PILLOW TALK

Having an old Singer sewing machine in my lounge has been a good reminder to bust out my 'actual' sewing machine. I am dreaming of the day when I have room to have it set up permanently. But until then, it has to stay stored away in the cupboard... where I sometimes forget about it! I am an extremely AMATEUR sewer. I only know the basics and I just make it up as I go along... I'm in desperate need of a lesson. So these wee pillows are nice and easy.

You'll need: A pillow inner, fabric, a sewing machine or needle and thread, pinking shears, pins, cardboard and fabric paint.

1. Place your fabric face-down and put your pillow inner on top. Fold the fabic up to the half way mark on the inner. Fold back an extra 80mm or so of the fabric.

2. Fold the rest of the fabric over the inner. Make sure there is a decent amount of overlap as this is where you get your inner in and out of the pillow case. Fold back the excess fabric like you did in step one.

3. Pin the fabric so that the inner is nice and snug within the pillow case. Take out the inner.

4. Sew (or stitch) where you have pinned. Once done it will look like the above picture. Trim the excess.

5. Fold the pillow case inside out. Volia! You now have a pillow case... But now for the fun part!

6. Slide some cardboard into your pillow case. This is so the fabric paint doesn't leek through to the back of your pillow case.

7. Paint until your heart is content!

8. Once the paint is touch dry put a sheet of baking paper over your design and iron the pillow case. Put your pillow inner back in and your done!