Late this past weekend, I wanted to spend a few hours just making
something from start to finish. I didn't really care what it was or what type of making it would be, aside from not being the kitchen with the heat. I have had my mind on making a pillow with the latitude and longitude coordinates of my town as a way to freshen up the decor in my living room, but I never have had a chance to focus on it with a handful of other projects going on these past few months.
I had two pieces of a heavy woven ivory fabric on hand that my mother found at a local consignment shop and gave to me to see if I could use for a sewing project, and it turned out to be just the thing for a large pillow that would need to withstand the constant tossing and occasional puppy rolling on it.
I love how the pillow turned out, and I was happy to be able to get rid of two older pillows I had made and were showing wear. Before doing so though, I cut them open and used the stuffing to stuff this brand new pillow. Repurposing materials rather than tossing them away is always my first choice if it's a possibility rather than purchasing new.
So, with a handful of basic supplies and a few hours, I can show you how to make a custom coordinates pillow for you home by following the steps below:
Materials
Instructions
1. To begin, cut two rectangles of equal sizes from your fabric using fabric scissors and a measuring tape. I used 23" by 17", but it is entirely up to you.
2. Using a hot iron, iron any creases flat on the two pieces.
3. Now you will need to create your stencil using the freezer paper. There are many how-to guides out there on how to do this. Basically, you will draw or trace your coordinates onto the non-wax side of the freezer paper and cut it out by hand using an X-acto knife. Alternatively, you can use a
Silhouette Cameo to electronically cut out the stencil onto a cutting mat layered with the freezer paper, which is what I did in my case.
4. When the stencil is ready, center it onto the right side of one of the rectangles using the measuring tape. Pin the stencil to hold it in place and then use a hot iron and press on top of the paper to adhere it to the fabric.
5. When the stencil is firmly adhered to the fabric, you will then sponge paint on top of the stencil. I opted for a more distressed look for my pillow, so I left a few unpainted areas on the stencil.
Allow the
paint to dry by checking the manufacturer recommendation on drying times. Peel the stencil from the fabric. Use an iron to steam the area that is painted if recommended by the manufacturer.
6. Once the pillow has been painted, the rest is simple, even if you are new to sewing. Thread your sewing machine with the desired thread. If you have a trim for the perimeter of the pillow, pin that around the interior perimeter of one of the rectangles. Sew and snip loose threads.
7. Then, place the right sides of the rectangles together. The painted side will NOT be facing you. Pin the perimeter and leave a four inch gap on one of the long sides of the rectangle. This will allow you to turn the pillow case inside out. Sew and snip loose threads. Reinforce the seam with a zigzag stitch if desired.
8. Using the small gap, turn the pillow case inside out to reveal the exterior of the pillow. Hand stuff the pillow using fiber-fill or an alternative.
9. Once it is completely stuffed, turn the seams inside on the remaining four inch gap and pin together. Hand-stitch with needle and thread to close the gap. Snip any loose ends.
That's it! This is a fun and rewarding project, as now I get to see the result of my effort every time I walk into the living plus I get the utility of a comfortable pillow.
If you give this a try, please let me know how it goes! I'd love to hear your feedback!
Erica
