Monday, October 5, 2015

Tips & Tricks | The Denim Jacket Pillow

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Every once in awhile, I'll open my closet and see something that causes me to shake my head and wonder, "What on earth was I thinking, and why do I still have this?!" What seemed like a great idea at the time, would now be fashion suicide should I actually slip it on and leave the house. Sometimes the item goes straight into the Goodwill bag, but there are also times when my Vintage Rescue lightbulb goes on. I see beyond the jacket's silly majorette neckline and wild, stacked cuffs and envision what could be a cool home decor project. My denim jacket lives again as a whimsical throw pillow.
All this project requires is a denim jacket you wouldn't be caught dead wearing, some coordinating fabric for the pillow back and the 'jacket's shirt', and a fluffy pillow insert. If you have a jacket with interesting closures, such as the frogs on mine, toggles or buckles, this makes the pillow front more fun and best shows off the fabric behind the closures.
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Create a pattern template for your pillow front. For notes on pillow sizing as well as step-by-step instructions for a simple square pillow with an envelope back, check out our tutorial: Super Simple Throw Pillows.
Using your template, fussy cut the jacket so the original closures will be right down the center of the pillow front.
Cut a small strip of your contrasting fabric and stitch it in place behind the jacket's original opening. This is the jacket's 'shirt' that will show behind the closures.
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Complete the envelope back, and sew front to back around all four sides. Insert the pillow form though the back envelope opening.
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