[baby gifts]:: pillowcase bags

I am try

ing to take a few days off a week to spend purely with family while we get acquainted to our newest addition to the family, Indigo. I have been showered with guest posts from lovely and inspiring bloggers in order to keep this space fresh, creative and insightful. I feel truly blessed to be given such a special present from these talented writers. If you have time, please take a moment to wander through their spaces and say hello.

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Pillowcase Bags

with love from Em at Mousy Brown House

Today I would like to share with you an idea for turning a pile of baby linens that are no longer needed into a useful item full of sweet memories. I don’t know if you are the same as me but I am willing to guess that most Mamas have a stash of treasured items that their children no longer need or fit but are too precious to give or throw away. They may be stained or worn but they are full of the magic of those early days (or years!) with your little ones and as such are imbued with far more value than would be recognised by anyone else.

When I had given piles of stuff to friends and family and even more had gone to charity shops, I realised I had a problem when the rest still filled a large cupboard. My Husband was curious as to what I intended to do with it and I became aware that leaving it in storage for some unspecified time was just plain silly. That is when I started to look at it differently and instead of preserving it in an intact but useless state, I chose to start making items which were useful to us now and would allow us to enjoy those memories on a day to day basis.

This post is not so much a tutorial (although please feel free to use this idea with your own linens), as an encouragement to use your imagination and see the potential in the items you love. I used the tiny, baby pillowslip above and the soft cotton sheet to create a bag suitable for a child to keep some treasures of their own or for a parent to fill with comforts for a journey or visit.

I simply cut strips from the sheet and tucking in all raw edges made two long handles which I then attached to the pillowslip. By making them long you can tie them at various lengths and allow greater flexibility in use. I cut out one of the ladybird motifs and sewed it on the front, to add interest (this is a great way to cover little stains or rips too!) By adapting this idea to your own materials, you can personalise your bag – go wild, have fun with dye, appliqué or embroidery. The bag I made took less than half an hour to make and has released this old bedding to a new life in a staring role, bringing a smile to my face at every glimpse. Go and have a look at your stash, what can you imagine? A bag, a picture, a quilt? Why don’t you stop hiding all that family history in the dark and start showing it off in a new and creative way?

PS. The rabbit used to be a blanket, a jumper and a pair of Pyjamas – you may find this addictive!

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Thanks so much for this inspiring piece of creativity! I love the fact that you are re-using and re-purposing and making fabulously gorgeous things!!

xo