Burlap "Keep Calm" Pillow

I really love the "Keep Calm and Carry On" saying.  I want to get one of those fabulous Subway Art hangings for my wall with the saying on it.  It would remind me everyday to not worry about the little things and keep on truckin' along.  So since I don't have a wall display of the saying yet, I decided to do something different and make a pillow.

Materials Needed:

Freezer Paper

Exact-o Knife

Burlap

Paint and Brush

Pillow Filling

Sewing Machine

First, I found the saying online and increased it to the size I wanted, which was 8" W X 12" L.  I printed it out on legal size paper, and then used this as a stencil to trace around after attaching the paper to the freezer paper.  I put the legal paper on top and tapped it to the freezer paper and started tracing with my exact-o knife.  Make sure to save the middle pieces, like for A, P, D, and the small pieces for the crown.  The crown was by far the HARDEST thing I have ever done using freezer paper.  Can I let you in on a little secret...I didn't cut out all the circles, they were WAY too small.  But I think that it came out ok.

Next, cut out two pieces of burlap 17"W X 20".  I added an inch onto each side for sewing. 

After I had the burlap cut, I placed the freezer stencil on the fabric (shiny side down) and ironed it on. I made sure to iron on the big piece first, then added the small inserts one by one to make sure they were lined up properly.  I would add one, then iron it into place and move on to the next.

Once the paper has been ironed on tightly against the fabric, you can start painting in your design.  I bought a cream colored paint that I really liked (I wanted to give the pillow a cottage country look) I realized that it would not stand out enough against the burlap.  I got some brown paint that I had and mixed about 2/3 cream with 1/3 brown to create almost a light purple looking color.  I really wasn't expecting it to come out like that, but I loved the end result.  I used a sponge brush to paint on the burlap.  Before you start painting, make sure you have a paper towel or something underneath the fabric - with all the small wholes, some paint will seep through. 

After painting a couple coats over the stencil, I let it sit for about 20-30 minutes before peeling off the freezer paper.

I peeled the paper off, and the letters looked good, but really didn't stand out as much as I was hoping they would.  I got to thinking and decided that an outline would look good. I got my handy ZIP fine point pen (fabulous fine tip and great for all crafting) and started outlining my design.  I didn't outline in a solid, dark line; instead, I lightly went around each letter giving it just enough to show up but not too much.  I think it adds to the rustic look I was going for.  I was VERY pleased with the outcome after tracing it in the pen.

Contrast: With Outline vs. Without

Now onto sewing!  I put the two pieces of burlap together - the painted side face down on top of the other piece of fabric - and pinned around the edges about 1/4" in. 

When sewing, I made sure that my seam was far enough in on the corners so that I could cut the triangles off and enable a nice corner finish on the resulting pillow.

I left a 8" opening to insert the filling.  Note to self - don't use the filling when working with burlap in the future.  The small holes in the burlap allow some filling pieces to poke through...a little messy.  I think the pillow foam would have gone over MUCH better.

Once the pillow was stuffed to my liking, I pinned up the opening and sewed it shut.  TADA!!

I like adding a little something extra, kind of like a really awesome accessory to an outfit.  I found some rhinestones that I had bought previously and thought that those would be a great touch for the crown.  (Plus, with all the Royal Wedding hype, I thought it would be fitting to dress up the crown).

Here is my finished pillow!

My Burlap "Keep Calm and Carry On" Decorative Pillow!