In the south we have a saying that we use when don’t really know what to say.
When we are loss for words with a situation that almost needs no comment.
….but yet…..a comment is required.
So when faced with a commentless situation where it’s necessary to say something…..we here in the south will simply drawl….”Bless her heart.”
Bless her heart.
It’s the perfect saying, really. You can say so much with just that one little phrase.
Bless her heart.
I’ve said it when I saw someone at Wal-mart buying 17 dozen boxes of peeps at the after-Easter clearance sale.
I’ve said it when I went to a yard sale after driving for 8 miles only to find a broken down washer and dryer, a stack of mis-matched dishes and a Hooter’s t-shirt.
I’ve said it to velvet Elvis paintings and plastic flowers planted in the ground and t-shirts that say “I’m with stupid” and even an occasional droopy hydrangea or two.
But I’ve never said it to a pillow before.
Until I wrote this tutorial.
The Bless It’s Heart Number 7 Pillow Tutorial
(if you are looking for a good step-by-step tutorial, please refer to yesterday’s post and not this one)
Step 1: I cut this 7 out of card stock to make a pattern.
The font I used is Arial Bold.
Trace around the 7 on the drop cloth.
Step 2: Cut the 7 out of drop cloth fabric.
Hint: I reversed the seven when I traced, so the pencil lines would not show.
Step 3: Cut two squares out of drop cloth material….approximately 18 x 18.
Pin your cut-out 7 to the drop cloth.
Step 4: Stitch around the edge of the seven with red thread for contrast.
Repeat this step several times (trying to stay on the same line).
Put two squares together with the 7 facing the inside and stitch around the edges with a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving a 6 inch opening to put the stuffing in.
Step 5: Turn inside out, poke corners out and stuff. Sew opening closed.
And….
Bless that little pillow’s heart.
Bless its heart. It’s trying to hang with the other cool pillows. It’s trying to look all Pottery Barn and almost making it. It’s closing its eyes and hoping and praying no one will notice its oddly sewn red lines and frayed edges. It’s trying to act like it’s all that and claim the front and center spot on the playroom chair.
When really…..it’s just one step away from the peeps Easter clearance section at Wal-mart 🙂
Join me and these incredible bloggers:
for our “PillowPalooza Party”
Linky guidelines:
1. Any easy project qualifies.
2. No linky parties, please.
3. I also think the world will be a much better place with a few “PillowPalooza” shout-outs, so I am going to be posting your projects on facebook and twitter and pinterest. I want the world to see just how talented you are 🙂
4. If you want to join in all this after-party fun, you can follow me on Facebook here or pinterest here.
NOW LET’S PARTY ON. JUST GRAB A BUTTON AND ADD YOUR LINK BELOW.
Absolutely no blessing of your heart needed here. Great pillow and great tutorial. My friends and I use the line "God Bless Her" a lot for some of the same reasons you listed. It's definitely a southern thang!!
Absolutely no blessing of your heart needed here. Great pillow and great tutorial. My friends and I use the line "God Bless Her" a lot for some of the same reasons you listed. It's definitely a southern thang!!
Well Bless Your Heart!..You created a drop dead pillow from a drop cloth with the number 7...Well Bless Your Heart!... But KariAnne, you gotta Bless My Heart as I went to Wal-Mart to buy the Peeps on clearance and they were all gone!...Darn that lady that you Blessed Her Heart.....
Poor little number seven. I think it's cute. And thanks for hosting!
OMG- were you at MY Walmart? Girl, you are so funny and so right!
I've been that pillow! ;) Also, I got the 90% off bunny socks @ Target and I don't even have a little girl, but couldn't pass up .50! I can you you say "Bless her heart". ;)
hi linda! my colorful world post went up today and i made pillows for it. there is no tutorial, but i wondered if it would count. if not, no worries!
and duh- i meant karianne, but got confused by the pictures i recognized of linda's. he he.
Well bless my little cotton picking heart. I actually have that "I'm With Stupid" t-shirt and actually wore it and Bobby G. wore the matching "i'm Stupid" to go with it. LOL.......They are classic vintage now. Hmmmmm....wonder what I could get for them on ebay? Love your pillow!!! What does the 7 mean? I think I must be the only decor blogger on earth who hasn't worked with drop cloths yet. Thank you girls so much for inviting me to the party. xoxo
Well bless your heart! Didn't you think that maybe that woman buying up all the Peeps is planning on making a Peeps wreath? And what's wrong with finding a velvet Elvis painting - you can hang it next to all the portraits you get from your fans! But the driving 8 miles for a lame yard sale - I'd be shouting "bless her heart" from the rooftops!! Love your wall flower pillow - she really does fit in, she just needs a bit more confidence. Tell her to try out for the cheerleading squad - then she'll show those Pottery Barn pillows a thing or two! Kelly
I LOVE the seven pillow! What a great idea. Thanks for hosting this fun party!
