Recently inspired by these pops of pink, I wanted to refresh the pillows on my ivory couch to highlight the touch of pink in this Hugh Wiley watercolor that I found at the Lost Art Salon.  I spied this fantastic print at Satin Moon on Clement Street, one of my favorite fabric shops.  I played around with complementary fabrics, but this color is so brilliant on its own that I decided to replace the pair of square pillows with a single bold statement.  A larger, rectangular pillow also complements the linear layout of the ikat pattern.  Since I’ve been known to recover my pillows periodically, this time I decided to make it removable (about time!).  The size — 16×26″ — made it easy to create a sham, without the need for a zipper of button enclosure.  (Tip:  Ikea has the most affordable, down-like pillow inserts.  This one was less than $10.)  This simple project was completed in less than an hour, and I love the result.

STEPS — 1.  First, I sewed down both sides of the fabric about 1″ (folded) to prevent running seams.  I then laid out the fabric so that the flap for the pillow opening ran vertically down the center of the back cover.  2.  To center the ikat lines from top to bottom, I measured 8″ up and down from the center row.  This print of this fabric made it easy to measure, and I used two 4″ wide rulers to mark out the sewing lines in pencil.  Don’t forget to turn your fabric inside out first.  3.  Pencil markings help ensure straight lines when sewing.

4.  Don’t skip the step of pinning the fabric to hold it in place while you sew.  I like to place the pins horizontally so that I can easily remove them while I’m machine sewing.  5.  After sewing the top and bottom, the result is an inside-out pillow sham.  6.  Voila!  Turn your sham right side out, make sure your corners are tight, and you’re ready to insert the pillow.

The final result:Photos: Revolving Decor