Felt Bird Pillows...and More

I made these bird pillows for my sister for this last Christmas. I like them alot. And most importantly, she likes them, too!

I make them using felt appliques and loads of freestyle sewing machine embroidery stitching on cotton canvas.

I've been making felt applique pillows for a while now as gifts for new brides, housewarmings and birthdays.

Once I decide on a design and the shapes I cut the pieces from brightly colored felt and sew them on the cotton canvas pillow tops.

 I've also made a few for my own living room, since I LOVE bright colors in my house.

These are the first pillows I've made with bird shapes and the design and execution were challenging but also fun!

This fat chickadee is made of white, cream, grey and black felt with loads of machine stitching in shades of yellow, gold, a little orange, white, grey, black and cream. His bright eye is a glossy black metal snap.

The leaves and tree branches are all sewn with black thread.

This handsome goldfinch is made of layered felt in yellow and black with machine stitching in yellow, gold and white. His eye is also a black metal snap. I've embroidered the leaves and branches with black thread.

I was so pleased with the bird designs that I tried out a brand new fox pillow. I LOVE the way he came out!

So with the bird pillows, fox pillow, wreath pillows and tree pillows I completed gifts for my parents, sisters and niece and I had fun doing them.

Now the fam insists I list some of these designs in my Etsy shop and you know what? I guess I will.

Have an idea for a design with felt? Try it out yourself or even message me. I'd love to see if I could make a new design in felt appliques!

Colorful Leaf Pillows

Best most colorful leaf pillows EVER!

I made these for my daughter's new home and I love the way they came out!

 These are two of the four I've made her so far, and they are perfect for her red, gold and brown leather living room.

Her drapes are very similar to this fabric. I knew I didn't have coordinating fabric in my stash but I always have canvas and felt. 

And I loves me some nice curvy trees so I went full speed ahead. First I cut the square pillow tops of light colored canvas and added a backing of felt for stability and "heft."

  

From dark brown felt, I cut a tree trunk and curving branches design then sewed it down with machine  straight stitching in black thread.

From red, burgundy and gold colored felt I cut several dozen leaf shapes (enough for all four pillows) then pinned them in place. I sewed them down with black thread also. I added veins and small stems to each leaf and even added a few curving branch tips tin some places.

My aim was not a totally neat outline but lines like an ink sketch. I really like how the stitching gives the felt some neat dimension!

Ooh, I really like how bright and colorful these are! And the machine embroidery gives the leaves and trees such neat texture!

In this pair the trees and leaves are smaller and centered on the pillow cover.

She likes them. She likes them ALOT!

Now I need to make some for my own living room. I think some colorful turquoise and red leaf pillows would be perfect in there!

                                 

And the family is telling me I should add these to my Etsy shop. I've already developed a line of sweet shabby chic rosette pillow covers in there, so these pillow covers will be a nice addition!

What do you think?

Join me at these fun linky parties this week!

http://www.flamingotoes.com/2015/01/think-pink-sunday-no-198/

http://diyshowoff.com/2015/01/04/diy-party-34/

http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

http://www.pluckys-secondthought.com/

http://www.elizabethandcovintage.com/

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2015/03/whatever-goes-wednesday-260.html

http://www.simplenaturedecorblog.com/fabulous-friday-party-26/