My readers know how much I love a good IKEA hack (check out these older posts). This one is all about cushions -


Twice a year, if I'm lucky enough to escape for a few days, the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild hosts a retreat weekend in Wisconsin on the lake. It's beautiful, relaxing, and for me - very productive.

The retreat center view!

This retreat was busy for me (as usual). I had several projects prepped and ready to complete, one project being some new pillow covers for the couch in the living room.

Below I've included links to the IKEA products I used and Amazon affiliate links for your pajammy-wearing, couch-shopping reference.

For this project I used a GULLKLOCKA in a bright yellow
and a white, faux rabbit-fur IDASOFIA pillow case
both from IKEA which I cut into 2 pieces each, separating the fronts and backs, and used them as backings for my quilted pillow fronts.

The fronts were fabrics I have been hoarding for a long time for just this purpose, some mid-century inspired funky prints that add some jazz to my couch. I made quilt sandwiches with the fabrics and quilted them with bright coordinating Aurifil 50wts in Aurifil #1231* (a lime green) on the white cushion front and Aurifil #2120* (a lemon yellow) on the green print.


The funky green print I quilted in a retro cross-hatch pattern in the lemon Aurifil 50wt -


My white cushions I used the print pattern to quilt them in a wonky straight line motif with the pretty lime Aurifil -


For these covers I used FJÄDRAR down inserts from IKEA in their 16"x 26" and 20"x 20" sizes. I made my quilt sandwiches about an inch bigger in both directions, quilted it, and then trimmed them to the pillow dimension before sewing the backing on with a 3/8" seam all around so that technically my pillow case is smaller than the pillow (I like my cushions to be fluffy and not to slide around in the case). 

In the lower seam I inserted 22" yellow nylon zippers in the larger pillows, and 18" cream-colored zippers in the smaller pillows (aff links to Amazon).

The kids are super happy (and so am I!) with the new cushions - they like anything that's soft and cozy to snuggle with.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and as always, if I've inspired you to make something, make sure to message me about it! Thanks for reading. 



*this post contains affiliate links to Amazon at no additional cost to you. For more information, please visit my Disclosure Statement and Advertising Policies page.

For the better part of the last year, I've been working on my own king-sized (105"sq) version of the famous Canadian Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) Point Blanket.


The HBC Point Blanket is traditionally a 100% wool blanket which was traded by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1700 and 1800s to First Nations peoples in exchange for goods (like beaver pelts)¹.

Close up of the wool HBC Point Blanket Image courtesy of Wikipedia

In Canada, the blankets are available exclusively at The Bay (HBC's company) and here in the US at The Bay's sister company, Lord and Taylor. The wool blankets are gorgeous and, justifiably, expensive. You can find them in the aforementioned stores and on Amazon.com {here} (aff link).

Over the years, the HBC Point has been available in a wide range of colors, with the white with red, green, yellow and blue stripes the most popular. Image courtesy of HBCHeritage.ca

I have always wanted one but was worried about their care (being wool), how well they'd hold up under the wear and tear of a chocolate lab, and about how itchy one would be to sleep under. So, I thought I'd make my own.

The Back:

The iconic blankets have come in an array of colors and limited edition releases over the years - I harnessed this idea when creating the single-color blue backing with varying shade-stripes in Kaufman yarn dyed Essex Linen blues (aff link to Amazon.com) -

The Front:

I ended up 'pixelating' the iconic green, red, yellow and blue stripes on the front for a more scrappy look and to add a bit of visual interest but used fabrics which read like solids - brushstrokes, peppered cottons, and true solids, all in the same shade families. Each stripe has 84 3" squares, offset, split in 2 rows.


I used Bella Solids "Ivory" for the front background and Bella Solids "Nautical" for the backing background (aff link to Amazon.com for your pajammy-shopping pleasure!).

The entire quilt was pieced with Aurifil 50wt in the following colors - (aff links to Amazon.com included below for your reference)

Aurifil #2000
Aurifil #2720
Aurifil #1248
Aurifil #2710
Aurifil #6720
Aurifil #2250
Aurifil #2890
Aurifil #1135

...and was quilted with an all-over computerized pattern by the lovely and wonderful Melissa at Sew Shabby Quilting.

