Dorm Room Pillows (Handmade and Inexpensive!)

Before I went to college, I knew that I wanted to get some cozy and cute pillows to adorn my bed.  What better way to add decoration (and function) to an otherwise bland room?  I had already chosen my dark purple comforter, so I wanted pillows that fit in with that color scheme.  Here is what I came up with:

Birds on a Line

This long bird pillow was inspired by Sukan pillows that I saw on Etsy.  I used:

• Different colored felt sheets
• Black embroidery thread
• Grey fabric
• Pillow stuffing

And here's what I did:

1. Draw a bird shape onto an index card, and cut it out to use as a pattern.
2. Cut out different colored birds from the felt.
3. Cut out two rectangles of the grey fabric, and leave seam allowance.
4. On the back of one rectangle, draw three horizontal lines and mark off 1/2 inch internals.
5. With the embroidery thread, stitch on each interval for even stitches.  Use all 6 strands of thread.
6. Turn the pillow over and place the birds. Have fun and try different arrangements!
7. Pin the birds in place and topstitch around the edge using matching thread.
8. Place both grey rectangles right side together and sew around the outside, leaving an opening on bottom.
9. Flip right side out, and fill with pillow stuffing. Close the opening with a topstitch.

Simple Pillows

The other pillows that I made were much simpler.  I found this really nice cotton fabric that incorporated all of my colors.  To make these two smaller pillows, I just cut out squares of the fabric, and did the last two steps of the last pillow. Super fast and super easy to make!  I got custom pillows for my dorm room that matched my decor and did not break the bank!

Making My Own Prom Dress: Part 2

Sewing is underway! Last week over President's Day weekend I began sewing the dress.  So far the process has been going well.  The main problem that I'm having is gathering the organza on the bodice.  It keeps on fraying, so it's not laying right over the satin.  Besides that, everything is going perfectly!  There's just three weeks left until the dress must be done, so the clock is ticking!

Project #2: Vintage Apron

Recently, I came across an old pattern (Simplicity 6206) that included some cute vintage aprons. I've been wanting to make a sewing smock, so I decided to make Apron 2 (bottom right corner). I love how it has big pockets, which are going to be so useful for holding scissors, spools of thread, ribbons, etc. The fabric that I used has bright and cheery stripes, which remind me of different types of candy. I also put pale pink rick-rack on the top of the pockets.

One thing that this apron required that I had never done before was gather the fabric. This was done by making two lines of stitching at the top and then pulling the fabric down. I have to admit, it was pretty difficult! Everything was going along fine, until of course the thread broke when I was just about done. In any case, everything came together in the end, and I'm really proud of this apron.