Sunday, September 18, 2011

DIY Big Bow Pillow

I love to create. I cook, I sew, I scrapbook, I decoupage, I paint, I transform ordinary things to extraordinary pieces of art! I love it all. So when I stumbled across this tutorial in the blogosphere, I knew I had to try it!

A few years back I "inherited" the old Brother sewing machine that my little brother, sister, and I learned how to sew on...20 years ago! Its red and white, has 2 stitches (straight and zig zaggy) and best of all, it still works! I mostly use it for making my 2 kitties new nip toys. I have been harboring an idea for a few years though that I will open an Etsy store with my awesome purse and pillow designs. One day...one day! 

Today though, I made this big bow pillow to share the sofa space with the 2 patchwork pillows I made earlier this year. 

Here's how I did it!
When S and I combined our households, all the way back in 2009 when we moved in together, we both brought pillows, so many pillow, to the party. Somehow between the two of us we ended up with 10 bed pillows! Ten! So this October (2011) S made me a deal that if I could re-purpose some of the more beat-up and uncomfortable-to-sleep-on pillows, then we could keep them. And all the old pillows I did not use, he would get to throw away on November 1st.
So, me being me, I thought about pillows for about three weeks, and finally got around to making one! It is now November 10th, and S has not thrown away any of the old pillows (yet!) but that is probably because he put them all in my closet, so he doesn't have to look at them!
Now on to the tutorial!

I cut one old pillow in half, because I didn't want my decorative Bow Pillow to be too big. 
Even though this pillow was so flat to sleep on, and not comfortable in any way, it still had SO MUCH STUFFING! 

It was difficult sewing it up again, but I persevered. I used a slip stitch, and did not worry that the stitching was wonky, because the pretty cover was going on top of it. 

Close up of the stitching.

Check our the rest of the Big Bow Pillow, after the break!