It All Started With Paint

Our Home. My Canvas.

the union jack

By 33 Comments

Perhaps you’re feeling a bit rebellious …

 
Pondering following in Johnny’s and Brad’s and Angelina’s footsteps and heading across the pond …

 
Or maybe you’ve just watched one two many episodes of House Hunters International as ex-pat after ex-pat search for homes away from their homes …

 
But becoming an ex-pat can be pricey …

 
… it’s a big move.  And involves finding jobs.  And selling homes.  And finding schools for the kids.  And quarantining family pets. And learning new languages.

 
But fear not.  I’ve got a solution for you.  It’s my Benedict Arnold line of pillows at my Etsy …

 
The Union Jack …

 
Union Jack Drop Cloth Pillow close up
I started with two different drop cloths, one of which was a bit darker in color than the other.  I washed both.  And with the lighter drop cloth?  I bleached it too.  I Just filled the machine with water, a couple cups of bleach and let the drop cloth sit in that bleach bath for a couple of hours …
Union_Jack_Pillow close up 3

 

 

I made a simple 18” x 18” envelope pillow using the darker drop cloth as the base.
Union Jack Drop Cloth Pillow

 

For the diagonal stripes I cut (okay, ripped) two strips from the lighter fabric 3” and two strips from the darker fabric 1 1/2” …
union_jack_pillow_sewing_instructions 2 union_jack_pillow_sewing_instructions 1
Press and pin…
union_jack_pillow_how_to union_jack_pillow_how_to 4
… and stitch …
union_jack_pillow_how_to 5
I stitched two rows a little less than a 1/2” in on the darker fabric stripe …
union_jack_pillow_how_to 6
For the cross stripes …
union_jack_pillow_sewing_instructions 3 union_jack_pillow_sewing_instructions 4
Rinse and repeat for the first stripe (as in press, pin, and stitch) …
union_jack_pillow_how_to 1
Rinse and repeat for the second stripe …
union_jack_pillow_how_to 2
Pin right sides together and stitch …
union_jack_pillow_how_to 3
Trim extra fabric and the corners.  Turn right side out.  Insert pillow form (see how I make my own here) and style for a photo shoot …
union_jack_pillow_final
union_jack_pillow_final 2
And I’m not one to leave well enough alone, so I just added a yellow and gray version to the shop …
union_jack_pillow_yellow_and_gray
union_jack_gray_yellow_white_drop_cloth_pillow
yellow_and_gray_pillow_union_jack

 

Oh, and my Etsy shop has gone global … I now accept international orders.
You can find all my pillow designs here …
drop cloth design sidebar button with frame

P.S.  Have you heard about my pillowpalooza link party?  It goes live on June 25 at 6 AM CST … and will stay open until Friday at midnight …

it all started with paint
it all started with paint

Click here or on the button above more …

 

Sharing …
* Jennifer Rizzo * Savvy Southern Style * Organize and Decorate Everything * The Shabby Creek Cottage * House of Hepworths * The 36th Avenue * Addicted 2 Decorating * Funky Junk Interiors * Tatertots & Jello * Common Ground * Whipperberry * Five Days … Five Ways * Lolly Jane Boutique * Too Much Time on My Hands * Sisters of the Wild West * I Heart Naptime * The DIY Showoff * Under the Table & Dreaming * Between Naps on the Porch * Skip to My Lou * C.R.A.F.T. * Craftomaniac * Today’s Creative Blog * Home Stories A 2 Z * My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia * A Bowl Full of Lemons * The Shabby Nest * The DIY Showoff * Creatively Living *  French Country Cottage *

union_jack_pillow_final

 

Comments

  6. You know how I love your Union Jack pillow…a little piece of home and now a yellow one too…fab.

    I can vouch for the excitement of moving to a different country, I have done it twice.

    Reply

  11. So that’s how you did it!…Maybe making this pillow may be worth fixing the old machine that is collecting cob webs in the attic…then maybe not…because it would definitely not turn out to be the same gorgeous pillow!!….Oh…do you hear the phone?….It’s Angie calling…she needs a dozen of those Union Jacks…so she can impress the Queen when she comes for a visit…..hey, they are “royal worthy”…..

    Reply

  18. I bought a new sewing machine the weekend before last. Last weekend I actually got it out of the box and took it for a little test run. Thanks to this post, I might bust out a little somethin’ somethin’ on it this weekend. (I really like the yellow ribbon version.) Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  30. I just LOVE the two tone one. Going to get out my machine right now!! Thanks so much for the tutorial.

    Reply

  31. I copied your design but reupholstered an ottoman. I sewed all my edges. I thought if I left the edge raw with people sitting on the ottoman, it would fray badly. I made the design large enough to cover the top and the sides. It looks great. Just love it. Thank you for the idea. I would like to make the Stars and Stripes into a pillow, if I can work out how to do the stars.

    Reply

    • That sounds lovely! I’m so happy to help! And I never quite figured out the stars either which is why I don’t have a stars & striped pillow! 🙂

      Reply

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