Wow have we already made it to the second Thursday of December? The panic is starting to set in as I need to get a MOVE ON with Christmas shopping. If you’re ambitious and want to craft gifts for those you love, here’s another gift idea you can sew! I made these for my grandmothers for Christmas 2012. It doesn’t take much time at all and would be great to use scrap fabric.
State pillows!

I saw this idea on Pinterest a while ago and thought it was so cute! All you need to do is sketch or trace whichever state (or country!) you want to sew, add seam allowances, cut, sew (leaving space at the bottom for turning and stuffing), stuff with PolyFill, and finish! I added an applique heart on the city of New Orleans since that’s where my family’s from.
The fabric is a quilting cotton from Hancock Fabrics and I thought it was so festive. Purple and gold– LSU and/or Mardi Gras colors!
Looking back, I should have not made it as “true to life” since the piece on the bottom right is weird and flops around. I think a minimalistic approach would be better.
I think they went over well enough… my Nana (rest in peace <3) was a bit confused as to what it was. I thought it would be nice for them to hug it when they missed me. ~_~; Haha, oh well.
But the weirdness didn’t stop there! I made some pillows for my friends in Japan (hello, Mihoko and Hiromi!). When I was in Japan, I lived on Sado Island. “Where the heck is that?” you may ask. Well….

So I had to show some Sado love with a Sado pillow!

The heart is on Akadomari, the village where we all lived. Best sushi, drinking, and pizza on the island! Fun tidbit: The sake brewery, Hokusetsu, where Robert DeNiro imports sake for his Nobu restaurants was right down the street from my apartment! Kanpai!

If you move around a lot (like me…) these would be cute to make for your bed or couch! You can snuggle with all of your homes at once. 🙂 Or you can give them as gifts and see their reaction… will they know what it is? LOL.
Have you ever made something for someone that ended up being a little weird? I want to hear all about it in the comments!
-RED
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