Preppy Projects Week: Blazer Pillow

The two-button blazer is a staple to any classy wardrobe.  

This iconic and beautiful piece of clothing has {finally} found its way into home decor.

I created this blazer pillow in under an hour and it was incredibly simple.  

This is an easy project for sewing beginners, so do not let it intimidate you.

Materials
Blazer (I bought a men's blazer from Goodwill)
Pillow (I used an ugly throw pillow from when we bought our couch - Upcycle!)
Tie (I used tie scraps from the Tie Pillow)
Sewing Machine
Scissors
Pins

Instructions
1.  Evaluate your jacket.  How wide is it?  How long is the usable material ("usable"=material with minimal gaps)?  My pillow was the exact width of the blazer so I didn't have to sew four sides - just two.  My pillow is 18"x18".  If you want a smaller pillow, try looking for a smaller blazer.  

2.  Button up the jacket and turn inside out.  Mine had some sweet satin lining and awesome stains.

3.  Pin along the bottom of your jacket.  Take care to pin through all layers.  Some blazers can be quite thick and neglecting to pin all the way through will cause bunching when sewing. Once done, measure and then pin along the top.  I had a bit of a gap where the lapels come down to meet - but don't fret, I have a plan for that!

4.  Measure the distance between your pins.  Make any necessary adjustments.  And measure again.  Remember, measure twice, cut once.  Once you are comfortable with your measurements, cut off the top of the jacket.  I had the pleasure of cutting right below the armpit {stains}. 

5.  Most, if not all, blazers/suit jackets have a opening on the lower back.  Stitch this up using matching thread.  Doing it now will ensure your stitches are hidden when the pillow is completed.

6.  Run through your sewing machine.  Two quick straight lines.  Do not forget to reverse stitch at the beginning and end of each straight line. 

 7.  Once all stitched up, turn right side out.  Unbutton the front and stuff in the pillow... button back up!

 8.  Apply a few stitches at the joining point of the lapels to make sure your pillow doesn't fly open and give everyone a free show.

 9.  Cut your tie scrap to size and stitch into gap in pillow.  Take care to hide stitches. 

 And you're done!  

Quick - Easy - Inexpensive

Don't forget to check back the rest of the week for THREE MORE preppy projects!