Sewing for the Home: Flower Pillow

Feeding Time in the Garden

by Henry John Yeend King, 1855-1924

These flower pillows that are found in stores and catalogs, often made of satin or chiffon, can be quite expensive, and that is one reason I wanted to try my hand at making one.  I used a very soft fleece, and this project took a little more than half a yard. Here is how I did it:

First, I used the largest mixing bowl I owned, (mine is about 15 inches across, but you could easily use a large round pizza pan or cardboard circle from a large store-bought pizza)  and traced a set of circles to cut out.

 One circle is to sew the ruffles on, and the other circle will be the backing. You do not need to be concerned about the right side or wrong side, when using plain fleece, nor does it need to be hemmed or finished on the edges, since it does not unravel.Some fleece fabrics do have a pile, which would have to be on the up- side of the project.

 As you can see in the above picture, I then folded the fabric in half and cut two inch wide strips the length of the folded fabric. Since this was entirely freehand and experimental, I cannot give the exact length or measurements.

 I used the first strip as a pattern, laying it on top the fabric to cut around, until I had cut 5 pieces. Depending on the size of your circle, you may need more, or less of these pieces for the ruffles.

For this pillow, it is not necessary to make the strips of fabric perfectly even or exactly the same size, since it    is supposed to look natural.

Using the sewing machine, hand-gather as you stitch one of the fleece strips on to the round piece, placing the top edges of the ruffle even with the top edge of the circle. 

To hand-gather, just make little folds and tucks that go both left and right, and gently feed the tucks through the presser foot as you move the circle around.  There is no need to use pins for this if you keep an eye on the edge of the fabric to make sure that it is fairly even.

Add another strip inside of that one, covering the previous stitching with the top of the new ruffle. It does not have to be in a perfect circle, as this pillow is supposed to look natural and artistic.

Hand gather the next strip (as you go) and feed it through the machine as you gather. The circle will be smaller this time, so if there is any of the length left, you can continue to sew all around once more, until the space in the circle is completely filled.

Continue to add more pieces of fleece strips until it looks like this, and don't be too fussy about the gathers being uniform.

 Now press all those ruffles toward the middle (with your hand) and place the other circle of fleece on top of them.

Stitch by machine all the way around, being careful to keep the ruffle tucked in toward the middle so it won't catch  in the stitching.

Leave an opening, so you can put your hand in to turn it inside out and put the fiberfill stuffing in it. Just pack it until it is full enough to make a sturdy pillow.

 First sew the circle pieces together, leaving an openning for pulling it inside out, and for stuffing.

After stuffing, Machine stitch the opening closed.

This is what it looks like from the other side, after it is stuffed:

Not all fleece is the same. Be sure to feel it and compare with other types of fleece, before you buy it, if you want a really soft pillow. This one is very soft, and it is not expensive, and generally the thin fleece is the softest.  I bought a yard, with a coupon, and it cost about $5.50, but I only used about half a yard for one pillow.  It took just an hour to cut it out and sew.  

This decorator pillow is durable and can be used every day on your couch or chair to add beauty and comfort,  and if the ruffles and the opening are all stitched well,  it should survive the washer and dyer.

 There are possibly other methods for sewing something like this. For an easier pillow, try cutting circles in graduated sizes and sewing one on top the other, largest to smallest, to see if you can get a similar petal effect. Imagine how pretty this would look in yellow, blue, purple, or white. Fleece also comes in variegated colors, which might be very interesting to work with.

Here is another half yard of fabric I got to make two more pillows. It comes in an off-white color also. Both are fleece and have roses already woven into the pile. I'm just going to make two square pillows out of this, which I'll post pretty soon. 

It too, is fleece, but it does shred, unlike the fabric on the rose pillow, so I will be using a straight stitch and then a zig-zag to secure the edges. I'll just be making two rectangular pillows from this half-yard, and the cost will be just a fraction of the store-bought pillows, since I only got half a yard and used a half-price coupon. 

Anyone is welcome to use these ideas in this post for making things to sell.

I'm  linking to Beverly's Pink Saturday so you can see all the creative things other people are doing.

Feeding People

Waiting for the Ferryman

by Daniel Ridgeway Knight

I have been taking pictures for a few days to show some ways to serve meals to those who, for various reasons, cannot attend a meal with the family at the table. While everyone else got the same meals, the one on the tray always looked more appealing.

These fourth-yard pieces of fabric I have collected can be used to make the same old gray tray look a little more colorful. These fabrics are made by a  U.S. company called Fabric Traditions,  for Wal-Mart and other stores. 

Lay a piece of it in the tray first, folding the edges under, to make it fit. 

Then, to protect the fabric, cover it in a piece of shiny clear plastic. You can hardly tell  it is covered when you use this high quality type of plastic, which you can buy in small quantities from  rolls at fabric stores.

Some of these trays are meals, and others snacks. I think it is important to keep them colorful, by varying the  kinds of foods.

You can probably tell this is an afternoon tea with scones and cream.

I try to find different tea cups to use.

It is all comfort food,  prepared in different ways: potatoes, eggs, salads, vegetables, rice, sandwiches, fruit and herbal teas.

If you have no fabric, cut a piece of gift-wrap to fit the tray, or use a gift bag, all under the plastic.

These little round paper doilies are perfect for absorbing any drips in the saucer of the tea cup set. They sometimes can be found at dollar stores, or they can be hand made, just by cutting circles of paper and folding them to make cuts as in paper snowflakes.

