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Review & giveaway: Pretty Little Pillows

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Pretty Little Pillows from Lark Books is a pretty little book that explores the creative possibilities that the pillow offers.  The underlying structure of a pillow is pretty basic: two pieces of fabric with some stuffing in between.  And yet it’s that simple structure that allows freedom to experiment with surface design, shape, and scale.

The book starts by explaining the basic construction of a pillow, along with some common finishing techniques and hand stitches to embellish.

Then, it gives step-by-step instructions (along with color photos of the more complex steps) to create 29 different kinds of pillows.  Each of these beautiful projects focuses on a different technique or material or use.  Projects like Afternoon Tea or Tropical Blossom give the pillow an interesting shape, while Twist-n-Tie or Smock It use techniques to alter the surface of the pillow and give it texture.

My personal favorites in the book include the Ribbon Rounds pillow, which is actually four long pillows tied together with pretty ribbons.  They’re functional together as a group, or you can untie the ribbon and use them separately as smaller pillows.  The Quick Change pillow, with two triangular flaps that can be buttoned to either side of the pillow, allows multiple looks with from one pillow.  Another favorite is the Cuddle Drops pillow, little dew-drop pillows with cuddly-sweet appliqued faces.

So that’s the review part of this post.  Now for the giveaway.

I’m giving away my review copy of Pretty Little Pillows to one lucky Craft Gossip reader.  To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me how badly you want this book.  I’ll choose the winner at random.  Deadline for entry is Friday, May 21, 20101 at midnight CST.  Good luck!

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Comments

  1. Oooh, how pretty! I need this book really, really bad, because I am living in Germany and we don’t have “pretty things”, here it’s all about being serious and doing your “Handwerk” right instead of pretty!

    Sonja

  2. How bad do I want this book … well let’s see…

    I want it so bad that I would run around my neighborhood screaming it.

    I want it so bad I would wear a sandwich board to the mall declaring it.

    I want it so bad I would trade one of my kids for it.

    … well maybe not that last one but I REALLY do want it.

  4. Haha, how badly do I want this book? Very badly! It looks adorable, full of amazing projects for kids and for the home, I’d really love to win it! Thanks for the chance!

  5. I would LOVE to have this book! I’m still new to sewing and love to make things for other people. This books is a perfect fit!

  8. I would love a copy of this book!! I’ve been thinking of making new pillows for our living room, but more than that I have a little girl who’s getting just big enough to start cuddling everything! The Cuddle Drops are screaming her name!!

  9. I would love, love, love this book! I am re-doing my living room on a strict budget…going to spice up our current furniture w/ some funky pillowes…this would so help in doing that!

  11. I woudl love to have this book!! Badly. I see so many cute ideas that my daughter (another pillow lover) would love to have.

  12. I definite would love this book, I love making pillows and I’m always planning on making some more and … it would be very hard to get that book here in Chile! So I really really want it badly!
    Thanks anyway just for the chance!

  13. Oh my… this would be an awesome inspiration for me! I alsways have the habbit to make something for friends of my girls and buy something when they go to a b’day [arty! I am desparately looking for something new! I managed to come by with handmad bags for the girls… But I am round. All theri friends have a little handmade bag! some of the girls are on for something new! This book would be great for my next move: PILLOWS ON THEIR ROOMS!!!!

    love Miranda

  14. I would love to win this book! I love pillows, in our home there are pillows everywhere but they all are regular pillows. I need fun pillows!! I need this book to made them! 🙂

  16. I am a pillow addict (I think I sleep with four on the average night). I could always use more fuel for my addiction.

  17. I absolutely love the innovative pillow designs in the book inspired to make a person not only think outside of the box but sew in the same fashion as well.

  18. Wow, what timing!!! I’m in the process of designing and creating a few pillows for a tremendously talented friend who has been knitting a few things for me… she decided that rather than payment for her incredible knitting skills, she wanted a few unusual pillows designed and made by me, since I have the sewing skills!! I can sew just about anything, but the creativity genes skipped me and went directly to some other part of my family… so I can use all the help I can get!!! Oh, to be so lucky as to win!!

  19. I want this bad!! Ok I am new to sewing and have never made a pillow. Oh wait I take that back, I made one in 6th grade by hand as a class project. But I need inspiration and I think this will be a perfect one!

  20. I want this so badly! I signed up to win it on another site and lost…if I lose again I may have to make a little trip to the book store.

  21. I love pillows! They are the best and easiest way to change your room decor! I also love how they are a simple project for the beginning sewer. The book looks as though it will have very cute pillows in it! Thanks for the competition!

  22. i want this badly becues making pillows are in my “to do list”
    i neeeed this to inspire me
    and above all
    i want this book!
    thanks!

  23. Oh, I just saw this book on Aimee Ray’s blog and I would LOVE to have it as I am getting the sewing/embroidery fever right now!!! 😀 Thanks for the chance!

  25. these are lovely!! I would love this because here in venezuela, we don’t even have nice fabrics anymore! We have to make our own beautifull items!

  26. I need this book, my house decor needs a overhaul except I have no money. I can sew, and new pillows are a great new decor to add.

