Simple Sewing Project ~ Making Brooch Pillows for Spring

As the season turns and I begin to think about my Spring wardrobe, a favourite pass time is organising my little collection of vintage brooches that might go with, or inspire new outfits. And I love to make these little brooch pillows to display the seasonal brooches I will be wearing.

It's a super, super simple and ever so quick little sewing project that needs little in the way of supplies ~ Just your general sewing kit and some scraps of fabric from your stash. The only additional 'ingredient' is some toy stuffing which you may or may not have to hand ~ I use it a lot so always have some in my sewing room.

Step 1 ~ Draw around your circle template with your fabric pencil and cut out your circles. I use this memento mori saucer I found when out treasure hunting in my local charity shops. Mine measures about 15 cms which makes the perfect size pillow, but if I were making for a bigger brooch, I would up the size of the template.

This is the perfect opportunity to use some favourite scraps of fabric and I like to use scraps of the fabrics that I've made things from and will be wearing. That way I can match the brooch to the outfit and have already styled my outfits!

Step 2 ~ With wrong side facing, turn a fine edge over towards you and with needle and thread, work a running stitch all the way around, turning over the edge as you go.

You can just work a running stitch all the way around the raw edge if you prefer, but this tends to make the finished pillow look a little messy to my mind.

Step 3 ~ Gently gather up the running stitches to make a little bowl shape and then stuff with filling. Make sure you get a nice plump and luxuriously filled pillow!

Secure your stitching ~ I like to run the stitches through all the way around before fastening off.

Et Voila, your brooch pillow is ready to be adorned by one of your treasured brooches! It really is a lovely little palette cleanser of a sewing project!

I filmed this as a tutorial a few moons ago and you can watch along to see in more detail how I made my brooch pillows~

I like to make a big pot of tea and select some sweet delights to nibble on whilst sewing. At the moment I'm loving rose and violet creams as they put me in mind of the sunny days to come and how beautiful gardens will be. And I listen to a podcast whilst I stitch ~ at the moment I'm enjoying Gone Medieval on History Hit. Such a wonderful way to spend a leisurely few moments of a weekend afternoon!

I really enjoy displaying my favourite brooches this way as I feel it shows them off to their best advantage and I must say a huge thank you to my dear friend Caroline who gave me this idea in the first place. She gave me a lovely gift of a brooch, cream doves flying, on a silk arsenic green pillow and it was just so beautiful. I decided to always do this for my brooches and I hope you enjoy this idea too, whether you make them for yourself or to display a gifted brooch on.

I'm about to start the enormous and slightly daunting task of changing out my seasonal wardrobe but these little brooch pillows are giving me the inspiration and motivation to get going!

I hope that this changing Season is inspiring you and there are joyful things on your horizon!

Tara x