Warm fall touches on the sofa

September 22, 2014

A few weeks ago I was itching to bring some warmer colors into the family room. 

This time of year has me wanting to use more reds, browns and oranges – which I used to use EVERYWHERE but don’t anymore. In the warmer months I don’t mind our more neutral pallet but fall calls for some color!

I picked up these pretty napkins at World Market to make some pillows:

napkin pillows

I’ve told you of my obsession with using table linens for pillows many times…the love runs deep my friends. So cheap and easy! 

But then I noticed I already had a piece of this pretty fabric in my stash:

kalita spice fabric

It’s called Kalita Spice and I picked up some from Calico Corners over a year ago. I think it must have been a remnant because I had less than a yard – only enough to make one pillow. I fell in love with it all over again and knew I wanted to use this instead!

I checked in with CC but they didn’t have anymore so I ended up ordering a yard through Amazon (from Fabric.com) -- with our prime membership I avoided the shipping fee from Fabric.com. Whoot!

I dusted off the sewing machine and got to work. Here's the thing – I used to be so intimidated by my sewing machine but I PROMISE you it’s not that hard. I think the hardest part of using one is getting it set up with the thread and bobbin and all that jazz – after that all you do is plug it in and do your best to sew a straight line.

I measured the size I needed (my pillow inserts are 20 inches square but I make my pillows a little less than that) and started cutting – if you are going to do any sewing or working with fabric a decent pair of fabric scissors will save you a lot of frustration:

how to sew a pillow

My cutting is never perfect, so after I lay the two pieces of fabric (face to face) together I do my best to get the edges to match up. Because my cut lines aren’t always perfect I use chalk and mark a line down the fabric:

how to sew a pillow

It gives me a line to try to follow as I sew which I need. ;) And if your edges don’t match up this helps to ensure that you don’t end up with any holes in your seam as well.

A few minutes and four (somewhat) straight lines later and you have a pillow. Don’t close that last side up all the way though. You’ll need to be able to reach in and turn it right side out:

sewing a pillow

I use a marker – anything that’s skinny – to push my corners out. You’ll want to only sew up maybe half of that last side so you can get your insert in too. When you’re done stuffing it you’ll need to hand stitch it closed. My stitching never looks pretty but I promise you no one ever notices. As you know those who do get a cookie…and no cookies have ever been given:

mixing fabrics

The day that I found that fabric and decided to use it I went to HomeGoods hoping I’d find some other pillows that might work with it…and I did. That day. That never happens. I LOVE their pillows because most of them already have the feather inserts that I like to use.

The brick colored pillows go so beautifully with the new fabric – and the new pillows go together well with the blue/gray pillows I’ve had for a while:

I would never have put the blue and the brick pillows together but they all tie together nicely – I quite love it actually:

mixing fabrics pillows

I’m still trying to figure out a color for that mirror behind the sofa – a few of you suggested an orange tone and I love that idea – I almost did it but now I’m thinking more of a brick color? And I just a couple months ago I wasn’t using reds in this room anymore. :)

I made another pillow for my “office” chair as well:

chair by windows

The comfiest office around, I’ll tell you what. :)

I know many of you have wanted to see more of the family room so I wanted to share this view:

neutral sectional

The kitchen table is now behind the sectional – we were able to move that over because of all the space we now have in here.

The sectional now floats in the middle of the room:

open family room and kitchen

The fireplace is to the left. This area really isn’t any bigger that it was before – we actually have less space between the sofa and the TV. It’s a long and skinny room but overall there’s SO MUCH more space now. We love it!

Now I just want to find one more of those brick colored pillows – not sure that will happen. ;) But I’m loving the warmer tones and this gets me excited to finally get some fall decor going!

Do you sew? If you're intimidated by it please don’t be! Each one of these pillows took me about 15 minutes to make and only three of those minutes were actually sewing. :)

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Comments

  1. ahhh! That fabric is perfect in your space!

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  2. I am a "so-so sewer". :-) Your pillows look beautiful!! XO

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  3. I love the warmth that fall brings! I was itching to decorate for fall back in August, but I'm still putting things together every day! At least it gives me plenty of blog material when I make changes every week!

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  4. love it! I need to change up the pillows on my sofa.. they are sooo boring. and yeah i sew a little so i could make them - just need to make it a priority, right? :)

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  5. Love this. Question. ..where did you get the round black ceiling light. Looking for something just like that.

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  6. I've recently stumbled upon your blog (can't remember how) and I love your content! I love your new pillows...I'm not a sew-er, I have a sewing machine and would like to sew things but..yeah...that doesn't really happen. But you have inspired me with those pillows!

    I do have a question about your end table next to your sectional, I've been looking for an end table and I love what you have, would you mind telling me where you got it? Thanks!

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  7. Very pretty room!!

    I have a random question for you though...how much space is there between the top of your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling? I know you have very high ceilings...

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    1. Our ceilings are nine feet and I think we have about 18 inches up there -- we didn't upgrade to the taller cabinets. I will be building them up to the ceiling next year. :)

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  8. I'd suggest that the mirror be a color/stain as close to the kitchen cabinets as possible. It would both anchor the mirror wall (and give it some visual weight) as well as balance the two spaces up at the eye level range.

    Absolutely love checking in on your progress every day, and enjoy your upbeat, engaging style. Congratulation on all that you have accomplished!

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  9. Come on girl - you know you could never say goodbye to red forever! Especially once you give in and paint those cabinets... ;)

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  10. Hi Sarah,

    I love that type of fabric. It looks great added to the other ones on the sofa. I have a very similar fabric on my dining chairs! I tried to insert a photo so you could see but it won't work. Is there a way to do that?
    Kim ~

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    1. If you have it in a Photobucket or similar account I know you can link to it -- that's the only way I know how. Or you can share it on my FB page. :)

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  11. I just sewed new pillows for my couch this weekend as well. I find that a roller cutter keeps my cut lnes straight and it makes it much easier to sew together.

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  12. Love this idea-- they look so perfect no one would ever know what they started out as!

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  13. One idea is to cut one of the brick-colored pillows into 2 panels and then sew a coordinated color / pattern piece of fabric to the back side of each pillow giving you 3 brick-colored pillows! ( of sorts ;)

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  14. Love the color combination! My vote would be for brick on the mirror too.
    On a totally different subject, we had stained a door and trim and put the poly on yesterday. Last night as I was pulling the laundry out of the dryer, I thought what is this burning smell? Ahhh, then I remembered the good ole' "fire in the dryer" story. It made me laugh.

    Robin

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  15. I am a sewer ... used to make clothes for myself in high school. Can you imagine?? Anyhoo, look at the metal plate that the machine needle goes in and out of. There should be lines there that the cut edges of your fabric should match up to. Then you have straight seams without having to mark. Easy peasy.

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  16. Can you please tell me When you purchased the World Market napkins? I have been looking for those color forever!!! thanks
    jajwiley@yahoo.com

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    1. I just got them at our local World Market store -- I believe you can find them online too. Here's a link to them: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/malli+napkins%2C+set+of+4.do?&from=fn

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  17. Hi Sarah,

    Do you happen to remember what the fabric was called for your sectional? I'm seeing one on the Arhaus website in a microdenier called "view wheat" which looks similar. But I'm wanting exactly what you have!

    Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it was called Ale. I love it but in hindsight would actually have gone a little lighter. It's so easy to keep clean the lighter would have been fine. Good luck! :)

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