Update your pillow-scape with three pretty pillows in a cornucopia of color and pattern. We started with a full Fat Quarter Bundle, selecting 13 pieces to blend together into three different pillow shapes: one square, one rectangle, and one bolster. That means we still had 27 fat quarters left to play with when done. Combining different sizes and shapes is a great way to add instant interest to your décor. And with so many beautiful quilting cotton collections out there, this trio gives you a wonderful way to use some of your favorites in one easy patchworking project. 

The most popular fabric in the realm of rustic is burlap. Believe it or not, this coarse fabric, more traditionally known for bagging coffee beans than bedecking elegant tabletops, is the hottest ticket out there when it comes to adding some trendy texture. Part of the reason behind this is how many options are available in burlaps today – both in density (the coarseness of the weave) as well as color. Yep... burlap is not just brown anymore. We've come up with a beautiful design for a simple table runner made of two layers of burlap joined with decorative stitching and highlighted with a splash of luxurious silk. We show it as wedding décor, but it's lovely for a variety of occasions. Burlap, like many specialty fabrics, comes in very wide widths. The burlaps we found at Fabric.com ranged from 47" to 60" wide with the most common width being 60". This means you can cut a number of strips from each piece.

Window coverings seem to be one of our most basic needs. As soon as you get some sort of shelter, you're looking for a way to cover the windows for privacy. In college, I simply used push-pins to hold a sheet across my apartment's bedroom window. I let it hang down at night, and during the day I held it back with a binder clip from my Economics textbook. Not very stylish, but at least it blocked the view of the dumpsters. Now I know window coverings are a great DIY project; and simple enough for the beginning sewer. Straight edges. Simple, straight stitches. The individual steps couldn't be easier. But even the most basic curtain project can go awry without some good planning. And the most important part of that planning is knowing how to take proper measurements.