sometimes, you just gotta make a pillow.
my sister had a birthday a few months back, and due to some last minute party rescheduling, i couldn’t make her something like i’d originally planned. as time went by, i felt worse and worse that i HADN’T made her something…so finally i got down to business and sewed this pillow for her. i’ve been big on crossing things off my “to do” list lately (probably a nesting thing) so it felt great to get this done and finally gifted.
she had mentioned she needed more throw pillows in her living room, so i made the colors neutral to go with her existing white/cream/wood tone scheme. the flying geese are essex yarn dyed linen in leather (i got it at Bolt, you can find it here), and the background is a creamy bella solid that i also got at Bolt. you’ve seen it before as the bodice of Em’s Christmas Dress this year.
i used my friend Cherie’s awesome confused geese pillow tutorial to make the pillow. i went with the larger size (18″ x 18”). once i finished the piecing, i quilted it to a slightly larger scrap of batting, trimmed it, cut an 18” x 18” back, added a zipper, stuffed it, and done!
the insert is the IKEA FJÄDRAR, which is a pretty great price for a feather pillow and my favorite to use for these types of projects. it’s good to make the outer cover a bit smaller than the pillow insert (the insert in this case is 20” x 20”) so it lays nice and tight and keeps a puffy pillow shape. 18” x 18” may be a bit smaller than i’d normally go for a quilted pillow outer, but it still looked good once i carefully zipped it up.
i’m happy with how it turned out, and my sis put it on her couch immediately, so it was well-received. i think quilted pillow covers are a great “i feel like making a quilt but i can’t commit to all that time/fabric/effort” type project. you still get to experience the fix of piecing and quilting, but they can be made in a day. perfect to practice on, and especially fun to give as gifts!
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P.S. get ready – a new film petit is coming on monday!!! it’s also the first day of Kid’s Clothes Week but we figure we’ll sneak it in before KCW really gets going. trust me, it’s inconceivably good. 😉
P.P.S. teepee print from this awesome shop.
Very odd comment that should not creep you out one bit: Is that your house, or your sister’s? I’m wondering if you happen to know the wall paint color? I’ve been looking for something just like that. Also, do you know where the “I Love My Family” print came from? Style crush!
haha no problem – it’s my house, and the wall paint color is 8705D “barn rafter” by miller paint. they’re a local company so i’m not sure if you can source it if you’re not in Oregon…i saw the color on Design*Sponge and had to have it, though, it’s great!
i linked to the etsy shop that sells the “I Love My Family” print at the very end of the post. 🙂
Oh the inconceivable comment that confirmed my suspicions of this movie choice ;). I cannot wait to see what y’all came up with for this!
it was a fun one!! 😀
I love my pillow! Thanks, girl!
You’re so very welcome! :*
love love a good pillow like this! beautiful sewing! I’ll have to pick up some of those ikea inserts next time I wander up that way. yay pillows!
aw thanks anna! yeah those are some quality inserts. go ikea!
Love the way you quilted it! So good.
i’m a big fan of triangles so of course, i love the pillow! might be time to update the ones i have in my living room. . . oh, and now i’m even more excited for film petit!!!
I’m sure your sister was very happy. Inconceivable? Are you sure that word means what you think it means? Just a guess there 🙂
Noooooooooo. You can’t do that movie without me! All I can say is, prepare to…..
And that is a really lovely pillow gift by the way.
Gorgeous! Love it!
Love that pillow a lot.
Good at neutrals, I am not.
No more rhymes now, I mean it!
Anybody want a peanut?
*snicker* I can’t wait for monday!!
The pillow came out lovely!! Great colors and I love the quilting too. Hope my tutorial made sense! 🙂