Placemat Pillow

This is the easiest way to make a pillow – EVER!  You can time it – it’s about 10 minutes.  There are lots of examples all over the internet – just Google “Placemat Pillow.”  I love this turquoise one from A Pumpkin and a Princess.  The rosette added to the pillow is darling.

Here is how you make your own.  Get a placemat.  I bought this one at Kohls.  They have a pretty good selection of placemats.  I always see random placemats for sale and now I know what to do with them!  Snatch them up as you find them!

 Get your seem ripper and rip about a 4″ section of the seam – enough to get your hand in.

 Using your favorite fiber-fill, stuff the opening until it is the desired fluffiness.

 Pin the opening closed and sew along the edge of the pillow.  My placemat had a double seam, so I sewed 2 seams.

 Done!  This placemat was kind of a stiff-durable fabric.  Not the kind of pillow I would want to watch TV with, but perfect for my bench on my porch!


Amanda

Napkin Pillow


 This is a fast, easy way to make a throw pillow.  Google “napkin pillow” and you will see lots of ideas.  There are different ways to construct this pillow, here is how I made mine:

You will need 2 cloth napkins.  I bought these bird ones at Kohls.

Keep in mind we are working with cloth napkins.  Have you ever folded cloth napkins before?  They never match up.  Don’t freak out if your napkins are not perfectly square.  Press the wrinkles out of the napkins.  Choose 2 that match up the best.
Find a pillow that best fits the size of the napkin.  The pillow & the napkin should be very close to the same size.
 
 With wrong sides together, pin around the border of your napkin.  Of course, you can sew right sides together and turn the pillow;  I wanted a little border on the edge of my pillow.

I sewed a seam along the very edge of the napkins, then a second seam along the hem of the napkin.  This created a little border.  Make sure to leave most of the bottom open so you can insert your pillow.

 Insert your pillow.  The way I am making this pillow does not allow for easy washing of the pillow covering.  I am OK with that.   If I really need to wash it, I can rip out the seam.  I would have put a zipper, but there was too much bulk with all the hems of the napkin.

 Pin the opening closed.  Sew a double seam on the sewing machine.  It was a little tricky holding the pillow and maneuvering the sewing at the same time – it can be done!

Here you can see the 2 seams.


 I loved my pillow so much, I sewed a second one.  The fabric is soft and they feel so comfortable!


Amanda

New Throw Pillow

 I sewed up a new throw pillow today!  I bought a remnant of grey wool on sale was dying to use it.  The print fabrics are cotton.  I added some crochet lace and then put the wool on the sides and the back.  It makes it feel cozy!  I love having a new throw pillow in the house!!


Amanda

Thankful Owl Pillow

I can’t believe it is November!  I made this cute owl pillow out of a dish towel from Joann’s – 70% off!
I love the fall owls – but the fabric was canvas-like – not good for doing dishes…. better for a pillow!  I cut a piece of burlap and cut the word “Thankful” on the Cricut in vinyl.

 I removed the letters, leaving the background for the stencil.  Then I stenciled black paint & removed the vinyl when it was dry.

 I love stenciling on burlap!!  It is so fun & easy!

 I cut the dish towel into a 17″ square (it will fit at 16″ pillow form).  I top-stitched the burlap piece in place.  Then just sewed the pillow.  I added some trim in the seam. 


Quilted Halloween Pillow

I made this Halloween pillow for a friend.  I love how it turned out.  I love making pillows with lots of different fabrics.  I cut random strips of coordinating Halloween fabric and sewed them together.  Next I trimmed the finished piece to measure 17″ (to fit a 16″ pillow form).  I quilted the pillow front in vertical seams 1″ apart.  I added a black jersey ruffle (from an old T-shirt) and sewed a gathered flower!  I could make 100 of these!!


Animal Throw Pillows

 I sewed these two pillows for my friend’s birthday gift.  I LOVE the print and they look really cute in her grey & blue family room!  Don’t new throw pillows just make you feel happy!!!

Pillow Shams for the Rapunzel Room

 I Decorated Sally’s Room over a year ago with a Rapunzel theme.  I have wanted to make these pillow shams for the past year – and I finally got to it.  What motivated me?  Sally was trying to cut the fabric up & sew them herself!  Yikes – she’s only 4!

 I love how they turned out.  I didn’t want them super “piecy” because I love this fabric so much.  I did spend a lot of time with all the quilting.  The center is quilted in 1 inch lines diaoglally criss-croseed.

The top is pretty much a quilt with binding and everything – it just happend to have a pocket on the back where the pillows insert.  Now I am off to find the floating lanterns and hopefully Flynn Rider 🙂



Boo Chevron Pillow

Just sewed up this Halloween pillow for my front porch.  I LOVE chevron print for Halloween.  I appliqued the letters out of orange spiderweb fabric – took about 15 minutes to make!  Can’t wait to make more Halloween pillows!

New Couch, New Pillows


I bought a new couch!  It’s pretty exciting because the one it replaced was 15 years old.  I don’t get new furniture very often – unless I can paint it or fix it up somehow,  I love the couch – it’s a Broyhill and super comfy.  I came with these pillows which don’t really match what’s going on in the room

 So I sewed new ones!  They are really big – much larger than a throw pillow.  I essentially made a mini quilt and put 2 flaps on the back to make an envelope.  This one is a Moda print and all I did was quilt it – swirls in the circles and then just 1/8 inch from the lines straight stitching. 

This one is from the Vintage Modern Moda line.  I sewed different strips together and straight line quilted it.  Then sewed the binding on
 Sew Happy!


Halloween Sewing & Quilting

I sewed up a few new things for Halloween. I love this fabric with the fun orange mixed with turquoise and black – so yummy!



The pillows were so fun to make – just sew some random strips and add a ruffle or flower!