Tutorial: How to Make a Pillow with Pom Pom Fringe

I've slowly been updated my living room/dining room/foyer space, and added some fun new pillows last week. I have never, I repeat NEVER, used pom pom trim before, and I can't believe it took me so long.  This stuff is super easy, people.  

A little background:

This fabric is Hollywood by Alexander Henry.  I think it's out of print now or must be going out of print, because I can't find it online anymore.  Last time I was in JoAnns, I bought all they had so that I could recover another chair in this fun print.

The trim is a simple brown pom pom trim that I found on clearance at JoAnn's for $1.97/yard!  I squealed when I saw the price and bought it all.

For the basic pillow tutorial, I use this post by PieBirds that I found via MoneySavingMom.  It explains how to make an envelope closure really well.

I also used pillow forms that I picked up at a friend's yard sale.  They are standard 18" x 18" pillow forms.

So, let's get started!

I cut a square of fabric to fit the front of my pillow and started pinning the pom pom trim around the edges.  You want the edge of the fabric and the edge of the tape to match.  Start in the middle of a straight edge.  This will conceal the start and end well so that it's not noticeable.

The tape is what I call the brown ribbon-like section of the pom pom trim.  For this project, I didn't want that part to show, so this tutorial show you how to conceal it completely.

See how it lines up?  This will make the next step much easier.

And another side note- I'm not the kind of sewer that typically pins things.  Meaning, if it says to pin something together, I may or may not pin it.  Sometimes I just pin very sparsely.  I'm a slow sewer, so I just watch it and maneuver the fabric as I go.  Maybe not the best sewing skill I have.  But for this project, you MUST pin.  Trust me.  You can't do this without pinning.  A LOT.

When you get to the corners, let three pom poms or so bunch together and pin liberally around the corners.  On the straight edges, I pin about every three or so pom poms.  On the corners, I pin every one.  Again, it makes step two much easier.

When you meet back to your starting point, over lap about one segment but keep the pom poms even so that it will look uniform once finished.

Once the entire perimeter of your pillow top is covered with trim, it should look something like this.

Now it's time to sew.  Set the needle position of your machine to the far left and start where your two ends meet.

Sew around the entire perimeter of the pillow front.  I use a contrasting thread for this step, so I can see exactly where my stitches are.  I also use the right side of my presser foot as a guide to keep my stitches straight.  When you get to the corners, you may need to overlap part of the tape.  This is totally okay since it won't show on the finished product.

Once the pom pom trim is all sewn down, put your two back pieces on top of the front piece, right sides together.  Pinning the back to the front is a little tricky because the pom pom trim obviously doesn't allow the pieces to lay flat.  The most important thing is that the edges line and you have a clear edge to sew.

Keeping your needle in the far left position, go back to the sewing machine and sew around all four sides of the square.  Again, start in the middle of a side and not on a corner.

This step involves some "blind faith" because you want to sew your front and back pieces together and conceal all of the brown tape in the seam.  To do this, allow about 1/8" of fabric to go beyond the edge of your presser foot.  Your needle will sew beyond the tape,  keeping it from showing once turned right side out.  Make sense?

Essentially, you're sewing at a place where the needle only penetrates through the two layers of fabric, not the tape of the trim.  It sounds confusing, but if you've lined up everything perfectly, just keep the 1/8" past the right side of your presser foot and you'll be fine.  I also use my fingers A LOT during this step to help me feel exactly where my needle is sewing.

This is by far the most time consuming part because you can't sew this quickly.  Just be patient, put on some good music and take your time.  You're almost done!

Turn it right side out and put your pillow form inside!

See how just the pom poms and their little strings are visible on the finished pillow?  None of that tape mess!

I love the finished product.  Any questions?

Pick Your Plum Personalized Teacher Stamps for $8.95- Today Only

Pick Your Plum is one of my favorite daily deal craft sites, and today only, they have a personalized item!  Such a sweet combo- a deal and personalized.

