old school pillow

My June project from Stitch by Stitch was a pillow.  I've been making pillows since middle school, so they're fairly easy.  Three new things for me in this project: how to better measure/cut a custom pillow cover, installing a zipper closure (other than an envelope or completely sewn closed), adding piping.

I didn't take many pictures along the way, so I'll just be showing a few things that caught my attention.

I decided to use the fabric I bought at the sewing luncheon.  It's vintage polyknit and completely the wrong kind of fabric for this kind of project.  I think if I used this kind of fabric again, I will adjust my measurements so that I can overcast the edges.  Another alternative would be unfinished edges - this option would have to be done without the piping, of course. I wanted to use this fabric because it coordinated well with a pillow I have from World Market.

Since I was using vintage fabric, I used vintage buttons from my last antiquing trip in OK.  I also mixed in a few buttons from my win.  I mixed all the turquoise buttons I could find with a few white ones and then added one red button to tie in all of my colors.

I DID NOT follow directions.  I was supposed to make my own piping, but I opted not to.  I might make it in the future if I have a project where piping would be appropriate.  I didn't want to take all that time to make my own plain white piping since I was already not using quilter's weight cotton for the pillow.  Much easier to buy it in a package.  It isn't dingy white, but the polyester blend reminds me of what I think the 70s might have been like.

I couldn't find the right color zipper, so I used white.  I've installed a zipper this way before, so I didn't learn anything new on this step. 

It looks okay on the outside, but the inside is a completely different matter.  I had bobbin issues.  I'm keeping the pillow, so I didn't remove the stitches and begin again. 

The fabric being the polyknit that it was and the pattern calling for the quilter's weight cottong that it did, I made another major error in sewing.  I'm sure I would have had this problem had I followed instructions, so I'll not be bitter over having to fix this huge hole.

I'm happy with the way it turned out.  I don't know yet how I feel about zipper closures.  Envelope closures are much quicker and I like pillows to be quick.

I'm moving right along in my sewing book.  I haven't quite met my goals, but I do think I've learned a few helpful skills.  Here is my progress:

* I skipped the hipster belt project that was before the pillow in the book.  I don't really have a use for a hipster belt since I'm not the biggest fan of belts.  I'm also skipping the curtain project that is next since I don't need new ones right now.

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there are several new bags in my shop