The Plush Pouf

I've seen poufs (floor cushions) popping up everywhere! Want to make one? I designed a pattern several years ago, then rewrote it for Shannon Fabrics (June 2013) - and made it out of their Cuddle fabric. It's about 17" tall with a 28" diameter and is filled with polystyrene beads.

What makes this pouf special? I created an inner pouf with a zippered closure so you can refill it with beads when it deflates a bit (which it will). And the outer pouf is more like a slip cover that you can change whenever you want!

I've written about it - part one, part two, and smaller foot stool. 

Here's my friend's cat on the smaller foot stool. I made this for her - her birthday is Flag Day!

And here's a smaller foot stool that is on my porch.





There are three zippers (one on the inner pouf and two on the outer pouf), so you need to be comfortable with sewing zippers. But they are worth every second it takes to make! BTW, I used some bean bag beans from Fairfield World. The smaller the diameter of the bead, the less they compress, so don't skimp.

Have fun!

Fabric Deer Head!

Ok, before I start I need to be clear. I like my animals alive. I'm not into adorning my walls with deer heads and other animal parts. BUT...my friend and her hubby are. They are anglers and hunters, so when their baby was born, it's no surprise that they decorated his room with a "lodge" theme. 

My friend shared her Pinterest board and it gave me some ideas. Then I found this super cute fabric deer head by Charming Doodle. 

I pretty much followed the pattern, which is unusual for me...especially with a free pattern. But it's a goodie. I only made one change....and it's because I HATE PATTERN PIECES! Hate them. I think it's why I don't make clothes. Yuck. So rather than use pattern pieces to cut this out, I traced the designs on to a sheerweight fusible. 

I cut the pieces out a little larger than the design, then fused them on the back of my brown denim. Oh, and I didn't use felt for the ears - instead, I used double-sided fusible and fused the brown fabric to the antler fabric. Felt would work but I didn't have any!

Here they are all cut out and ready to go! I followed the directions and finished it up. 

You have to be a little patient to stuff it...the antlers are a bit of a pain - so just stuff little bits at a time.  

I plan on attaching this to an oval plaque (once I get it painted). The final size is about 22". I love it and can't wait to see it in little Bo's room!

Part Two: Creating the Wood Mount.

Boat Pillows

It was a beautiful evening on Keuka Lake! I made these pillows for the boat....makes things just a little more comfortable! Here's what I did:

Cut my Shannon Fabrics Terry Cloth (nice stuff!) to the size I wanted. This is a standard size pillow.

I marked the center points and....

...embroidered the anchor design (that I got from Embroidery Library).



I used polyester embroidery thread so it wouldn't fade.

Rounded the corners using my new favorite ruler from Creative Grids. Seriously, I cannot believe how much I use this ruler!

Added the piping. Love this foot!

Almost done! Next I cut poly-nylon-whatever fabric for the back. I cut up an old duvet cover that I got at Target...again, I wanted some fabric that could handle the sunlight. I didn't have regular plain white fabric, so I used what I have!










Rather than buy a pillow, I purchased a package of pillow protectors and filled them with some stuffing from some old pillows and a package of Fairfield Fiberfill Poly-Fil. The Poly-Fil is a lot nicer than what was in the old pillows, but I didn't have enough to fill two pillows.


Once I was done, I shoved the inserts into the pillow covers. I then washed both in my front loader washing machine....then dried them to fluff up the fiberfill. Just like new!








I made two pillows and will probably make a few more!

Porch Make-Over

I have a wonderful screened-in porch that I use all summer. I love it and my cats love it. About thirteen years ago, I purchased some rugs for a different home. When I moved to this house, I put those rugs on my porch where they stayed year-round...for eleven years!

For the past two years, I've been searching for new rugs. I knew what I wanted but had trouble finding them. Last month I hit pay dirt. Online. At Home Dept. I found my colorful and beautiful rugs on the cheap and bought two (roughly 5' x 7'). FYI - the rugs are discontinued...of course!

I then went to work taking down the old roller blinds and adding new ones. Here you can see my helpers. 

I found some great fabric at Fabric Guru that I will use to make some new cushions for....











 
.... these chairs. I know. Ick. I did a little work on them last year. But I'm taking it to the next level!

Thankfully, Fairfield World sent me some Poly-Fil polyester fiberfill - they will need to be re-stuffed!

And I'll be making some foot stools!
I have some other projects in mind, so stay tuned!