These stamps would be such a sweet end of the year teacher gift!  Shipping is a flat rate of $3.50 no matter how many you order.

I have personally ordered from this company and been incredibly pleased with their quality and service.  I shared more about this company in this post and this post and this post.

Click here to learn more or place your order.

Winner of the Journal Cover

Many thanks to all who entered the Journal Cover Giveaway!

It was really fun to see all of your guesses about which statement was false.  Before I reveal the winner, I'll elaborate on the 15 statements about me:

1.  I'm a true redhead, and have two redheaded children.  True.  See my About Me page for a pic of me!
2.  I lived in Africa in my twenties.  True.  I was a missionary nurse to Lesotho, Africa from 2002 - 2004.  
3.  I have traveled to over ten countries, but never been to Mexico or Canada.  True.  I've been to Lesotho, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Egypt, Lebanon, Guatemala, United Arab Emirates, Oman and France.  
4.  In a three and a half year period, my husband and I owned three different houses in three different states.  True.  Our first home was in Louisville, Kentucky, and we owned it only ten months.  Our next home was in Madison, Indiana, which we only lived in about a year but owned for three years.  Our current home in is Orlando, Florida and we've been here since 2010.
5.  I love to iron.  False.  I'm a bad liar, I know.  Many of you - actually most of you- guessed this was false.  I hate ironing!
6.  My siblings and I live on the extreme ends of the continental US:  Orlando, NYC, and Seattle.  True.  Sadly.  :(
7.  My first car was a 1985 Chrysler Plymouth Minivan.  True.  At homecoming, I had more windows to decorate than anyone else!
8.  I've been to the only all-women's mall in the world.  True.  The summer of 2001 I went to the United Arab Emirates.  I spent two months there, and during that time we went to an all-women's mall.  I googled it thoroughly, but couldn't find much info on it.  Maybe it's closed now?  I found lots of info about a women-only  mall in Ridayh, Saudi Arabia, which borders UAE to the west.  I'm sure I went, but just can't find info to prove it now.  So you'll just have to trust me on this one.  
9.  I love coffee, diet coke and wine. True.  And usually in that order.
10. My husband's family owns a restaurant with a 54 year history.  True.  We had subs at our wedding!  Gabriel's Sub Shop in Orlando serves the best subs I've ever had.
11.  I was in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.  True.  My husband started seminary in New Orleans and I worked at Children's Hospital.  When the hurricane warnings came, I was summoned to work.  It was five days that I will never forget- but God's amazing provision after the storm was beyond words.
12.  I lost more weight when I was pregnant than any other diet plan.  True.  I was incredibly sick with my first child.  In fact. I was thirty weeks pregnant before I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  My second was easier, but not without sickness.  
13.  In high school, I was a cheerleader and captain of the math team.  True.  I think I still hold that record.  
14.  I own three sewing machines, but only use one.  True.  I have a serger that I am still learning about, and a back-up machine that I use on occasion.  
15.  I was born on the day that Mt. St. Helen's erupted.  True.  Evidently my entrance into the world caused a volcano to erupt.  Not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

Well, now you know more about me, so let's pick a winner, shall we???

  

Snapshot Sunday

Pins

Favorite Things Friday

Well, it's Friday again and here's my top three favorite things of the week.  Don't forget to share yours in the comments- I'm always looking for new favorites to feature!

1.  Blitsy.  I first shared about this website here, but I'm really intrigued by their crackle paint.  You all know I love painting my furniture, so I just may try some crackling in the next few weeks.  Anyone else tried this kind of paint?  Sign up for Blitsy's email list and you can take advantage of their rock-bottom prices on craft supplies, too.

2.  Ikea As-Is Section.  I had a nurse manager's meeting in another part of town last week and went early to spend some time in Ikea.  Although the actual item I wanted was out of stock, I did manage to find a few things that I couldn't live without.  One of which is this two tiered glass stand from the as-is section.  It was clearanced down to $5!  I think it originally had three tiers, which must be why it was such a great deal.  I put it to use in my sewing room, which is getting a slow but complete makeover and I hope to reveal in the next week or so!

