pillow re-do

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I got an itch the other day to make new pillow covers for the couch.  When I started thinking about it, the old covers I made have been in our living room for about a year now.  Once I got over the shock of realizing that was an entire YEAR ago...seriously it feels like a few months at most, I figured no time like the present.  

I decided I wanted to go a little simpler than all that intricate piecing like last time, and just find some complimenting prints, to whip up a few super simple easy covers to spruce up and summer-ize the room.  In perusing the home dec section of Joann's, I came across a few fun prints that worked well together, and after realizing they were 50% off I knew it was meant to be.  

These seriously took about a half an hour per cover, my kind of project.  Like I mentioned last week, I accidentally bought regular zippers instead of invisible zippers, and after getting home, realizing my mistake, and muttering a few curse words, I decided to make the best with what I had, and searched my favorite blogs for how to use these zippers without them showing.  I came across this zipper flap tutorial from Sew Mama Sew, and decided to give it a go.  I must say, I absolutely love these zipper flaps, and may go this route more often, especially when working with a super simple pillow front. 

I also picked up about a yard and a half of this natural linen-y looking fabric, that really is a home  dec weight fabric, and thought it was far too boring to just make a simple cover out of, and consulted with my pinterest pillow board for what to do to spruce up this boring neutral color.

 

I have been wanting to try this V & Co Faux Pleated Pillow tutorial for some time, and thought it would be perfect using the neutral, with a strip or two of color from one of the other pillows, instead of varying the color.  I like my pillow covers to be nice and snug (I cut my fabric pieces at 19 1.2" square for a 20" form), so I ended up having to use a little fusible web on the pleats on either end to help keep them in place.  It worked like a charm, and this is one of my favorite favorite pillows ever.

While I was at Joann's I also picked up a pretty greyish nylon-y fabric (because I can never buy just what I went in for), with the intentions of maybe making  this fun ruffle pillow at some point.  Well in my pillow making madness, "at some point" turned into now.  This pillow took far more material than I had thought it would, so my only regret is I didn't have enough fabric to make the "base" square out of the same material, and at some spots you can see the material under the ruffles.  I'm sure I'm the only one that would think to notice that, but it bugs me a little.  Oh well, live and learn.



I have enough material to make 3 more pillow covers to go on the opposite couch, but I am really loving how this nice and simple, quick and easy project makes a big change in the look of the room.  I don't think I've quite gotten the "pillow bug" out of my system, so stay tuned for more!