew close to the edge.

Option: hand sew the opening closed.

Enjoy!

I made one for me and one for my husband!

Now they are loaded into my football bag and ready to go!

Inspiration - Jo-Ann's Thread Spools Wreath

 

I was at Jo-Ann today. (For those of you who know me, I am there 1 to 2 times a week!) I saw this project sheet and thought that this was a cute wreath.  (I was going to link to the project online but could not find it.)  The instructions call for attaching the threads with hot glue.  I don't think I'd want to waste costly thread by doing that.  But  perhaps old spools, painted spools and other notions would be cute.  What do you think?