3.  Speaking of sewing room makeover, I'm re-vamping my fabric storage boards with these comic book boards.  I have inherited so much sentimental and vintage fabric and I wanted to update my storage to something that was acid-free and archival quality.  These boards are great and so inexpensive, too.  I can't wait to show you the finished product!

Anyone else find a great deal this week?  Any good recipes out there or favorite fabrics?  Please share!

Journal Cover Giveaway!

Last week I showed you the journals I made for the women at my church, and yesterday I posted the Journal Cover Tutorial.  Today, I'm very excited to start this giveaway!

This journal cover is made from Amy Butler's Daisy Chain Deco Rose Navy and holds a composition book from Target.  It has a snap closure and is fully washable if soiled.  If you fill the book with notes, thoughts or prayers, you can purchase a replacement composition book at Target for $0.94.

I thought it'd be fun to share some random facts about me for this giveaway.  However, one of these facts is false.  Can you guess which one?  Which statement is most intriguing to you?  On what would you like me to elaborate?

1.  I'm a true redhead, and have two redheaded children.
2.  I lived in Africa in my twenties.
3.  I have traveled to over ten countries, but never been to Mexico or Canada.
4.  In a three and a half year period, my husband and I owned three different houses in three different states.
5.  I love to iron.
6.  My siblings and I live on the extreme ends of the continental US:  Orlando, NYC, and Seattle.
7.  My first car was a 1985 Chrysler Plymouth Minivan.
8.  I've been to the only all-women's mall in the world.
9.  I love coffee, diet coke and wine.
10. My husband's family owns a restaurant with a 54 year history.
11.  I was in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
12.  I lost more weight when I was pregnant than any other diet plan.
13.  In high school, I was a cheerleader and captain of the math team.
14.  I own three sewing machines, but only use one.
15.  I was born on the day that Mt. St. Helen's erupted.

The winner will not be based on accuracy of answer, but chosen randomly.  I just don't think it's fair to allow those who know me best to have an advantage over the rest of you!  Guessing which statement is false is simply for fun.

I'm using Rafflecopter for this giveaway, because I've heard great things about it.  Hope it works!  Please email me if you have any problems with your entry/entries.  If you are seeing this post in a reader, you will need to click through.

Good luck everyone!

Journal Cover Tutorial

Last week I shared these adorable Journal Covers that I made for my church's recent women's retreat.  I got such a positive response from that post that I decided to share the tutorial with you!

I use a journal for many things such as blog planning, to do list, menu planning and grocery shopping.  But, one of my favorite journals gets used to write notes to those I love.  They may never read the notes, but I write prayers for my husband, my children and other important people in my life.  For that reason I am including this tutorial in the Sew, Mama, Sew! True Love Contest.  Click on the photo below to see all that amazing tutorial submissions!

This is a fairly easy sewing project, and I can make one in less than an hour, start to finish.  It involves sewing straight lines and beginner sewing skills.

You will need:

• 1/3 yard of outer fabric
• 1/3 yard of lining
• interfacing (I used Pellon 910), measuring 10 1/4" x 37 1/2"
• snap and snap fastener tool
• coordinating thread
• sewing machine and pins
• water soluble marker
• composition book from Target

Start with two pieces of fabric (one outer fabric and one lining).  I used Amy Butler's Daisy Chain Deco Rose Navy for the outer fabric, and simple piece of white cotton from my stash for the lining.  You could use a coordinating print, but the lining fabric is only visible on a very small piece of the finished product, so it's more economical to use something like broadcloth or muslin you have on hand.  

The two pieces of fabric should measure 11" x 37 1/2".  If you purchase 1/3 yard, you will have a piece that measures 12" x 44", so trim it down to the required amount.  

