When I was in junior high and high school, I always chose to make my friends their Christmas presents. This was well before the day of pinterest and the idea that 'DIY is cool.' I would paint personalized acrylic boxes, painted sweatshirts, handmade jewelry...every year there was a different idea. My friends were not DIY'ers and thinking back, I am not sure they were as excited with these gifts as I was in creating them. Fast forward to today, and handmade gifts are more popular than ever. If you are looking for a fun gift you can make and you have some basic sewing skills, then you will love this holiday pillow.

 

I used a white duck cotton, heathered gray felt, and a orangy-red chevron {left over from this project}

 

 

My finished pillow is 17". I cut out an 18" square of the white fabric for the front and an 18" piece of chevron for the back {1/2" seam allowance}   

 

 

I found this santa silhouette doing a google search. I made him out of the gray felt. To adhere the Santa onto the pillow, I ironed fusible heat & bond to the back of the felt.

 

 

 

  You can have your santa looking left or right. I printed it off and traced it onto the felt using chalk.

 

 

Cut it out {you cut through the felt and the fusible paper backed web}.

 

 

Pull off the paper backing of the fusible web. This leaves the glue on the back of your felt.

 

 

With the glue side down, center the santa on the front of the pillow fabric and iron using the directions on your specific heat and bond product. 

 

 

I like to use a flange detail to edge my pillows. You don't have to add anything, but it really adds a great touch. Using an orangy-red linen, I cut a 3 1/2" strip on the bias. I Ironed it half and pinned it to the edge of the front of the pillow and stitched in place {It ends up being 1 1/2" finished} Place your pillow back fabric on top of the front, right sides together, and stitch all the way around leaving a 3" opening on the bottom edge. Turn the pillow inside out through the opening.

Add your stuffing through the opening. I actually add an additional step here -- a covering for my pillow insert. This makes the pillow look less lumpy and more professional. Using any light colored fabric you have {mine is a thin cotton} cut 2 17" squares of fabric. Sew together and turn inside out.

 

 

Slide it into the pillow opening making sure the opening of the pillow insert is in the same place as the opening of the pillow. 

 

 

Add your stuffing and hand sew the opening of the insert and then the opening of the pillow.

 

 

A look at the back.

 

 

One present down!      

 

 

I only had my iphone, but I promised you some pictures of Fridays install so let's start with the before:

 

 

And now feast your eyes on some tween goodness:

 

 

 

I love stripes. I simply do not tire of them horizontally, vertically, chevronny...they are the perfect backdrop in a kids room. My 9 year old client only had one request--make it orange and pink, and I always gives whats my clients wants. Well, unless they want to use their favorite jumpsuit fabric to recover their sofa and to make new drapes.  

 

there are some boundaries

where were we? oh yeah

 

 

 If you remember, I wrote about the transformation of the side tables here. There are still a few more things that need to be added, but we are 90% complete. I'll have more photos and details soon.

Have a room you want prettied up--email me!   

 

  When I'm sitting in an airport I love to watch all of the people buzzing by. Everyone looks so busy and important with their cell phones to their ears sprinting through the gates with their rolling bags. It's like an eclectic fashion show with no music. I take in all of the outfits, the pacing, and the attitudes and try to guess what each person does for a living--do you do this too? So, I laughed out loud when I came across these funny guides on how to spot interior designers, architects, interns, contractors, and homeowners featured on Houzz. 

 

 

 

 

 To check out all of Jody Brown's {aka Coffee with an Architect} guides, check them out here.

 

Check out what's on the newspapers front page of the sports section this week! woot-woot! She uses the bun to 1} add an extra 6" to her height which b} intimidates the opponent. See her defendant, poor girl got 'bunned'. Just try to rebound against 25 pounds of curls in your face. Use what the good Lord gave ya.

 

 

 I'm out doing an install today! Here's a little sneak peak. I am so excited about this one--just hope that my 9 year client will love it as much as I do. Bright, fun and perfect...just like I hope your weekend is!!

 

 

So when you are contemplating a new haircut--something daring that you've never tried before, and you are also committed to radically changing the color.... 

 

  

Do you pull the trigger after going thru the check-out when you walk by the beauty salon in Wal-Mart?

probably not, right?

Nope. You think about it for weeks, maybe months. You have seen other ladies on the street with the exact cut/color that you are after and you get the nerve to stop them and ask 'who cuts your hair?!'

 

 

After getting the stylists info you enter it asap into your phone, run home, and google them. Or, you ask friends who have great style and wear designery tunics with monograms on their handbags, who they suggest. You're even willing to get a sitter and drive to a big city stylist just to achieve your own version of the 'rachel'. 

 

 

So then what happens when the appointment actually arrives?? You have waited for months to get on the books for this appointment with the stylist. You know what she charges and you have decided that all that $ is worth it. You have done the research and you are srlsy excited about the list of clients this stylists boast, her portfolio, and the brand new you that is going to walk out of this salon when she is done. You have a thorough consult where she looks at your hair, contemplates with you the pictures you brought in of the cute models with the perfect do, and then she makes her suggestions and explains that she can give you the look and color you are after. You breathe deeply and feel completely confident that she can give you exactly what you want. So how then do you sit through the appointment?

 

{Stick with me peeps, this is going somewhere}

Do you question the type of brush she is using to detangle your hair? Do you ask to accompany her to the back room so you can watch her mix the color recipe that she knows will achieve the perfect sunkissed locks you have requested? Do you ask her why the color in the applicator bottle doesn't look like gold d.locks blond that you discussed? Do you correct the way that she applies the foils to your head? Do you ask to see the ingredients on the shampoo bottle that she uses? Do you ask her to hurry up because you need to run to the grocery store? 

 

 

Of course not!! Why?? Because you have done your research and you trust the stylist and you trust in the process. There is some ugly that happens before the ah-ha moment arrives. Just look at the pictures! 

The same applies to hiring an interior designer. You hire a designer because you have researched their work, because you have talked to their other clients, because you discussed your budgets, because you have shown them what you want and they have thoroughly explained what they can deliver. You know that at the install they will give you something beautiful and that it will make you incredibly happy. But you also know that the process is not pretty--it can involve demolition, being pushed outside your comfort zone, and it may take a bit longer than you hoped. It can easily get real bad before it then looks real good.  

 

 

Please do not micro manage a situation that you aren't an expert in. Don't question every single aspect of the process.This isn't your designers first job.

trust. in.the.process. If you can't, then you really should consider doing it yourself.     

 

  

Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to step down from my soapbox. It's slippery and I hate heights. 

 

 

      {pics via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}