It's all a Sham!

It's all a Sham!

 

These Art Gallery fabrics have been hanging out in my sewing space for a couple of years. Originally, they were purchased to build my stash with fabrics that were outside my typical pallette to use as needed. Over time that changed, and they were then going to be used for making masks. My chosen mask patterns never did turn out quite big enough for me to wear comfortably to warrant continuing with that venture (though many sit there half finished). There the fabrics sat waiting for inspiration to hit once more.

An annual quilt challenge season resumed January 2 and inspiration struck. Not for a quilty project, but a new pillow sham! 

How I needed this project. Not tied to a challenge. Not tied to an obligation. Very quick and easy to assemble, this was perfect for getting me back to my sewing machine after such a busy 2021.

The fabric I had to work with was 5"×43" for each color. I cut those to 2.5"×43", then stitched them together on their long sides. With six fabrics, this gave me one large piece that was 24"×43" - perfect for most of the sham. 

All that was needed was fabric for the overlap of the sham. A couple of the prints had extra cuts, so I cut four strips to add just that little extra. Six strips were truly needed for the size of the pillow, however, I found a work-around. Bring in the one snap I had in my stash for the win!! A little hand stitching with a LOT of patience (my fingers do not like hand stitching anything), and the sham was complete. Yay! 

Have a jelly roll that needs a project? This one is quite simple. You can create any size sham. Make sure the sham finishes at the same size or even 1/2" narrower than the insert you want to use if the insert is not too firm. The overlap on the back should be 2 1/2"-3". (Mine was only 1 1/2" at best.) If the insert is firm, make sure the sham finishes at the size of the pillow.

Do you make shams? What is your favorite way to close them - overlap, zipper, something else? Share your ideas in the comments. 

On to finishing a WIP for the end of the year.

Keep quilting!

Fawn