Betsy Class and Hearts and Swags Pillow Update

I'd hoped to have my pillow completed by tonight but sadly it isn't.  Yet I did manage to get my trim attached.  This was a technique that Betsy Reed showed us in her class this past November and it was instant love at first sight. 

Below is a pattern Betsy offers.  Notice how she made it look so old with the primitive stitched trim around the perimeter of the rug?  And the unevenness of the sides?  Yeah, I'm sure some of you don't care for it but to me it was wonderfully primitive as if the rug (or pillow) was in need of repair and....'she used what she had and did the best she could'.  This is the first piece that caught my eye, mostly because of the trim.

Below is a photo of the left bottom side for a close up.  Betsy went to the trouble of make the wobbly uneven sides just for that antique look.

Yeah, I'm sure some of you don't care for the look but to me it was very primitive and something I wanted to do.  Okay, for my pillow didn't want the uneven sides but did like the trim vs. a fancy wool covered cord edge. 

 

Betsy said to cut (rip) black (or whatever color you want) cotton fabric in 2 - 2 1/2" wide strips.  First she said wash to remove sizing, bleeding and shrinking.  Then it is put into a bath of brown dye to tone it down and give it age.  Next the strips are tossed into the dryer , once dry then rolled into a ball.  Yup, you read it here.....remove the knotted cotton strips and they achieve their natural wrinkles all wrapped into the cotton ball to be used later as a binding edge.

 

I started at the bottom of the pillow and left a tail at the opening. It doesn't show it well but the bottom left corner is just above the 5th whipped stitch.  All four corners need to be stitched nicely to have a well shaped pillow.  OH, forgot to mention that thread I'm using is crochet cotton which I've coffee/black walnut dyed to give it age. 

Here is what the side of the pillow looks like and the flash is making the thread look lighter than it is.

I've still the pillow stuffing part to do, hopefully tomorrow.  So there is more to this pillow project.  If anyone has questions that I haven't addressed to this point, please write me at saundra125@comcast.net and I'll post next time. 

 

Have a great evening, try to stay warm and toasty!

 

Saundra

 

 





Pillow in Progress

This is the second installment of the making of Hearts and Swags into a pillow.  It is hard to see in this picture but with right sides together I did one row of hand stitching close to the last hooked row (using heavy cotton button hole thread) followed by one row of machine stitching all the way around.  Well, except for the opening at the bottom of the pillow.  But I did go around those two corners at the bottom so that the pillow could be contained and controlled better when hand stitching it closed.  The hand stitching is closer but at least the machine stitch is the more secure back up that will prevent my pillow from teasing open.

Then at the bottom corner I turned in and stitched down the corner.  Followed by a running stitch all the way around securing down the excess linen backing.  This is done so the inside of the hooked pillow cover is smoother when inserting the pillow stuffing.

Each of the corners are turned in and mitered; again, to make a smoother inside when it comes time to insert pillow stuffing. 

Turned inside out (below) is front of the pillow, and you can see the opening at the bottom.  Also notice how the bottom corners have been stitched to contain the dimensions.

Flipped over you can see the back of the pillow. 

 

Tomorrow I have a doctor appointment so plan to take the un-stuffed pillow cover with me and do a little more work on it as I sit impatiently in the waiting room.  They are NEVER on time at this doctor's office and need something to occupy my time...which is also valuable.  I mean at my age I've less time to waste than they do.

So stay tuned for the installment 3 of the making of a pillow tomorrow afternoon.  What you are looking at below is the space between the back and hooked front of the pillow cover.  When I bring it home tomorrow it will have a primitive trim all the way around.  It is a delightfully primitive technique that Betsy taught us in her class.  Ah, I think I've got your attention.

Try to stay warm folks.  These are some very frigid temperatures and with wind chill it is even colder.  I pray that homeless people and stray animals can find shelter. 

Saundra

Let the Pillow Begin

First I want to show you the front hooked part of the pillow.  This was a FUN and FAST project which was started in Betsy Reed's class this past November.  For those just joining me the design measures 20 x 20 (I also offer a 25 x 25 version for those who like larger).  I call it Hearts and Swags and it is an antique adaptation.

This was a hand torn project and the strip widths were between 1/2" to 1" and on occasion I used a leftover in #8.5 or whatever was available if the color was right.  I LOVE how the really wide strips curl.  A photo without a flash.

And photo with a flash.

Those who have been reading my blog for a while know I'm avid about securing the raw edges of backing to prevent any chance of raveling.  So I did the normal two rows of straight stitching, one row of zig zag, trimmed and THEN did a serged edge.  Even tho this will be made into a pillow and the edge tucked inside it still needs to be properly finished, IMHO.

I wanted to have the pillow back done in the 'patchwork' style that Betsy showed us in class.  Here are two hooked Hearts she did which shows that style.

And here is Betsy demonstrating how to do a pillow.  She has turned under her hooked linen backing down and has stay stitched it in place.  She didn't have a sewing machine in class so there are raw edges.  Betsy is using a quilting product known as Warm and Natural to baste her wool patches onto, pinning them along the way.  Notice that the Warm and Natural is cut smaller than the size of the pillow, which I also did (as you will see).

 Betsy then shows how she turns under the edges of the wool and that part will be hand stitched down using a sturdy button hole thread or other sturdy thread and securing close to the last row of hooked loops.

But I wanted to take it a step further.  While I did have some Warm and Natural instead I used a piece of fabric (not wool) and cut it just inside the dimensions of the design (as did Betsy). I wanted my pillow to slide in a little easier than perhaps the Warm and Natural would have allowed.

Next I started choosing wool.  Hey, I've kept wool that ended up being too thick to hook with but is perfect for purse backs and now this pillow back.  So those were the wools I sought out.  Don't throw anything away as it will be used for something one day.  I am pinning the wool to the plaid fabric and plan to completely make the pillow back before attaching.

There were a couple different designs I had in mind.  One had a donut shape in the center of the back similar to the one on the front.  And thought of doing a wool swag on a corner but it all seemed to 'fussy' so just went simple.

Oh yuck!  This picture is a flash and the colors are NOT like the one above; notice the plaid to the top right (above)?  That is really what the plaid to the top left looks like ~ but not in this picture below with the flash.  Anyway, I stitched all the pieces of wool directly onto the plaid piece of fabric.  THEN, did the primitive stitch over that.  Oops, guess you can see that I steamed the pillow back after stitching because I can still see the impression of the iron.  Oh well, this is a pillow for me and doesn't show up except in this flash photo.

 

What I've done now is put right sides together and pinned all the way around the hooked front.  I've straight pins where I will be hand stitching and THEN machine stitching over that.  Unlike Betsy's demonstration I wanted to do the two series of stitching all the way around; one by hand and one by machine.  Not that my way is better, I'm sure her way does the very same thing and works as well.  And.... in case you are wondering, yes, guess you could call me anal? 

At the bottom you will see safety pins.  That is to remind me to NOT stitch there because that is where I will turn the pillow inside out.  And that portion will be the only part which is just hand stitched down.

Since I've not pulled a loop on Santa and Deer all day think I'll do that this evening.  But stay tuned to see how this project turns out.

Saundra