Tuesday, June 8, 2010

CSI Project Challenge: Martha Inspired DIY Printer Fabric Pillows

Visit thecsiproject.comMartha's people from the Crafts Department are going to be guest judges for this week's CSI challenge! So I am dragging out all my best Martha Wannabe projects. This is the second to last week of school and I am way over my head with wrapping up the year to be doing new projects-although I am sooo tempted to try!


Without further ado- my favorite Martha Inspired Projects-


Print on Fabric Pillows
Chic Flic Movie Quote Pillow
I still remember where I was in May of 2008 when Martha aired a rerun of this Growth Chart Project.  I had long admired projects using printer fabric, but the price of those sheets made it a bit spendy for me. I believe that was also the spring of threatened $5 gas and I was trying my best to limit my trips to Joannes. All in all, I was in a use what you have mode.

Like an angel of crafting mercy Martha showed how to make your own printer paper out of muslin and fusible web. I had both of those at home! My sister-friend, Piper, had a birthday just around the corner. Inspiration hit like lightning and I created this Chic- Flick quote pillow. Using favorite scraps of vintage sheets and other light blue fabrics I pieced together a collection of quotes from all her favorite movies.

Quote PillowThis pillow was my first quilting project and it was far from perfect, however it was a truly personal and unique gift. I burned the midnight oil to get it done-thus the dark pictures. In spite of some flaws, I love this pillow and all the memories of our girls movie nights.

That same summer, my other roommate and sister friend, Kate came to visit me. We spent a long, hot, yet lovely day at the UCLA / LA Times Book Fair. We reminisced about some of our favorite books and Kate told me that as a child she read all the books Garth Williams illustrated.

I had only just dropped her off at LAX when I sewed up this printer fabric pillow for her birthday the following month.
Garth Williams Pillow
Garth Williams, a bird and a cupcake... perfect!

Dreaming of Paris
Then, later in December, I made this little door pillow for my brother and sister-in-law to be. They were planning a Paris honeymoon and this was a bit of inspiration to keep them going through the wedding planning.

Martha was definitely the first person I saw integrate computers into crafting and now I can not imagine making half my crafts without a computer, the internet and a printer!

8 comments:

Infarrantly Creative said...

Oh that door pillow is such a sweet gift. Adorable. I love how you actually take the challenge every week. Thanks for your support of CSI!

Alyssa said...

What a sweet pillow. I love the birdie one.
Very Martha inspired!

Alyssa
http://lifeoflyssie.com

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Wonderful project! Thank you for taking the challenge and putting such thought and time into it.

XOXO
Jen

René said...

Oh Margalo, does that ever bring back memories. Very cute.

KatrinkaJane said...

Thank you for sharing that — now I need to go buy some muslin! :D

http://katrinkajane.blogspot.com/2010/06/csi-project-martha-stewart.html

Cassie Bustamante said...

i love the bird pillow- just love it! you are one creative chick! love the little playkitchen in the sidebar.

Wendy @ Ramblings from the Sunshine State said...

Those are so cute! Love the bird!

Tubo Family said...

Adorable projects and THANK YOU THANK YOU for the tip on Martha's make your own printable fabric. I'm in "too broke to buy mode" but I do have quite a stash of craft & sewing supplies; now I will be able to utilize my clip art cd's to make decorations for clothes I am "making over" and some kid craft projects.