patchy the pillow

Arrrgh! 😊 My oldest baby begins kindergarten in just a few days, oh my! Where did the time go!? When I was in kindergarten it was only a half day, I'm going to miss her! Before we know it they'll make preschool mandatory 😕 I do wish I had it in me to homeschool but I'm not going to kid myself.... It takes a special kind of person and not me! I love teaching my children! Don't get me wrong! I'm just more the 'bonus' knowledge teacher.... The basics and socialization are better for them in the classroom 🍏 with each kid I've become more disoriented and scatter-brained, lol. Too bad that's too true! 

Anyway! Because it is a full day, after lunch they have a little rest time. So when I saw on my Katie's supply list a small pillow my mind thought instantly 'ooh, project' 😋 I don't think of where to buy one- no way! Opportunity! It never ceases to amaze me how much we can learn from our kids 💜 I've literally spent hours coordinating fabrics and when it came to letting my little lady pick some for her pillow she found a color scheme she liked and just grabbed three next to each other on the shelf. It would seem so obvious wouldn't it? But I was in shock by the ease. I think I may over complicate my life sometimes. Haha. 💕🎀 

To do this project you don't even have to buy fabric though, really! It's such a scrappy bit you use! 

To make it like mine, which is about half the size of a standard pillow, you need to cut:

*35 squares 3&1/4 inches x 3&1/4"  ( certainly you will want to make your own grid plan to personalize it unless you're playing jazz 😊 with scraps .. It's 7 squares across and 5 down)

*one rectangle 16&3/4 inches x 12&1/4 inches of back fabric or double your  35 squares and make it patchy on both sides

*stuffing of some sort, thread.... And your sewing tools ✂

These measurements are kind of odd I know but it made it the right size we needed and in the end each square is 2&1/4 inch with 1/2 inch seam allowance.

I like to give plenty of room for stitched seams to stretch so there's less a chance of a split seam in the middle of the pillow.

Here are seven vertical rows of five sewn and ironed, ready to be 

Sewn vertically and ironed again. 

Then with right sides together line up your backing, pin, and sew :) 

Leave a small gap, but big enough for your hand!, for stuffing. 

Turn right side out.

Stuff.

Pin your hole closed, edges turned inward, and sew it up.

Simple, simple, simple!

If you've looked at other posts of mine you might recognize the owl :) by happy accident I made the two coordinate. Katie picked the other 4 fabrics and I added the other two to make it more traditional not even realizing they were what I'd used before.

I can hope someday when she has a dorm or apartment or chair she'll have a sort of matchy fun pillow set. 💗💕