Strip Pieced Pillow

This is my second project I've been working on for my mixed-media sewing class. I got carried away making stamped fabric and then I didn't want to cut it up so I ended up with a wide center panel - which I love!

One of the hardest parts of making this pillow is that I like to recycle my pillows into pillow forms so they end up a little bit short of standard-sized and can be lumpy. But they're free and environmentally friendly. Plus my pillows take a serious beating - brand new or old.

To recycle a pillow into a pillow form, find a gross old pillow (we have a lot of flat, stained, drooled on pillows that I keep in a bin in the basement.  Shake the stuffing down into the pillow until it's more-or-less square. Then sew along the edge of where your pillow is now stuffed and unstuffed. I use a zig-zag stitch because it's going to be squished and pummeled a lot. 

Then I look at my pillow and using a ruler check to see how straight I sewed - usually not very straight at all. Since the stuffing is corralled in one side it's a lot easier to make a second row of straighter stitches to really secure it. Then cut off the excess pillow fabric and you should have a pillow form. Mine was really lumpy but it will settle with use.

For a simpler, flatter pillow you can simply shake your pillow as flat as possible and draw a line down the center (short side).  Sew about 1/4 - 1/2 inch on either side of your line and you should have two rectangular pillow forms. I did that for this one last year:

Here's a few more shots of my new pillow:

The back is an envelope fold - which is pretty cool. I've never tried one before.

And here it is in non-staged reality; getting some hard use from our Bubby.

Again, I can't say enough great things about Julie Balzer's workshops. If you have crafty education in your budget this year she's incredible.