Every so often I see a kit that I think might be cute and easy to make. Something I could quickly make for a Christmas present or "just because" type present. Something that would make a great seasonal git. Such was the case with the "Recipe for a Snowman Pillow - Cross Stitch Kit" from Pine Mountain designs.
What drew my attention to the pillow kit was the pillow sham was pre-sewn.A definite time saver when you're as busy as I am. So, I bought it and decided to give it a try.
The "Recipe for a Snowman Pillow - Cross Stitch Kit" came in a resealable heavier plastic bag and contained the pre-sewn pillow sham, DMC floss, button decorations, tapestry needle, and instructions. The pre-sewn pillow was a combination of rectangular cotton strips surrounding a rectangular burlap piece that would be embroidered upon.
The cross-stitch chart and symbols were in black and white and easy to follow. The instructions, cross-stitch chart, and symbol key were all contained on the front side of a single piece of paper. Definitely an indication that this would be a fairly easy pillow to do.
The instructions called for a 10" x 16" pillow form to be inserted through the opening in the back. I went to a local Joanns store to buy my pillow but was unable to find a 10" x 16" pillow form. All they had were 12" x 16" pillow forms. So, I bought the 12" x 16" pillow form and crossed my fingers that it would work.
I had to insert my embroidery hoop back through the back opening of the pillow sham in order to attach my embroidery hoop so I could embroider the burlap section of the front of the pillow. Using the pre-sewn pillow sham saved a lot of time in putting the pillow together, but added a little time to the embroidery process as you had to make sure you didn't catch the thread in the pillow back fabric.
The "Christmas Delights" kit was easy to do and I completed in in 10 1/2 hours. Like my "Christmas Delights" pillow concern I do think the burlap fabric chosen for this kit could have been of a tighter weave. It was very loose and I still have concerns as to how well this will hold up over time.
As was the case with the "Christmas Delights" pillow when it came to inserting my 12" by 16" pillow form into the back having my fingers crossed didn't help. It was too big and the back opening didn't close as the pillow sham kit had intended. It was bulging at the back opening. As I had already bought the pillow form for this project and the project was already completed I really didn't want to have to hunt for a 10" by 16" pillow form. So, I added a velcro strip that I sewed on to the sides of the back opening and closed my pillow sham. It worked and I have a full plump pillow which over time will deflate a little.
My pillow came out fine despite a few pillow form adjustments as you can see from the picture above and picture below. It will make a darling Christmas gift or seasonal gift for someone. I'm not sure who that will be at this point? Hmmm....
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