I have this passion for pillows. I am not sure where it originated. I have made hundreds of pillows in my life time. I have made pillows will the nice cording all around, embroidered with all types of imaginable designs. Pillows with expensive trims and fringes. I've made custom ordered pillows for folks. From ring bearer pillows to sea shell pillows. I've sold my one of a kind pillows in shops and to friends and family and anybody who would buy one. Simple pillows and over the top pillows. Pillows out the wazoo. Just a bit over the edge with pillows am I.
Why? I ask myself. Well, when you have all those beautifully coordinated pillows in your chairs or on your sofa or on your bed, they look so pretty and decorative. Kicked up a notch. Welcoming. Homey. But then someone sits on said chair or sofa and the pillows instantly become a nuisance. What do you do with this awkward blob of fiber? Folks are always squirming around in their seat, trying to adjust that pillow so as not to offend their hostess. Others just toss them out of their way. Now comes my big question. Is there a pillow psychology? I often find myself doing this amateur analysis thing when it comes to how folks react to pillows. For instance, does the person who tosses the pillow out of his/her way with reckless abandon have no regard for personal property and is only concerned with their own personal comfort? While the person who discreetly moves the pillow aside and gently places a hand on the edge of the pillow, says this is so pretty, it's in my way but I don't mind. I appreciate what you have done. Then there is the person who plops down on the chair and forces the pillow into submission under their body weight. Guess I have as much fun watching people as much as I enjoy playing with fabrics. I am weird that way.
How do you feel about decorative pillows? I've tried it without them, but I don't like it. More is better in my book. Then I had this thought. There are quad trillions of design ideas that I want to try. From the Amish, Mennonite, Gee's Bend, playing with new techniques and making my own designs, to the traditional pieced and appliqued designs, to free pieced fabrics. So why not go play with all of those ideas. Perk up my house for the holidays, for every day, for each season, with pillow art. And if someone is not comfortable with all that fiber lumped on their backside, that will just give me more fodder for my amateur analysis.
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| pillow back |
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| pillow front |
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| pillow back |
Even more fun when you make the back as interesting as the front.
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| pillow front |
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| pillow backs |
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| pillow front |
I am thrilled that I have discovered a new way to try out all those designs that are constantly rumbling around in my head. And productive as well. While playing around for a few minutes a day, I am satisfying my creative needs while accessorizing my chairs and the sofa. And by the way, I am using goose down and feathers as forms. That way, when folks sit in the chair or on the sofa, the pillows will politely shape themselves around what ever form is needed.
