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!

I Spy Shoes and Jewels

The lovely Ashley over at Little Miss Momma started the fun game of I Spy and this weeks theme is Shoes and Jewelry - two of woman's best friends.  I have a shoe fetish...I love them!  I think they are one of the best ways to add a little something special to an outfit.

BOOT SCOOTIN' BOOGIE

               

                   Comfy Flats

My mom's boots from
her college years

    

            

                     Ankle Cowboy Boots

Girlie Peep-Toe Ankle Boot

  


               

                Rainy Day Boots

 

Bear Paw Boots

BRIGHT COLORS

Fun Colorful Pumps

NEUTRALS

Jessica Simpson Pumps

FLIPPY FLOPPIES

My Basics

PEARLS

 

SUNSHINE

Made by ME

WRIST JEMS

Bangles, Watches, and
Lacy made by ME
(see Little Miss Momma for
Tutorial on this bracelet)

Tiffany Favorite - 1 from mom, 1 from Casey

BIG ROCKS

I love chunky rings

Thanks for taking a look at my favorite accessories!

Maxi Obsession

I am currently obsessed with Maxi Dresses.  I think they are very comfortable and so cute!  I bought one last season and one this season, but neither are very casual.  For my next shopping venture, I am going to be on the look out for a black tube top maxi dress.  I went with the color black because when you have a neutral base to work off of, you can accessorize with SO many different colors...your options are endless!

I put together one outfit that I could see myself wearing on several occasions.

I am loving the gold and black combination with a pop of color with the clutch.

Mother's Day Ideas

Mother's Day is quickly approaching, and while I am not yet a mother, I do have a WONDERFUL mom that deserves a lot of praise for all that she has done.  I have not thought of the PERFECT gift to craft for my mom yet, so I thought some inspiration would help me out.

  

HGTV Mom Banner

crafty little gnome

Martha Stewart

Burlap Pillows

Photo Book

The best gift of all:  time with your loved ones!



I hope this helps to get your creative juices flowing!

French Vintage Decorative Pillow

I have been seeing a lot of French inspired decor out in the stores recently and decided that I wanted to try to make something along the same lines.  I also have recently heard of Heat Transfer for T-shirts, Bags, Fabric, etc, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for me to test it out. 

 

Materials Needed:

Heat Transfer Paper

French Inspired Design 

Fabric

Iron

Ruler

Sewing Machine

Rotary Cutter/Scissors

Decorative Ribbon

Pillow Stuffing/Batting

First, find what design you would like to use for your pillow.  I found mine online by googling "French clip art".  Once I had my image, I used Word to size it and mirror the image (you do this to ensure that your image reads correctly when ironed on your fabric).  I printed it onto my Inkjet Heat Transfer paper, then cut it down to size.

Then, I cut out two pieces of a off-white fabric to measure 18" X 6".  

I ironed out the fabric to smooth out any wrinkles or bumps. Be sure to place a towel or something in between your fabric and the surface you are ironing on.  Then, place your iron on image face down on the fabric and iron away. 

**Side Note:  Make sure that your image and fabric are both CLEAN before ironing.  I had a few fuzzes in mine...oops!

Please excuse the excess ink on the back of my Heat Transfer...the printer was mad at me today.

I ironed over the image for about 90 seconds since my image wasn't all that big. Once the image has cooled (let it sit for about 2-3 minutes), peel off the back of the transfer paper and you are left with your beautiful image on your fabric.

Now it is time to make your pillow.  At first, I was just going to iron on the image and have that be the one thing on the pillow; however, I felt it was missing a little something.  I decided to use some ribbon I had to spruce up the front of the pillow.



I ruched 4 layers of ribbon along the left hand side of the design.  I scrunched the ribbon as I fed it under the sewing machine to get this affect.

I added a little lace bow on the bottom right side of the design as a final touch. 

Sewing time!  With the two pieces of fabric finished sides facing each other, pin them together around the edges.  Make sure to leave a 2-3" opening on one of the sides to turn the pillow ride side out and stuff.

Before Sewing

After sewing, flipped right side out



Next I used some batting that I had to stuff the pillow. 

This next part is my LEAST favorite part of finishing a "stuffing" project.  Pin the opening shut and sew it closed. 

I always have a hard time lining up the fabric just right and getting it under the sewing machine since it is filled with batting...ugh!  After some fight with the pillow I was able to line it up to my liking and sew it closed. 

Finished French Inspired Decorative Pillow!

It might be small, but it is MIGHTY cute!