The Owl Pillow

So I still have a TON of crafting and family stuff from December to post. I keep thinking I should go in order (Birthday, Christmas, New Years), but my birthday gift was my new art studio and i have to get that clean and organized before I take pictures of it... so it may have to wait a while... or maybe a LONG while! It IS much appreciated as evidenced by how much I am using it as evidenced by the fact that it is RARELY organized enough for a photo session!

So we are limited to what I have pictures and time to tell you about! So here is my owl pillow post. Remember this CUTE face? I thought an owl pillow would look SO good in Lydia's new big girl room and it is one of the MANY I came across on my google search for ideas. (If you LOVE that particular pillow and don't want to make one like I did, you can buy it here.)

I didn't want THAT pillow, I wanted my own design made out of the PILES of fabric I have amassed to coordinate Lydia's room. So I gathered up all the fabric I had, and then I bought some more in the form of a $3 thrift store velvet skirt that was 50% off. (Seriously, I don't need more fabric, but WHERE would I EVER find that much purple velvet for that price?)

I sketched out an owl shape on a piece of paper and then used that paper as my pattern. (Sorry the image is sideways! I have tried several things to upload it correctly and it keeps doing that. Act like an owl and turn your head sideways!) You can see my basic design here. I wanted an oval body and big round eyes. Drawing it on paper really helped me figure out the sizes for everything. I had 2 rectangular scraps of a fabric (recycled from a thrifted dress) that I wanted to use on the wings, so that sort of determined their shape. I ended up turning them so one point was the bottom corner of the wing. One side of the rectangle was gathered and hidden behind the eye, so that left me with a horizontal edge of the wing wrapping around the back. Does that make any sense? I could have easily used a triangle, gathered at the top and not had it wrap around the back, just point downward.

Here is the tip that was SO helpful. I picked this up from the fabulous Anna Maria Horner's blog. When sewing on an applique type shape, so that you need the raw edges to tuck inside and it kind of matters that the shape be correct, she cuts the shape out of thin board (I used a cereal box). Then she cuts the fabric a little bigger than needed and also gets a piece of aluminum foil. Use the foil to fold the fabric over the shape and then iron it. The foil heats up and presses the fabric and then sewing was pretty easy.

OK. Not the best picture of the finished produce, I know, but you can see the finished Owl pillow in his proper place on Lydia's bed.. which is not usually covered in books... OK sometimes it is covered in books....and cloths...and dolls. THIS particular time I was taking a picture for another contest. Whooooo Whoooo, Who can figure out what the contest is for? Hint: Dolly Parton has a BIG (get your mind out of the gutter!) Imagination.