Pillow Talk

What mother of young children doesn’t look forward to the much-anticipated daily ritual of naptime? With Muffy greeting the day at 6 a.m. most mornings, I’m definitely frazzled and fizzled by the time 2 p.m. rolls around. To my delight, Chi-Chi has been engaging in the game of “sleep” lately. This is a wonderful activity that involves lounging on the couch and pretending to have a nap. Unfortunately, this restful, peaceful moment usually lasts a mere 30 seconds. Regardless, I actually appreciate the luxury of putting my feet up for 30 seconds these days! I’ll take whatever I can get!

With Christmas just around the corner, I’ve been spending most evenings in “Santa’s Workshop”, putting the final touches on my gifts to the boys. While there will certainly be purchased gifts under the tree this year, I thought it would be fun and rewarding to hand make a few special items. Perhaps I was spurred by sheer selfishness, but I decided to create a gift that would promote and encourage Chi-Chi and Muffy’s participation in peaceful pastimes. I thought the little ones would find enjoyment in a couple of plush play pillows to call their own. Although pillows are very simple and plain objects, I figure their wild imaginations will find many uses for them. My hope is that Chi-Chi and Muffy will find them comforting and soothing in a quiet moment. Of course, I’m not naïve enough to believe they won’t provide the inspiration and tools for the odd pillow fight!

I’m not much of a seamstress, so simplicity and straight lines are pre-requisites to any sewing project I take on. Each pillow is 12’ by 18’, which is a manageable size for little hands. Wanting to steer clear of synthetic materials, the pillows and removable, washable cases were sewn with 100% cotton. I used wool batting for the stuffing that I purchased from the Lismore Sheep Farm in River John, Nova Scotia (www.lismoresheepfarmwoolshop.com). Deep inside, I tucked a tiny fragrant sachet of dried lavender, which apparently possesses calming and stress relieving qualities.

Chi-Chi is fast approaching the age of 3 so I suspect his days of afternoon siestas are limited. Paired with a wooly sheepskin rug, this set of snuggly pillows will hopefully provide the little ones with a cozy corner to cuddle up with a book, or simply slow down for a brief, but refreshing moment of rest.