  28. I had found this book on a list from my book club and it’s on my list of favorites. It has some clever designs. I’d love to win this giveaway!

  29. I want it bad enough to trade my kids for it, but since I want it so that we can make pillows for a beginning sewing project for them it creates quite a conundrum! So maybe I can just win the book and keep the kids?

  30. I’ve got to have this book! Here’s how much I want it: Well, I want it more than that, but I could’ve gone on forever. I love making pillows!
    Amy

  31. I woudl love to have this book!! Badly. I see so many cute ideas that my sisters(another pillow lover) would love to have.

  32. Looks like a great book filled with lots of inspiration! Might as well enter for a chance to win it. : )

  33. I have such grungy looking pillows on my couch now. It would be great to spruce it up with colorful HANDMADE pillows!!

  35. I’m from Israel and I’m addicted to those books series!! I’m just learning to sew and those books are teaching me so much. I desperately want this book!!!

  36. Oh! I seriously want this book! I have a bit of an obsession with pillows. That quick change pillow is fabulous! I am sure the projects are just full of awesome. WANT!

  37. I want this book so bad that I will make sure your name is praised into perpetuity!

  38. We are moving into our new house soon and this book would be perfect! Thank you for the giveaway!!!

  39. I’ve lost 40 pounds since the beginning of the year and I would love to get the book to make some pillows to rest my weary newly skinny body on! 😉 (Skinny is relative … compared to whales … right? LOL)

    I have the rest of the Pretty Little books and will be getting this one as well – they’re just too cute and fun to pass up! Thank you for a very creative giveaway – I’m having a great laugh at the posts, lol!

  40. It would be fun to have this book as it would help me to use up a bunch of fabrics I have stashed under my work table. My daughter would probably love a few more cute pillows for her bed. Thanks!

  41. lol, wanting and badly needing this! So need to make pillows, been on the to do list but… need inspiration! Hmmm, need this badly enough to give up chocolate for a month!

  42. Oh, they ARE so pretty! I badly need to cute-ify the pillows on my couch – they are plain ikea pillows without any covers! Argh!

  46. Oh, this is such a usefull little book. I would like it because I volunteer at our local hospital and we sew things for the gift shop and for the patients in hospital. This would be a very nice thing for our patients so have some “pretty” little pillows for Physical therapy or just to have for comfort. And how nice for the hospital to be able to cheer them up with a pretty little pillow to keep.

  47. WOW this is one I would love to help teach my daughter to sew with it looks fun and easy!!!

  48. I could really use this book. I can sew most anything with or without a pattern but pillows for some reason escape me. Of all the pillows I have sewn for our house I have yet to have one turn out exactly as I envisioned it. I am in need of pillow help.

  50. Oh I badly want this book. I know I shouldn’t- my mum always said that we should focus on our needs and not our wants… maybe I should be writing I NEED THIS BOOK. Its coming into winter here- perfect timing for snuggly crafts, couch makeovers, and cuddly pillows and cushions for the kids beds. Want/Need, I would treasure this book!!!

  51. I would love this book – I’m teaching my 7 year old son how to sew and pillows make great projects. This would be a terrific resource for us.

  52. I would like to own this book… cause I ve lost a job so I think about starting with some crafts. I believe that the book is full of beautiful projects.

  54. I would love love love to win this book. I have been obsessed with making pillows for my house lately but I seem to be stuck in a rut of only making square ones. I’m a little uncertain about how to go about the others but I am sure that this book would calm my fears.

  55. I want it so I don’t go stir crazy in the house… My crafty gene is turning into overdrive and I have no idea what to make with all of the fabric, vinyl and yarn sitting around my house right now!

  56. I love pillows and this book would just make me unstoppable in making more of them :)))

  57. I want this book SOOOOOOOOO badly! I was just about to buy it on Amazon when I saw this giveaway!

  58. I’m new to sewing and just love it. I would really love to have the book soI can make some nice pillows for my home. please!

  59. I need this book cause all of my friends are having babies and I need to make them cute pillows for their backs and then to make cute things for the babies too!!

    I would trade my kids for it but trust me you don’t want them! so I’ll offer my roommate, he at least does the dishes!!

  60. You have no idea how much i would love to have this book!!! See, i have a project. do a “julie/julia project” kind of blog, all about craft, doing a lot of tutorial, telling how was for me, with pictures n stuff. I wanna do this with a lot of books. But, i live in Brazil and here, we dont have books about crafting, well.. not really good ones, so i’m trying to get good books, and this one would be great!! I hope i win!!!

  61. I need this book because I am a craft book-aholic. That’s pretty much it. It looks fabulous and that is enough for me!

  64. I want this book. Badly. Like really badly. I will have the cutest pillows in all of Fairbanks, Alaska if I got this book. No kidding.

  65. I could really use this book with my students, they tend to think a pillow is square and in plain colours. The book might give them some other ideas.

  66. This book looks great! Very creative and pretty – I would love love love to have it! I will be requesting this as a present for my birthday at the end of this year – unless I am lucky enough to win it here!!