Have a look at this cute crocheted rag pad that someone made. I use it under the little stainless steel hot water pot on the tray.

A toile print, for something different.

The roses were a dollar each at Dollar Tree this week, so I could not resist having one, since our own roses are not in bloom yet.

 I think trays like this might be enjoyable by everyone at the table together, once in awhile.

This piece of fabric has a metallic thread in it, which the photo does not show, but it looks so bright with this snack:

It helps a lot, I think, to be situated in front of a great scene, and I like the way this tree, which is viewable from the front window,  makes a lacy shadow on the grass

A Few Comforts of Home

Among the Brambles

by Valentine Cameron Prinsep, English, 1838-1904

Read bio of the artist here.

Someone gave me a product of her hands: 

pie apples in Kerr canning jars,  with a fabric toppers, secured by colorful rubber bands.

This is one of those old blue Ball canning jars, used for a vase. The blue jars are now available, new, in some stores.

I could not resist showing off my colored eggs today, given by my wonderful hens.

These small,  bright containers, replicas of the original galvanized steel outdoor buckets and tubs which were staples of country living for so many years, now come in colors of blue, yellow and green, costing a dollar each at dollar store

Great for holding my sewing supplies right next to my sewing machine, or to hold other things:

All is well here, and I hope all is well with those who drop by for a visit. I welcome your comments and suggestions for future posts. I am working on some post subjects on my list, and hope to post them before too long.

Keep Hope Alive (For the Men in Your Family)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2012

Keep Hope Alive

From youth, most people have a hopeful attitude toward life, but as they age, sometimes they allow the feeling of hope to fade.  My belief is that, even if something seems hopeless, it is always better to maintain an optimistic view and keep hoping. "Hope we have as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast," the Bible says. (Hebrews 6:19)

Often there are goals that seem never to be reached, and sometimes people think the sameness of things (going to work, paying bills, repairing things) will not end. When hope enters your mind, things can change for the better, for while you are doing the necessary tasks, you may be hopeful of moving on to something a little different afterwards. Though these types of hopes are shortly in the future,( perhaps within a day), they are worth hoping for. Knowing there is something to do after a day of grinding or uninteresting labor can keep hope alive, but there are also other habits that will help keep the mind from falling into despair. One of the reason to keep from despair is the command of Christ: "Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

Daily goals to look forward to are reasons to keep hope alive, but there are long term goals we all want, which may not be immediately seen, but still we strive forward toward them.  Men hope to have success in their work and their constant strivings toward making a life for their families. the pressures are great, and the result of these goals may not be seen immediately. With persistent hope and effort,  the long-term efforts will come to fruition.  Hope is harnessed with faith, and "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."(Hebrews 11:1). You do not see the things you hope to achieve but you hope, and that hope is like having evidence in front of you; evidence that what you are doing is worthwhile.

 Here is an easy way to understand hope: Even though we do not always see the things we hope for, we keep hope alive by having faith that these things will one day happen, and even though there will be discouragements, at least, if we have hope, our hearts continue to beat in anticipation. So, in times of indecision, hope for something better, and that happy thought will be the best motivator for continuing to build your life on the values that you believe in.

Some short term goals you might hope for are:

1. Preparing yourself for the day. Think about what kind of responsibility is ahead and determine to go beyond it.  A man who determines to welcome each day and each job, knowing he is doing it for the love of his family and for the glory of his Maker, will be a man who never has a bad day and never does a job he does not like, for he will go into it prepared to endure it.

2. Planning an hour  each day to think about the things you love best and are the most productive to you. This provides rest for the mind and rebuilds it. The rested mind is also an inventive, resourceful, innovative one.

3. Setting aside time to do something re-creative that improves your own life and that of your loved ones. Landscaping, updating things on the house, repairing, replacing, painting, papering, and all those things that seem to wait til they are totally broken down before someone  does anything. I know a handicapped man whose leg was permanently injured in a motorcycle wreck when he was younger, who is always busy at home. He cannot stand to sit for too long so he is always doing something to his property to improve it. He  paints, replaces window screens and air filters, tears out old carpet and puts in flooring, adds porches and railings, and creates interesting landscaping. Though he walks with a limp, his hope is not handicapped, for each day he rises early eager to do something new. It is anticipation and hope that keeps him from falling into despair. Notice I wrote "re-creation" not "wreck-reation." Your leisure time has to build up your soul and rest your body. You should come away from it with renewed hope, not more despair.

4.Read the Bible and Some Other Good Book  each day, because without feeding the soul and the mind regularly, you can lose hope.  Other books might include things of interest and themes that are absorbing enough to engross your mind for hours. Consider learning something new every day that might also be useful in your life, from building to growing things to helping your family in their special interests.

These are just short term goals that are not always achieved, but if you keep hope alive, you'll add a happy outlook to your live and develop a good-naturedness that will give you more hope. Without practicing hope, all work and all events of life can deaden.

Doing your duty as a man  is more than just a materialistic, mechanical thing. It is a spiritual thing, for while you are caring for your loved ones, you are also giving them a hopeful life and building yourself up spiritually. If you have children you are handing down attitudes to them that will serve them a lifetime, clear into their old age, and that is one good reason not to handicap them with hopelessness.

Keep hope alive and you will build yourself up. Show that hope is alive in you by preparing for each day as if it were the most important event in your life, and maintaining a cheerful, optimistic ambition for the job ahead. Whether the thing you hope for is realized, or not, keeping hope alive is essential in keeping your sanity and keeping your mind and body functioning at its very best.

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