Handmade Mother's Day

I like to give my mom a little something handmade each year for Mother's Day. Sometimes I've made something she's loved, and other times I can tell she isn't very thrilled. So, I always make sure to have a small back up gift in case the handmade one doesn't flip her lid.

This year I think she'll really like what I've created. It's safe for me to go ahead and post about it because she never remembers how to get to my blog. So, take a peek and tell me what you think...

Here is a link to the muslin ruffled pillow tutorial that I found online before Christmas. I actually started making this pillow as a Christmas gift, but I ran out of time. If you check out the link you'll notice that I modified the end result just a smidge, but it was for good reason.

You see the strip of fabric squares in the center? There is a very sweet little story behind adding those in. You see, my great-granny (Mom's granny) used those bits of fabric to make clothing a long, long time ago. Granny taught me how to sew on her machine using those very squares. Granny gave me the blocks we had created together years ago, and they've just been languishing in my craft stash.

This year I decided to put some of the vintage fabric squares to good use. All of those squares in the center, including the muslin, are from the ones my great-granny taught me to sew with. My mom will recognize them when she sees the pillow for the first time.

The little flower embellishment I made from some organza scraps and buttons that I had from some brooches I made last year.

I'm really excited with how it came together. I can't wait for her to open it this weekend!