It's true. Sometimes I sew. I like it a lot, and it seems to like me back. It's like meeting up with an old friend, where so much has changed since you've been apart yet you pick right up where you left off and there isn't any awkwardness at all. When you leave your old friend, you're a smidge sad that you don't see them more often b/c you have such a good time together - and there's an itty-bitty pang of guilt b/c you know you just haven't made it a priority.
Dear Sewing & Old Friends,
I vow to make an effort to get together with you more often. You are very dear to me - and let's face it, we're not gettin any younger!
Lots of love,
Jan
So when sewing and I got together recently, I made this gathered pillow with some of my annika fabric on the front and boxwood on the back (both in the metro colorway). Both of these are organic cotton sateen fabrics from my Urbana Collection - so soft to the touch and easy to work with!
The gathers and pleats were part-plan / part-improv. I had a certain look in mind, and when I realized that "look" didn't fit the pillow snug(ly) enough, I had to come up with a Plan B. It's a happy accident that I may repeat in the future on other accessories. It's very free-form - just pinched, pleated and stitched. To get the edge of the front fabric to fray, simply lay it flat and rub the tips of your fingers back & forth over it really fast. It will fray more as it lives its life, but at least you will have gotten the first blast of loose threads off.
The fabric strip on the back is hiding a zipper! (Not a fan of envelope closures - I've purchased them, I've sewn them - no matter what, they always end up irritating the cr@p out of me. Just not my thing.) This pillow is a gift for a sweet friend (she might know who she is if she see this - it's one of her fave colors) - I felt a zipper was a more professional touch!
