Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Get your booty on the floor

Well, I'm sure to get some weird Google search hits from this title! Today I'm talking about getting your booty on some cushy floor pillows. We don't have a lot of seating in the living room (only four tushes can sit comfortably) so when I found these huge, ugly floor cushions, I knew it was time for some DIY sewing action.


A little trip to Hobby Lobby, and a few hours later and I had these faux tie envelope pillows.


The two tone tie look was a happy accident involving me being cheap and buying half a yard too little of the striped canvas fabric. I ended up loving the look, and here's how you can recreate it on purpose.


Sandwich your pillow between your chosen fabric. You want enough extra on each side edge for your seam allowance. Cut the fabric on the open top end shorter than the top of the pillow, leaving a little of the pillow visible. Hem the two top edges.


After hemming, wrap the fabric around the pillow again, to measure your second fabric.


Once you have all your edges matching, hem the top edges of your second fabric.


Now you want to make your ties. Take four equal strips of fabric. Mine measured six inches by 8 inches. Fold the strips in half along the long edge with right sides together, and sew to form a long tube. Turn right side out, and tuck in the raw short edges. Top stitch to close the short edges.


Sew your straps to the top edges of your big piece of fabric, two on each side.


Almost there, only three straight seams to go! Overlap the top edge of your big piece of fabric on top of the top edge of your extra fabric and sew together.


Now, you should have one long pieced together sheet of fabric. With the right sides of the fabric together, fold your striped fabric in half along the bottom edge. Now fold your linen fabric in half along its bottom edge.


Note how the fabric overlaps, this is what forms the envelope that allows you to take the pillow in and out without fooling with a zipper. Can you spot the mistake I made in the picture?


Yup, I overlapped my fabric the wrong way! The linen fabric should be on top of the striped fabric. I didn't notice this until after I sewed up my side seams. I was too busy ripping my seams out and banging my head into the wall to take a picture of it the correct way. Anyway, after you've overlapped yours the correct way, with the short fabric overlapping the top edge of the long fabric, pin your edges and sew up each side. Now all you have to do is turn the cover right side out and pop in your pillow. Oh, and tie your little straps into a cute bow.


Yay, for extra seating! I've already plopped down on these and enjoyed having a cushy seat to pull up to the coffee table.

Do you go in for floor pillows?

Visit thecsiproject.com

<3
Hattie

3 comments:

Tracy said...

These look fantastic! I'd sit on 'em. :)

Heather said...

Yeah, I got an awesome turquoise one on clearance at Target!!

Emily said...

Hi, I was looking through your blog and wondered if maybe you'd have an idea for me..I want to make an outdoor pillow with a removable cover, and reuse old plastic bags as the "stuffing". However I'm not really sure how, and you seem quite crafty. :) Please let me know if you have any ideas! littlewolfe95@yahoo.com