Pillow Talk

Do any of you remember this old movie? It can be seen sometimes on an old movie channel on a quiet afternoon or it might show up late at night when few folks are even watching TV. Just a sweet little movie of yesteryear. I am not going to write a post about the movie "Pillow Talk" even if it does star Doris Day and Rock Hudson. I must tell you, Dear Ones, this movie was made the year I was born and since it's has 'pillow' in the title I thought I could poke this cute graphic in to go with my post about a pillow.

Am I a silly? You betcha! Okay, now that I've totally confused you let me explain. I have been doing needlework all my life. Well, not exactly all my life, I waited until I could walk and talk and not punch my eyes out with a needle before I started. Do you see the little fabric piece with the little lady holding up a flower? Well, when I was around 13 years old I embroidered this. Actually it was a set of pillowcases and a friend of the family told me if I would finish the pillow cases, she would crochet a trim around the edges. You see, she didn't think I would ever finish. But I fooled her and did it!

I was going through some things I had put away and found these pillow cases. So sad...the fabric was beginning to fall apart and one pillow case was beyond saving. But what was I to do?! I didn't want to get rid of this masterpiece from my early years of wonderful needleworkness. So I cut out as much of the good fabric from the pillow case that I could, embroidered my name and the year I made these (this was Mr. Precious' idea!). Then I ironed on some Wonder Under to another piece of white fabric to give my oldie some strength. I was really on to something! Did I tell you I was very creative? ;) I was going to turn my teenaged masterpiece into a pillow. I had some very sweet vintage looking fabric to use as my pillow and I was set.

Now this pillow was definitely going to have to have a ruffle around the edges. If you sew, you may already know about this little trick to help you make gathering a littler easier. After you've cut your fabric for your ruffle, folded it in half and ironed it, get ready for an easy way to pull up your gathers. I use crochet thread and just lay the thread on top of the edge of the raw cut strip and use a wide zig zag stitch to sew right over the thread.
See? This is how the edge of the ruffle will look.

Just leave long strands of thread on each end so you'll have plenty of thread to pull up your gathers without loosing any. I have failed to leave enough thread at the ends before and pulled the thread right through and lost my ruffles. I've done this a few times and I was not very happy with my wonderfulness! I do mess up from time to time!

Now just fold your ruffle strip four times evenly and place a pin at each point. The pinned points will then be pinned to the four corners of the fabric square. Begin to gather your ruffle by pulling the crochet thread between corner to corner. Distribute the ruffles evenly and then you're ready to sew the ruffle to the pillow fabric.

Look, there is the beautiful ruffle sewn onto the pillow fabric. This is the back side of the pillow. Cool, huh? I then laid the two fabric squares - front to back - with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, pinned them together, sewed, and turned it and ...

...here is the pillow case ready to be stuffed! You can see I had topstitched the vintage rescued pillow case section to the top side of the new pillow front. I even was able to keep the old crocheted edging. Did I tell you how clever I am?

I made sure the pillow case was the right size for a ready made pillow form. Sometimes, I have to make my own, but this was not one of those times.

Here is my finished project - a new pillow with a little old memory stitched right on the front.

I can remember sitting in our rocking chair watching TV as I embroidered. Wonder what I was thinking about? School was out and it was a hot summer? How I was going to fix my hair for tomorrow? My boyfriend, yep, I had one at 13, but please don't tell Mr. Preicous! What was Mother going to fix for supper? I have a good memory, but I just can't say for sure what was going on in my little head that summer. But I'm so glad to have a little something that triggers my memory and draws me back to that sweet little time of my life. Oh, if only my little pillow could just talk!!

I'll leave you with a little Note Song ~

If My Pillow Could Talk

If my pillow could talk

If my pillow could talk

It would tell you 'bout

My sleepless nights

Tell you 'bout the rivers I cried

Ever since you said goodbye

If my pillow could talk to you

If my pillow could talk to you....

~ sung by Connie Francis