heirloom pillow

I made this pillow a while ago, but haven't had the time to really sit down and blog about it. Or rather, it wasn't part of wedding preparations, so I saved it for later and just realized that I hadn't posted it yet. Originally, this was a hand-stitched tapestry that my grandmother (on my mom's side) made years and years ago. Up close, it is incredible. The thread she used is thick and wooly and there are so many subtle details that give it depth. I'm sure it must have taken her a long time.This hung on our wall in a picture frame at home for as long as I can remember. It was one of those parts of your house that you never look at because it's been there for so long, and I remember even thinking that it looked old and tired because it had just always been there. One summer when I came home from college, I rediscovered it as my mom was going through the house getting rid of old things. I think this was the first time I really looked at it and fully appreciated the craftsmanship that went into it. I decided that it was not getting the appreciation it deserved, so I asked my mom if I could have it. She is a practical woman and not prone to being incredibly sentimental about items, so she said yes. I made it into a simple A-line skirt. The front of the skirt was of course the tapestry, while the back was out of a darker green silk shantung. Wish I had taken a picture of it, it was really quite unique. The only problem was that in the last 10 years, I wore the skirt perhaps twice. 1. Because it was difficult to find something to wear with it that could complement without competing, and 2. Because it was very very uncomfortable and itchy. The thread used is wool, I think and even with a lining and a slip, it drove me crazy and kept me itching the entire time I wore it. This spring, as I moved my things into our new house, I rediscovered the skirt and knew that this piece needed to be appreciated once again. I love pillows and knew it would fit perfectly within my home. I backed it with this beautiful teal-blue stretch velveteen and used the same fabric for a piping around the edges of the print. It's wonderful to have a little piece of Grandma Laird in my home.