What fabulous pillows!! and thank you for clearing up the mystery around the "bless her heart" thing - NOW I know what that's all about. I think I've had a few people say that about me... no, I'm sure of it! Bless her heart, love it! I'm going to incorporate that into my cache of responses. Your posts are such an education for me. Ciao bella!
Awwww, poor #7 pillow! Although I think it looks quite fabulous, and I know I couldn't do half as well as you did making it because I don't even know how to set up a sewing machine, much less sew a pillow! That being said, I won't be participating in PillowPalooza, but my blog partner has a pillow project she did that I'll link up. And I'll be checking out the bloggers who linked up their pillow creations :-)
Now that is my kind of project. So cute, too. Thanks for throwing us a pillow palooza. This truly helps release my addiction!
Adorable! We just say "Bless" around here in a tone that means "Ahh, isn't that cute".
Tell Shirley up above that I have some peeps I will sell her. I bought them to make a peep wreath that never happened. And today I am making two pillows with a borrowed sewing machine out of the evil burlap (Bless their little burlap hearts) just so I can keep up with pillowpalooza. Sewing is a HUGE stretch for me. ~Bliss~
Hi Karianne, Another good tutorial. You should have a tab started for your tutorials. A # 7 pillow? I'm not surprised you would make a number or letter pillow, I'm just curious why you picked 7? Thanks for the new comment. I'm thinking it may not be the same said with my Northern accent. I do like saying certain things using my French, British, or Southern accents. One of my favorite things to say with a Southern accent is, "Well isn't that nice!" I say it when someone is bragging way too much. Have a great week! Joyous Wishes, Linda
I've always loved how Southerners hide behind the "Bless her heart..." or "Bless your heart..." sentiment. It can really come to the rescue when you find yourself at a loss for words. Very cute pillow! I really like the look of the drop-cloth material, I need to bless my couch in the sitting room w/ new pillows soon. I scrolled through all the link-ups and goodness gracious what a grand variety of pillow choices! Some great inspiration from all those blessed pillow makers! Thank you so much for sharing!
Bless her heart. ;) I've heard that any good insult, when followed by 'bless her heart', is socially acceptable behavior. I'm not sure I can successfully pull it off, but that doesn't mean I can't try. :) LOVE the pillow. Thanks for hosting the pillow fight. :) Karah
Lol... living in the south I know exactly what you mean! But I actually think your pillow looks great... Recently I made a pillow and when I finished I couldn't help but laugh... it was so hideous I couldn't even give it to my daughter to use for her dolls!
I love the pillow, hey, and at least you made something.... I have the feeling that my pink bathroom would inspire the words "bless it's heart" if you saw it...lol. Thanks for the laugh. Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
ok...now that is funny stuff! being that I am a S.C. gal...I hear that expression daily! but that sweet pillow is by no means a bless your heart pillow !! LOVE it!
Thank you for hosting this great party! Great pillow tutorial. Kathleen
Hey Sis... ...A lways believe a gal should arrive fashionably late to a party! Too funny...I just painted a pillow that says Bless Your Heart for my shop!! Must have been on the same wave length! Had to laugh at the post on the Z-man...mustache and all! love, Kijsa
Thanks for hosting! I had to go back and read "Bless Her Heart" with a southern accent a couple times. I giggled each time too - I love that!
Keri Anne, I just howled at your southern, oh-so adorable pillow post! I have had many more than my share of "Bless her heart" and even "Bless her dear little heart" moments. It says in the Good Book that laughter is good for the bones! My bones are so happy and healthy this morning! Not at your pillow...but at your sweet sense of humor. Thank you so much for hosting this fun fun linky party! Now off to visit the others!
Step 4 would absolutely be my downfall ... and it seems so key to the whole design, right? I love your "7" pillow. And I love that you are co-hosting the pillow party. Thanks so much for all your support and encouragement. I couldn't ask for a better friend. :) Linda
Wow on all those fabulous looking pillows at the bottom of the post - and yours. I even like poor #7 . Now, my girlfriend and I are not from the south but we use this expression all. the. time. It's one of our favorites. Never have used it in reference to a pillow I must say. Used most recently - oh I really need to be polite and not say but just remembering is making me chuckle.
