Ready for Remnants
Fabric on the clearance rack can be a
bargin. Unfortunately most of those bargain pieces or remnants
stay in the closet for years until the right project comes
along. This bolster pillow is a great project to use up some
of those odds and ends. It is made purely of scraps of left
over material and looks great along with the set.
What You'll Need:
Cotton or polyester quilting batting (sometimes called wadding or stuffing)
Edging or patterned scraps of fabric to use for decoration
Cotton backing material (any material can be used)
Tassles
1. Roll up batting and tie at both ends to keep it in shape.
2. Measure your fabric on the batting. Leave 31.5 “ (80 cm) length at each end of the roll of padding. Measure the width to ensure the cover will be snug but not tight fitting around the bolster.
3. Sew on edging to fabric or scrap materials to make desired decoration in your own design. Hem the ends (the side of the fabric that will be the ends of the bolster), and then sew up the sides to make a tube ready to fit the cushion. Do this by turning the fabric rights sides together and sewing a simple seam. Turn inside out to form the tube.
4. Put the batting into the fabric tube.
Crafty Chic Tip: Put the padding roll into a plastic bag before pulling the material tube over it. This will give it a nice “slip.” Once the padding is in place, gently hold the padding at one end, and slide out the plastic bag at the other end.
5. Now the material is in place over the padding with the ends loose. (These are the ends that should have been hemmed in step 3.) Hand sew thread around the end of the material and pull the cotton to gather the material together.
6. Hand sew the tassels to the ends before the final tightening of the the gathered ends and making the closing stitches. This can be a little tricky, but gives a great finishing touch.
The bolster cushion gives a nice effect in contrast from the bright strawberry material and the deeper blue of the focus pictures.
Crazy for Color & Serious about Style.
For a bold and bright look in your
home, use colorful pillows. They are inexpensive and easy
to make, and you can change them easily with the seasons
or your mood.
Bold contrasts like blue and red work well. A closer look at these pillow covers show detailing made with a stitching design and tiny mirrors.
A fantastic resource for bright ideas is SofaGarden.com . They have a refreshing collection of cushions made simply from colored inks painted on fabric.
They're pillow ideas are fun and whimsical. The pancakes would make a good booster seat for little ones who can't reach the table yet.
A Sentimental Stitch in Time
Pillows can be a great way to record a special event or to commemorate achievements of the past. One very talented family have shared their ideas.
Anne-Marie Browning (of Ourimbah ward, Newcastle Stake, Australia) sent this cushion as a gift for her Father who served in the World War II. She found an old black and white photograph of her Father in uniform and transferred a photocopy onto cloth to display as the center piece. There is a printed design on the surrounding fabric to give the same effect as patchwork. Genuine army buttons from WWII were collected from antique stores and sewn onto green, burgundy and gold brocade to give the finishing touch.
How to transfer a picture onto fabric: 1. Photocopy a black and white picture, being sure to trim down to size.
2. Place the copy face down onto ironed material and dap over the back of the paper with cotton balls soaked in gum turpentine.
3. Rub over the top of the paper keeping the cloth firmly in place underneath until the picture transfers.
Jamie O'Rielly-Browning (Kellyville ward, Greenwich Stake, Australia) cuddles a gift from her grandmother.
Made for her Baptismal day, it records the date, her name and the name of her Dad who baptised and confirmed her a member of the Church. Easy enough to make without following a pattern this style has a lot of applications and could also be used to commemorate the birth of each child for example.
Beddy Bye's
Bedrooms are a place to be ourselves. Hopefully a place to find some peace and quiet and comfort. A few nice throw pillows can transform a bedroom from a cold, unwelcoming place to an inviting retreat.
Adding several throw pillows can create a warm and cozy place to read, relax and doze off to sleep. These are found at RedPlumLinen.com.au.
A really nice effect on throw pillows is candlewicking, which was adopted by the settlers in Australia in the late 1800's. Candlewicking is a traditional white on white embroidery, done on white linen or cotton fabric with heavy cotton threads used for making candle wicks. Although, traditional candlewicking was done using raw wool, for a white-on-white effect, now crafters also use complementary colors.
Plenty of patterns and designs can be found all over the Internet and in craft stores.
Pattern Downloads
> Candlesticking Directions
> Candlesticking Patterns 1
> Candlesticking Patterns 2
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