You get two for one today. That is, if you are not sick of looking at pillows yet. You probably think I’m crazy for making all these, but I had been thinking about making a bunch of pillows for ages. It’s amazing how much time I can waste just staring at fabric. This week was a nice kick in the pants to just decide already, they are only pillows you know.

To answer a few questions:

• yes, I’m using pillow forms.
• yes, zippers are really easy. I used this zipper tutorial, but erin has a fancy dancy video tutorial that will talk you through each step.
• yes, I’d love a cup of coffee, thank you.

Wow pillows are crazy fast to make.  Even if you put a zipper in. Actually putting a zipper in takes less time than doing the overlapping fabric deeliboper I usually do. This pillow came from a skirt that I got at clothes swap looong ago. It was a fancy anthropologie skirt that never fit me (or the orginal owner) quite right. I think it looks much better as a pillow anyway. Now I’m going through my closet trying to find other clothes I can use. Keep your shirt on–I’m making anything I can get my hands on into a pillow this week.

The first day is always easy; it’s the second day I usually crash and burn. It’s pillow week don’t you know. Seems I need a themed week on the internet to get me to actually make something. Why is that?

Look I even put in a zipper: a nice little metal number that I got god know where. It would look really good if it wasn’t so obviously off center, but that’s what I get for not pinning or even planning.

The fabric is from a friend who very kindly shared a little of her ikea stash.  Maybe I’ll get the ornaments to match.

I made a curtain for my kids’ closet this weekend. Not a big deal, but I hate making curtains, no, haaaaaate making them, so it’s a big deal for me. It’s just so much hemming and I kind of suck at hemming, but the curtain isn’t as bad as it looks–though it is a little straighter on one side.  There are more curtains that need to be made and I’m trying to psych myself up for it. I finally after three years of living here have picked out fabric, but haven’t ordered it yet. I want to try this roller shade hack, which looks easy enough, and roman blinds, which look hard. Has anyone had any luck with them?

I also cranked out some fitted sheets for the kids’ beds. I simplified the process a bunch from last time I made sheets. The edges are serged not hemmed and the elastic is only around the corners.  I was able to get two fitted sheets (for my kids’ weird size beds) out of one full size flat sheet. That means the pattern is sideways, but they couldn’t care less. The flannel sheet has deer and bunnies and someone about to get pelted by a snowball right in the butt.

Oh and I have some of that ikea bunting fabric left, do you think it would be ridiculous to make my son pants out of it? Would dying it gray help? or should I just make pillows and call it a day?

Please excuse the crappy photos. It seems it is difficult for me to focus before I’ve had coffee–the camera and otherwise. But hey, a rainbow dress! Finished and on time!

My little girl is five today. It seems a long time ago that we took a tiny little baby home to our Chicago apartment. She’s grown into a very organized kindergartener, prolific artist, helpful big sister and a beautiful little girl. Her favorite colors are pink and rainbow, so of course I had to make a rainbow dress. I had a bunch of ideas about how to make the rainbow all cool and modern, but in the end I just went for straight forward and simple. And she loved it.

The pattern for this dress came from this japanese book (sorry I have no idea what the title is). It’s a clever design: the top has buttons sewn around the hem and the skirt has buttonholes all along the waistband. And now that I’m thinking about it, this would be a great way to repurpose a button up shirt. I might buy a long sleeve shirt and sew buttons on the bottom to turn it into a winter dress, but it will be a while before I have the urge to sew 18 buttons on anything.

How does one accessorize a rainbow dress, you ask? With rainbow tights of course (and red high tops).