Floral Burlap Pillow

 So I decided to do a sewing project this time. 

I had a lot of burlap that I managed to snag at my local fabric store. I don't know why it is so difficult to find it where I live, but I still managed to find a really nice burlap. 

This stuff was upholstery grade, so nice and strong and not smelly or very scratchy. 

Here is what I came up with.

 

I cut four squares 16" - (1" larger than I wanted the pillow to be to allow for a seam allowance).

Next I wanted some contrast with the burlap but still wanted a vintage feel. 

I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for at the fabric store so I took an old sundress that I found at a thrift store and used that. 

 I deconstructed it. 

One of the skirt panels would be enough for this project. 

Made paper pattern pieces. 

A letter "D" for my husband, Doug 

and an "R" for me. Then I cut the 

floral fabric using these pattern pieces.

Next I cut the same pattern pieces out of the "Heat and Bond".(Make sure you reverse the pattern pieces first!)

I then trimmed about 1/8" around all the edges. 

(Otherwise when I sew this on, the needle might get gummed up with the iron-on adhesive). 

Ironed the "Heat and Bond " on according to package directions.

Then I peeled off the paper. 

Ironed the letter in place on one of the burlap squares.

Then using a short, wide Zig-Zag stitch, I sewed the edges of the letter.

Then I sewed a zipper on to the back piece of the pillow. 

Cut back in half. Mark placement of zipper.
Sewed the two halves together.
Using a basting stitch  where the zipper actually fits.

Pinned the zipper in place.
.

Sewed the zipper in, using a zipper foot on the machine

Removed basting stitches.
Voila! Zipper is in.

I added some cording around all four edges and sewed the front and back together. 

I am not great at using cording so if you want to know how to do it properly, check out Pintrest 

and Search "Sewing Cording Tutorial". Sorry.

Then I trimmed and finished the raw edges. Turned it right side out and stuffed it.

One of the finished pillows.
The cording adds a nice touch I think.

And the back.
Normally I would have put the zipper
at the side seam but with the cording there
I wasn't sure how well that would work.

It's not perfect, but it will look better when I get a proper pillow insert, 

instead of the polyester filling that is in it now. 

That is why it is a little lumpy in places. Kind of like me :0)