  67. I would LOVE to have this book! I had a baby boy in December, and while I think the crib set that my husband bought is cute, I want to make some more personalized items for baby’s room, and our room

  69. I love making little pillows! You can never have too many floating around. =0) I would love to have this book.

  70. Oh dear, I need this fantastic little book, because here in Germany we don’t habe such cute books, which inspire the fantasy. And it ssems to be wonderful to use the fabrics that are sleeping in my wardrobe….

    Kind regards from Germany
    Claudia alias [email protected]

  71. BADLY!!! I LOVE pillows and am just getting back into sewing after being away from it for years. I need my creative juices flowing and just LOOKING at this book is giving me ideas already! I CAN’T WAIT to see what’s inside!!! Thanks for the chance! ~Renee’

Have you read?

Pricing Handmade Sewing Items Without Undervaluing Yourself

If there’s one topic that makes sewists uncomfortable faster than sewing zippers, it’s pricing. Not how to sew the item — but how much to charge for it once it’s finished.

Most people don’t struggle with making handmade items. They struggle with putting a price on their time, skill, and effort without feeling awkward, guilty, or worried they’ll scare buyers away.

If you’ve ever thought:
 “I’m not good enough to charge that much,”
 “People won’t pay handmade prices,”
 or “I’ll just price it low until I get better,”

you’re not alone. But you’re also not doing yourself any favours.

Let’s talk about how to price handmade sewing items in a way that’s fair, realistic, and sustainable — without undervaluing yourself.

Why Undervaluing Your Sewing Hurts More Than You Think

Underpricing doesn’t just affect your income. It affects your motivation, your confidence, and how seriously buyers take your work.

When handmade items are priced too low:

  • You burn out faster

  • You resent the time spent making them

  • You struggle to restock

  • Buyers assume “cheap” equals “low quality”

Ironically, pricing too low can make selling harder, not easier.

Handmade sewing items aren’t competing with mass-produced factory goods. They’re competing with thoughtfulness, quality, and care — and those have value.

Start With the Real Cost (Not Just Fabric)

One of the biggest pricing mistakes beginners make is charging only for materials.

Fabric, thread, zips, interfacing, labels, packaging — these are your base costs. But they’re only the starting point.

You also need to account for:

  • Cutting time

  • Sewing time

  • Pressing and finishing

  • Packaging

  • Listing, photographing, or selling time

Even if you enjoy sewing, your time still counts.

A simple rule:
 If someone else had to make this for you, what would you expect to pay them per hour?

The “Straight Line” Trap (And Why It’s Not a Problem)

Many sewists worry that because their items are “simple,” they don’t deserve higher prices.

Straight seams, basic construction, minimal shaping — these are often seen as beginner skills. But from a buyer’s perspective, simplicity is often a feature, not a flaw.

Simple items are:

  • Practical

  • Durable

  • Easy to use

  • Less intimidating

  • Often more giftable

A well-made tote bag, table runner, or pouch doesn’t lose value because it’s simple. It gains value because it works.

A Simple Pricing Formula That Actually Works

You don’t need complicated spreadsheets to price handmade sewing items.

A beginner-friendly formula looks like this:

Materials + (Hourly rate × Time) + Fees = Price

Your hourly rate doesn’t need to be high — but it does need to exist.

Even a modest rate acknowledges that your time matters.

And remember: pricing isn’t permanent. You’re allowed to adjust as you learn.

Why “Charging Less Until I’m Better” Backfires

This mindset feels sensible, but it causes long-term problems.

When you price low “for now,” you:

  • Attract bargain-focused buyers

  • Set expectations that are hard to raise later

  • Undermine your confidence

  • Train yourself to accept less

Your skill will improve through repetition, not through underpricing.

Selling handmade items is a skill too — and pricing fairly is part of learning it.

What Buyers Are Actually Paying For

Most buyers don’t analyse your stitching technique.

They’re paying for:

  • Convenience

  • Thoughtful design

  • Quality materials

  • Handmade care

  • Supporting a real person

They want something useful, well made, and ready to use — not a bargain-bin price.

When you price confidently, buyers feel more confident too.

Comparing Prices Without Panicking

It’s smart to look at what others charge — but don’t use comparison as a weapon against yourself.

Instead of asking:
 “Why are they charging more than me?”

Ask:

  • Are they targeting the same customer?

  • Are they selling the same type of item?

  • Are their materials similar?

There is room for different price points. You don’t need to be the cheapest to be successful.

Pricing for Sustainability, Not Just Sales

Selling handmade items should feel rewarding, not exhausting.

If your prices don’t allow you to:

  • Replace materials

  • Restock without stress

  • Enjoy sewing

  • Take breaks

…they’re too low.

A sustainable price keeps you sewing longer — and consistency is what builds sales over time.

The Confidence Shift That Changes Everything

Instead of asking:
 “Is this worth what I’m charging?”

Ask:
 “Would I be proud to sell this?”

If the item is:

  • Well made

  • Useful

  • Finished with care

Then it deserves a fair price.

You don’t need permission to charge what your work is worth. You just need to believe that your time, effort, and creativity matter.

Because they do.

Book Review – Sewing to Sell – The Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Craft Business

Selling your handmade items? Here’s how to figure a fair price.