New Pillows!

Every now and then I take a notion to spruce up some space around the house. An area that has bugged me recently has been the decorative pillows on our bed. Two-three years ago, I made all the pillow coverings and at the time, I was very happy with them. But you know how we tire of things, right? Well, this look had lost its appeal.

The pieced pillow in front was a rush job I made one afternoon. I put little effort into it, minimal quilting, loosely fitted, and so-so construction. It basically got the job done. Period. The two pillows behind have vintage pillow cases on them, found in a sale room at a quilt show several years ago. I was thrilled to find them but they, too, were far too big for the pillows and looked sloppy on the bed.

On Tuesday when I was sewing with Sharon, I worked on making new pillow covers for all three pillows. Took me all day, too, as I finished them up late that night.

I am so pleased with this new look. I did a much more professional job on the pieced pillow cover - it is much more fully quilted and fits the pillow properly. Definitely a neater look. The pillow shams in back are made with three of the same fabrics used in the front pillow, and the overall look of the three pillows together is so much more cohesive, in my opinion.

The closeup view of the pillow case shows some of my fabrics rather well. The cuff fabric is brand new - some leftover Sanctuary from my recent Spring Dreams quilt. The trim is called Barefoot Roses by Tanya Whelan - from heaven knows how many years ago. And the body of the pillow case is an equally vintage fabric called Birds by 3 Sisters/Moda. 

The new pillows are not meant to "match" the quilt, but they do not "fight" with each other the way the previous pillow covers did. These new ones are more a complement of the quilt. 

The pieced pillow in front was what took most of my day. Selecting the fabrics, making minor alterations to the pattern, quilting - took a good bit of time.

Explaining the pattern for the pieced pillow could get involved, but I will try. 

I have a habit of printing patterns off the internet - freebies, of course. I have notebooks full of them in the quilting room. When I need a pattern, I peruse the notebooks (it's a lovely way to while away an afternoon!). This one, Starburst, says it was designed by Joanna Figeuroa and Moda, but I have had no luck locating it on either of their websites. Since I did discover that the fabric used in the illustration came out in 2012, I have to assume that is also when this pattern was issued. Perhaps it has been retired to the vault of old patterns, no longer available. 

Anyway, I used a pattern for a 22" table topper called Starburst. Why not use it for a 22" pillow cover, too? Works for me. Both times. I changed a bit of the construction. Instead of cutting and sewing a whole bunch of 2.5" background squares, I calculated and cut for larger pieces getting the same result.

No doubt about the design on my original version!

The first pillow cover shows the design quite clearly; this newer version not so much. And I don't mind that. I like that it is subdued and calm. Exactly the feel I wanted.

The new version is subtle and understated.

I am satisfied with the new bedroom look. If I could do more and had a big budget, painting and new flooring would be involved, but that isn't on my radar any time soon. This freshened-up look suits for the time being.

Happy Quilting, Friends!