Pillow Makeover: Quick Envelope Back Pillows

The pillows on the living room sofa have been bugging me for a while.  First of all, the sofa was not supposed to be in the living room, but in the basement, but when it was delivered it wouldn't fit down the stairs.  So, until we move, and we really don't have a need to, it will remain. 

 

Hubby was thrilled when his themed throw pillows matched, so I acquiesced.  It's all about compromise, right?  However, even he has admitted lately that they are looking a little worn.  The cording is unraveling, and let's face it, it's been a long winter and these are a little dreary!

 Spring has now officially sprung in our living room!  Yeah!  Those of you who know me know that my life has always been filled with bright and cheery things.  So now I have a little piece of spring in my living room while I await the snow melt.

This is the back of the pillow.  No buttons to fool with.  Easy in, easy out-- just in case he hates them!

HOW TO MEASURE FOR AN ENVELOPE PILLOW:

1.  Measure size of existing pillow and add 1/2" seam allowance all the way around.  My pillow was 20" square, so I cut my squares at 21" allowing for 1/2" on all sides

2.  For pillow back, cut 2 pieces.  Divide by height OR width, depending on how you want your envelope oriented by 2, then add 4 ".  For example, 21"/2 = 10.5" + 4" = 14.5", so I cut two pieces with a width of 21 and a height of 14.5

3.  Hem the the bottoms of the back pieces with a 1.5" double hem (so, turn up 3/4", then turn up again, then stitch)

4.  Place front piece right side up, then the other pieces right side down so that they overlap each other, but are even with the front piece, pin, and sew all around with 1/2" allowance.

5.  Turn right side out and stuff with your pillow!

If you want more info on how to do this, I suggest the following website:

www.sew4home.com, or the book The Sewing Bible, as they both have great tips on pillow making!

Weather in the 40s the last few days - could it really be Spring?

The Real Housewife of Sheboygan County

What I've been up to this week!

I haven't posted on the blog this week until now, so I will do a wrap-up of what I've been working on.


The Anniversary Scarf:  Jim's anniversary present - almost done

The yarn is Jarbo Garn Duo, purchased at Urban Arts & Crafts when I was back in Kansas City over Christmas.  It's acrylic, but very soft, and should wash well.  It's a very simple pattern that I got from the Ravelry website called "Simple Textured Crochet Scarf".    It's hard to find something that is "manly" sometimes, and I thought this pattern fit the bill.


I also made a scarf for myself, inspired by this tutorial on the Make It and Love It blog.  Here is how mine turned out - not perfect, but I've worn it twice already.  Next time I will make it a little shorter, I think, but will try this tutorial from Sew Much Ado with the rest of my material.  If it turns out, I might make some for my nieces.  P.S.  You can also barely see my anniversary gift - the Tiffany heart necklace.  I love it, as it's so lightweight I barely know I'm wearing it and I love the way it looks.

Finally, I got some new yarn on impulse yesterday as I was cruising through JoAnn previewing what was going on sale later this weekend.  I loved the color, so bought a couple of skeins and will make a Moebius Cowl (similar to this one) for myself.  I'm not sure the photo does the color justice.  As you can tell, I like to work on many things at once, or I get bored!

I'm still working on the baby blanket, I hemmed two pairs of my husband's jeans this week, and will probably try to clean out some of my magazine clutter over the weekend.  Hubby has to work this weekend, so I will have plenty of time to craft, daydream, watch the birds and play with the dog.

I hope you have had a good week!

The Real Housewife of Sheboygan County

Winter Days:

I have been struggling with the shorter days, but a friend posted on Facebook this morning that in only 12 days and the days will start getting longer again!  Yee-haw!  Good thing I have switched to CFL bulbs in most lamps, as they seem to be on almost all day during the winter!

We had snow yesterday, but not as much as they predicted.  I enjoyed seeing the beautiful cardinals in the snow covered trees, and wish now that I would have bundled up to try to photograph.  I'm sure we will have many more snow days, so I can take advantage of the beauty then!  Winter days are great for working on projects, though.  I am crocheting a great neck wrap that will match the hat and fingerless gloves I just finished.  I finished a baby bib and hope to start on some sewing projects.  Last winter I didn't have as much to do, so was bored trying to adjust to not working, but this winter will be a whole different story!

Soup seems to be my favored go-to dish at this time of year.  I made a great potato soup the other night that was a big hit.  Of course, I used no recipe, so who knows if it will turn out the same the next time!  Kind of like my chili.  I love to cook and find comfort in chopping all the ingredients and doing the prep work.  Funny how things have changed.  It used to be that I wanted to get things done as quickly as possible, but now, whether it's sewing, crocheting or cooking, I take my time - rip out when necessary and start over.

I can't believe it's been a year since my retirement.  We are using the last of my frequent flier miles to go to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in February - FIRST CLASS, I might add!  I will be 7 1/2 months pregnant, so will probably need the extra room!  I'm looking forward to it and the sunshine and fresh food.

I am reading the book Blogging for Bliss right now, and hope to get some hints on how to make my blog better and more robust.  I am so new at this, that I am lucky I can make a post!

Always Evolving,

The Real Housewife of Sheboygan County (or Shevegas, as the locals call it!)