How To Make Your Own Small Pillow Form...

Hi everyone! We've been busy moving our oldest daughter Courtney and her fiancé Courtland into their first home. We still have one more move of furniture this coming weekend (that dreaded heavy Ikea furniture that we're afraid to dis-assemble), but we're almost done!! It's been a lot of heavy lifting, painting, cleaning, organizing, but their home is beautiful. We're so proud of both of them for all they've accomplished at such an early age.

When everything is moved in, the final stage of decorating the new extra rooms they have will be the most fun! We all know after moving into a new apartment or a new home, money for all the final touches of decorating might not be there.

Pops of color, in the simplest form of pillows, is the best idea. Just one yard of fabric and a pillow form will do the trick. One yard of fabric can yield 2 throw pillows at 18 inches by 18 inches. You can also use pre-made fabric napkins or a tablecloth to make pillows too. It's just straight line sewing from there.

Today's post, however, is about the pillow forms. They can be so expensive in fabric or craft stores. Here's a tip to make your own from cheaper bed pillows you can buy at discount stores or ones you may already have.

Come on in to see how easy...

Turn a Kitchen Towel into an Adorable Pillow...

Hi everyone! I'm doing a little Christmas decorating early in our daughters' rooms, because we have guest staying in there over the holidays. I can do it early because…1) the girls are on their own now and 2) no one will see it right now and think I'm a looney for putting up trees this early!! Lol I'm not done with the trees yet, but I have done a little sewing. I'll show the full room when I'm finished.

I found awesome kitchen towels in TJ Maxx. They were the perfect color red that I'm using to decorate one of the rooms. When I saw the towels, I knew they were going to be pillows and wall hangings. Here's how the pillows turned out!

Kitchen Towel Pillows made in one minute…

This literally took a minute to make….fold and sew 2 lines of stitching!!

Turn Tree Stumps Into Fire Pit Seating...

We had a few trees cut down on our side property line this past week. The tree service took away all the trimmings from the pine trees, but my husband wanted to keep the wood from the only oak tree that was cut. After the wood is seasoned, he will use it in our wood store in the winter.

Here is some of the wood the tree service cut into chunks. My husband sees fire wood…

I see stump seating around a fire pit!!

I made little pillows for reach one too.

Come on in and I'll show an easy way to make the pillows.

Guest Post…How To Sew a Flange Pillow Overlay

Welcome to another wonderful guest post from my blogging friend Jann, from Newton Custom Interiors. Jann has shared so many great posts with us here at Sew Many Ways and today's is no exception, but please stop by her blog to see "sew" much more.

So here's Jann...

Hi everyone! My name is Jann Newton, and I blog at Newton Custom Interiors. I'm thrilled to be guest posting for Karen again. Today we're going to expand on the flanged pillow tutorial that I did here a couple of months ago, and we're going to add an overlay to it.

 
Come on in and see how easy it is...

Guest Post...How To Make a Flange Pillow

Hi everyone!! I am so excited to share my very first guest blogger today. Jann, is from Newton Custom Interiors and she will be showing us how to sew a flange pillow. The tutorial is awesome...great detail and big beautiful pictures. You are going to love this!!

Thanks, Jann, for all your hard work and for sharing this wonderful project with my readers!

So, without further ado...

A Quick Pillow Tutorial...Little to No Sew

You know I rarely through something away without thinking twice about it. Well, this project is the perfect example of that. I hope you can use this one too!!

A quick, almost no sew pillow

Tool Time Tuesday...Cheater Bolster Pillow

Hi everyone! Most of you know me by now that I try to use what I have first before I go out and buy something. Well, this decorative bolster pillow idea is case in point.

Courtney brought home 2 chairs from her dorm room that we bought at Ikea. I had to squeeze them into the house somewhere. There is a nook in her room where they fit perfectly.

They needed a pop of color...so pillows to the rescue!

I had left over fabric from this pillow.

Where to Store Extra Bed Pillows...In Plain Sight

There was a time that we had people sleeping over a lot....when the kids were growing up and had friends stay with us or when family comes to visit. Times have changed and kids have grown up, but we still have family that comes throughout the year.

