A Punch Of Color

Dark colors seem to be in vogue right now and while I like brown, it's not a color I want EVERYWHERE!!  I am not quite sure who designs the decor for these little trailers, but it must be someone who lives in a cave.  The cupboards are dark brown, the floors are brown, the curtains are brown, everything is brown.  I have to admit, there is some logic in making the floors brown, but everything?

Our first trailer was small, very small.  It was a tiny little place, really too tiny for 2 people and a dog.  Our dog is a 95# chocolate lab, so it was like having another person in our little trailer. For all of us to fit in our first trailer, we had to put the dog on the bed so we could move around to do things like get dressed, make meals and etc.  We also had to keep a dog blanket on the bed that had to be washed regularly.  At the end of that trip, I went to JoAnn's and purchased 10 yards of naugahyde (dogahyde), which I cut in half and sewed together down the side.  This made a square big enough to lay over the top of our bed.  The following year, I didn't have to make regular trips to the laundry facility, I just had to vacuum the fur off the bed and wipe it with a clorox wipe or 3.  This bed-sized piece of naugahyde has been with us since then. I chose this color of naugahyde to match the decor of our first trailer.  And look, it matches this one too.....  BROWN.

It's a good thing we have so many windows, or this place would truly look like a cave.  My favorite color is blue and blue is a good color with brown, so I found some fabric at JoAnn's and recovered the brown bed pillows.  

I liked the way it looked so I thought I'd add some color to the dining/living room.  We have that open concept in our place.

Square pillows are easy to make and can add character to a space.  I thought I'd do a little tutorial, what the heck...My pillow forms were 18" square.  I always cut my fabric to the pillow measurement.  I like firm pillows so I don't add anything for seam allowance.  My fabric is 45" wide so I laid the fabric on the cutting board and cut an 18" strip.  I had a piece that measured 18" X 45."

You will want a piece that measures 18" X 36" so you will need to cut some of the length.  You can use whatever method works for you.  I lay the fabric on my cutting board with the salvage edge hanging off the board just a bit.

I folded the fabric at the 18" line.

I turn the fabric around and put the fold on the 0" line on the board.  I place the ruler on the 18" line and cut the excess fabric and the salvage edge off the fabric.  This leaves an 18" X 36" piece of fabric.

I fold the fabric in half, with right sides together. If you are using unwashed cotton fabric, you will have a crease where the center of the fabric used to be when your 45" piece was folded in half.  I press that out as much as possible.

Starting at the folded edge, sew a seam from one end of the fabric to the other, backstitching at each end.  Smooth the fabric out and make sure the piece is still square and all of the edges match.  If it isn't, or they don't, trim it.  Sew the other side from the folded edge to the bottom of the square, backstitching at both ends.  I used about a 3/8" seam.

You will have three closed ends now.  At the open end, sew a short seam about 2-3", backstitching at both ends, on both sides of the opening.  This gives good corner and makes the hand sewing easier.

There will be an opening at the bottom of your square to slide your pillow form into.  Before you put the pillow form in it, fold the raw edges under so they are the same size as the seam.  Press.  

If you fold your pillow form in half, it's easier to get it into your new pillow cover.  After you put the pillow inside, you hand stitch the opening, using a blind stitch.

I think I need to go back to JoAnn's and get some fabric to replace the seating covers so they match the colorful pillows;)