This Canadian expat is so happy to have this little piece of 'home' on my bed!

I hope you've enjoyed my post about my now very-favoritest-quilt-I've-ever-made. If you are inspired by this creation and decide to make one of your own, make sure to message me about it! Thanks for reading and Happy Monday to you all!

¹ Hudson's Bay Point Blanket, extracted April 13, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_point_blanket

*this post contains affiliate links to Amazon at no additional cost to you. For more information, please visit my Disclosure Statement and Advertising Policies page. 

If you can't buy vintage (don't like the idea of a used couch? bedbugs? or maybe you just can't afford to have one reupholstered), or maybe you're like me - you need a new couch but have kids and/or pets and can't bring yourself to spend a pretty penny on something new and gorgeously expensive or something vintage which needs more work than you're willing to spend right now (just for them to wreck it) - here's the list for you.


All of these couches are online and delivered straight to your door. That's right, you don't have to go and pick up and schlep a sofa home. Boo ya.

There are lots of online resources for midmod style sofas, but very few (in my research) have been within the price point that I have to spend (and let's face it - the aforementioned kids and pet are going to beat on it so I'll be in the same spot again 10 years from now and in the meantime maybe I will have found that perfect vintage piece to tackle a rehab on).

We currently have an old IKEA couch that has served us quite well but, has seen better days. The cushions are shot, springs going or gone, and well, it's far too big. It had a great run - we've had it since my first apartment in Vancouver like, uh, 18 years ago. It's moved 4 times (2 countries!), had a few legs repaired and been vomited on countless times (< the kids and the dog!). Thank goodness for washable covers.

I have been busy searching the internet looking for smaller, midmod styled options which wouldn't break the bank. I thought I'd share a moodboard of some of my research with you!

Note that at the time of this publication, all of the sofas or love seats below fell under the $790 mark - actually, they ranged from $336 - $790! Prices may fluctuate, as will availability.

Below you'll find the moodboard with labeled links underneath - the links are affiliate links to Amazon, and are at no additional cost to you. Here's my Disclosure Statement and Advertising Policies page for more information on what that means!



Aff. links to Amazon for your pajammy-shopping, couch-surfing pleasure! -

It's hard to pick a favorite or even a few favorites from this list. I'm having a tough time narrowing it down. My top three would have to be -

#6 - the Palm Springs Mid Century Modern Sofa Futon -
it comes in 2 colors (Grey Linen and Teal Linen). I love that it comes with two bolster cushions and I like that the seat cushion is all one piece. I also like the fact it turns into a bed in case we have visitors and need another spot for sleeping - it easily converts to a bed in seconds. The legs are natural wood and there's a center support.
35.5" x 84" x 33.5"



#7 The Remix Sofa -
this one comes in Charcoal Grey and Brown (looks to be an Oatmeal shade to me). It has a button tufted back, angled wood legs and track arm. It also comes in a sectional and love seat size. I like the Brown color.
85"W x 34"D x 33"H


#12 Mid Century Modern Loveseat -
I love this option - I think it's my favorite. The love seat is large (33"L x 78"W x 32.5"H) and it comes in 15 different colors like Atomic Red, Sunny, Wheatgrass, Oatmeal and Azure. The wood base and legs are sleek, and the back tufting is clean and simple. I love the midmod color options.



Ah. I really liked curating this. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. 

Thanks for stopping by - make sure to check out my Mid Century Page for other midmod moodboards, ideas and DiY projects, or visit the links below!

*this post contains affiliate links to Amazon at no additional cost to you. For more information, please visit my Disclosure Statement and Advertising Policies page.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I'm a lover of mid-century style. Today's moodboard post is in line with that love.

our little split-level with its cool triangle front door

these clear Edison-style LED bulbs really make this light shine! (affiliate link)

*this post contains affiliate links to Amazon at no additional cost to you. For more information, please visit my Disclosure Statement and Advertising Policies page.