For today's blog I'd just like to update ya'll on what I've been doing, since I obviously haven't been blogging. I seems like I have a ton of projects that are just half way done; which is incredibly frustrating because I can't post half finished things....so I took all of today and worked on completing small projects and cleaning, and organizing, and generally just trying to clear out the loft (read: mostly mending and other boring stuffs). BUT this little fun guy got finished! Really only because I needed all the pins that were keeping the doily on....

And might I add this is a fabulous way to use doilies. Originally they were used on tables or on the backs and arms of chairs to protect the upholstery from general hair and hand grossness. That's a fairly obsolete practice now, but they can certainly still add charm to your decor. And they're easy to get if you have a grandma with an attic to raid or an antique store if you don't (or if you're too lazy to make your own--like me).

It's kind of hard to tell in the picture but the "petals" and outer "doughnut" in the center are stuffed. To get this effect, you sew the doily onto two pieces of fabric (I used unbleached muslin) and then cut small slits in the back, stuff them, and whipstitch them back up (which I did quite messily--I mean who cares? you're never gonna see them!)

A note of warning though, if you want to stuff the design, wait until after you have the pillow completely constructed. Trying to square up the two pieces (front and back) to one another was a nightmare.

So the back fabric is actually a failed attempt at a quilt. Used it here cause it's the back! haha! Of course this is me, so neither the buttons or the words match up to one another but that's part of it's charm...right?

OH! and a small tip for those of you doing knife edge pillows (That's what these are) if you angle in when sewing the corners they fit more snuggly to your pillow form. That way you get less loose fabric just chillin' out around the edges. For example:

So first, take a moment to appreciate my made Paint skills. (Because my computer can't handle Photoshop, I make do with what I got.) Second, the red dashed line is what you would normally sew; the solid black line is what the informed pillow maker would do. So consider yourself informed.

ALTHOUGH! if the principle use of your pillow will be pillow fights you might want to nix this little tip as the regular corner will give you more fabric for handle purposes and a bigger strike range. :) (oh yeah!)

MORE DOILY GOODNESS TO COME! ....someday

(I have a HUGE stash of them! mwahahahahahaha...)