A Few Handmade Pillows

Today I'm sharing a few pictures of the pillows I have made recently. I am always attracted to the linen and grain sack material so I used similar fabric and design for that look. 

 I purchased the 18x18 pillows at Jo-anns for half off. I later found feather pillows on clearance at TJ Maxx Home Goods for just $12! I just take the cover off and use the insert. Also, Ikea has 20x20 feather inserts for $7. Needless to say, I have at least 8 pillows sitting around ready for makeovers!

This striped fabric is so similar to a grain sack! The buttons are the perfect detail to give it some character. The only problem I have is this fabric wrinkles as you can see! 

I found this vintage salt sack at an antique store and immediately pictured it as a pillow. I love the worn look and it is a very soft material.

I had to show you my new Ikea couch with all of my fun pillows!

I have always loved the look of the Ektorp couch at Ikea. I always wanted one and when I found this one on Craigslist for $200 I couldn't pass it up! It was also nice I could give it a try with the white cover before spending the full amount. After having it a few months... I'm still in love with the look, but I do have to admit it isn't the best for entertaining. The depth is a little small for men and can't fit very many people. So, I might have to look for a similar version... just larger!

I have to mention that I am just thrilled I have 50 followers! Thank you all so much for your support. I hope I can just keep growing and inspiring.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Lean on Me

I found a fun and quick project to make bookends in this issue of Better Homes and Gardens Do It Yourself Magazine. The only materials needed for this project is fun fabric and decorative sand, which I found in the silk flowers aisle at Joanne Fabrics.

First, I cut inexpensive muslin 9 inches by 11 inches for the interior bag that holds the sand. I folded the 11 inch width in half and sewed the side and bottom. I repeated those steps with the decorative fabric I chose. Make sure you put the right sides together when sewing the two sides for the finished bag. I then poured the sand in the interior muslin bag, folded the unfinished edge, and stitched it closed (this doesn't need to be perfect since it's unseen). I turned the finished bag right side out and put the sand-filled muslin bag inside. I folded the unfinished edges to the inside and top stitched along the edge to finish my bookend! SO SIMPLE and CUTE!

I love that you can make different patterns and colors depending on your decor or books you want to display!

The magazine suggested using a plastic bag to hold the sand inside and also instructed to top stitch around all edges of the bag to finish it. I tweaked the process a little and found it was pretty quick and painless! I hope this gives you some inspiration!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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A Baby Girl Quilt

My friend and co-worker at the salon is having a baby girl in September. She and her husband are so very deserving and I couldn't be happier for them!

I decided early on that I wanted to make her a baby quilt. I have made quite a few quilts for myself, but sewing for someone else adds a whole new level of pressure. I am somewhat of a perfectionist!

I have learned everything I know about sewing from my Mom, who is a quilter. My sisters and I also had some good practice by participating in 4-H while growing up. I am truly blessed that Mom has passed on her knowledge and still helps me with all of my sewing projects...I'm still learning!

I asked my friend a few questions about how she planned to decorate her nursery. She is keeping the overall scheme of the room neutral and bringing in accent colors of pinks and reds. She also decided to paint an accent wall in aqua. I started with fabrics in the Bliss collection by Moda and then added a few extra fabrics from my stash. They were the perfect combination of colors including aqua, red, and pink. I also love how the patterns have a vintage feel.

I pieced the quilt using a neutral center square and a log cabin style on only three sides to make a rectangular block. The unfinished block is 5 inches by 7 inches. I quilted it with a double straight line on the vertical and horizontal. Each line was sewn a quarter inch from the pieced seams. I then quilted around the perimeter of the center square which made it stand out. I just love how it turned out!

I used a Bliss fabric in flannel for the back!

The binding really accented this quilt!

I surprised my friend with her new quilt last Friday when all of the stylists went to lunch to celebrate her pregnancy. She absolutely loved it and said it will go perfectly in the room! I'm glad I got it finished and that she will enjoy and appreciate it! 

The Hunny and I are working on finishing up the barn today so I will be back to painting furniture soon! Thank goodness, because the furniture is starting to pile up! Hope you enjoy your Tuesday!

Fun Sewing Project

My Mom and I were flipping through Amy Butler's Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags one evening. We decided to dive in and sew a new make-up bag! The Origami Bag Set Pattern was the perfect pattern. This pattern features 6 different sizes.

I chose to make the mini and medium size. I use the smaller one for my make-up and the bigger size to carry toiletries for travel! I found the Home Dec fabric at Joanne Fabrics. They are very durable and I love how they coordinate!

The pattern was fairly easy and only took a couple of hours. The second one is always easier!

You can never have too many bags!

Happy Sewing!