If you've been following me for a while, you know one thing...
This girl don't sew.
Ever.
I literally failed a 9 week portion of Home Ec.
The topic?
Sewing.
Yep.
When I turned in my handbag project for the 9 week period,
the straps on it were twisted.
Instant Fail.
It scarred me for life.
I won't even attempt to touch a sewing machine.
I'm afraid it'll go up in flames or something.
LOL!
So, when I was getting ready for my debut at The Changing Season last week and I had that settee to display, I really, really, REALLY wanted to make some pillows for it.
But...
I can't sew.
So, I set about scouring the internet and blogs for a no sew pillow tutorial.
I couldn't find one.
I mean, I found some, but not for what I had in mind.
There were jelly roll pillow tutorials.
There were tied pillow cases over a pillow form tutorials.
But there was NOTHING for a no-sew pillow that actually LOOKED like it had been sewn.
Maybe I was just looking in the wrong places.
Either way, I couldn't find one, so I had to get creative.
Here's what I came up with
and I'm going to share it with you today.
You know... For all of us sewing challenged people.
Not a single thread was used
in the making of these pillows.
Supplies:
Duck Cloth (Or some other heavy duty fabric)
Fabri-Tac
Scissors
Straight Pins
Iron
Poly-Fill
Clothespins
Jute Twine
Glue Gun
Embellishment
Before beginning...
1. Wash your fabric. That way, shrinkage occurs, if any. Plus, the ends fray nicely, if you want a frayed edge.
2. Iron your fabric to get the edges and fabric wrinkle free (for the most part - I don't like to iron either. LOL!)
Okay...
Real seamstresses are going to cringe at this part, but I didn't measure.
At all.
I just cut.
1. Lay your pillow form in the center of the fabric (right side up) and cut about 4 inches out from the pillow form. You can always trim off some later. Or, be seamstressly-correct and cut a piece 22"x22" piece of fabric. ;)
2. Lay the piece you just cut on top of the next section of your fabric. Cut that piece, so you have two pieces the same size.
3. Place your fabric "right" side UP and apply the Fabri-Tac 1.5 to 2 inches in from the edges on THREE SIDES. You're going to leave one side completely unglued.
4. Roll your other piece of fabric up into a tube (The "wrong" side needs to be down when you roll it up, so when you unroll it the "right" side is face down.) Put it at the top edge of your first piece of fabric and roll it down, smoothing out wrinkles and kinks in the fabric as you go. Press down firmly along your glue line.
Note: Fabri-Tac dries quickly, so work fast. Also, it doesn't take a lot. In fact, it works better to smooth out the glue into a thin layer, so it adheres better.
You're going to leave it to dry for about 30 minutes, before going on to the next steps.
5. Trim off the extra edges of your fabric, being careful not to cut off any of the glued part. You don't want be able to feel your edge on the inside when you grab it on the outside.
6. Turn your glued fabric squares right-side out and you should have a little pocket (pictured).
Now, if you're using a pillow form, go ahead and stick it inside your pocket.
You might find out you did this:
I ALWAYS keep it REAL.
The insert is too big for the pillow cover. DOH!
Don't panic.
Just forget the idea of using the pillow form you got to make the job easier and try not to cringe thinking of the extra money you spent, when you could have just bought poly-fill.
LOL!
If the sewing fairies smiled on you and your form fits, good for you!
For the rest of us incompetents, you can just cut open the pillow form and use the poly-fill that's inside of it (but you'll do this after Step 7). ;)
The day is not entirely ruined!
7. Whichever way you did it, take your top and bottom edges and fold them in and straight pin them together. The corner, you fold in at an angle. (If you're using poly-fill, you're going to leave a section at the end just big enough for your hand to fit. If you used the form and it actually worked, you're going to go all the way across.)
8. Remove each pin section by section, using the Fabri-Tac to glue each section. As you glue each section, place a clothes pin over the glue, along the seam, to hold it in place.
If you used the form, at this point you're done.
