Rag Pillows On a Rainy Day

This week in Art Studio, we are going to take a run at rag pillows.  With the mounds of scraps in my studio from Echo Sweaters, I have tons of material.  So, in advance of my students, I decided to try a smidgen of the concept yesterday (see the end of my entry called "Collage is not just for ransom notes") and it appeared to work pretty well!

First, here's the picture of what inspired me in the first place.  It's a fun find from Pinterest----in great beach colors.  I was a bit concerned about not only the size, and the suggested t-shirt backing, so I've opted to try a throw pillow face instead.  (After I finish, I can face the underside into the fluff of the pillow and protect it.) Maybe a rag rug next if this goes well!

In brainstorming with my friend Pam, we thought of different backings that might give us a bit more strength and linear guide.  We wanted something with a tad more structure, that would be easier to handle and thread the t-shirt remnants through.  We couldn't find plastic canvas (used for yarn projects) with wide enough holes, and it was too hard to enlarge them.  We needed a cross between a miniature silt fence and irrigation plastic--without the nasty plastic feel.  So, when nothing emerged as the perfect dream base, I went with cross stitch canvas in Ivory- size 11.  It has the grid and it was relatively easy to cut slits into it as needed.

I selected a smattering of t-shirt remnants from the studio that would work well in our orange bedroom. (It has a black and cream toile spread with a few red accents in the room.) After cutting my canvas to a 15" x 15" area to allow me to have pillow edges to sew, I bound them with blue masking tape so they wouldn't ravel.  Then the strip making began--- cutting them roughly 1.5" wide by 6" long.  No need for perfection here.  By cutting slits about 1/2" long and about 2/3" apart, I had plenty of holes.  The first two rows came out well, but I can tell this is going to take a very long time. Perhaps the students will make 8" x 8" pillows.  Anyway, I am encouraged by the fluff that emerges from just two rows!  Here's the beginning of the pillow!