Im looking for someone who quilts (or maybe sews stuff). I want to make a (standard size) pillow case for the seder representing the 10 plagues with different fabrics. Im looking for some advice about the layout of the different fabric pieces and how to put on a back of the envelope.
If there is anyone who'd be willing to help me visualize this better, I'd really appreciate the help!

I'm about as far away from an expert in this matter as you can get. However, for my one project, I found it helpful to cut out pieces of paper and arrange them.

Well, I made a photoshop mock-up for design, but Im still debating about my 2 layout ideas.

I sense a poll coming on. . .

I like the second one better.

What a waste. Some fat szlob is going to lean on it, all but covering it all, and no one will appreciate all the hard work that went into it.

Visualize that.

mosheshmeal
.

As if anyone would own up to that...

me too, but you haven't seen the patterns yet.


hey! Thats my husband you're talking about......

oops.

But I have a point, don't I? (Ok, don't know about the fat bit)

mosheshmeal
.

Does that matter?

Yes it will get leaned on, but thats the point. It would still be appreciated! hmmph



Ok, heres the situation... pattern one is 10 vertical stripes, easy to sew but not as fancy, vs pattern two is 2 rows of 5 rectangles with frames/border between -looks nicer but is going to be more sewing I think.

I'd say it depends on your sewing skills. Pattern 2 is going to be a lot harder. Sewing vertical stripes is basically just a matter of lining it up along one axis and sewing straight. Rectangles have to be aligned along 2 axes which is much harder. Then you add borders and it's way more complicated. I definitely think the rectangles one would look better but, if it were me, I'd go with the stripes. Better to have a simple pattern come out nice than a complicated pattern come out messed up.

What if I sew/paste the fabic rectangles down on pillowcase and then sew thick ribbon or trim to frame it off? If I put the frame part on the top layer will that work neater?

It might be easier to align and more forgiving but the finished product (in my mind) won't look as nice or last as long.

I'd still go with a nice job on the stripes over a not-as-nice job with the rectangles. But, that's just me.

what I dislike about the stripes is- its going to look very busy, and the stripes are not going to be so thick (aprox 26 inches/10).

Hmmm. About 2.5 inches each. I see what you mean.

What about having 5 on one side and 5 on the other with each stripe being 5 inches?

How is each piece decorated? Is it a different fabric/pattern or are you embroidering on them? (If the latter, you could have 5 stripes with 2 per stripe.)

Solution

But then you dont get the full impression at once. I'd like them all on the front, but maybe I need to re-think my layout options. what else can I do?


I'm thinking about buying patterned farbic and one or two will get embellished with googly eyes, sequins. I haven't done much embroidery since elementary school. I'm still in the planing stage but I figured I need to start now to get it done in time.

What about having a solid background (white, let's say) and then cutting out pieces of the patterned fabric in fun shape and appliqueing them on? That way you don't have to worry about alignment and still get all 10 on one side.

hmmmm. Interesting idea!

Thanks.

Or you could do a crazy quilt, but I like my first idea better.

Ok, I bought fabric for 3 maakos (Arov, Arbeh, Bechoros) and now Im thinking the stripes look better than I orignally thought it would.

Cool.

It sounds like it'll be great. Any way you could post a pic when you're done?

This thread really went places. I would have bet that no one was going to answer.

IYH, I'll try to remember.


All these oldie crafts are making a comeback: look at knitting and crochet... knitting is now hip.

That sounds very cute. Good luck.

Update: for dever, is it to morbid to have cute farm animals? like fuzzy sheep jumping over a fence?
I could do cow print, but Arov is animal print so maybe thats too similar next to each other.


The Arbeh fabric is this table-cloth like synthetic plastic stuff , and when I tried cutting the (also synthetic plastic) Bechoros swatch it was a disaster. I really like the Arbeh swatch though, is there any way to work with the plastic? I tired gluing a fabric backing, but the glue marks showed.....

So far I have Tzfardeia (frogs), Kinim (black poka dots), Arov (animal print)
Shkhin (red bubbles) and Barad (blue, hail like)

Update: Hurray for ebay!!!!!
I just bought swatches of
Dam- Ancient looking pots and vessels on red background
Arbeh- grasshoppers on picnic table cloth!!! Link because its so cute!!!!
Bechoros- Skeletons

Im still stuck on dever though. I bought some flannel fabric at walmart- one with sheep, the other with cows..... but my husband keeps says "the animals need to be DEAD!" I dont know what to do!

Kill them.

does putting "X" over their eyes count? maybe also with a tongue sticking out?

Oysh, there I was in walmart having the 2 dever flannel fabrics cut at the fabric counter and some frum gal around my age asks what I'm buying this fabric for. And so I launched into a whole explanation of my project. She thought the fabric might have been for making pajamas.

Whatsit her business anyway? Maybe you bought it to make a bekeshe for your husband?

Well, she asked very nicely...

My prior conversation with a random frum woman walmart was great! We were both in the makeup aisle and she recommenced this Max Factor lipstick that lasts all shabbos. I bought one and loved it and just bought my mom one too. (Big thank you, whoever you are!)

Me? Nah. (I always wonder if I bump into any H.commers around Monsey. I'm sure I do.)

IIRC, in school they used to just make the animals upside down (ie, on their backs). Maybe just flip the fabric over?

Finished with time to spare!!!!
Click to view attachment

Last week I was again in the walmart fabric department (deciding if it needed some trim) and got into a whole conversation with a very nice granny. She told me not to trim around it, so I didn't.

That's really nice.

Maybe you can put a link so we can see the whole thing up close?

This seems appropos.


DAVE BARRY GIFT GUIDE
Ten Plagues Bowling Set

Dave Barry's Holiday Gift Guide
$20 plus shipping and handling from Hamakor Judaica, 7777 N. Merrimac Ave., Niles, Ill. 60714; 800-426-2567; www.jewishsource.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=311009

Suggested by Sharon Rae Pettigrew of Alexandria, Va.

Here's a fun item for the Jewish person on your holiday gift list. This is a bowling set with wooden pins representing the 10 plagues of Egypt. Some of the plagues are a little hard to figure out, because as any artist will tell you, it's not easy to represent plagues, especially lice and boils, in the bowling-pin medium. Nevertheless, in our opinion this may be the best plague-themed bowling game on the market. Certainly it's in the top three.

Thank you



(hope that works)

Yes. That worked. Adorable, if somewhat morbid.