Skip to main content

French Boudoir Pillow



 I've called this my French Boudoir Pillow, as it does have a bit of a French theme going on, and I reckon the only place it can go is on my bed.  

(Boudoir it ain't - but it sounds good).

I think this is the most fun I've had with my sewing machine for ages, and considering the "gay abandon" with which I attacked this project, I don't think its turned out too badly.

From Moda - Curio range
 You see I had fallen in love with this piece of fabric, and wanted to do something with it.  Due to the overall stripe pattern, I didn't want to cut it up.  However, just a plain pillow seemed very boring.  How to jazz it up?

In the end I went a little bit mad.  Grabbed a bag of vintage lace and started attaching.  Then I printed off a few French themed vintage images onto printable fabric sheets.  Three vintage doilies for good measure, a handful of ancient buttons and a few bits of broken jewellery later - I had a cushion front that looked very random but okay.
 

A vintage photo reduced and a bit of broken necklace

 As for the quilting?  Um.... well that's delightfully vague too.  I've done lines, swirls and squiggles using the fabric and positioned shapes as a guide.  Any seasoned quilter who spends hours hand quilting.....  I know!  But - this was super quick, and it doesn't look half bad.

I used WordArt to add text to a vintage label image
For once, I thought I'd give the machine a rare treat, and allow it to use a few of its many stitch patterns.  Goodness knows, they are seldom used.  Some of them are really pretty.  Again I've followed the lines of the fabric, and meandered around a few shapes.

I love the randomness of it, and the lacey fabric
The back of the pillow is far more reserved.  I've used toning fabric to make an envelope opening.
I couldn't resist adding a bit of zing with a ric-rac, lace and pom-pom trim combo.  It's a smiley pillow!



To finish the edges, I have used binding as you would for a quilt.  I cut the binding at 1 3/4 inches and pressed it in half.  Using a quarter inch seam, it worked perfectly.  I intended to hand sew the seam down at the back (I did - honestly!), but....  it was just too tempting to pin and machine.  From the front it looks as though it has been quilted "in the ditch".  (Doing that again!).


Labels:

Comments

  1. Cindy Sharp4 April 2012 at 23:49

    It is a very happy pillow.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why this blog?7 April 2012 at 20:01

    another winner Jan, Its lovely. You are so clever. I love the row of beads

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amy29 May 2012 at 14:26

    I love this pillow!! I am so glad I found you on blog-train! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown5 June 2012 at 02:50

    Love your pillow design! Beautiful work! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lynda19 January 2013 at 12:50

    Genius! If I saw this in a shop....I would have to have it! It is so very unique. Bravo!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Oh - go on! It's so lovely to receive messages, and I really do appreciate it.

I always do my best to reply to messages - both here on the blog and personally (as long as I can see an email address)

Popular posts from this blog

Hexagon hand-towel

A super quick make this afternoon - a hand towel for the kitchen.  I had no idea I was going to do this until I was rummaging through my fabric stash and found this piece of heavy linen that has been forgotten for years.   It's the perfect weight for a hand towel and I've managed to use up a few more scraps to match the colours of my kitchen. The little piece of aqua fabric is one of my favourites.  Had it for years and my supply has been dwindling, finally down to the last little piece.   It was a quick pin-down and run along with the machine. As you can see, a close inspection of my hexagon shows rather uneven stitches.   I blame it on my eyesight (and sewing whilst watching the TV).  Pinned into place and then edged around carefully with the machine.   I've even managed to add a little loop which is the tiniest scrap of ribbon I spied in the corner of my sewing table just as I was stitching to the corner.... I'll have that...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hillarys Blinds - Country Crafts Competition

A vision in Teal - front view Towards the end of February I saw a competition advertised on Twitter by Hillarys Blinds .  I can't remember the exact wording, but it was along the lines of "would you like to receive some material and enter our competition?" Of course I would! After sending an e-mail, I was delighted to hear I'd been chosen to take part.  I was able to pick from 3 fabrics.  I opted for the peacock print as I adore teal.  About a week later I received a packet from Hillarys containing a metre of my chosen material.  I wish I could get the colours to come out properly.  I don't think any of the photos I've taken do the fabric justice.  The background is a light cream, with the branches and blossom in subtle shades of brown and pale yellows.  Sitting on the branches across the fabric are a selection of beautiful peacocks.  In shades of teal, they are quite wonderful. A Vision in Teal - back view My ...
3 comments
Read more

Once upon an Embroidery

This story takes place many years ago. Imagine we are at a time in the gentle years before the Great War. In a time where the motor car was a recent invention and a plaything for the very rich, seldom to be seen on a public road. This was an era when people worked hard and expected little. An era when life was lived at an altogether slower pace. Let me introduce you to Alice. Alice is a gentle soul. She has never strayed far from the village where she was born. She has spent her adult life living in the same little cottage she moved into with her husband as a newlywed when she was 19. At one time she was surrounded by family, but over the years they have all passed on or drifted away. Her husband died shortly after his retirement three years previously, and her only remaining sister lives half the country away. They correspond regularly by weekly letters, but haven't seen each other in years. It would be possible to travel by train, but it's altogether too expensiv...
5 comments
Read more