The End of Pillow-Making Procrastination

When we got our budget-friendly couch from an ad on Craigslist almost a year (!) ago, the lady threw in two throw pillows to go with it. They were used, lumpy, and plain navy blue, but I was excited because I resolved, after thoroughly washing them, to create beautiful covers and place them in their seats of honor on the new(ly slipcovered) couch, thus saving some money and allowing me to create the exact look that I wanted.

However, the pillows sat in the closet–as my projects around here are wont to do–while I rationalized my procrastination citing the lack of accessible fabric stores in the area. I took a couple trips to Mood Fabrics when my mom visited, but I didn't really see patterns there that were similar to what I had had in mind, and I didn't want to drive for an hour just to get to a JoAnn store.

Then, a few weeks ago, I came upon this pin on Pinterest, which appealed to me because it looked cute and simple. I searched several websites (Etsy, Ebay, and Amazon) before I found a geometric print fabric for a decent price. 

When it finally came, I soon discovered that the fabric was heavier than I had anticipated, and that one yard of fabric would only make a single no-sew pillowcase. Furthermore, the folding and tucking steps of the tutorial didn't really make for a tailored fit. So, I broke out the sewing machine.

That way, I could use less of the fabric (2 pillows and some yardage to spare), plus I could make a nicer finished product. I did really like the look of the bow from the no-sew tutorial, so I decided to include it in my improvised pattern. Instead of using a zipper, I made a flap-and-snap closure (like an envelope, with a snap to hold it closed). I tied a knot in a strip of fabric to make a wide, ruched bow, and sewed it over the flap to disguise it. If I'm not feeling frilly, I can simply turn the pillows around to make them bow-free.

After some bobbin-winding mishaps and a little more time than I had expected, I had two nicely-covered pillows. Though it took long enough, I'm quite pleased with the results: