dil·i·gence:careful and persistent work or effort

Proverbs 13: 4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.



Monday, July 30, 2012

Pillows Anonymous

It could be worse, I suppose.  My addiction- that is.  Being addicted to throw pillows isn't that bad.  Actually, it's kind of fun.  :)

I've been in the mood for some new throw pillows for the couch.  I glanced around halfheartedly at some stores, but I knew what I really needed to do was pick out some fabric and sew my own.  Not only do you get exactly what you want, you end up saving money (usually) since you can reuse old forms that you already have.

And, that's exactly what I did this weekend!  This is the fabric that ended up coming home with me.  Are you drooling as much as I was when I found these two sweet fabrics?
I was going to type out a tutorial on making a simple envelope style pillow case, but there are so many good ones around already.  Just google it if you're interested.  So, I made this guy:
And, this guy:
And, I think they both look great with the paisley print pillow I already had.
I think the fresh, colorful pillows do a lot to help soften up the leather couch.  Leather is such a great idea for the dogs, but it's really kinda cold looking.  I do dream of a nice, soft, deep upholstered couch, but I just haven't pulled the trigger on that one yet.  So, for now I get new pillows. :)
Oh, and one more thing:  if you do sew some envelope style pillow cases, do yourself a favor and give the only visible edge- the area along the back side of the pillow- a nice thick hem, would ya?  I have recently discovered this trick (which none of the tutorials I read mentioned), and it does wonders for improving the final product.  Maybe this is common sewing knowledge, but I never professed to be a sewer.  :)
But, enough about pillows.  Frankly, I think this couch accessory is far cuter than all of the throw pillows in the entire world put together.

xo,

Emily

sharing with the girls at 

Saturday, July 28, 2012

The Pennant Flag Strikes Again

Wow.  It has been too long since I have posted about anything home project or DIY or craft related.  So, I am here to rectify that!

A couple week ago, I received an invitation to a sweet little boy's first birthday party.  And, while the invitation requested no presents, I begged and pleaded with the little boy's mom to allow me to make him a pennant flag banner that she could use for his first birthday and many more to come.  Thankfully, she said yes!

This banner was made in the same fashion as the one I made for my sister here.  I have made so many of these that I have a cardboard template for the triangles.  The template is roughly 12" on the long sides and 8" on the short sides.  I have found these dimensions to be nice to look at, and they work perfectly with a 3 yard long quilt bias along the top.  Yay for lucky coincidences! 

So, basically, you just cut your triangles and then sandwich them between the sides of the double fold quilt bias and sew one straight line.  I also usually add some ribbon at the ends to help with hanging.
And then, you're ready to party!

 
xo,

Emily