Girl, I am loving your number seven pillow, but like Linda, my downfall would be step four! I really need a sewing class! All of you crafty seamstress types are giving me a complex! (Bless your heart!) Haha! I REALLY AM just kidding!! I was just trying to be clever and fit that in there! I would never insult you! :-) After all, you are my daily dose of inspiration and humor! Love your post! Thanks for hosting the pillow palooza, and for using my favorite southern phrase in today! You're the BEST!! xo-Lisa
Cute, cute pillow! I like the look of the drop cloth material. I do need to bless the couch in my sitting room w/ new pillows, so this is a very inspirational post...I am loving all the different pillows in the link-up! Bless your heart for sharing all this and co-hosting this event! My BYH is meant in the very best possible way!
Well, bless her heart -- I can't even see all of her, so wicked is your photography! I'm sure it's precious, just like everything you do. :) I have nothing to link up, so I'll just go test drive some of those fab pillows that are... xo Heidi
Thanx for such a fun party!
Oh and I love your pillow! I really enjoying using drop cloth as well in my projects.
Lucky 7~ love it! Bless your heart! Debbie
Cool number 7 is the number 7 your favourite number? Now the saying Bless Her heart is a cool saying have heard it many times...................
say wha!?! I made a pillow last week without even knowing about this! Guess I'll have to blog about it now! :D
Being that I'm originally from Tennessee, I am quite familiar with "bless her heart". So true! The No. 7 pillow is totally adorable and looks like something that I could do! Thanks for co-hosting the party!
Your tutorial is awesome and your pillow is so stinkin' cute! No "Bless her heart " here!
Thanks for the heads up about the party! I need to get my feed straightened out, I'm missing all the good stuff! Maybe I'll follow you on FB and find out what's going on that way! ;-) xo Becca
My old neighbor used to say that same saying all the time, now I know what it meant ;) Your pillow turned out lovely, much better than any of those PB pillows for sure!
number 7 never looked so good:) just looked at all the entries--omgosh great stuff!
That pillow? That pillow is ME! Trying to hang, but not really making it. Shoving one Peep after another into my mouth, watching the cool kids at the other table in the cafeteria. Little do the other pillows know #7 is planning total world domination. heh heh heh.
i am in tears here! i think i have heard that expression in about 100 different ways and to tell you the truth i have NO way of knowing in what tense it was in! lol!!! i do believe if there were tenses there would be an infinite amount!!!!! i mean when i hear it my FIRST response is "WHAT DID THEY MEAN BY THAT" lol!!!! being a Yankee i of course don't have the phrase in my vocabulary -- but when i hear it i am ON GUARD! : ) LOL!!!!!! oh i have one -- do you know how to shock a Southerner? I do! simply tell them that you don't use sugar in your tea : ) LOL!! sending hugs to you and lucky seven : )
Thanks so much for hosting this FUN pillow party. I sure hope you don't say "Bless her heart" when you see my coffee sack pillow:) Blessings, Linda
Just found my way over from Jen's blog.... lol...Love the "Bless her heart" ...I think I have used the phrase myself, when at loss for words! Just wanted to say Hi... now I am going baack and peruse your blog and get to know you :)
Haha! My Nana always says "Bless Your Heart". Thanks for the smile this post put on my face! :)
Beautiful pillows! I never even thought of linking up my current kitchen post until I saw Shannon's no sew pillows and the light bulb went off. I have two pillows I made in that post too. I will be be bopping around to get some more ideas. Thanks for the party and for hosting:)
I Love the colors of the pillows! SO patriotic and summery. I'm looking for ideas for an upcoming lake house and I like the idea of using a 4 for July 4th! Thanks! :0) PS. I finished a pillow I've had on hold in my sewing box for about 4 years but I never got the photos uploaded or did a post about it. Bummer. Maybe next year!
My wonky homemade pillows think your 7 pillow has got it goin' on. It's like, SQUARE? And pretty? So nope, don't bless its heart. Just enjoy it for being so stylish!
Seven is a very lucky number! Thank you for hosting this cute party, and thanks for making me laugh!
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AWWWW. I think that number 7 pillow is looking pretty good! Loved the way you wrote the story though - fun to read :)
:) Just stopped over to admire all your gorgeous fall decorating and saw this post in the bottom links. Had to click in since I just did a run of pillow tutorials this past week! if you want to stop in I'm giving one away via rafflecopter! :)