Vintage Pillowcase Crafts
Pillowcase embroidery and crewel work have, by many standards, become a lost art. Finding a modern woman who keeps embroidered pillowcases on the bed is difficult. You may wonder where that trend came from or what you should do with the handed-down cases in your closet. Whether you found a pretty pillowcase in a closet at your grandmother’s or you bought one at an estate sale, it doesn’t have to sit in your closet collecting dust. Use some vintage gems to make functional and stylish crafts for modern-day life.
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Dresses and Skirts
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Making a vintage pillowcase was labor of love. The detailed embroidery and crewel work that usually decorate a vintage pillowcase was both time consuming and tedious. Make a dress or a sweet little skirt with an embroidered pillowcase to save the handiwork that was put into making the pillowcase. By cutting the top seam off of the pillowcase, you will have a tube of fabric that can be used to make a dress or skirt. Cut out arm holes or a casing for a drawstring, and add a new piece to your or your little girl’s wardrobe.
Wrist Cuffs and Necklaces
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Fabric jewelry has become such a trend that ignoring the craft fair booths and Internet retailers that specialize in this jewelry-making niche is difficult. Books with patterns for all types of fabric jewelry now line the shelves of libraries and bookstores. Make your own and recycle a pillowcase with crewel work or embroidery that is just sitting in the closet, Cut the fabric to size, stitch on some interfacing, and hem around the edges. Attaching a snap or a cool vintage button will give you a piece of custom fabric jewelry with an interesting vintage flair.
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Covered Drum Shade
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If you have shopped for a lampshade that fits your decor and taste, you may have found the task more difficult than you thought. Making your own drum lampshade cover and having a custom piece that works for your personal aesthetic, using a vintage pillowcase, may be easier. Simply cut out a piece from a vintage pillowcase to match the size of your shade, leaving allowances for folding the edges to hide the raw edge. You can then cover the lampshade with the pillowcase piece using spray adhesive. If you want to add a few extra details to jazz up your lampshade, use grosgrain ribbon trim or vintage button trim to accessorize.
Vintage-Style Apron
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During the early 20th century, women made their own aprons using pre-printed flour and feed sacks. Women of the time made their own functional aprons with the sack fabric as a means of recycling good textiles that would otherwise be thrown out. These vintage aprons have recently caused quite a stir in the crafting world, and many craft books and websites have tutorials for making new vintage-style aprons using the same ideas that were used by those resourceful ladies. Vintage pillowcases can be used to make a vintage-style apron that gives your new apron a style all your own. By opening the seams along the sides of your pillowcase, you should have enough fabric to make an darling apron.
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References
- “Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase”; Suzanne J.E. Tourtillott; 2009
- Jen Leheny: Pillowcase Dress Instructions
- Cut Out and Keep: Vintage Pillowcase Apron; Anne Dame; 2009
- Women Folk: Feed Sack Quilt History: Feedsacks, Frugal and Fun; Judy Anne Breneman; 2001
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
