Stuffed Shirted - Stitch and Pink

This morning I dropped off the security deposit for the new apartment, so we officially move in 11 days! I got to see them working on it, but it is still in rough shape. Hopefully once they get everything cleaned up and all their junk out, it won’t look so bad. I know we’re in for a few trade offs, but I’m gonna try to make the very best of it.

Anyway, whenever you move from one place to another; first you find out that you have too much stuff, second you realize that you should have cleaned more often, and third you find tons of junk that you “could do something with”. Usually you put this special junk “somewhere safe” in hopes of one day getting around to making it into something awesome.

You know you all have drawers or boxes or even whole rooms filled with random buttons, fabric scraps, ribbons, paper, old clothes, etc. Well, hopefully in my crafting attempts, I am actually able to get rid of a good bit of these kinds of things that I have accumulated.

Today’s project makes use of my husbands old button down shirts. Retied because of holes, stains, or “shrinkage” issues (hehe). They will now have a new home on my sofa as pillow covers. Living with a toddler and 5 cats means that everything needs to be washable. This is an easy way to limit the laundry without worrying about zippers. Lucky for me Ant wears a lot of blue, so it makes w great mix and match look.

First, grab a shirt and a pair of scissors. Any button down will do, something the kids outgrew, one from a thrift store, whatever you’ve got. Just make sure it is wide enough for your pillow form. Now cut up the side seams, along the sleeve seam, and across below the collar. When you are finished you should have 2 front pieces attached by the buttons, and 1 back piece. (Don’t forget to salvage any extra buttons from the collar and cuffs.)

I find it easiest to start with the back piece. After ironing your pieces, use a ruler to mark a straight line across the top of the back piece. Measure down the length (+1/4 inch) of your pillow form and mark a line parallel to the first. *Be very careful when using the lines of the fabric as guidelines. They can be warped from stretching or poor ironing.*

Now measure and cut the width (+1/4 inch) of your form. This should give you a rectangle large enough to fit over your pillow form.

Moving on to the front, decide where you would like the buttons to fall on your pillow. (See the first picture. The buttons are on the far right on the blue pillow. They could even go on the diagonal, but if you want the stripes to match, you should decide this before cutting out the back.) It may be helpful to use the piece you cut from the back to give you an idea of size on the front as well as matching stripes. Be careful to allow plenty of space for sewing next to the buttons and make sure to pin the button facings together before cutting.

Once you have both pieces cut out,make sure all buttons are buttoned, place them right sides together and sew around all four edges. I used my surge machine for this project, but if you don’t have one, just add more of a seam allowance and stitch around the edges as normal. Now just unbutton and turn right side out. Stuff the form in, button it back up, and you’re done.

This is a super easy way to change the look of a room. Get shirts of any color from a local thrift shop, and give your sofa or chair a makeover.

♥Momma Tart

Running Tally:

#13 – Button Down Pillows

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