The Hus Finds Out What He's Going to Fly Today, but Until We Find Out, This is the Most Exciting Thing Lately

I got a sewing machine for Christmas, about which I am terrifically excited. Especially because I found this fabric:


Which is beautiful and perfectly matches the duvet cover and $5 sheets (clearance at B,B&B... Hallelujah for them!) that currently grace our guest room. So I decided to make a pillow out of cheap fabric to test my pillow-making-skills before ruining the above fabric, which happens to be pricey.

As a side note, I am scheduled for a sewing class "How to Use Your Machine", but they couldn't get me in until the 22nd and terrifically-excitable-me, I can't wait that long to play. Besides, my momma showed me how to thread the thing and the bobbin and that's all I need to know, right?

So I make myself a pillow, or rather, I cover the pillow form I have, using instructions I find online. *whoo hoo!!!* Surprisingly enough, it turned out alright. Alright enough to use in our home. However, the fabric is subtle creamy beige, which matches the duvet cover too closely to look good. So I think to myself, "What if I added an applique? Such as a bird? I really like birds on decorationy things." Because I had already gone through this thought process, when the Hus showed appreciation for my pillow and suggested I put something on it... like a bird, I determined the pillow's fate to be divinely decided and searched for bird applique patterns online. Nothing. But I had a bird candle holder (which I LOVE) and decided to draw him, making my own pattern:


Note that the tail is rather formless and void. I cut it out as is, but had no intention off making curly-cues out of fabric. Instead I used random bits of cloth I had from the cutting out of the bird.

On another side note, the bird fabric is from an old apron that I saved because the fabric is beautiful and I was going to make something out of it. When I got a sewing machine. Which I have now. I always keep promises to myself.

Finally, HERE is the finished product. I don't believe in bragging unless it is well deserved. That being said, isn't the bird adorable?!


There are many future pillows to come (after all, it IS a removable pillow cover, so I can create endless options with which to adorn the underlying pillow form!) and said future pillows will have straighter stitching and neater appliqued birds. But, oh the JOY of decorating a home with things I made all by myself! I'm SO grown up now!

I love my new sewing machine! It's creativity with a foot pedal.