Kanzashi Challenge

Kanzashi...I really like saying that word. Customers keep asking me how to pronounce it and I say it for them even though I have no idea if I'm anywhere close to being right. It's okay. Foreign words spoken with a southern twang enrich society, right?

Anyway, we're doing a Kanzashi challenge at the shop. Entries are due by the end of August. Though I don't do many, I love participating in challenges when I can. The challenge is to make something using the Kanzashi flower makers by Clover. I added to my challenge by deciding to make something that did not require any additional fabric purchases. While I was sitting in my sewing room trying to decide what to do, my eye wandered to my bowl of selveges.


Yes, that's it. I'll make something using selveges. I cut an 18" square muslin base and went to work sewing the selveges to the base. In the process, I started thinking about making a pillow. When the square of muslin was fully covered, I squared it up and sewed two sides together to form a tube.


At this point, I was ready to abandon the pillow and turn it into a wind sock. But I didn't. The next step was to sew circles to each end. I wanted to do something with the flower makers other than just make the expected flowers, so I used the small pointed flower maker and made trim to go around the circles on the end. This worked out perfectly because the 2 1/2" blue squares from my stash fit just right into the flower makers.


It took about 30 petals to make it around the outside of my circle. I sewed one end to my pillow.


It reminds me of a sunflower. I almost forgot to leave an opening to turn the pillow right side out so I had to make some handy work with my seam ripper before sewing on the other end. I opened up the middle of the main pillow seam. That will leave me a place to turn it as well as a place to insert my stuffing. Once both ends were on, I turned it right side out. It still needed a little something so I used the large pointed flower makers and made two flowers to embellish the front. The blue buttons are part of a vintage set that I've been wanting to use for a long time.


For stuffing, I used all the fabric trash I've been saving.


All of these bits are too small to be used for anything else. They make for a very soft pillow but I didn't have enough. I haven't closed up my pillow yet so I'll save some more and then cut up some odd batting pieces to finish it off.


Pretty good for the tiny bit of planning that went into it. I think it's quite cute and I'm so happy to have found a good use for all those selveges. I can't wait to see how it looks once I get it fully stuffed.