I had no idea there would be such an interest in making things with drop cloths in a home decor application, like slipcovers and curtains, but several readers seemed very excited about it.  I aim to please, so here it is! First of all, let me say that I was skeptical and hesitant to jump on the drop cloth bandwagon.  I have always made my slipcovers out of white cotton twill and you can purchase that for about $3.00/yard at Wal-Mart.  What finally pushed me to try making drop cloth slipcovers was a pair of wing chairs I wanted to cover that had a high contrast blue and white plaid fabric and it showed through my usual twill.  I needed something that was a heavier weight.  The drop cloth was my cheapest option. So, I went to Lowe’s and bought a couple of Finish Factor Canvas 8oz weight drop cloths. 

 This week has been a flurry of DIY activity in the Mustard Seed household and my guest room is almost completed.  This was a totally unexpected makeover that grew out of one idea, but aren’t those the best?  Here’s a little sneak peak for you… Such a tease, I know.  A makeover that started out with painting and construction soon called on my sewing skills.  I made these curtains with upholstery webbing trim… …and I made a coordinating ruffled pillow for the bed.  This is the tutorial I’m going to share with you today. First of all, measure the pillow you want to cover.  In my case, it was a standard bed pillow that measured 19×24″.  Measure and cut your fabric, making sure you leave about an inch seam allowance.  For my pillow I cut two 20×25″ pieces of fabric, one for the front and one for the back. For a

I’m not good at decorating marathons.  I’m much more of a sprinter.  I like projects that I can complete in a couple of hours, maybe days.  I don’t do months or years.  I want instant gratification, which is why I’m a painter, not a quilter.  So when I found a couple of unfinished needlepoints in my grandparent’s attic, I knew they were destined to a life where they would be rolled up in a closet, only to be stared at with good intentions every few months.  I received some huge 24″x24″ down pillows for Christmas that also remained unfinished due to my indecision about where to use them and how to cover them.  During my most recent session of staring at the needlepoints, I realized they were the perfect size for the pillows.  Could it work?  Does it matter that they’re unfinished?  The fabric was very stiff, smelly and dusty, so they