Before I start, I just want to say: this is not a sewing tutorial. We are going to sew, but this is not a sewing tutorial.
I don't do those.
Sewing tutorials are best left to people who measure, and press and serge and know what all those doo-hickeys that came with their sewing machine are for.
We aren't going to do any measuring. Or pinning. Or serging.
This is a
how to make throw pillows before the two year old wakes up from his nap tutorial.
You will need:
- A bed sheet (I got mine from a second hand store for 5 bucks)
- matching thread
- some throw pillow inserts
- scissors and pins
- a ruler and a pencil (optional)
- one sleeping toddler, enough grapes and stickers to amuse older children for an hour, and two beautiful infants happily dozing and sucking away on their pacifiers. (optional, obviously!)
We're going to be giving the pillows these easy-peasy overlapping backs.
AND we're going to do it without having to make any hems by using the top and bottom of the bed sheet!
Cutting your Pieces
Lay the sheet right side up on your table or the floor. Fold the top of the sheet in to the middle, and then fold the bottom of the sheet in to overlap the top by a few inches. Here's a picture with the corner folded back to show you what I mean.
Lay your pillow on top of the folded bed sheet. Like this:
Now cut around the pillow, leaving an extra inch or so. Don't worry if you discover you can't cut straight, maybe you'll have better luck sewing straight.
Ta-da! Now you have the makings of one basic pillow.
If you want a plain throw pillow, you could just pin and sew around the outside edge of these pieces of sheet just the way they are, turn it right side out and your done! But if you want ruffles (and of course you want ruffles!) keep reading.
Easy Ruffles 101
Start by cutting long strips from the remaining sheet fabric. I folded mine so that I could cut the whole length at once.
I used a ruler to draw a straight line, but i didn't bother measuring anything. Not all my strips are the same width, and that's okay.
On your sewing machine,
turn your stitch length to it's highest setting, and
turn your tension to it's highest setting and then sew a straight line down the center of your long strips. While you sew,
hold the thread a little to create more tension.
The strips will ruffle up before your eyes, like magic! Make sure to finish your strip by going backwards and forwards again on the sewing machine so that it doesn't all unravel.
Once you've tried this and seen how awesomely easy it is you are going to want to put ruffles on
everything. Pillows. Your duvet. Your curtains and t-shirts. The cat.
(just kidding. No cats were harmed in the making of this tutorial!)
Constructing the Pillow
Once you have your ruffles, pin them in your desired pattern to the good side of the front piece for your pillow cover. This is the piece that was on the bottom when you cut around your pillow.
Sew the ruffles in place. Don't forget to change your stitch length and tension back to a normal setting first!
Then lay your pillow front on the table with the ruffle side up and lay your back pieces on top, good side down. Pin your pieces together and sew around the outside.
Now turn your pillow cover right side out and put your pillow insert in.
Voila! Throw pillows in less time than it takes a three year old to get bored of a sheet of letter stickers!
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