The interfacing should measure 10 1/4" x 37 1/2".  I use Pellon 910 sew-in interfacing, but you can use any lightweight interfacing.  It is a personal preference to me, but I don't like the iron-on interfacing because my fabric always seems to wrinkle or bubble up.  

Once your fabric is cut to size, pin it together in this order:  lining fabric right side up, outer fabric right side down, interfacing.

Sew around all edges, leaving a six inch opening on on of the short sides.  Trim the corners to reduce bulk.

So, since I use sew-in interfacing instead of fusible, I stitch through all three layers (outer, lining, and interfacing) on the two short sides but do not catch the interfacing on the long sides.  Not anchoring the interfacing on the long sides makes the turning a little difficult but it all works out when ironed and topstitched.  You could make the interfacing the same width as the fabrics (11"), but I fear that there would be too much bulk on the edges of the journal.  This will make more sense later if I'm too confusing now.  

So, next step is to tun this long piece of fabric right side out and iron well.

Top stitch the two short sides closed, which will close the opening you used to turn.

Now comes the fun part- wrapping it around the journal!  I purchased my composition books at Target, and they measured 9 5/8" x 7 3/8".  They were $0.94 each.  I would recommend purchasing the lightest color available, so that it doesn't show through your fabric.  I have read that all composition books can vary in size, so if you don't use this exact size from Target, you may need to adjust your fabric measurements.  

To wrap your long fabric piece around the journal, put one short end inside the front cover.  

Take the fabric and book to your ironing board and iron a crease into your fabric.  (I would recommend not leaving your iron in the same place for long, but just ironing long enough to get a good crease.)

With this fabric still in place, wrap the other end of your fabric around the back cover.  Place the other short side inside the back cover.  You will have a section of fabric that overhangs beyond the edge of the journal, and that will be the flap that wraps around to the front of the journal.

Here's the breakdown of my measurements (I hope this makes sense!):

Basically you're just wrapping the long piece around your journal, inserting both short ends of your fabric into the inside covers of the journal.  The extra fabric will be the flap that will wrap around to the top.

Got it?

So, before you sew it down, let's put a snap on!

Use your water soluble marker and measuring tape to find the center of the fabric and mark the desired spot for a snap. For me, this was at the 9 1/4" mark on my measuring tape.

I use a snap fastener tool which makes these snaps look amazing!  I love these pearlized snaps, too!

Now it's time to sew the edges down.  I put my needle in the far right position for this step, because I want as little flange as possible on my journal cover.

For this step, you will basically sew a big "U" shape.  (Be sure to remove the journal before you start sewing!  Ha!)

You're done!  Put the journal in and snap it down!!!

I love how it is so slim and sleek when it's closed.

I also love how you can stick papers inside of the book and they won't fall out.

Enjoy your journal cover!  I hope it helps you get organized, keep your thoughts together, or write notes to someone you love!  Please let me know if you have any questions about this tutorial.

I was inspired by this pin on Pinterest for this post.

Snapshot Sunday

Machine Dust Brush

Favorite Things Friday

Here's my top three faves from this week-

1.  This granola bar recipe.  I've made it countless times and it always works perfectly!  I've added chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, pumpkin, nuts and more and the possibilities are endless.  My kids and husband get so excited when I make granola bars.








2.  Pick Your Plum.  This is a daily deal site that features creative supplies.  I've ordered many things from this company, but my favorite is this personalized wooden stamp with my website and email.  I use it on price tags, thank you notes, and mailers.  It's been a life saver.  The deals change every day, so I recommend signing up for their daily emails.

3.  Very Hungry Caterpillar Fabric.  My daughter turns three in May, and I'm planning a party based on Eric Carle's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  I've got a Pinterest board started, but my favorite item so far is this adorable fabric.... I'm thinking table runners, maybe some bunting, napkins, and who knows what else!  (Pssst - Fabric.com is also having a blowout sale on designer fabric....$3.95/yard.  Can't beat that!)





What are your favorites from this past week?