Photo Pillow Sham!

This is a project that I had started a while ago, back in early March actually, but I wasn't able to get back to it until now. It is going to be a Mother's Day gift for my grandmother, and I didn't want to be working on it the day before... so it was starting to stress me out a bit that it wasn't finished. (And since my Grandma isn't online, I think it's safe to share here early.  Anyone who knows both me AND my grandma... mums the word!!!)  As my sewing skills (I hesitate to even use the word skills) are self-taught and more of a learn-as-I-go sort of process, I wasn't even sure how long it would take me to complete. Thankfully, I had some great instructions in a book by Donna Downey, Fabric Scrapbooking.  (It's part of a 'Yes, It's a Scrapbook Series' of books that I really enjoy, I actually have three more: Creative Albums, Photo Decor, and Decorative Journals -- all by the same author.)



The project I was doing was the Photo Pillow Sham.  Since this is for my grandmother, I found pictures of all her great-grandchildren to include -- my two kids, my sister's two boys and my cousin's two girls.  I printed the photos out on colorfast sew-in inkjet fabric sheets.  That was the part that I had finished for a while now, I just hadn't gotten around to the sewing it all together part.  But I'm happy to say, that I started working on it today and was able to finish it!!!  I even had to run some errands, get supper ready, play chauffeur to/from school events, laundry and help with homework and STILL was able to finish it even with my very limited sewing skills.  So all in all, I count it as a success.  I especially love the fact that it was a sham, so I was able to do all the sewing on my machine and not have to hand sew the last seam or anything.

And yes, I was using some of Close To My Heart's very own textiles: I used the Black Damask print from the For Always Textiles with the Buttercup Polka-dot from the Chantilly Textiles with the Black with white script from the For Always Textiles for the back.

Here is a closeup of one of the pictures of my kiddos on the pillow sham:



It's pretty neat - the pictures turned out really well I thought.  I'm very pleased with the final project.  Now I'm anxious to try some other projects in that book!  There is an Accordion Album, Ribbon-Hinge Album, and an Altered Canvas Tote that I have sticky noted, just to name a few.  So nice to get another project on the To Do list finished!

Hope you like it!
Dani