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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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June 16, 2011

No sew 4th of July bandana pillows and a winner

no sew pillow 4th of July

So I don’t sew.  I really have no excuse.  Our mom is an incredible seamstress.  She even made her own wedding dress! I know…seriously she was a very brave woman! Vanessa taught herself to sew, so she is now capable of making beautiful items for her home.  Even my 11 year old is learning to sew!  She requested a “real” sewing machine for Christmas two years ago and has been self teaching.

I on the other hand just can’t bring myself to sit at her machine and learn to use it.  It’s really quite sad.  It probably says a lot about my personality.  What it says, I’m not quite sure…but it says something.  Probably better off not knowing.  In the meantime what’s a girl to do who likes pretty pillows and doesn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for them?  Why jump on the “no sew” bandwagon! It’s amazing all of the things they have created to accommodate us “no sew” people and help us create the allusion that we really are seamstresses.

For example heat bonding tape…it’s a beautiful thing!

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When I saw these adorable patriotic bandanas at Hobby Lobby I just new I could make something cute for the 4th of July with them.  And, at $1.27 each it turned out to be a cheap and cute project…the best kinds!
no-sew-pillow-6
Kate from Centsational Girl has a fabulous tutorial on creating “no sew” pillows, so I will just shared the steps that I took to make my pillows following her tutorial.  But, for even more specific details visit her No Sew Cloth Napkin Pillow tutorial.

Gather up the following materials:
Material (in this case bandanas) to make your pillows with
Heat Bonding Tape
Scissors
Pillow forms:Ikea has wonderful pillow forms for very cheap!
A washcloth
A bowl of water
An iron set on cotton and steam
First I cut the bandana that I wanted to be the back of the pillow in half.  There was a crease down the middle from being folded so it make the perfect guide for cutting exactly in half. This will be for the opening for your pillow form.
no-sew-pillow1
Then you will want to rescue back your heat bonding tape from your dog…sigh. No words.
DSC_0234_edited-1
Next you will want to lay the fabric for the front side of your pillow pattern side up. Cut a strip of tape long enough for the entire length of the side of the pillow, leaving a little overhang. (I find this helps me make sure that I have a good adhesion all the way to the end of the seam)
no-sew-pillow2
Layer the bottom side fabric pattern down on top.  Start your bonding on one of the sides of the pillow that is cut for the opening for the pillow form, slightly overlapping the edges. Overlap the hemmed edges of your bandana so that you have a nice finished edge for the exposed edges of the opening and place the cut sides to the outside.
no-sew-pillow-3
Wet your washcloth in bowl of water and wring out.  Lay your damp washcloth along on top of the back side fabric and press your iron firmly on top of washcloth.  It will create quite a bit of steam and heat which is what bonds your fabric together well with the tape.  Do not “iron” the fabric but just continue to press iron down the edge of the fabric holding in place for approximately 10 seconds each time.  Cut off an access tape off of edge of seam.
Repeat along each edge of pillowcase making sure to overlap your cut edge as noted above for your pillow form opening.  There will be additional fabric on one edge of the top fabric of your pillowcase because overlapping the bottom fabric makes it slightly smaller than the top fabric piece.  Once all seams are adhered well and there are no gaps or openings, trim off any additional fabric. 
no-sew-pillow-4
Now carefully turn your pillowcase right out.
no-sew-pillow-5
A good tip to make sure your corners come out nice and crisp, is to use a chopstick and gently push it into your corners to help push the excess fabric out.  Once you have your pillowcase right side out, gently press out any creases in the fabric and insert your pillow form.
no sew pillow patriotic 4th of July
I just love the fabric.  It says 4th of July without being too over the top.  The words on the fabric are meaningful and they have a vintage feel to them.
no sew pillow patriotic 4th of July patriotic easy
Because of the opening in the back I can remove the pillow forms and fold the cases away to be used each year and reuse the pillow forms for other pillowcases.
no sew pillow at the picket fence patriotic 4th of July
Not too bad for $2.50!
Did you get a little sneak peek of my front porch?  To see more of it be sure to join us next week for the Blogger Block Party where we will be sharing our outdoor spaces, porches, decks, projects, recipes and all things summer in our week long Summer Link Party!  You can find out more details at our Blogger Block Party Post! Hope to see you all there!
We also have a winner for our Etsy Shop Giveaway from Maggie Jane’s Vintage! Congratulations to
Cathy B from Project Hope 7

maggie jane winner
Cathy please contact us through our contact form and we will send you the details!  And a big thank you to Stacey from Maggie Jane’s Vintage for sponsoring our giveaway!
Thanks for meeting me At The Picket Fence today!
signature
This post is partying at:
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
DIY by Design
Savvy Southern Style
Elements Interiors
Creative Blog: Get Your Craft on Tuesday

24 Comments Filed Under: Blogger Block Party, Decorating, Fourth of July, Good Ideas, Holidays

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Comments

  1. Honey at 2805 says

    June 15, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    Cute pillow! Congrats to your little girl on learning to sew!

