I received some huge 24"x24" down pillows for Christmas that also remained unfinished due to my indecision about where to use them and how to cover them.
During my most recent session of staring at the needlepoints, I realized they were the perfect size for the pillows. Could it work? Does it matter that they're unfinished? The fabric was very stiff, smelly and dusty, so they had to be washed before I could use them for anything.
One of my rules about vintage and antique linens is it has to be washable. I never spend a lot of money on them, so if they fall apart in the wash I haven't lost a fortune. These were free and doomed to a life of not being used, so it was worth a shot. I washed them in the machine on gentle and pinned them on the line to dry. The wash shrunk the fabric just enough to make the weave tight and soft. It also was clean and smelled nice.
I used a vintage linen table cloth to back the needle points as well as for piping and the pillow back.
I don't even mind the areas where the fabric is frayed a little bit.
Can you believe these are unfinished needle points? I think I like them better this way. They are more neutral and casual.
Finished needlepoints can be very expensive. I think this small blue one was about $25.00. Unfinished ones can be found for practically nothing.
So, next time you're looking at something that you know you'll never finish, think about ways it can be used with a quick fix. You may like the result even better.
I also had to share how excited I am to see strawberries on sale in the grocery store. I ate about a dozen just standing over the sink. Spring is here.
