Sometimes a shortcut, isn't

While rummaging through my basement fabric stash, I came across a bag with 2 of these huge green pillows.

My brain was immediately lit by the flash of a light bulb.

Why not use one of these for my big deck pillow?

I do love to find a use for things I should have tossed, but didn't. It makes me feel so much better about saving the junk. :)

If I use this pillow, I will save fabric, stuffing, and a lot of time. Right?

WRONG!

While trying to stuff the huge pillow into the new pillow case, look what happened.

ARRRGGGGGGG...it must be a 3-inch rip. I should have left a bigger opening. Now what?

Well, I certainly was not picking out 8 seams of tiny stitches, so I had to find a way to mend it. I took a quick look at some of the fancy stitches on my new machine. I was in no mood to figure out how to use a new stitch, so I just picked one that I could touch a button to make it work.

It held the tear together very well.

Then I had to think of some way to hide the stitches. I decided to sew a green strip right over the top. It worked fine, but I couldn't have just one strip at the top of the pillow. So I added two more. The top border now looked out of place with the bottom.

So I had to add three to the bottom...then the sides looked out of place...........

After I had added twelve green strips, I was almost happy. It seemed like the strips needed a little something to give them purpose. I decided to mull it over while I slept.

After work I went back to the basement to rummage through my small collection of beady things that has been sitting in a clear fishing tackle box for years. I found some orange ones that worked perfectly. I wasn't that thrilled to hand sew 12 of them with invisible thread, but I must pay the price for my hasty decision to attempt to stuff a 24-inch pillow in to a 12-inch opening.

So I sat and sewed while watching New York's new Governor air his dirty laundry. What an ironic situation that was!

Needless to say, I did not save any time, but as I watched the new Governor fall (or just take a little tumble) from grace, I finally finished the darn pillow.



In the end, I like it. I think those twelve strips and beads really added textural interest. I took a pic of it with the little star pillow so you could get an idea of the size difference.I think that was my 6th (and final!) pillow for the deck.