West Elm Knock-Off...er...Inspiration

I got a hand-delivered invitation a few weeks ago for a Favorite Things Party. This is the first time I had heard of such a party, and it ended up being a lot of fun.

Here's how it works: each person brings their favorite thing (anything you like... your favorite food, lip gloss, favorite kitchen tool, etc.). It can't cost more than $6, and each person brings four of the same thing. When you arrive at the party, you write your name on a slip of paper and throw them in a big bowl. The bowl is passed around, and each person takes four names (making sure you don't pick your own). As names were picked the favorite things are introduced. Then each person goes home with four different items.

Even though I was given the invitation a couple weeks prior to the party, the procrastinator in me waited a bit too long to get on it. I love pillows so I had decided to make four pillows using this as inspiration.

West Elm Knotted Felt Pillow

When I told my husband about my idea he questioned whether I had enough time to make it (I decided to start making them just a couple days before the party). I said, "Of course, it can't be that hard"

Well as it turned out, my husband was right, and I ran out of time. I got two finished, the third just needed a zipper, and I had the fourth all cut out but not sewn. When my husband came home from work just a couple hours prior to the party he saw that I was stressed and a little panicked. He offered to run clear across town to Sherwin Williams to get a couple of my favorite products from their store. I was so grateful he didn't say, "I told you so." He's cool like that. 

Anyway, I'm really sad I didn't finish all of them in time for the party, but in reality I took something I probably love more than pillows: my favorite brush and paint pail.

This pillow was tricky to figure out. However, after making four of them I think I finally figured out the tricks and I'm going to share with you how you can make it look more like West Elm's than mine turned out. I do love the texture but to call mine a "knock-off" isn't very accurate. Here is a quick tutorial on how I made the pillows.

The amount recommended should make two 16" pillows. I know the West Elm has eight rows versus the six rows on my pillows. So you can adjust your measurements if you'd like more rows.

Materials:

• 1 1/2 yards of premium felt off of a large bolt (not craft felt but the little more expensive felt, it was about $7.99 a yard)--again, this will make two pillows. They do have wool felt which would work great; it's more expensive and comes in a smaller bolt. I didn't see the wool felt when I went shopping, otherwise that is probably what I would have bought.
• 14" zipper
• thread
• cutting board and cutting wheel (not necessary but very helpful)

1) Cut out four 18" squares.

2) Cut out 1/2-inch strips with remaining material. When cutting them out, be sure to maximize the length of the strips as opposed to cutting lots of short ones.

3) Divide your 18" x 18" square. Every three inches lightly draw a line with a fabric pencil. I actually used pins instead, but would recommend marking it to avoid poking yourself with the pins.

 

4) Arrange the strips on the pillow. For the first row you'll need to cut strips to form the loops. My strips were 3 1/2 inches long. The loop will meet halfway between the end of the square and the first pin (about 1 1/2 inches) as shown in the picture below.

You can choose how much space you want from loop to loop, but mine are about a 1/2 inch between each loop.

5) Sew the edge. I tried to stay as close to the edge as possible. 

6) Arrange the second row. Start your fabric a little past your first 3" mark, then lace it through the loops of the first row. You will need to double the length between each loop because you will sew right down the middle. Refer to the picture below.

When looping pull tighter than I did in the above picture. You want it to look more like the loops pictured below. Unfortunately it only took me to get to the last row of loops to figure it out. I would normally fix it but after making four of these pillow...I had had enough.

7) Sew right down the middle of the loops. You can mark the middle if you'd like, but I just eyeballed it.

Again, by pulling a little tighter on the loop you'll create the "knot" that is on West Elm's.

8) Repeat. Start the next row of loops the exact same way as the last but mirrored like so:

9) Repeat steps 6-8 until you get to the end. 

10) Arrange the last strip of loops like in steps 4 and 5.

11) Sew on zipper. I started writing a tutorial, but as I was writing it I decided to see if I could just find a video tutorial for you. I found a great one here.

12) Sew the front and back of pillow together. Sew right sides together as shown below. I sewed a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

13) Cut corners and turn right-side-out.

Here it is all finished, imperfectly hand-made, in a hurry.



Linking to:

Under the Table Dreaming 
Mop it up Monday 
I made the world cuter today