My first DIY pillows

So, remember like a waaaay long time ago I was braggin' about using my new sewing machine for the first time? Yeahhh...that project got put on the back burner for a little bit so I could tackle more interesting pressing things. I'm not the only one who gets going on a project that takes longer than you think it will, and then gets totally sidetracked, am I?

I was making pillows. For the first time. It took way longer than I thought it would, and after the first two, I kind of let the rest sit there for a while so I could make a book page wreath, spruce up our outdoor spaces, decorate the house for summer and just generally tackle something I knew I could get finished a lot more quickly. What can I say? I guess I'm a sucker for instant gratification.

I started with this little guy.

When we first moved in last fall, I bought a pack of two pillows from HomeGoods for the living room, but they were never quite right -- they were the wrong shape and size to be good lounging pillows (and we love to lounge on our couches!), and they were a slippery material, so they were always sliding out from under your head -- not fun! So, I decided to salvage my $20 purchase and use one of them for a decorative pillow for the bedroom. They were only inserts with a zippered cover, so I simply took the cover off and made a new one.

Remember the fabric? I used it for my DIY jewelry holders.

I was really happy with how it came out, since it's been years since I've used a sewing machine. I read my trusty manual to get the technical aspects down, but otherwise I just kind of winged (winged? wung?) it. I didn't photograph it actually ON the bed because the room doesn't get great light, and it didn't photograph well there (plus we don't have a headboard and only a couple sad-looking bed pillows, so it's really not much to see, even with my new addition).

After that, I was flying high, so when my mom said she had four pillows that came with her couch she didn't want, I snatched them up. Look at this beaute! (Yes, that's sarcasm.)

These were also covers, so I removed those and got to work making some new covers. I picked out two fabrics from Joann's that had summery, coastal colors that reminded me of the ocean, sand and sea glass.

This isn't going to be a tutorial on making pillows. Why? Because I have no idea what I'm doing. Okay, I have some idea, since I did successfully recover these pillows, but trust me, you don't want sewing advice from me!

By the time I got to the third and fourth pillows, I think I really had it down, so those ones came out better. I wonder if you can tell which ones they are?? :)

It took forever to sew the hole closed by hand, and that part didn't come out great, so just don't look too closely...

All in all, I'm really happy with them -- they really bring a nice, summery feel to the living room, and the colors play well with our green curtains, aqua lamp and other sea-glass hues. And they're comfy to use (they even got the hubs' approval! But he still throws them on the floor regularly). Plus, they were free, so all I had to pay for was the fabric. I bought four yards, but only with coupons or when it was on sale, so I averaged about $5-$6 a yard, or about $20-$30 total, and I have fabric left over for other projects. Thanks, Mom!

To complete the summer look, I picked up this cotton blanket at Target for $10. It's great to toss over you as the cool evening breeze wafts through the windows.

As I've mentioned, we spend a lot of time in the living room, so comfort is our No. 1 priority. But something pretty to look at doesn't hurt either!

Maybe as I get more skilled with the sewing machine, I'll do a pillow-making tutorial. But for now, you'll have to be content with a few photos. :)

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