Polo Shirts into Geometric Throw Pillows

It has been a long time since I posted regularly, so I'm playing catch-up on a few posts that I started at the end of the summer. My roommates and I have moved to a new house since then (more on that later) so most of the photos in this post were taken at the old place. I'll be showing you more of the new house as it comes together. In the meantime, here's a project with a little summer color to brighten up your winter days.

This past summer I found myself adoring the brightly colored and geometric pillows I saw in catalogs, blogs, and stores. And though I love the classic, baroque pattern of the throw pillows on our couch, they are a little heavy and dark looking for the warmer months.

So I went to…guess where? Yes. The thrift store. And I picked up four extra large striped men's polo shirts. As I was checking out the cashier said, "Look at all these pretty shirts you're getting. Men don't know how good they have it when we do the shopping for them." Little did she know that the shirts would be maimed, not worn.

I made sure all the pillows had white stripes, but I also made sure there was some variety in stripe width and spacing. I chose only large and extra large shirts - better to have too much material than too little.

I'm not going to be giving any sewing advice, because I am an absolute beginner (as in, it still takes me a few tries to thread my machine). That being said, the gist of the process was this: I measured each pillow and matched them to the shirts that would accommodate them best in either length or height. I marked the dimensions of each pillow on the shirt and cut it to size. I sewed three sides and most of the fourth, stuffed in the pillow, and finished the remaining side with a slip stitch.

And the result is four custom throw pillows full of summer brightness.

Despite the obstacle of my beginner's sewing skills, this project was easy enough that I'm considering changing my pillows each season, to match the latest trends. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for inspiration.