yesterday's project + the beach

The last time we visited my family (um, in March maybe?) my mom handed me a trash bag and told me to fill it up with whatever old fabric I wanted that she was going to donate. Now, when I lived at home as a teenager I shared a room with my mom's sewing machine and craft supplies, including the fabric. There was more than one occasion when I'd emerge from my room wearing some handmade thing I would call a shirt or a skirt, etc. My mom would inevitably be mad because I always used her fabric that was intended for something else. I just couldn't learn my lesson to ask first. I guess I was of the mentality that it was better to act first and ask for forgiveness later. She probably wouldn't have been so upset by it if I'd actually created something worth wearing:) Needless to say, when my mom said I could rifle through some of those same fabrics and take what I wanted, I got right to it.

I didn't have any specific projects at the time for any of it, but I certainly started to think of some. The pillow shams I'd made almost a year ago for my couch pillows were looking pretty shabby. They were made from a thin yellow cotton fabric and I just wasn't happy with them anymore. Not to mention Sam has had his grubby little hands all over them, leaving his mark all over the place:)

So, I pulled out some of that fabric yesterday to see if I could use any of it for new shams. I found a nice rough linen fabric, undyed. It looks and feels so substantial, like the material from an old grain sack. Beautiful! Then there was this beautiful deep mustard yellow fabric with cream colored flowers. I instantly knew it had to be pillows. So, I cut out pieces from the yellow fabric for one 12" x 12" pillow and for one 15" x 15" pillow. The reverse of the yellow fabric is the same cream color as the flowers, but with some of the yellow print visible through it. I decided to use the reverse side as the back of each pillow, to give some contrast to the finished pillows. Then I cut out the pieces for the beige pillow shams. I decided to take some of the selvedge edge to make little loopy tags in the corners of the pillows (just for that extra detail). I sewed them up quick (pillows are the best in that way!). The shams have an overlapping opening in the back to make it easy to put on and take off. I put the new shams over the pillow forms and stuffed the yellow pillows with cotton/poly fill.

Here's the final result:

I'm so happy with them. In love really! I've already had two people tell me they were surprised to know I didn't buy them at a store, but made them myself. I think it's the little tags that throws people off, so I'm glad I added that little touch. When Sam woke up from his nap he put his teddy bear against the pillows and stood back and said, "I wuv dem mommy". I'll take his compliments any day!

Yesterday, before the nap and sewing project, Sam and I had to run a couple of errands. I ended up all the way down on Aquidneck Island (Newport) to go to a store down there. Afterward we were so close to the beach that I decided we should just stop by for a few minutes to take some pictures. I am always looking for photos for painting ideas, and what better than windy, stormy beach weather?! Sam insisted on walking along the beach, and it was just the perfect temperature, so we walked for about 10 minutes or so.

This is where I live everyone:)

{Avo, I think you'd love to come see us!}