I'm Goin' Batty!

The other day I posted a picture of one of my bat pillows. I fell in love with them when I saw them at HGTV.com I still had another to make so I tried to take pictures along the way. I apologize, its not the best but I gave it a fair shot! These came out SO cute.

What you will need:

1 yard each of 

-Black Felt 

-Cream Felt

20x20 pillow forms

Black embroidery thread

Embroidery needle

Fabric Glue
Sewing Machine
Cream colored thread

Large Bat Template

Small Bat Template

Now you can print the templates if you want but I just traced it from my computer screen. I know, lazy! :) But I don't have a printer.

First thing is to cut out your bats from the black felt. Pin the stencils in place and use sharp scissors. Mine aren't great.. I need new ones.

You can cut out as many bats as you want for the pillow, I chose 3.



Cut out 1 19"x19" square of the cream felt. Why 19"x19" when the pillow is 20"x20"? Because when you put the pillow form inside the case, it will fit a little snug, this makes the pillow more full. If you were to make 20"x20" cases, there would be some gaps in the fabric and it would make it look a little saggy.

Take your bats and map them out. Then, using fabric glue, tack down the body of the bat and the wing tips so that the bats look like they are flying off of the pillow.

This next part is optional, I did it. Just put on a couple episodes of your favorite tv show (in my case it was The Munsters season 1). Take some black embroidery thread and sew down the body and the wing tips. This doesn't have to be done with fancy-shmancy technique. 

Cut out a 20"x20" square in the black felt. Lay the square with the bats on them on top of the black felt so that the black creates a "frame" around it, see picture, pin it down.

Depending on if you want to just store these pillows in their entirety or just make cases this part might differ. I made mine in an envelope style so that I can slip the pillow form right inside the case.

 If you want to just make the cases then you're going to cut a 21"x21" square of cream felt. Cut it down the middle to make 2 rectangles. Flip the pinned black and cream felt over to the back side, black felt side up. Lay the 2 cream rectangles so that they form 19"x19" across and overlap by 2" in the middle, pin this down through the black felt to the cream with the bats on it.

Run all 3 layers through your sewing machine. I am using a cream colored thread. Sew around the outside edges of the cream fabric, about a half inch from the edge. When you reach the corners, leave the needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot and rotate the fabric. This will help with a clean corner instead of a rounded one.





Sewing the edges together shouldn't take you more than a couple minutes. Once your done, trim up the thread and slip your pillow form in!

**Now if you are wanting to leave this case ON the pillow and just store it away for next year: then cut 2 19"x19" squares from the cream fabric and slip the pillow in before you close up the pillow.

When it comes time to put these bats back in the cave, just crumple up some tissue paper and tuck it under the wings. This will prevent the wings from smashing down.

Speaking of going batty.. OMG Scentsy fans...

I'm doing a Scentsy party on Oct 2nd if anyone is interested! They have some great fall/winter scents to help your holiday smell fantastic.