The Pillow that Lived Happily Ever After

Sometime last year, I was browsing my favorite sewing blog, Sewing in No Man’s Land, when I came across a throw pillow that she had copied from the beloved store Anthropologie.  At the time the blogger, Kelly Crawford and I had one thing in common.  Neither of us were close to an Anthropologie store, so she decided to make her own version using a velvet pillow cover from IKEA and homemade colorful pom poms.

I loved that pillow.  It was so cheerful,  and colorful, and happy.  So I went looking about for some white or off white velvet.  It was no where to be found.  I browsed online, only to be frustrated once again by the exorbitant shipping prices to Alaska.  So out of desperation, I did something I had done in previous desperation, I asked my dear cousin who lives in Oregon to go to IKEA to buy that silly velvet pillow form and send it to Alaska.

Anthro Pom-Pom Pillow 2

We may live in the largest state of the Union, but we also have the greatest shortage of a variety of stores.  Sometimes, it feels like we live overseas.  I literally save up money when I leave the state to go to Bath & Body Works, Anthropologie, TJ Maxx, Pottery Barn, Macy’s, and the list could go on.  There’s only so much you can do with WalMart and Sportsman’s Warehouse (we have a few others, but you get the point)….

So anyhow, my sweet cousin sent me the pillow sham.  I was so excited!!! My summer camping project; for when I sit cold inside on those rainy summer days (which is frequent in Alaska camping), would be making darling little pom poms for two pillows.  It took me all summer, and I finished them.

Anthro Pom-Pom Pillow 6

I then had to take my huge pillow sham (it was 26×26 — that’s all the IKEA had) and cut it down to a 20×20.  I replaced the piping and added the pom poms.  I finished it, finally, almost a year later.  And I put it on my couch and thought, “that isn’t me.”  So I was a little disturbed at this point, because I had spent how many hours making this silly pillow, and sent my cousin to IKEA in Oregon to mail it to Alaska.  And now instead of glee, I was frustrated.  It just looked bohemian, and I am a total French Country girl.

Anthro Pom-Pom Pillow 5

So I got this brilliant beyond brilliant idea.  I could ask my Bohemian-loving sister who lives in Australia if she liked it.  So I snapped a professional iPhone photo and imessaged a casual, “hey, what do you think of this?”  She wrote back that it was her favorite Boho pillow she had ever seen!  Suddenly, my load was light, and I knew this pillow that had started in Oregon, been made in Alaska, inspired by a blog written in Paris, was going to Australia, and it would live happily every after.

Anthro Pom-Pom Pillow 1

I am happy to say, I have seen the pillow via Skype, and it looks quite content in it’s tropical environment.  I’m so glad it found a good home, because while it was everything I hoped it would be, it belongs in Australia with my sister.

Thanks again for stopping by!