10 Minute Bolster Cushion

I've been very busy this week, doing what I'm not really sure, but busy nevertheless.  So you know what that means....time for a quickie craft!

If you want to update your cushions just for the holidays this is the fastest way to do it~

Here's what you need:

Materials:
-an old (and ugly) bolster cushion or a plain uncovered pillow form
-small fringed rug (from the dollar store)
-heavy duty upholstery thread, large needle, scissors

Steps:
1) Make sure that your little rug will wrap around your bolster, overlapping, and has some overhang at each end.  Simply wrap it around your cushion.

2) Scrunch up the end, there is no method to this, just scrunch it up so that you can't see the end of the cushion inside.  Then just hand stitch with heavy duty thread.  My thread doesn't even match and it still worked just fine~

Repeat on the other end.

Tah dah! You are done!  In the time it took you to read this tutorial you could be half-way finished.

I've actually been looking for a cute multi-coloured rug to use for this project for months, but this is the closest thing I've found so I went for it.  If you grow tired of the look or just happen to be in need of a little rug in the future you can easily snip the hand stitches and reuse both the cushion and the rug.

I'm off to start my Christmas crafting for the weekend!  Have you started yet?  Leave a comment below~

Linen Placemat Pillows

This is one of those projects that I've unnecessarily been putting off for weeks.  Why did I avoid it?  I have no idea.  I knew it would be easy. I knew it would look nice in the end.  I just wasn't into it....until today.  I finally conquered the great "Linen Placemat Pillow" project!  Hold your applause, please~


I picked up two of these pretty linen pieces at the thrift store a couple of months ago.  I'm not really sure if they're actually placemats but they're about the right size.  There's no way I'm eating on pretty hand embroidered linen though.  I'd be bleaching till the cows come home.  So....pillows they will become!

Materials:
linen placemats
thread
cotton for backing
cotton for pillow liner
batting or stuffing (I used old pillows)
tape measure
iron
sewing machine

Steps:
1) After pressing all of your fabrics, fold your pillow backing with wrong sides together.  Fold your placemat in half and align it with the selvedge of your fabric but in about 2 3/4".

2) Cut your fabric around the outside of your placemat, ensuring a hem of at least 5/8".

3) Fold over the straight edge approximately 5/8" and press.  If you weren't able to use a selvedge edge, finish the edge with a narrow hem.

You can sew this down if you want, but it's not necessary.

4) Zig zag or serge around the curved edge of your backing fabric.

5) Place your fabric on top of your placemat.  Fold and press along the edge to create a hem.

6) Pin your fabric to your placemat, one side only.  VERY IMPORTANT: place wrong sides together.  We will not be turning anything so make sure your wrong sides are together.

7) Sew as close as you dare to the edge.

8) Repeat, placing the second side of your backing down, overlapping the straight edges.

9) And there you have it!  Two wonderfully flat but pretty pillows!

KIDDING.  Now we have to fill them with something.  You could go out and buy pillow forms, but the odds of you finding something the same size as your placemats are pretty low.  Besides, pillow forms are a bit on the pricey side considering no one every even sees them.

First up is something to hold your pillow inside of the case.

10) I found some very inexpensive brushed cotton in a neutral colour in the bargain bin.  Just trace along the outside of your linen pillow case with a generous hem.

11) Cut and sew together.  This does not have to be pretty.  Absolutely no one will see this, so I just serged my edges together.

Next, I dug into my closet FULL of pillows.  Yes, I have a closet of pillows.  I was having major neck and shoulder problems and tried pillow after pillow, each one fluffier or more sturdy than the next.  Eventually I figured out that the only thing that works is one of those stupid molded foam wave pillows.  Not pretty, but at least I can sleep now.   Anyhow....

10) Open up your pillow.  I was very surprised that the first one I opened up was nothing but a quilt batt inside.

The second one had little foam chips.

12) Fill your pillow form and serge closed.  Place your pillow form inside your pretty linen pillow case.

Wish I had an embroidery machine to monogram the centers~

These are going on the day bed in my spare room.  I'm going for "Grandma's Spare Room Chic".

Before:

Just random pillows I had, that don't go with anything.

After:

It's a work in progress, but it's getting there.

Big thanks to my special helper, Katya.

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." ~William James

Do you have any projects you're putting off for no good reason?  What do you do to avoid procrastination.  Share your ideas below...I need as much as help as I can get~

Have a crafty week everyone!

Super Pretty, Super Easy Pillowcases

Here's a fun and easy way to add some colour to any bedroom.

Supplies needed:
-.65metres (26") of 45" wide cotton fabric for body of pillowcase
-.3metres (12") of 45" wide cotton fabric for band of pillowcase
-matching thread
-scissors
-measuring tape or ruler
-sewing machine or serger



Steps:
1)Trim each of your fabrics so that they are 105cm(41") wide

2)Fold both pieces of fabric, right sides together.

3)Sew or serge  a regular seam along the long open side of the fabric body.  Now, sew a seam along one short end to create a bag.

4)Sew the short ends of the band fabric together to create a tube.

5)Fold the band fabric in half so that wrong sides are touching and you get a long skinny rectangle.

6)Turn the body fabric out so that the right side of the fabric is on the outside of the bag.

7)Place the band fabric tube over the open edge of the body fabric so that all rough edges are meeting.  Your fabric sandwich should look like this (band, band, body, body, band, band).



8)Sew or serge all around the top of the bag.  You should be sewing 2 layers of band and one layer of the body together.

9)Flip the band out towards the end and press.  Tah dah!  You've just made a pretty pillowcase with a band!

I added some decorative stitching along the edge of mine to give it an extra special something.  You could add more layers of banding and graduate them for extra effect, or try some wide ribbon or other embellishments. 

Each pillow takes less than 20 minutes to create and you can probably look in the remnant bin, either at home or at your local fabric store, for a real deal on the fabric.

These pillows look great in my room and add a little colour to my white bed but, I'm not keeping them for myself.  I'm donating them to one of our three local shelters for the homeless.  In fact, with the help of our local Fabricland and Quilt Guild we're hoping to make enough new pillowcases for each pillow in our three emergencies shelters by the end of October.  Fabricland has been generous enough to give free fabric remnants and prizes and the Quilt Guild ladies are sewing up a storm.  I'll let you know how it all works out in a few weeks!  I can't wait to see all of the pretty designs that everyone is going to come up with.

If you live in the US and would like to do something similar you can get involved in the Million Pillowcase Challenge and add your donations to the tally.  Click here for loads of free patterns!

Of course, these make great last minute Christmas gifts as well!  Let me know how you personalize yours~



(This project will be posted throughout the week at the linky parties from the linky party tab above.  Check out the sites for more great ideas!)

 BetweenNapsonthePorch was my top referrer again  last week, so go visit Susan and
check out Metamorphosis Monday for other fab ideas from her linky party!

(The biggest linky party happens on Tuesdays over at todayscreativeblog.)