My Handmade Christmas: Kari's Pillow

Ok, back to my handmade Christmas review. I was inspired by Lil Blue Boo's post here and decided to use that same technique to make a pillow for Kari. Kari and I met in Sicily and became good friends (obviously or I wouldn't be making her a gift!). Together we explored the island during our weekly "Adventure Days," as we came to call them. We did everything from staying the night in a convent to wild asparagus picking -- with lots of wine tasting in between. All in all, it was great fun. On one particular day we ventured to a town specifically to "research" the goods at a chocolate shop I had read about. As always, we skirted in just before riposo, the afternoon break and closing. Before they could kick us out though we managed to grab a couple of goodies, including this biscotti tin (filled with cookies).

This past summer I made outdoor curtains with painter's drop cloths. I happened to have an extra cloth which I've been cutting up into various projects (including Mahlon's Luke Skywalker costume at Halloween). The fabric was the perfect weight for Kari's pillow. The first thing I did was scan a side of the biscotti tin. I made a reverse image on the computer and then printed it onto Inkjet transfer paper. Next, I ironed the image onto a piece of fabric, trimmed the sides, and then stitched the whole piece onto the top piece of my pillow.

While Kari and I were in Sicily we shared a column titled, Cin Cin. One week she would write about wine and the following week I would write about food. So, next up was a freezer paper stencil with "Cin Cin." I thought the pillow needed something a little 3 dimensional and organic. The carved coconut buttons fit the bill perfectly.

I knew she would 'get' Cin Cin but wasn't sure if she would know what the image was. I should know better than to underestimate her though, she didn't even have to think about it. Brava, Kari!


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Other things I made for Christmas:
Super Hero Capes