PILLOWS!!! (Bedroom Makeover: Part I)

I am making new pillows for our bedroom! Our bedroom colors are black, white, gray, turquoise, and dark purple. I'll take pictures of the bedroom before and after we get an actual bed. :) My brother-in-law is making it for us this week. YAY! So here is the purple ruffle pillow I made. The turquoise and lace one will be done soon (I hope).

What you need:

2 yards of fabric (of your choice)

Sewing machine

Pillow form

PATIENCE!!!

1. Cut 2 pieces of fabric to the length and width of your pillow form with a 1/2 in. seam allowance.

 2. Cut 6 1.5 in strips the WHOLE length of the fabric. (You'll cut them in half later to = 12 totally strips.) I did 12 ruffles cause I wanted ruffles the whole length of my pillow. You can cut however many you want.

3. Set your stitch length to the longest setting your machine has. (mine was 4)

4. You're going to need a simple straight stitch 

5. Take your 6 ruffle strips and sew down the middle as best you can. My strips weren't cut out straight so my lines were a little crooked.

6. When you are done leave a very long string before cutting it. (This will help you pull the stitch to cause the ruffling).

7. Here is where the patience comes in... I had my husband hold one end of the fabric while i felt and tugged (lightly) on either the top thread or bottom thread to start the ruffles. (each one was different and yours might be too) I had to re-stitch some because I was pulling too hard and the thread would break. I got so frustrated at them! But you just find a happy medium between lightly pulling and pulling hard.

When you do this ruffle a little section and then slide it on up to the end where it's connected and stable... (the end my husband was holding). Go through and continue to cause little ruffles and when it's all ruffled they should look like this pile here.

8. Lay the top piece of fabric down and start pinning a ruffle on in the middle. When it reaches the end, cut it off and pin the next one using the other half.

(two rows from one ruffle!)

9. Continue to pin until you run out of ruffles. 

10/ When they are all pinned on the fabric sew down the center of each ruffle using the . I started with my middle ruffle and worked my way out. That way if I needed to reposition any of the ruffles I could do so and still cover the whole piece of fabric.

(Another part of my patience was tested here. I got stuck with so many pins my fingers were bleeding. Make sure you're smarter than me and pay attention to which way the pins are pinging when you sew them.

(finished sewing them on...)

11. Lay both pieces of fabric on top of each other right sides in the way you would for a normal pillow. and pin around the edges, leaving enough room to stuff your pillow form in one end. 

12. I know it doesn't look much different but this is after I sewed them together and cute the fringes of ruffles off and cut my corners.

13. Then you shove that pillow in and ta-da!!!! Ruffle pillow. 

I haven't hand stitched up the end yet cause I'm not very good at it. I'll do it eventually. :)

There is the purple ruffle pillow. I will update this with the turquoise and lace one as soon as I make it. I hope you enjoyed it and wish you luck with your new project. 

(UPDATE!)

This is the turquoise and lace pillow. 

I didn't make a tutorial because it wasn't very hard.

Just sew the lace onto the fabric, then sew it all together. :)

Here it is in our bedroom with the purple ruffle pillow above.

Next on the list is to repaint the lamps and rover them with fabric, then make new curtains! :) I'm very excited to continue on with the bedroom makeover!!!