One of my goals for this year was to make 10 “things” from the back issues of magazines I have collected and have been hanging onto for the last few years and well, as it stands, I am 0 for 10 for the year. BUT… there are still 12 days left so I’m still in the game, right? 🙂
Well anyway, I was in the local thrift store last month when I spotted this cone of navy blue chenille thread or is it yarn {?} I don’t know, but I must of stood there a good minute or two trying to figure out what the heck I was going to make with it when I finally just marched up to the counter and put down my $0.75 and bought it. All I knew was that the color matched my couch and that if I didn’t buy it right then and there, it would be gone by the time I figured it out.
Well, fast forward to last week when I spotted some cute Welcome to My Home Please Leave by 9 pm pillows on Etsy that made me laugh and I was like THAT’S IT!!! That is what I was meant to make with the blue chenille.
I mean, I had plenty of extra scrap fabric from the Roman shades I’ve been making, and an extra pillow insert, so why not? And so yesterday, I pretty much stayed in my pj’s all day and made this pillow. 🙂
I do want to make it very clear that I am not an expert when it comes to sewing {or sewing directions for that matter} the only thing I know how to do on my beginner sewing machine is to go forwards, backwards and to change the thread. 🙂 So believe me when I tell you, there is probably a better way to make this pillow than the way I made it. And at some point, I should probably learn how to use the zipper attachment on my machine, but you know…. I’ve got so many other better things to do than learn how to do that. 😉 So there you have it.
Supplies
- Pre-washed and ironed fabric {I used some leftover linen}
- Disappearing ink pen for marking fabric
- Scissors {I love my old lady scissors, they are great if you have arthritis issues}
- Embroidery hoop
- Measuring Tape
- Scotch tape
- Thread/Yarn for drawing out the design onto fabric
- Needle
- Pillow insert or batting {I love this brand of inserts}
- Print out of what you want your pillow to say {I whipped on up on PicMonkey}
Cut two pieces of pre-washed fabric 1″ larger than what you want your finished pillow to be. My pillow insert was 12″ by 16″ so I cut my fabric 13″ x 17″.
Tape the image you want to copy to a sunny window. Center the piece of fabric you plan to stitch on over the image {centering it of course} and using a fabric pen with disappearing ink, copy the image onto the fabric. Side note: I’ve been going back and forth lately about getting a light pad for drawing out various designs. Does anyone have one of these? Do you think they are worth it? Do you get a lot of use out of it? Curious minds want to know.
Disappearing ink is pretty rad if you ask me. I like to use it for stitching projects instead of pencil because not only does the ink show up better, but it typically disappears on it’s own within 12-24 hours {and if it doesn’t, all you have to do is dab the fabric with a little water and the ink will disappear in a few minutes}.
Secure the piece of fabric you intend to stitch on in your embroidery hoop. Thread your needle and begin stitching your design.
I am a much better hooker than I am a stitcher so this took me about 2 hours {and 1 cup of tea} to stitch.
When you’re finished stitching, pin the right sides together. Sew around the edges with a 1/2 inch seam allowance and leave an opening along the bottom of the pillow {mine was 4″} to allow you plenty of room to stuff your pillow with batting or to add a {flexible} pillow insert.
Clip any stray bits from the seam allowance and clip the corners so you’ll be able to turn the pillow right side out easier.
Stuff the pillow with batting to the desired firmness or add a pillow insert.
With the seam allowances folded inwards, pin the pillow opening together and stitch the opening closed using a 1/2 seam allowance. {I stitched up and then back again to make sure my seam was super secure}.
Stand back and admire your handy work!
The leg lamp, it’s a nice touch don’t you think? 😉
Have a AWESOME day everyone,
~Mavis
Katie P NC says
oh my gosh I am obsessed with this pillow now! I’m going to have to give this a try… now off to think of all the funny things I could stitch up….
Thanks for the inspiration
Emma says
Love, love, love this!!!
MEM says
Excellent job Mavis! With all of your free time I think you should make a hooked version, too. 😀
Kim says
I LOVE the pillow and the awesome disappearing ink. I have a light pad I got on amazon that I think is amazing. I draw a lot so I use it all the time. It costs about $20.00 so for me it was totally worth it. It plugs in so no batteries and it’s about the size of a notebook so very user friendly unlike some of the larger light boxes I’ve seen. Thanks for the great project Mavis!! I love your blog!
Peggy says
Love it!
Ramona says
My Uncle would always say ,” You can stay as late as you like ,I’m going to bed”. He said that was a quote from Will Rogers but I can’t find the exact one. You asked about a light table. This is what I have used for the past 36 years putting thousands of my husbands artwork prints in mat board to sell. Get a piece of plexi-glass( what ever size you need) and a can of white spray paint, paint one side white. Cut a hole in plywood that you can mount the plexi to, paint side down. We used cheep wood legs that screw into plywood box, then we used a clamp on light underneath clamped on the leg to project the light from underneath. Last year when I helped my daughter in law put 12 photos in mats at her home I knew she didn’t have a light table. I brought a piece of white sprayed plexi with me and just set it on 2 boxes with a small light under it. It worked in a pinch wasn’t as firm as being mounted on wood. This was for 16×20 photo’s mounted into 22×28 mats.
Carolina Cooper says
I couldn’t help but notice that you knocked an hour off of the original pillow—back from 9 pm to 8 pm. LOL
Mavis Butterfield says
9 is kind of late for me. Ha! 🙂
Sherry in Sumner says
What a perfect combination, the pillow and the leg lamp. You can kick them out if they’re not gone by 8:00! HA!!
Actually, for the two snarky comments I’ve made on your blog about that lamp, I realized a couple of weeks ago that one of our neighbors down the street has one of those in their front window. They’ve got some thin blinds on the window so the whole scene is kind of diffused and I’ve ended up kind of liking it. So now I can eat my words!
Chelsea Nelson says
If you are only needing to trace projects that are letter size paper or smaller then the Crayola light up tracing pad would work for you. I love mine. It was super cheap at just over $20 on Amazon and fits nicely into my painting portfolio folder.
Gigi says
I actually love this idea – and may steal it, FYI.
Regarding the zipper foot – the hardest part is figuring out how it goes on to the machine. Surprisingly, I have successfully used it two or three times – and I am the biggest non-crafter/sewer out there. Take the zipper foot over to a JoAnn’s or any other fabric store; they should be able to tell you how it attaches to the machine..from there you are off to the races…until you need to remember how to attach that foot the next time.
Teckla says
Ummm, good advice, except different machine brands have different ways of attaching feet. That’s why you guard your machine manual like it’s gold—like you do (or should) your fabric cutting scissors. Lol.
Rita says
In the past I have used a glass top coffee table with any old lamp underneath for a tracing table. Love your pillow!
Kathleen says
Love the pillow !
Rhonda says
You did an awesome job on your pillow! Great buy on the chenille. I love embroidery and haven’t done it for years. So many fun things to make and do, but so little time! Merry Christmas to you and your family and a safe, healthy and happy new year!
Joyce says
Love it! And I am off to find a disappearing ink pen. I can use it on my felt ornaments…who knew? Something else to work on during the loooong New England winter.
Emily E. says
Mavis I think you did a great job on that pillow! Your stitching on your letters is very nice. Thanks for the suggestion on the disappearing ink! Merry Christmas!
Tracy says
The leg lamp….there are no words. You must like him very much….
Lace Faerie says
You crack me up! . Love the pillow! I think that would be a great sentence to slip into a embroidered sampler! hahaha Wonder how many people would actually read it thoroughly to see it. Seems like something my sister would do…with the words in the sentences given odd spacing. Like “Welcome toour homepl lea veby eig htpm”
Lisa C says
Mavis,
Reading your blog is like sitting and having a cuppa with your best friend. You did a beautiful job on your pillow. Very inspiring!. Merry Christmasto you, your family and to anyone else reading this comment.