Couch Potatoes, er..... I mean, Pillows ~

I'm still under the weather... code for "body-slammed-with-the-flu (round 2) because-you've-been-running-too-hard-and-need-to-SLOW-DOWN."  I was, however, able to move precisely four feet from by bed to my sewing table and spent the better part of the day there, sewing pillow covers. 

I started with these (ugh) lovelies. 

They're not precisely hideous, but I'd bought them long ago when they were 70% marked down from the 40% off clearance price.  Their main redeeming feature was the price, and that they were generously filled with soft, fluffy, down feathers.

I've always kept them covered with homemade cases, and I've been itching to make new ones.  

I hauled out the fabric I'd been stashing for this little project.  The chenille swatch at the top of the pile is the fabric that my couches are covered in.  I have three big couches in the great room... which are used for the most part as large cat beds, since we aren't really the entertaining type and have the 35 or so Terwilligers over only once or twice a year.

I had some leftover linen from the repurposed curtain I blogged about here. About 4 yards of another really heavy linen, and several big chunks of a linen with a taupey gray damask leaf pattern woven in, and a few coordianting swatches of other linens... just in case. 

Can you tell I like linen?

I had enough fabric to make two of these cases in the photo above.  I love the heavy pleated ruffles at each end. My pillow covers are usually envelope style, with a generous overlap so that the inserts can't wiggle their way out no matter what. 

I was dying to make something out of this beautiful vintage linen piece.  I had two chunks about 40" wide each, and would use one of them for a cover.  I'll hoard the other piece for something else later.

Instead of an envelop style cover, I made this one in pillowcase style, and sewed this lovely coordinating fabric on the end for a deep hem.  I used a vintage button sewn at the bottom for a closure.  

This button so makes me happy.  Now, the folks that know me will roll their eyes at this point, because if you haven't noticed yet, there is almost no color here... a bit of gray, taupe, ivory, tan, oh... and black.  I am very boring, I know. My whole wardrobe is like this.   

So [sigh] here's my attempt at color.  Notice the lovely posies in this fabric?  Did you also catch that it's on a taupey gray background?  Yep, that's what caught my attention in the first place. 

 

Anyway, I made two more cases out of this fabric, finishing off the closure again with buttons.  What's nice about buttons and envelope covers, is that you can change them out quickly.  No fuss.  And the covers you just took off can be laundered, ironed and put away in the linen closet for next year. 

So, here are all the pillows recovered.  Two in the floral linen, two in the shower curtain linen with a tailored ruffle at each end, and one in that pretty damask with the coordinating hem.  Nice. 

I should have stopped there.  But noooo.....

...there were these buttons I'd been saving up for a while.  The only excuse I have for taking on this project is that I wasn't thinking clearly.  Doubling up on NyQuil and Theraflu can do that to a girl...

It began innocently enough.  Two pillow covers, two simple initials "E" and "T".  A bit of thread, and magic, right?  Right.

Drawing the letters in pencil on the fabric and laying out the buttons was amusing and occupied my fuzzy brain for the better part of 20 minutes.  Then I had to sew them on one at a time.. and the other 47 buttons don't hold still while you sew the one on.  They move.  All.  Over. The.  Place.  

But I wasn't about to let those little buttons get the best of me.  The finally fell into submission and the resulting pillows looked, and felt, like I'd spent a ton of money on them. 

So nice placed on all the couches in the great room.  The rose/peach/taupe pillows were made earlier in the week, and are also vintage fabric. 

Love the bullion fringe on this one. All down filled pillows.  You can't kill them and they never get lumpy. 

Time for a nap ~

 

Eileen

 

 

 

Comments

[LindaSonia]

Oh my, your button pillows are gorgeous!!! Love them. LindaSonia

[melissa @ the inspired room]

Oh, how beautiful! I was thinking your original pillows weren't that bad until I saw how GORGEOUS your makeover pillows turned out! WOWZA! I'm in awe. I love them, and I adore the button idea! WOO HOO those are pretty!

Thanks for sharing them!
Melissa

[songbirdtiff]

Very nice! I love the lettered pillows, great idea!

[Laura Ingalls Gunn]

Your pillows are gorgeous! I hope you feel better soon.

Please stop by and enter my 200th post giveaway.

[Julie]

OMG! Have to RUN home to start on my button pillow project NOW! I must, I must, I must make some too! Lovely idea - glad to have stumbled across your blog. Will be back soon! Cheers, Julie

[kristi]

Wow - your pillows are gorgeous and I can't believe how much you accomplished even with being under the weather! The fabric is so pretty -- especially the rose fabric. Thanks for sharing and get well soon!

[Jen Day~sugaredsongbird]

They are all beautiful, though I am partial to buttons. I can't believe how much you accomplished even feeling so awful. Get some rest, I pray you feel better soon!

[Jeanne]

Please, please, please open a shop. Love these pillows and I can't believe that you get accomplished with the flu!!!!

[~ ~AHRISHA~ ~at JoyouslyLivingLife]

Very very nice pillows! Love the buttom intiials. Wish I had your collection of buttons. I am not a saver and never seem to have the right one for the job. Enjoy your blog~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

[Debbie]

Wow, I am in love....and I do love pillows. I'm with you on the neutral colors...I add red here and there but for the most part, furniture, etc is neutral because I get headaches if it is too.....colorful or too much going on. Hey girly girl I love those buttons too. Wow...you hit the buttonbonanza with those two pillows. I am inspired to do something like that...did you really sew ALL those on? Wow. Looks wonderful!
Blessings,
Debbie

[Susie Mitchell]

Love your new pillows...I must confess, I'm partial to the roses on the gray background. Bet your Star doesn't care a bit what color they are! LOL If she's like my Rosie and Sunshine, she will have a good time trying to detach the buttons!
Hope you feel better soon. Double dose that Nyquil and just go to bed until you feel good.
Blessings, Susie

[Charlene]

Oh WOW! I love them all! i can not even imagine the button pillow... all of them sliding & falling between the cushion of the sofa as you tried to sew! My favorites are the ones with the ruffles & the buttons. But, ALL ARE GRAND INDEED! Thanks for sharing. Hope you feel better soon.

[Linderhof]

Love your new pillows. I never thought to buy "less than perfect" pillows if the insides were down -- I've always waited for the "perfect" pillow! Thanks for sharing this info!