Challenge #17: Sarah vs The Sewing Project

I love butchering things with a sewing machine. I find it quite theraputic and like the feeling of satisfaction when I manage to make something wearable. I have a stack of old clothes piled up that are waiting to start a new life, so my idea behind this challenge was to start doing something with them. Originally I'd planned to transform some old trousers into a skirt, which I have wanted to try for a while, but then there was that pile of old band t-shirts that really deserved a better life than the one they were living in the bottom of the wardrobe...

I think band t-shirts are precious things that really need to be shown off, so turning them into cushion covers means they can be admired and loved as much as being worn. Plus, they look fucking ace and fit perfectly with the CD and record mountains dominating my front room.

Here's my guide to the band t-shirt cushion cover...

1. Take one lovely t-shirt that no longer fits.

2. Measure the width of your cushion. Mine was about 17", so I measured a square around the print to ensure it was kept central on the cushion cover.

3. Turn t-shirt inside out and pin the 17" by 17" square around the pattern. You can machine around it from here, but I'm a nervous sewer when I have an important bit of cloth in my hand so I like to put a rough safety stitch by hand around it first.

4. Cut off the arms to get them out of the way. To be honest you could probably cut around your square now to get rid of the excess material, but I always leave that til afterwards in case I balls it up.

5. Sew three sides, leaving the bottom open. Chop the excess material off. (Check out my amazing leopard print sock in the bottom left corner. I know. Amazing.)

6. Fold the bottom flap inwards and sew. Turn the t-shirt over and repeat on the opposite side - I do the same on both sides just to get rid of the extra material. These will create a flap like on a pillow to keep your cushion in. Originally I'd planned to give them button fastenings, but that was going to be way too much hard work though. I did manage to teach myself how to sew button holes using a YouTube tutorial, so I've learnt something extra that may come in handy one day.

7. Ta-da!

8. Repeat until your sofa looks awesome. Here's my collection so far...

Verdict: Major win for my sofa.