    And congrats to your prizewinner!

    Reply
  2. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    June 15, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    What great looking pillows with no sew and a cheap price tag. What could be better. Love the porch styling sneak peek. Thanks for joining the party.

    Reply
  3. Lakeshore Cottage Living says

    June 15, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    That is a great idea! thank you so much for the tutorial…I always wondered if I could do that…because I can’t sew either…so it is now nice to know that it can be done and that I can have an opening for the pillow as well!

    Reply
  4. Brandi says

    June 15, 2011 at 6:25 PM

    your pillows look great on your porch.

    Reply
  5. Carla @ Hammers and High Heels says

    June 15, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    The pillow looks great! Oooo a block party!?!? I will be there with my ‘party pants’ on 🙂 Can’t wait to link up!

    Reply
  6. Live Better For Less says

    June 15, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    I see lots of pillow covers in my future! What a fantastic way to change out the covers anytime you want to change your look!

    Reply
  7. Coley says

    June 15, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    What a cute fabric. I’m not a big sewer so this is wonderful 🙂

    Reply
  8. NanaDiana says

    June 15, 2011 at 9:16 PM

    I have to laugh when I see y’all using that seam sealer-to me, that CAN sew, it just seems like so much more work than sitting down and running a few straight seams around a pillow piece. LOL…However, there are lots of things that I CAN’T do that others think is a piece of cake…like computer stuff…I agonize over hitting a wrong key and wondering where my life went….pooof….gone….gone for good….

    Love that fabric-it is just the right amount of patriotic for me too! xo Diana

    Reply
  9. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:06 AM

    Great pillows Heather and I love the NO sew part because I can’t sew for my life!! Your porch looks so pretty I can’t wait to see it all next week!! Martina

    Reply
  10. Debbie~refreshrestyle says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:20 AM

    Love the pillows, and I love being able to decorate for each holiday without spending a lot of money and this is one great idea!
    Debbie

    Reply
  11. Debbie says

    June 16, 2011 at 1:29 AM

    What a great idea to use the bandanas at Hobby Lobby for these. I like to switch out the pillows on my front porch, but I’ve never done patriotic ones… yet.

    Reply
  12. Pattie says

    June 16, 2011 at 1:39 AM

    Super cute…

    Pattie

    Reply
  13. Stacey@A Sort Of Fairytale says

    June 16, 2011 at 4:38 AM

    congratulations Cathy B! so excited you will get some goodies from my ETSY shop!!
    -Maggie Jane’s Vintage

    Reply
  14. Susan in SC says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    Love the fabric and the pillows! Makes me want to make slipcovers for my pillows today!

    Reply
  15. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    June 16, 2011 at 2:15 PM

    What cute pillows! I have been sewing since I was 12 and I have a hard time with the heat bonding tape! For me it’s so much easier and faster to sew it! Hey, whatever works! Love your pillows!

    Reply
  16. Ashley says

    June 16, 2011 at 6:16 PM

    These are adorable! I don’t sew either, but I wish I could. These I could definitely do. Thanks for the tutorial!

    Reply
  17. Richella says

    June 16, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    Your pillow is darling, Heather! And what a good idea to use bandannas to make pillows–sew or no-sew, this is a wonderful source for fun seasonal fabrics at a low price. Thanks for sharing your inspiration!

    Reply
  18. A Few Pennies says

    June 16, 2011 at 11:22 PM

    Lovely on your wonderful porch; I, too, getting ready to decorate for the 4th–we love that summer holiday for many reasons. Great post!

    Reply
  19. michelle says

    June 16, 2011 at 11:38 PM

    That is so cute! I love the no-sew idea too. 🙂 Your porch is so adorable as well, what a great place to sit and enjoy an afternoon. 🙂
    xo

    Reply
  20. ProjectHope7 says

    June 18, 2011 at 1:20 AM

    First love your no sew pillow tutorial idea. that looks like a great idea to put in soldiers care packages also if we can find similar napkins!
    2nd, so happy to read about the win! thanks so much!!! Cant wait to get those items!

    cathy b’
    pbprojecthope at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  21. Becca says

    May 28, 2012 at 7:14 PM

    OK_ this was clever! I have never seen pillows from bandanas! That was thinking outside the box!!
    xo Becca

    Reply
  22. Evey's Creations says

    May 30, 2012 at 4:56 AM

    🙂 I waaaaaaaant $1.27 patriotic bandanas! -_- LOVE it! <3

    Reply
  23. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    July 4, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    Love, love stitch witchery!…My mom used to keep a chopstick in her sewing box….she used them to make sharp corners too!!…brings back memories…so now I keep them in my sewing box too…Love your pillows!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 4th of July No-Sew Pennant Banner says:
    January 29, 2013 at 3:34 PM

    […] cute, and festive, and cute! And, I wanted one.  You might remember a few posts back I shared my no-sew patriotic pillows with you that I made from bandanas I found at Hobby Lobby!  I just love them.  I think they […]

    Reply

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“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
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