Sildribbling One Scarf at a Time: 12/01/2015

Friday, December 18, 2015

Turn your fabric scraps into a colorful pillow with this Free Tutorial

I have a stash problem and though I would share a fun project with you. This was a pillow I made for my son. He loves it and it was just the right gift to make him feel like he is my special little man (which he is).

I used my left over silk from guard flags that needed a little trim before I could sew them together. So, I ended up with this really colorful pillow but you could use other fabrics to make this braided pillow. I would recommend cotton, linen, or other natural fabrics. Try a few different combinations of color and mix it up, pin together to get a nice flow of color. I used my phone to take a few photos of color combinations before I picked one that I liked. The phones camera is a great way to see how the colors come together and make it easier for me to pick my favorite combination.

Braiding silk was a little tricky, I had to make sure I didn't pull to hard on one strand or the other keeping the tension just right. If you use cotton this will be a easier to control. Also, attach the fabric to a table or frame to make braiding easy (floppy braid not good).

Have fun braiding and sewing!

Make Your Own Braided Pillow Cover

Braided Pillow Tutorial PDF

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Art is to Life as Oxygen is to Fire

Recently I was watching TedTalks about "The Potter" a potter and how he changed his world and something just stuck with me. How the beauty of everyday life is a fundamental right. Where we spend our time, school, work place, walking down the street, and on to what we wear. I have to say this has been coming up more and more with me. How to change the world one place or one life at a time. I am convinced this is how we do it. I wish people could see where I live and how people around me live. If you could see you would understand why this issue of beautification is fundamentally stuck to me. I want more then anything to bring hope to the young people who live around me. It breaks my heart to see them suffer with out them even knowing why. They need a place where they feel safe and someone cares about them and how they live. In return I hope they will expand this idea back into there relationship with this city. I know its a lot to ask and it can only begin with someone like me.

There are times, in fact all the time when I think this it impossible, I am not enough. Then I think about this potter who changed his community and El Seed @elseedart
the calligrapher Graphite artist my Dance Teachers and fellow Guard Buddies, Friends and co-workers. They all inspire me they are my driving force when I feel small and in need of a push to greater things.