Beaux R'eves

Monday, October 27, 2014

Pillows for the Mountain House and Homemade Pillow Inserts

I gave you a peak at my pillows 
for the mountain house on Thursday.  
We flew up to the house this time 
instead of driving the eleven hours.  
I had a ton of things that I wanted to bring 
up here, but I could only bring 
what I could pack into my suitcase.  
I packed the pillow covers and a few other things.  
I thought that I could buy some pillow inserts 
in Denver on the drive up the mountain.  
We stopped at JoAnn's but we struck out.  
We tried several stores here in the Dillon, 
Frisco, Sliverthorne area, but it was still a no go.  
We hit Walmart, Target, BBB, thrift stores, and nothing.  
I just refused to pay a lot of money 
for inserts for pillow covers 
that only cost me a few dollars apiece to sew.  
So, I decided to construct my own 
pillow inserts out of feather pillows 
from Target and pillow protectors.  
A standard pillow measures 20"X28". 
The pillows were about $10 each 
and I figured I could get at least one 
and a half out of each pillow.  
The pillow protectors were $4 for two. 
The great thing about the pillow protectors 
is that they have a zipper at the end.  
Makes it SEW easy!
I measured 20" and drew a mark for cutting.
To minimize the feather mess 
I put the pillow protector on the pillow 
all the way up to the mark 
before I started cutting 
and placed a trash bag 
on the other end of the pillow 
to catch the excess feathers.  
I just zipped up the pillow protector 
and folded over the extra portion 
and placed it into my pillow cover!  
Easy solution and it probably cost less 
than buying an insert.  
I could have used a regular pillow 
with polyester, 
but I really like the way that feather inserts 
feel, and the shape that they have.  
Besides, you can only make those 
great Karate chops with the feather inserts! 
I love all of the fabrics together.  
I found these two wool blankets 
at an Estate Sale on Thursday for $10 each.  
Perfect for the Mountains!
And they match the back 
of my pretty toile pillow!  
I used the envelope pillow style
because they are so easy to make 
and easy to take off and wash if needed.  
It's a nice change for Fall and Winter 
without spending a lot of money.  
It makes me happy to be able 
to come up here and make a few changes 
and make it all pretty! 
 Of course the prettiest views are outside! 


Sharing at:
What We Accomplished Wednesday @ Green Willow Pond
Swing Into Spring Wednesday @ DIY by Design 
Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
Home Sweet Home @ 
The Charm of Home
Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch To Yours 



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Susan' Hearts and Flowers said...

Your pillows are beautiful. I love your creativity in using the pillows to make inserts.

Anonymous said...

You are truly the smartest one! What a clever idea. I love this and may have to copy your project! Pretty fabrics on your pillows too.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

NanaDiana said...

Those look great, Cindy. I do that all the time with pillow inserts, too,...but I quick stitch two lines where I want to make the cut and then cut between the lines. No mess at all! I have actually thought I should do a quick little post/tutorial on just that. Your views inside AND out are gorgeous- xo Diana

Shenita @ Embellishments by SLR said...

Your pillows look beautiful, Cindy! That was such a clever idea! I am sure the views are stunning there now.

mrsben said...

Very pretty and resourceful! I actually wanted to take a peek as to the method you used for stuffing the inserts with feathers as years ago when my Mother passed away I inherited a large number of .... feathered bedding pillows.

After some research and a call to a cousin of mine who owns a chain of dry cleaning stores, it was easy to self restore/renew them rather than pay $50.00 for each. The method: Encase the original pillow in another zippered case and toss two into your washing machine. (This is to balance the drum.) Add about a capful of dishwashing detergent or a laundry detergent that you use for woolens and run them through a normal cycle, ensuring a double rinse. Remove; insert in dryer and toss in a few tennis balls for good measure. Run through a normal drying cycle and repeat if necessary until you feel confident that the feathers are completely dry. Remove from both casingS and transfer them to plastic bags or similar until you are ready to recycle them. This method is used for goose, down, chicken etc.

Apologize for the long-winded comment, but I thought my tip might be appreciated by yourself and your readers. -Brenda-

-Lisa said...

How brilliant are you?!! I am always doing 'work arounds' to save money when I know there is a better solution. It all adds up and creative ideas like this are a big pay off. How lucky are you to have a vacation home too? I love it.
Found you via Stone Gable The Scoop, we were at the same party .
Fondly,
-Lisa

Pat@Life At Lydias House said...

What a great idea for an affordable way to make feather inserts. I recently ran across some ugly pillows on clearance at Homegoods for $10 but they had feather inserts so I bought them just for the inserts. I don't know why I haven't thought of that sooner.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Love the pillows, so pretty and your room is gorgeous too. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.

pogonip said...

Great idea for affordable feather cushions. And your idea of using the cover to contain the inevitable explosion of feathers was smart! I've heard Ikea also has feather cushions but I think you beat their price by buying the pillows. Let me just say that my most recent pillows came from a thrifted and very cheap down jacket--and What A Mess (but dreamily soft so worth it). But I'm trying feathers next time!

Sarah said...

You are one very clever lady! I'm going to remember this idea.
You certainly have a wonderful mountain retreat.

Kameel huise tussen spore said...

Pillows pillows love what you have done!
Lots of blessings from South Africa

Pura Vida said...

very clever..I only like down inserts too...wish I could sew!

Unknown said...

Love, love the floral fabrics . Just beautiful... Do you mind sharing where you purchased those gorgeous fabrics.

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

LOVE all those fabrics...pretty pretty pillows!

Monica said...

I am remember this....great post.

Julie said...

I love your mix of fabrics together. You've inspired me to get bolder with my pattern mixing :) And that outdoor view is breathtaking!

The Charm of Home said...

Your pillows look great! It is always nice to have some soft pillows in the living room. Thanks for joining Home Sweet Home!
Sherry

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