Nautical Pillows for the Deck

As summer draws to a close,

time spent on our back deck becomes more cherished.

That's why I jumped at the opportunity

to stitch up some fabulous nautical pillows,

using these awesome prints from Terry's Fabrics!

Terry's Fabrics

has a vast selection of fabrics,
so it wasn't easy to choose between them.

 I had THE BEACH on my mind, so

my search for a focus fabric ended as soon as I discovered

this awesome nautical beach hut print.

I mixed in some fun coordinates:

an ocean blue geometric floral,

some sandy gingham, and fun beach-ball dots.

When I saw the fabrics in person,

I was delighted with the way my choices coordinated!

The prints were actually much larger than I had pictured them...

especially the dots...but that was a GREAT thing!

The quality is superior, and the fabrics were

highly cooperative, with no stiffness or tendency to fray.

All of my prints were home dec weight, except the gingham,

which was a lighter weight, more like quilter's cotton,

but woven...not printed.

I chose to use the gingham for my pillow backings,

and it worked perfectly, since I like to add a layer of

Pellon ShapeFlex SF 101 fusible interfacing anyway.

{I used my own tutorial for the backings, found here.}

I kept the pillow top designs simple,

letting the fabrics play together in similar, 

but different strip sets, for the two pillows.

I stuffed my pillow forms inside,

and they were all set for picnics on the deck.

{I love the way the covers take up almost no space at all for winter storage,

and I can use the pillow forms for other covers.}

Beach huts, umbrellas, and bunting...

checks, stripes and dots...

just about all of my favorites are represented!

Terry's Fabrics is my favorite new find of the summer,

helping me to decorate my outdoor space.

Hmm...wouldn't the scraps make

the cutest beach tote???