My sister recently showed me a dress that had worn out, but that she was sad to let go. In my new (and perhaps somewhat crazed) mentality of trying to fix, reuse, remake, and make everything at home that I can, I told her that I would possibly be able to transform this dress into a pillow- and not just any pillow, but a pillow with pom-pom trim.
Thus began the transformation of the dress, which was at times simple, at times challenging, and at least once downright maddening (although that part was almost entirely my own fault).
Don't forget, what I write here is not the tutorial for how to make a pillow; it's the description of what happens when someone (me) with little experience tries to make something herself. And I'll tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Wrong side: the other side. The side that will not show when the item you are sewing is complete
These will both become very important later.
I take the dress and cut the fabric from the skirt. The skirt of this dress is in two panels, and I cut each off the dress, cutting around the seams so that they won't be in my pillow. I could have used a seam ripper, but this will take a lot of time and I don't need all of the fabric from the original.
I accidentally cut too far away from the seam where the skirt attaches to the top on one side. I foolishly thought I cut cut both sides of the skirt at once. This thought led me to cutting into the pattern that I want to be on the pillow. Don't cut both sides of the skirt at once, and avoid the problem I now have that I'll have to solve that problem once I finish cutting.
Once I have each side of the skirt separated, I lay one on top of the other and decide how big my pillow can be, and what direction I want the pattern to face. I cut along, and decide that rather than change the size of the pillow, I'll make a patch out of the extra fabric that can be the back side of the pillow. I cut this patch and pen it to the misshapen piece, and sew it on. This adds on an extra half an hour. Because of the odd shape, I sew the piece on by hand. I did not add this extra time on to the overall time for the project.
My fabric is very wrinkled. I should fix that. I haul out the ironing board and iron the dress fabric. I also trim the fabric down a little more.
I like pom poms, and I have some trim left over from a summer sewing project. I pin these along one side of the pillow, and will sew them on where the seam will eventually go. I have made piping once, and it's a bit similar. It's also a pain. If you want this to be an easy project, skip this step.
I have to sew the pom pom trim along exactly where I want the seam to be, flipped upside down on right side of the fabric.
I make a mistake at first, and put the trim on the wrong side (a pun, yes). I don't just pin it on: I sew it on. All four sides. The sewing machine is hard to use with pom poms, so I hand stitch two of the sides on after using the machine on the other two sides. The whole process takes two hours because of the hand stitching and sewing machine difficulties. One inch away from finishing, I realize that I have put the trim on the wrong side entirely.
To be fair, the tutorial I was following used white fabric...which looks white on both sides. I couldn't tell!
In conclusion, don't put the trim on the wrong side. Put it on the right side. Pun most certainly intended.
Anyway, I restart the process, taking the opportunity to make a more perfect rectangle and determined to use the machine for the whole process this time, no matter how hard it is. I end up resewing the whole thing by hand though because Eddie really wants attention today, and hates the sewing machine. +2 hours
I put the two sides of the pillow together with the right sides facing each other. In other words, you should be sewing the pillow inside out. I pin the sides together, and then realize I have pinned all four sides together, which will not allow me to stuff the pillow. I unpin the fourth side. Then, I sew three sides together. (If you sewed on trim, follow the line made from attaching the trim).
Thus began the transformation of the dress, which was at times simple, at times challenging, and at least once downright maddening (although that part was almost entirely my own fault).
Don't forget, what I write here is not the tutorial for how to make a pillow; it's the description of what happens when someone (me) with little experience tries to make something herself. And I'll tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Before we get started, here's the vocabulary you will need to know:
Right side: the side of the fabric that you want to showWrong side: the other side. The side that will not show when the item you are sewing is complete
These will both become very important later.
Step One: Prepare fabric for transformation
Time: 10 -15 minutes, plus any time for fixing errors.I take the dress and cut the fabric from the skirt. The skirt of this dress is in two panels, and I cut each off the dress, cutting around the seams so that they won't be in my pillow. I could have used a seam ripper, but this will take a lot of time and I don't need all of the fabric from the original.
