January ~ Pillow Project

Hola!  Did you miss me?  haha! :)  It was nice to take a break (mostly!) from computer-related stuff.   I think it was the right thing to do; finding "new normal" is tricky. 

I'm not much of a 'resolver' for the New Year.  I've never been one, but I do love to have goals...they just aren't typically tied to a holiday!  Normally, I just wait until the mood strikes (read:  I've put something off as long as I humanly can) and I'm ridiculously reflective by nature (it's exhausting, really) so the mood strikes fairly often.

This year, though, I did make an official New Year's List of Shit To Do (oh!  related:  resolution number one is to increase casual swearing).  There are lists by category, then within category by month, then within month by project.  Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE A LIST?  Because seriously, I even got a new rainbow notepad in which to write all these lists.  Be still my heart.

Anyway, January, under the category homemaking (shut up), I have a pillow case refresh on the bill.  There are five pillows on our bed.  There are usually four people in our bed.  Three pillows are in cases, the other two were tragically naked.  Not only were they tragically naked, but they were frightening to look at.  They don't bother me in the least, because I know they're clean (they've been through the washer, with vinegar to rinse, and line dried) but they definitely do not look clean.  They've been dragged to camp-outs, if that gives you any idea of what we're dealing with here.

So, on my list for January is to get a set of pillow cases together for these extra pillows.  Our sheet sets have enough for two of the pillows; Erik has a pillow with a flannel case (decorated with fish) that he won't let me touch (because it's perfect); and that leaves us with two naked, ugly pillows. 

On Saturday morning, Tommy had his first baseball practice (OH MY GATO, seriously) and it was thankfully sunny, and not too cold for once, and I sat there for two hours and added the crocheted edging to two pillow cases from the stack Gram gave me.  So sweet!  I love it.

Oh, but then, you know, it didn't fit.  So I was going to just buy new pillows (you can get them for like five bucks each) but then, I would just have to throw these into the landfill.  Like I said, I know they're clean, but it's not like I could give them to somebody else to use.  I promise you, no matter how good they smelled, or how much you like me, you would not use these pillows. 

 So, I figured I had nothing to lose...I cut open the end of the pillow, not really sure what I would find there, but knowing that if worse came to worse, I'd end up throwing out the experiment and, net/net, I'd be no worse or better off than before.

I cut off a fourth of the length by removing batting, then trimmed the (now) excess fabric, folded under, and sewed along the edge.

And they look smashing in their new clothes!  I know I only saved ten bucks.  Well, I also saved the money of buying new cases, by dolling up the hand-me-downs from my grandma.  So let's call it $15 saved.  Probably not worth it JUST to save money.  But, it was a really satisfying and quick project,  even with the eye-rolling and mocking I had to endure from Erik.  :)