YAY FOR YOU!
You should have a recognizable pillow.
You just have to wait for the Fabri-Tac to dry before you can embellish it.
If you used the poly-fill continue below...
9. After the Fabri-Tac has dried, fill it with the poly-fill. Be sure to really get it in all the corners.
10. Follow Step #7 and #8 again. Finish up the remaining seam and edge. Apply your clothespins as you go, to keep pressure on the seam for the Fabri-Tac to adhere.
11. Embellishment time! I used left over duck cloth from another pillow to make a fabric rosette (Cut a circle. Cut the circle into a spiral leaving the center about the size of your thumb. Starting with the outside end, twist the fabric as you turn clockwise to form the petals of your flower. Place a dot of hot glue every turn or so, so your "petals" stay in place. Glue the center end to the back to hold it all together.) Hot glue a button to the center.
(You can see a tutorial on how to make felt rosettes HERE, which is pretty much the same thing - just don't cut out the center. Leave it. And don't hold my earlier posts against me. LOL! I've come a LONG way in a year!)
Pocket Pillow Tutorial
This one actually turned out right - using a pillow form.
1. Take your pillow form and place it in the center of your fabric. Cut a piece about two and a half times the size of your pillow form. You want to be able to fold the bottom edge of the fabric to the top edge of your pillow and then the top edge of the fabric half way down to the middle of your pillow. Does that make sense?
2. Next apply the Fabric-Tac 1.5/2 inches in ALL THE WAY AROUND your fabric and fold the edges of the fabric in on top of it, so you have a nice even edge. Smooth out any wrinkles. Then, fold the bottom edge half way up the entire piece of fabric and adhere at the corners and down along the side edges with the Fabri-Tac. Apply the clothespins and leave until dry.
3. Iron your fabric. Apply iron-on embellishments according to instructions on package. (You can find these in the purse decorating section of Jo-Ann Fabric.)
4. Your pillow should look like this.
5. Put your pillow form inside the pocket. Fold the top flap down and apply the Fabri-Tac to the side edges and apply your clothespin to hold it until its dry.
6. Put a thin line of Fabri-Tac around the edge of your top flap and place your jute twine on top of it. You can either hold the twine down with your fingers until it holds securely or use clothespins to hold it in place.
7. Make a fabric rosette out of scrap fabric. For this rosette, I knotted one end of the fabric and rolled the fabric around the knot, glueing every half turn or so. Adhere the rosette with the Fabri-Tac.
Your pillow should look like this when you're done:
Quote Pillow Tutorial
For this pillow, you're going to follow Steps 1-6 of the first pillow. Then just add these steps:
1. Cut a piece of fabric so it is about 2-3 inches smaller than your pillow. Burn the edges lightly, so it won't fray, but don't blacken it (unless you want to).
2. Cut another piece of fabric in a coordinating color about 1.5 inches smaller than you printed fabric. Print out image/quote using the wax paper transfer method. You can find Home Frosting's tutorial on that HERE that I got from Karin at Art is Beauty. If it turns out a little lighter than you'd like, you can darken it with paint markers or a Sharpie.
3. Make a fabric flower by cutting three circles in coordinating fabric, each a little smaller than the next. Glue together using the Fabri-Tac. Apply a button in the center with hot glue.
4. Apply jute twine to the edge of the center piece of fabric, using the method I discussed above. Leave two trailing edges. Knot them both.
Follow these four steps with Steps 7-10 above.
And you're done.
Your pillow should look like this:
Really, it's easier than it sounds.
And, you learn by doing.
I had no idea when I started what in the world I was doing,
but somehow it just all came together and worked!
And I had the perfect pillows to display on the settee.
All of which have been bought and have new homes. :)
I wish I had known how good they were going to turn out because I would have taken better pictures step by step instructions!
The winner will be announced Thursday morning,
so get your entry in today!
Hope y'all have a fantastic day!
I'm going to do some cleaning and make a wreath. ;)
Take care,
XO,
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