ruffles (actually pleats) + pillows = love

I posted a few weeks ago about my sudden urge to change up the colors in our house during the spring and summer to cool blues and greens...I've done a little of that, but now that we're home from all of our camps, etc. my decorating craze is in full swing.  I know that it's almost August, but I can enjoy it for a few months until fall!

One of my first projects has been to recover the red pillows on our couch.  I knew I wanted to sew envelope-style covers so they could be easily removed to be thrown in the wash.  With a 3 1/2 year old and a 90-pound dog running around, washable covers are a must.

The first pillow cover I tackled was Emily Jones' fabulous ruffle pillow.  I strayed from her tutorial just a bit, making pleats instead of ruffles (it's much faster if you're not overly concerned with them being exact) and fashioning the back into a envelope-style closure.  But, her tutorial is wonderful!  This took me less than an hour from start to finish.

I'm tempted to cover all 4 pillows in this style, but I think the boys in my house might stage a revolt. :)

By the way, if you haven't checked out Emily's blog before, do yourself a favor and read through her archives!  Grab a cup of coffee, a snack, and settle in.  She's one talented lady!

What about you?  Do you have the urge to change up your decorating to a more "summery" color scheme?