I accidentally cut too far away from the seam where the skirt attaches to the top on one side. I foolishly thought I cut cut both sides of the skirt at once. This thought led me to cutting into the pattern that I want to be on the pillow. Don't cut both sides of the skirt at once, and avoid the problem I now have that I'll have to solve that problem once I finish cutting.
Once I have each side of the skirt separated, I lay one on top of the other and decide how big my pillow can be, and what direction I want the pattern to face. I cut along, and decide that rather than change the size of the pillow, I'll make a patch out of the extra fabric that can be the back side of the pillow. I cut this patch and pen it to the misshapen piece, and sew it on. This adds on an extra half an hour. Because of the odd shape, I sew the piece on by hand. I did not add this extra time on to the overall time for the project.
Step Two: Iron Fabric
5 minutesMy fabric is very wrinkled. I should fix that. I haul out the ironing board and iron the dress fabric. I also trim the fabric down a little more.
Step Three (Optional): Add Pom Pom Trim
I lost track of the time on this one. Read on.
I have to sew the pom pom trim along exactly where I want the seam to be, flipped upside down on right side of the fabric.
I make a mistake at first, and put the trim on the wrong side (a pun, yes). I don't just pin it on: I sew it on. All four sides. The sewing machine is hard to use with pom poms, so I hand stitch two of the sides on after using the machine on the other two sides. The whole process takes two hours because of the hand stitching and sewing machine difficulties. One inch away from finishing, I realize that I have put the trim on the wrong side entirely.
To be fair, the tutorial I was following used white fabric...which looks white on both sides. I couldn't tell!
In conclusion, don't put the trim on the wrong side. Put it on the right side. Pun most certainly intended.
Anyway, I restart the process, taking the opportunity to make a more perfect rectangle and determined to use the machine for the whole process this time, no matter how hard it is. I end up resewing the whole thing by hand though because Eddie really wants attention today, and hates the sewing machine. +2 hours
Step Four: Sew the sides of the pillow together.
By hand, 1-2 hours. By machine, maybe 30 minutes at most
 |
| See how the printed sides are facing each other and I've left one end open? |
I put the two sides of the pillow together with the right sides facing each other. In other words, you should be sewing the pillow inside out. I pin the sides together, and then realize I have pinned all four sides together, which will not allow me to stuff the pillow. I unpin the fourth side. Then, I sew three sides together. (If you sewed on trim, follow the line made from attaching the trim).
Step Five: Stuff Pillow
Maybe 15 minutes?
I had to run to the store to get a pillow form and stuffing, but this otherwise goes pretty quickly. It's more challenging when Eddie decides he wants to help.
Step Six: Sew Pillow Shut
15-30 minutes by hand
This step requires a stitch called the blind stitch, which you use to close the pillow. If you want to be fancy, you can get a zipper and attach it. I am not that fancy, though.
The blind stitch is one that closes the pillow without creating a visible seam. You fold the fabric over and sew inside the pillow, closing the pillow as you go. You can find a tutorial here: The Blind Stitch
Once I finish this and tie it off, my pillow is complete!
So, was it worth it?
This use of the dress will extend the life of a fun fabric, which is certainly worthwhile. This also means a free pillow; buying such a unique pillow at the store would cost quite a bit of money.
Overall, the time spent here could have been as little as an hour with a machine and no trim. With trim, no sewing machine and a lot of trouble, I should have spent about 4-5 hours on this, and instead spent closer to 7. Don't make my mistakes, and avoid pom poms if you don't want trouble!
I am, despite all the trouble, also glad that I added the pom poms because they are a little extra something fun on an other rectangular pillow. I think that this turned out rather well for my first attempt at such a project, and I will be considering doing this in the future with any other clothing items that I just can't stand to part with.
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