Star Pillow

My last sewing class was this past Sunday.  A 14 inch pillow was my final project.  I was happy because the pillow has a zipper and appliqué.   Both are new skills for me.   My pillow ended up a bit too small for the pillow form.  The instructors first gave us the wrong directions.  I think it worked out all right, but you can see my stitches around the edges of the pillow.  I will probably buy a smaller pillow form to correct this problem. 

Here is a close up of the satin stitching around the star.  I probably should have stuck with an easier form like a square for my first try at this, but overall I'm happy with how it turned out.

The back with the zipper.  I was surprised how easy it is to insert a zipper into a project.  I definitely will be doing more of this in the future. 

After class, I came home and made my second pillowcase.  I had the pieces already cut out.  The sewing went pretty fast.  I love having a matching set.

Here is my lovely sewing machine.  We are definitely liking each other more and more.  I was impressed with the fancy machines I saw in class that would let you sew at a super slow speed.  While this and the other fancy features would be nice to have, I'm sticking with my friend for now.  Maybe when I become an expert seamstress, I will look into an upgrade.  I also learned that putting a piece of felt under the spool of thread can help make your stitches look more smooth.  I cut a couple of squares with felt I had and it worked like a charm.

Here is my cute sewing case that I took to class with me each week.  It was a present from my super cool friend. 

Comments

[Karen]

J -- your pillow is amazing! I'm jealous, too. And I'm so glad you found a good use for that case -- I knew you needed it. :)

[danny]

Love the sewing kit! That IS super cool! I'm glad you and your sewing machine have become friends. Who knows? I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. :)

[connie]

Your pillow looks gorgeous! You're making me jealous again. My tired old sewing machine, even after two trips to the repair shop, is not in the best of health. You're inspiring me to shop around for a replacement so I can sew again.