In years past, when sleep overs were common, I had big storage bags made up with the sheets, pillows, blankets and the air mattress all set to go for that person. I don't have that set up any more, but I still have a lot of "extras" to store...like bed pillows.

Here's where I store my extra bed pillows now..."in plain sight".

Inside Pillow Shams!!

There are other ways I've stored them over the years too...

Quick Tip To Sew Opening of a Decorative Pillow...

If you sew, then most likely you've made a decorative pillow. It's an easy project...sew two squares of fabric right sides together, leave an opening to turn right side out, then sew the opening closed.

Although sewing the pillow is easy, getting the opening to cooperate so you can sew it closed is another thing. Today, I thought I would share a quick tip for sewing that pesky opening of a pillow.

This is a picture of the sewn pillow...I know, looks like nothing, but it gets better.

National Sewing Month...Napkin Pillow

Did you know that the whole month of September is National Sewing Month!! Sew let's get those machines humming. Start a new project, finish an old one or maybe teach someone how to sew...any way you do it, just sew a little bit this month!!

Today, I was going through piles of stuff I have been collecting from a sewing room clean up. I found these dinner napkins that my sister gave me a while back. They are either dinner napkins or bandanas, but I do know they were only $1.00 each at Walmart. You can probably find cloth dinner napkins in the clearance rack some where too.

I wanted to do something with them and a pillow came to mind. I know I could just sew 2 napkins together, but I wanted to experiment with another project I did a few years ago.

Here are the napkins...

Good size...

21 inches square.

Do you remember this coaster tutorial I did over 2 years ago? Click HERE to read that.

Well, I'm going to try and make a Jumbo one for a pillow cover. Truly flying by the seat of my pants, so we'll see how this goes!!

You will need 5 cloth dinner napkins all the same size ( or fabric you want to cut yourself)

• One placed right side up
• the other 4 folded in half, with right sides out.

Fold the 4 in half and iron.

Instructions...

I have a color coded, step by step picture tutorial below if this gets confusing with all the same black and white fabric.

Start with one napkin right side up...

Place one folded napkin on top of the base napkin going vertically with the fold towards the middle. Match edges on the bottom.

Now place your 2nd folded napkin on the right, vertically and the fold towards the middle again.

3rd napkin towards the top going horizontally again, fold towards the middle.

Now the 4th napkin has an extra step, but it's easy.

Place the folded napkin on the left side, vertically, fold towards the middle...

Before you lay the 4th down all the way...pick up the first napkin...

Now lay down your 4th one all the way...

and flap over the 1st one on the 4th. I know that sounds so confusing, so check the color coded cheat sheet below.

Here it is with all 4 folded napkins layered over each other.

Pin all the way around.

Here's the best part...you sew ALL THE WAY AROUND...without stopping!! No opening

Trim seams and corners.

Reach into the center opening where all the folded edges come together.

and turn right side out.

Iron flat.

Go back into that center area again and stuff in your pillow form.

DONE!!! No seam to sew up! I love that part.

Here's the back and the only problem area. I told you I was flying by the seat of my pants.

The pillow makes it puff up and the little opening shows.

For me, I don't care. I'm using it for back support when I sew...

or on the computer.

I still think it's a great way to make a pillow...

• easy to make
• uses pre cut napkins
• one straight stitch all the way around
• no seams to close
• easy off to wash

I just love the black and white check too!

Here is the Color Coded Cheat Sheet for you.

Remember folds towards the middle!

5 squares all the same size.

Fold the 4 you want to show on the front

1st on the bottom...

2nd on the right...

3rd on the top...

4th on the left...

Lift  the 4th...

then lift the first...

fold down the 4th...

Flap over the first...I know you hate me right now LOL It is easy though!

Sew ALL the way around.

Turn right side out and iron flat.

You can make anything in any size with this tutorial...coasters, pillows, pot holders, little purses etc.

Use all the same fabric, 2 different ones or 5 different fabrics. It's up to you. Just SEW!!!


Happy National Sewing Month,
~Karen~