A PILLOW AND INSPIRATION

What a perfect day!  

I got a great kid-fix first thing this morning by reading to the 3 and 4 year olds at school.  Such enthusiasm oozes out of those little bodies!  If you ever want to lift your spirits, go volunteer at your local school.  Kids' zeal for life is contagious!  You can also have some very . . . interesting "conversations" with three year olds.   For example, one that transpired during our story about a lost mouse toy (names have been changed to protect the innocent):

Me:  "Where do you think the little mouse is hiding, Scott?"

Scott (3 years old) with hand in the air:  "I think my Grandma Mary is picking me up tonight . . ."

Me:  "Oh, I see.  But, where do you think the mouse might be?"

Scott:  " . . . or maybe it's my Grandma Joan . . . "

Me: "Do you think the mouse is in the barn?"

Scott: "No, it couldn't be Grandma Joan . . ."

etcetera . . . . 

Can't help but love them!

Anyway, then I came home and spent my time with Norma.  Then began to work on a pillow using some of that burlap which has taken over my house.  I used a graphic from the Graphics Fairy again.  This is one I keep going back to and finally figured out how I wanted to use it.  I started with Lesley Riley's Transfer Artist Paper.  You run it right through the printer and then, after cutting close to the edge of the design, just iron it on to your background fabric.  Remember to reverse any words you may be printing so they are readable when you iron them on.  This paper doesn't leave the "plastic-like shine" so many t-shirt transfer papers do.  It's a little more expensive - but worth it!

 Love the nubby-ness of burlap!

Then I rummaged through my Great Aunt Pearl's button box.  I inherited some beautiful, old buttons from her!

 These are the buttons I chose for the back closure of the pillow.  Mother-of-Pearl with a metal loop shank on the back.  They don't make them like this anymore!

 And a little decorative rectangle of fabric sewn under one of the buttons so the back isn't totally boring.

These close-ups show how this transfer paper picks up even small details.  And see, no shine!  If you've ever worked with different transfer papers before, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

 And, after slipping in a store-bought pillow form . . .

 it's finished!

While sewing away, I propped Norma up in the corner (thought she should hear it too) and listened to this for inspiration.  Unless I live to be 100, I  probably don't have enough years left to attain this level - but, a girl can dream . . . and this is Norma's (mine too)!  Imagine that!

This is

MAGNIFICENT!!!

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