Bridesmaid Dresses Turned Pillows

   Let me tell you the story of the bridesmaid dress that was supposed to be turquoise with brown lace.  I was halfway finished with it when I went to press the bodice and I melted it all over the iron.  After going out and purchasing bridesmaid dresses, I was left with the brown and turquoise fabric.  So, not wanting to let anything go to waste, I knew that I could use the fabric for cushions and table coverings.  I conjured up the idea for the above pillow first.  It was a little bit tricky, but here is how I did it.  (I was careful not to press it, or at least to use a pressing cloth).
    First, you need a few supplies:
fabric, pillow form, thread

    By the way, if you don't have a pillow form,  found this cool idea for making one on pinterest.  
​     Set your pillow form on your fabric and cut out your fabric to fit.  I like to hold it up to the side of the form and add a little for a seam allowance.  It should go past the side seam.

Place the form on the fabric to cut the right size.

Cut out both the front and the back. In this case, also cut out a piece of lace the same size as the front and back.

  Next, take a gathering stitch on opposite sides of the lace piece.  Don't gather it very much, just a little.  Then, fold the lace like a fan and pin it in the middle. Here are the directions:

gathering stitch

Don't gather very much.

fan fold

pin the middle

spread the sides open and pin to the sides

It will look like this. It takes a bit of finessing.

      Stitch the sides down close to the edge of the front of pillow piece.  Then, cut a strip of fabric and make a center covering.  Press the seam of the tab to the middle back and wrap the center.  Hand stitch in place catching the fabric of the pillow as well as the tab.

Piece of fabric for tab. Stitch into a tube, press so that the seam is along the middle back of the tube.

Pin in place around the center of the fabric.

Stitch down

    I did french seams on this pillow because pillows come apart too easily otherwise.  Here is a past post on how to do french seams.  So, with wrong sides together, take a small seam around three sides of the pillow.  On the fourth side, just go in a few inches from each corner.  Then, turn inside out and stitch again, a little farther in.  I took a 5/8" seam.  Then flip it right side out.  Now you are ready to insert the pillow form.

For the first seams, I use the edge of my presser foot as the guide.

Here it is flipped right side out.

Now the pillow form is inside.

Fold in the seam allowance and pin it closed.

Stitch the opening closed by hand.

Now it is all finished and my vision of this pillow has come to life!

   There is a sweet swing where I think this pillow will look great on in the yard where we are having the reception.  I have a few more tricks up my sleeve for this fabric still! So, stay tuned!