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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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How-to: Awesomely Easy Living Room Accessories

July 6, 2011 Leave a Comment

It’s been just about two months since the hubs and I moved to Chicago from Lansing, MI. For most of that time, we’ve been doing a lot of … begrudging living in our living room. Brown wood floors, brown area rug, brown shelves, brown blinds, and a dark orange couch were the source of all of the begrudgery. I decided that some complementary, un-neutral colors were very much in order.

I found some nice fabric at JoAnn’s that was actually inspired by Colonial Williamsburg. This isn’t the exact fabric I used, but it’s close. Bonus: JoAnn’s had all home decor fabric 50% off this weekend. There were two ugly old pillows and a bit of foam lying around my craft room, so I thought I’d use them to create pillows and a bench cushion.

The go-to pattern I use when making pillows, dog beds, duvet covers, and basically anything rectangular and relatively flat is this: Measure your form’s length and width. Double each measurement and add 4-5 inches to ONE of the measurements and 1 inch to the other. Cut your fabric to this size. If you’ve got a 16×16″ pillow, you would cut a 36×33″ rectangle. The 4-5 inches allows your fabric to overlap and form a no-closure opening through which your pillow form (or other rectangular object) can fit inside the cover. The 1 inch provides seam allowance for the sides of the pillow. If you want a looser pillow or have a really fat pillow, you can always add more allowance to both measurements.

Sew a rolled hem along the shorter side of your fabric. Lay your hemmed fabric wrong side down on a work surface. Using your rectangular object/pillow form as a gauge, fold your fabric over like you’d fold a piece of paper before stuffing it in an envelope. Pin in place. If you cut your fabric with the selvage on one side, you can sew it so it’s hidden. Check out the pics to see how I used the selvage to my advantage. 

Sew along each side, and you’re done! Just turn the piece inside out and stuff your rectangular form inside it.  Seriously – memorize the pattern I used here, especially if you’re like me and not an experienced sewer. I was able to improve my blah living room in like 45 minutes. 

 

Filed Under: Home Decor, How-to Tagged With: colonial wiliamsburg, cushion, diy, foam, home decor, pattern, pets, Sewing

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

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Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
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A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
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See you in a couple weeks! ✌🏻#handsoccupied #knitdesign #craftdesign #sofadedsweater
Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
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Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
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rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
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Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
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Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
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