Many school band booster clubs hold fund-raisers to provide their members with money for trips and necessities. Uniforms are a necessity that need to be updated and replaced every few years. Old, unused marching band uniforms can be used to help with fund-raising endeavors. Make pillows from band uniforms and sell them to students and alumni. The pillows can be dismantled and sewn by a group of volunteers and sold by band members.
Things You'll Need:
- Sewing Machine
- Straight Pins
- Scissors
- Old Band Uniform
- Stuffing
- Hand Sewing Needle And Thread
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Wrapping Paper
- Seam Ripper
- Iron
Use a seam ripper to take the uniform apart at all seams and remove trim, buttons, appliques, zippers and ties. Remove and discard all cut threads. Press all of the fabric pieces and seams flat.
Cut a 14-inch and a 15-inch square from wrapping paper. Set the 15-inch square aside. Place the 14-inch square wrong side up. Draw the basic design for your pillow base. Straight lines work best, so draw three or four wide stripes across the paper or a nine-patch grid. Cut the design apart following your pencil lines. These are your pattern pieces.
Place the pattern pieces on your band uniform fabric. Most uniforms have at least two colors, so arrange your pattern pieces to get a mix of both. Pin the pieces to the fabric with at least a 1/2-inch extra around the edges. Cut out each piece 1/2 inch larger than the pattern.
Arrange the pieces on a flat surface. Sew the pieces together with the right sides facing each other using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Iron all the seams open and flat. This is the pillow front and will be 15 inches square.
Place either the school name, mascot name or mascot logo uniform applique on the pillow front. Arrange as desired. Pin the applique in place. Sew around the edges of the applique using a zig-zag stitch.
Place the 15-inch square pattern on a large piece of band uniform. If you do not have fabric big enough, piece the fabric together. Pin the 15-inch square pattern to the fabric and cut out. Do not add 1/2 inch to the edges.
Place the front and back of the pillow together with the right sides facing each other. Pin the edges. Sew around the pinned edges, leaving a 4-inch opening on the bottom edge. Clip the corners and turn the pillow right side out. Stuff the pillow and hand sew the opening closed.
Arrange buttons and trim randomly on the pillow front and hand sew in place.
Writer Bio
Based in the Midwest, Cyndee Kromminga has been writing craft and interior design articles for 15 years. Her articles and craft designs have appeared in Crafting Traditions Magazine, Easy Holiday Crafting Series-House of White Birches Newsletter and Country Woman Christmas Books. Kromminga's education is in interior design and she has experience operating a craft and design business for more than 20 years.
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