Ring pillow and Puss in Boots

I've had lots of ideas for things that I'd like to make for our wedding. And I realized recently that I should really get going on that before things get really busy. It's actually quite a small wedding, around 60 people, and it's going to be very simple, an early afternoon ceremony and luncheon, but there are still quite a few details to iron out.

One of the things I wanted to make was a ring pillow such as the ones I've seen in the Martha Stewart magazines. I seem to be mentioning her a lot lately... oh well, I'll forge ahead. Although we won't actually be having a ring bearer, we thought the best man could hold the pillow, and using a vintage handkerchief means it can count as "something old".

The inside cushion is made from wool felt, a simple square, and then it is wrapped with the vintage hanky. I chose this one because I thought the scalloped edge was pretty, and it's otherwise quite simple. And, I finally made my own covered buttons! I had found some button covering kits at Value Village in a bag of sewing odds and ends and I've been meaning to make some for ages. The idea actually came to me partly from seeing pictures on Flickr, and also when I received my swap package from Manda which had a handmade button in it. That's also where the lovely bird fabric came from.

Here's a picture of the back. The inside cushion was a bit too small, so I tucked the hanky in the middle and added four little pleats, then added a second handmade button.
Here's a close-up of the front. I added some yarn because I didn't have a ribbon to match, but I might get some ribbon instead. I'm not sure if the yarn is charming or just a compromise. If you're getting married or know someone who is and you'd like to make a ring pillow yourself, there's a how to on this page.

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Illustration-wise, I've been busy this week finishing my sketches for the story Puss in Boots. While I'm illustrating a story I think about it a lot, so that I can make sure the illustrations work with the story and I pay a lot of attention to the details. When you think a lot about fairytales they can be quite strange, and as usual I have to try to make sense of the story enough to draw it, without worrying too much about the logic. Here's a sneak peek of Puss in Boots presenting his gift to the King: