Cushion Souls

When you get a new duvet and pillow covers, something magazine happens. That pile of little useless cushions you see on bedroom décor pages, begins to haunt you. You must have them.When you look at the cost of these tiny bits of fabric, you shudder and try to think of something more practical but just as nice. Rest assured, it can be done. I speak from your corner if you don't want to spend upwards of twenty, thirty or more dollars for a cushion something to take off and put on every day, never actually using it. From my collection of scarves, the pretty light ones for use over summer dresses, I found a bird and floral patterned one in the same shades as my bed spread. With little effort that even a hand-stitcher can manage, I made a small cushion cover and stuffed in an old used one before sewing the whole thing up. Then, I scouted about in my "to donate" sack and found a couple of blouses and shirts that had like colours but different patterns that would become more small cushions, Never mind if one side is different from the other, they can be deemed reversible. Sometimes using up your favorite tee shirts or even jeans and jacket backs puts memories on your bed to dream on. When you can't find the exact colours to match your scheme if you are into matchy matchy, those of you who are determined not to leave a single footprint, can scout the closets of your pals or go to the local thrift store and stock up on old-fashioned silk scarves, give them a rinse out and voila, you're back in the toss pillow vein once more. Now, you have a lovely collection of hand-made cushion covers from blouses, tees, skirts, camis, dresses and whatevers. All very well,  but what are you going to use to stuff these delights? Using up all the old tacky cushions to stuff them, and having run out of shredding up old sheets to use as stuffing, there remains the problem of not enough. I solved it by using  my large collection of grocery plastic bags that recycle does not allow for some odd reason, and used them. They work like a charm and your cushion can be light or packed according to how many bags you saved. Granted, the plastic stuffings crackle a bit when you are dressing up your bed top, but hey, they are washable and also re-useable when you decide to take your cushions apart because you got a new duvet. I can see teen rooms with their old plaid shirts, wordy tees and tattered jeans, now cushions, playing toss-the-cushion when friends are there on a sleep over. I can see gramma hugging her once baby blanket cushions and whispering them goodnight. I can even see Junior flopping down on his bed full of hockey and soccer jumper cushions that Mom made especially for him. Cushions are good for the soul.