Pillow Whip Up

Recently we purchased a new recliner.  This purchase was to replace a VERY comfortable well loved leather chair and ottoman.  The previous chair had been pretty marred up by cat scratches.  Plus the green color was just not working with the room.

We spent a lot of time at the showroom deciding on the fabric color.  We brought swatches of the paint color, the carpet and all of the other upholstered fabric in the room.  Yet… when we got it delivered, it looked MUCH lighter than what the fabric sample looked like in the showroom.  In a way, it almost matches TOO much.  Like it blends in.  I decided it needed a pillow with a bit of color to brighten it up.  Jason suggested we try a fabric with blue in it.  First I looked through my stash.  Among other fabrics, I had a large swatch of upholstery fabric that looked like it was from a few decades ago based on the writing on the tag.  And even then, it was labeled “vintage”.  I wasn’t real sure about it, but once I laid that sample on the chair, Jason thought it was “the one”.  Either that, or he realized it was free, so go with it.  I found some canvas fabric to back it with and bought a pillow form at a local discount decorator fabric warehouse.

The fabric itself had another colorway sewn to it in a spot that I needed to be a part of the pillow in order to center the floral bouquet.  I carefully took out the stitches and was left with big holes!  Luckily the fabric is fairly forgiving in its texture.  I ran my nails over the holes and ironed over them to help them disappear.  I think it did the trick.

I also decided to add a zipper, just in case we get tired of the cover, or just want to change it up a bit from time to time.

In the past I have done a lot of piping (cording) on my throw pillows, which does take a bit more time.  But even so, I was amazed how easy and quick this was for me.  ESPECIALLY with the zipper. 

I started back at sewing (after some sporadic minimal attempts) when I was pregnant with my son, by making pillows.  Since then, I have ventured into many other areas of sewing.  And now pillows?  They are so amazingly easy for me.  I guess it takes something like this to realize how far you have come.  And I’m not afraid of zippers (as much) anymore!!

On a side note: I am keeping something from you!  (Well, unless you are my friend on Facebook).  It is a sewing project which will be a gift for my son’s teacher.  I am so excited and pleased with the result and can’t wait to see her face.  It involves all of her students this year and it is something I kinda swore I wouldn’t be doing again for a long time after my last one.  But now… have I caught the bug?  Anyway, sorry, but you’ll have to wait until the end of May for this one!

Up soon (hopefully tomorrow): This week’s Photography Class Assignments!

Other topics I’d like to cover/revisit:

• How my mail organizing system has worked for me.
• Some slipcovers I made for our dining room chairs many months ago, which I never blogged about.
• An interview (which my friend agreed to but which I have yet to prepare for and conduct) with my friend Tania who writes amazing poetry.