Sewing up a Patriotic Pillow Today to Mark the 2 yr. Anniversary of this Little Blog!!

Today is a little milestone for me.  It marks the 2 year anniversary of this little blog.  It has given me great pleasure to get to know so many of you.  I have loved the wonderful comments and appreciated every single person who has bothered to take a peek at thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com.  There is a very special place in my heart for all of you who follow this blog and I really have become more thoughtful about this than I ever anticipated when it was started.

I didn't know how to mark today and so I asked my sister Linda, my next door neighbor Doris, and my best and dearest friend Diane for suggestions.  We kicked around a few things as women will do and patriotism seemed to be the winning topic.  I suspect with all of the troubles in this world, the upcoming election, and the disastrous state of the current economy it makes sense  to stop and examine our loyalty and perspective.

Websters Dictionary tells us a patriot is one who loves and defends his country.

Doris had made a lovely little "prayer" pillow about 4" x 4" to commemorate the tragedy of 9/11.  I was inspired to piece together a patchwork pillow top centering around the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and remembered I had saved some fabric with the pledge written across it.

Since this pledge was to be the center of the pillow I looked for additional scraps to piece the squares and came up with enough red, white. and blue to put one together.  I would like to tell you I measured and calculated but that would be a lie.  I just stacked up the colors I was going to use on the cutting board and placed the fabric with the pledge on top,  pulled out the straight edge rule I use as a cutting guide and cut a stack of rectangles. 

Next I monkeyed around with them until I found a pattern I liked.  Meanwhile I got out the ironing board and steam iron and cranked them up.  All systems are go now!  I cannot sew without a hot iron and the ironing board.  Call me crazy but dear old Ruth Sproat who was my Home Economics teacher and 4-H leader all those many years ago taught us right.  At least for the time.  I don't have a clue what they teach now.  Well anyway I am totally neurotic about pressing seams open, trimming seams, trimming threads as I go, and back-stitching.  As you can see I pressed everything and I trim as I go.

After joining the sides of the blocks and pressing them I had 3 rows of blocks to join and the top was complete.

 Next I embellished with a bit of eyelet ruffle by basting it right side facing down onto the right side of the pillow top with the raw edges together.  I sewed about 1/8" from the raw edge,  Next I pinned on the back side of the pillow right sides together matching the corners and edges and sewed right inside the line of baste stitching  leaving a 7" opening in the center of one side.  Be sure you don't leave a corner open as you will create problems for yourself that way.  Be sure to back-stitch both sides of the opening as it will have to endure the stress of your hand stuffing in the pillow form or batting, whichever you may choose. 

Turn the pillow right side out and push open the corners.  Stuff your pillow with your choice of fillers.  Pin the opening together turning the right sides under.  Hand stitch the opening closed and you are finished with the pillow.

I want to also thank all who serve now or have in the past served this country,  I thank their families for their sacrifice.

I encourage each and every citizen to get out and vote in the upcoming primaries and the general election.  Many have passed before us and much blood was shed and sacrifice made that we may do so.  God Bless America.