Powerless

I have to apologize for the fact that Friday is almost over and I'm just now putting my TGIF post. We had quite a storm last night (actually very early this morning) and we were without power, pretty much all day. But I suppose, better late than never.
With Mother's Day right around the corner, I decided to make something for my mom. This is a fairly quick project and I thought I would share it with you. I used only what I had, which usually requires me to be more creative. I find with so many fabrics on hand, it's silly for me to go out and purchase more. The only thing I had to purchase for this project was the stuffing, which I was fresh out of. I haven't finished the project, due to the lack of electricity, but I will get it done quickly in the morning. I'm almost there. Oh, I suppose I should get back to what I'm doing.
This will be a decorative pillow. My mom has a wonderful antique wooden church pew in her sitting room and when I last visited her, I noticed it was in need of something. When thinking about what I could do for her, this project came to mind. I used fabrics that match the colors in her room and I chose the word Gratitude, because I am very grateful for my mother. I took a piece of muslin fabric, wrote the word gratitude with a fabric marker (the kind that erases after a bit) then cut off the edges, 2 inches out from the first and last letters. (Take a moment to decide about how big you want your pillow to be) I then picked out two complimentary fabrics I thought would go well with her room, and cut them into strips and sewed them around the edges of the muslin. (be creative in this area, when I have made one of these before I did a few fabrics and cut them in various sizes and pieced them together for a more scrappy look) I then cut out some batting (you could also use felt or flannel) and a piece of scrap fabric for the back. I pinned them together and did a basic straight stitch for the letters, in a dark, doubled thread. I used a button for the i, but you could also do applique' or something else creative. I then quilted a 1/4 inch straight line around the seams, for added cuteness, and if I hadn't procrastinated, I would have done something a bit more whimsical for the quilting...such as stars or swirlies. My next step (now that I have the power) will be to cut off the rough edges, and sew on the back piece of the pillow. Cut out your back fabric the same size as the front piece (you can also piece together some bits of fabric) and put your right sides together then sew up three sides, leaving one of the short ends open. Turn it right side out, pulling out the corners, then stuff with fluff. I am using poly-fil (I bought two bags, I'm not sure how much it will take) then blind stitch up the open edge. Voila, you're done. A quick little gift that has your own unique, fun flair to it.
Other words you can use: Simplify, Joy, Love, Peace, Grace. A great way to get your word onto your fabric is to find a font you like on your computer, make it the size you want, then print it out in black. Tape the paper to a window (during the day) then put your muslin (or other light fabric) over it and trace the word with a washable fabric pen. This is a great way to get the lettering you like. Or if you're like me, you can just wing it and make it up as you go. :D
If you have any questions, let me know.
Again, I hate to be so late getting this to you. I did time myself though, and altogether it's only taken me 2 hours. I have probably an hour more of work to do, and I'll be done. My total cost: Approx. $5.00 for the fluff. Not bad!
Have a Wonderful Mother's Day!

Power Carrots