Pillow Talk

Goodness! I had even more comments on the snowman pillow than on the Santa wallhanging! I'm totally amazed--Thanks for commenting!

I have another pillow idea to share. I put Hubby to work the other day, looking through a few Christmas books for possible baked treats, and he came across an idea for a pillow shaped like a mitten that appealed to him. I knew I had a couple felted wool sweaters tucked away, so I pulled them out tonight and started experimenting a little. I ended up with this smallish mitten pillow:

First I started with a felted wool sweater with a wintery print--I found the wool sweaters at Goodwill.

I drew out something that looked like a mitten shape on a piece of freezer paper and ironed it on the front of the sweater. (I drew a pencil line on the paper so I could keep the pattern lines on the sweater straight and lined up.)

I cut around the freezer paper shape, leaving enough excess for a seam allowance. Then I cut the same shape from the back of the sweater, lining up the design and remembering to reverse the position of the mitten so I didn't end up with one thumb going one way and the other thumb going another. (To do this, I ironed the same pattern onto the INSIDE of the sweater.) I sewed the seam carefully around, using my walking foot, and left an opening in the "wrist" of the mitten for stuffing. Once it was stuffed, I hand stitched the opening closed.

After that, I found some interesting yarn and threaded it around the wrist, using three strands. I tightened the yarn a bit and knotted it; then I braided the ends and fluffed out the tassels.

I do wish I had made the mitten a little larger, and if I get time to make the second pillow, I WILL make that one larger. Hubby thinks the pillow is great, so I know these have "guy appeal," and I think a couple mitten pillows decorating a boy's bed for winter would be great!