The to-do list for week 5 was pretty short: complete the floors and sew a pillow. Happily, we completed both and had time to relax and enjoy the holiday. We are going to write a separate post on installing the wood floors. Specifically, how we approached the transition and how to create a tongue on a cut board. The office has a couple of angles (see below) that created some challenges. But, overall, it wasn’t bad.
As for the pillow, I asked my mother-in-law to help me. As I mentioned last week, I’m pretty new at sewing and don’t have much confidence in my skills. So I took my fabric and little sewing kit over to my MIL house over the weekend, and we sat down and made the pillow in an ~hour. My MIL suggested I start with an envelope pillow (one without a zipper). We followed the directions from Home Stories A to Z.
I ordered 1 yard of the Mignon 2 Lagon Fabric and cut it down to size (20″ x 46″). I was meticulous when cutting the fabric. The cut had to be straight (if it were uneven, the pattern would look crazy, and it would be harder to sew straight). We then sewed the short sides to create nice edges. From there, we folded the fabric to the size of the pillow (basically creating the cover) and sewed the open edges. You should really check out the post linked above for step-by-step pictures. After sewing the open edges, we just put it on an insert and, ta-da, a beautiful custom pillow!
I used a 20″ x 20″ pillow insert from Ikea. They are my favorite, and I have purchased many throw pillows (some may even say too many). The feathers never come out; they last for years and are so economical (only $6 bucks!)
Somehow the pattern on the back of the pillow lined up too. I have no idea how that happened…I definitely did not plan on it. I honestly couldn’t be happier with how the pillow turned out, and it was SO SO SO easy! My MIL and I are already planning on sewing a few more since it turned out so well. I think it was a combination of careful cutting, careful sewing (thanks, MIL!), and beautiful fabric.
I also picked up a few tips and tricks on the sewing machine! It felt like a very productive 1 hour!!
As always, check out the other guest participants and the featured designers to see updates on their projects!
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