Monday, June 11, 2012

Pillow Talk

The problem: old pillows didn't go with new quilt on the wall
OK, so I'm guilty of luring you in to today's blog with a racy title, "Pillow Talk"...sorry if it's not what you thought, but I do have a confession: I'm terrible at choosing throw pillows. Curtains, too, but that's a whole other subject. I've never been happy with my throw pillows, except of course the ones Mom made.

Don't laugh! I actually thought this pillow would work. It didn't.
I considered making pillows, but ended up taking the easy way out. Pier One and Target were having sales, and I found several candidates online. There was one with blue and green leaves from Pier One, and there were other, more colorful florals I considered. There was also a striped pillow and a blue and white floral from Target.

I like this striped pillow, but four of them were too much for the room.
I liked this one, but there were only two and I really wanted four
One of the challenges of getting new throw pillows is to incorporate at least one of Mom's needlepoint pillows in the mix. I like eclectic, but even my favorite pillows from Mom don't always work. The quilt has a lot of color, and there were a few possibilities among the "Mom" pillows. The ones I ended up liking best were a pair of pillows Mom had made a long time ago. One has a dragon, and the other has an elephant.

I'm thinking, "Am I just weird, or will this actually work?"
L.O.L. - I'm so confused!
I ended up liking the blue and white floral pillows best, and I needed two more, so I went to another Target. It was really weird, because the store was in a different location, but it was exactly the same, and I found the pillows in the exact same spot. There were three, and I left one for some other lucky soul who may be in the same dilemma. It's kind of amusing to think you have to go to two stores to get four matching pillows, but they have a small number of each item on display. Maybe they keep more out back, but I wasn't about to stick around at the first Target to find out. It reminded me of the "People of Walmart" video.

I went with the two-tone floral, plus one of the striped and two from Mom
The funny thing about the blue and white pillows is they don't really match any of the colors in the quilt, but they do have kind of an updated mod look, even if they're more tame than some of the others. They may work with other quilts, but we'll see. I threw in one of the striped ones, for fun, and added two "Mom" pillows: the elephant and the dragon. Talk about eclectic!

So, how did I do? Pass, or fail? Too safe? Just right? And what would you have done? All throw pillow choosing tips and secrets welcome. I'm guess I'm as satisfied as I'll ever be, for now, but next time a new quilt goes up on the wall, it'll probably be the same struggle all over again.

18 comments:

  1. "It doesn't have to match, it just has to go." Those are the famous words I heard on the TV show "What not to Wear"

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    1. Love that show. Haven't seen it in a long time, though.

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  2. Lovely pillows, but I was hoping for info on the quilt! I went back a bunch of posts but couldn't find anything on your blog. Is it a Pine Burr quilt? I've been looking for a tutorial or pattern on one but no luck so far. Did you make it? It's gorgeous!

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    1. The info on the quilt is here:

      http://willywonkyquilts.blogspot.com/2012/02/flea-market-find.html

      It's a 1960s/70's double-knit polyester hexagon diamond quilt, unknown maker, found at a flea market in Tigard, Oregon.

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  3. I'm a horrible decorator, so all in all I'd say you did good. Love the pillows from your mom!

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    1. I'm OK with basics, but terrible with accessories.

      There was a show on HGTV a while ago, just a one-episode thing, and it was like a top 40 list of design mistakes. Fake plants were high on the list, so I got rid of all the fake plants. I also toned down the clutter and single-theme collection, which at the time happened to be fish-shaped objects. I've done fairly well at hiding cords, but the office curtains are still too short. LOL! But really, I need a show like that every day, or at least once a week.

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  4. I like a much more eclectic approach to pillows on a couch. And, I like more pillows than 1 or 2 in each corner. Pillows, for me, have history like quilts. Just this spring I took a bunch of my older wallhangings and turned them into pillows. Best pillows ever!

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    1. You'd like my living room couch better. It has more pillows. But I don't use that room as much. I tend to keep fewer pillows on the seating I'm using, because I end up wrestling with the throw pillows if there are too many. Most pillows come and go, but I've held on to every one Mom has made.

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    2. As you should! My son is very protective of the quilts I have given him through the years. Moms appreciate that!

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  5. I have so many pillows, we have pillow fights when it's time for everyone to sit down. Only adds so much to the fun.

    This looks fabulous...do not doubt it one single minute more!!

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  6. hmm, not much personality in the pillows, except for Mom's of course. most of the quilts you collect are out of the ordinary and fun. of course you want the attn on the quilt... hmm. here are some fun ones: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62678777/orange-cone-dog or a custom Boo pillow from the same artist.

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  7. You asked.
    I would have gone with cream cushions ( here, a pillow is what you rest your head on in bed). That way the quilt is the star with no competition from other things in the room.
    Just my tuppence worth ( or 2c in American, lols).

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    1. I've tried cream pillows on those sofas in the past, but it wasn't working. Blended in too much, fell flat. The pillow tango is really a way to dance around the real issue - wrong color fabric chosen for the couches. Wish I could snap my fingers and change that. :)

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  8. So ..... What exactly is the size of those store-bought throw pillows???

    Just asking.

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  9. Your pillows work fine. I like high contrast. I would have gone with a darker blue (matching the quilt or a color I don't really care for. Orange (60 burnt orange)

    You pulled out some of the color with the striped pillows. Larger stripes would add texture.

    But the reason I like yours is it is more calming than what would be at my house. It is chaos.

    Looks good.

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  10. The pillow arrangement etc is way to matchy matchy.... and the striped pillow looks like it came off the screened in porch. those sofas are long and the pillow balance is tiny....

    But what I really noticed are mom's pillows..... are those Maggie Lane designs???? I loved her work and have/had many of her books....

    Good luck on the next pillow arrangement....

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