Every summer when I was a child, my family and I went from our home in Southern California to Phoenix, Arizona to spend a few weeks with my grandparents and cousins, which seems a little backwards in retrospect. Not the spending together with family part, but the traveling through Orange County with coastal breezes in July to the Arizona desert part. Right? But a child doesn’t feel the heat. And we adored spending time at our grandma’s house, which was filled with playthings, sweets, a pool and trampoline in the backyard, and numerous monsoon rains in the summer. I can still smell the aroma of rains on the hot cement from the many memories I have of doing cartwheels on her grass in the rain. Do you recognize that odor? In Texas, we occasionally see it during dry spells, and it instantly transports me back to my younger years.
We had plenty of time during those amazing journeys over the desert to look out the window at the sand, rocks, Joshua trees, and miles of cacti. Particularly the Saguaro Cactus, which I had glanced at for years as a child but hadn’t properly understood until I was an adult. I mean, with those magnificent limbs and how amazingly tall they can grow, I’ve always thought they were cool and distinctive. They can live for 150–200 years, did you know that? Moreover, some people don’t acquire arms till they are 75 years old? Some, known as spears, are completely devoid of arms. Additionally, it is forbidden to harm or chop down a saguaro cactus. They are quite unique.
And I suppose that’s what I assumed. Driving past cacti during the summer without realizing that the Sonoran Desert is the only spot on earth where the Saguaro cactus can be found (parts of Arizona, Mexico, and a small part of California). What???? Wow! This iconic representation of a cactus that we see on merchandise from pop culture, clothes, and art only grows in this one location! That’s incredible. I now recognize the value of these desert giants. So, let’s create a cactus pillow to admire their beauty!
I had a lot of fun creating this pattern, which only required about 7 tries to get the arms just right—which is only a few minutes in a saguaro’s lifespan.
*CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE CACTUS PATTERN**
The 6 page PDF for the printable pattern is available for download and printing from your own computer. Simply join the pages and cut out the shape!
Next, determine how you want your cactus to appear. Every one is different, just like individuals. How many spines (prickles) does your cactus have, compared to how few? A blossom or a bit of developing fruit?
I like that a variety of fabrics may be used to create this cactus pillow. For my primary cactus, I made use of a solid olive-green flannel from Jo-Ann Fabrics. I subsequently combined it with patterns from my Day Trip collection. It looks so adorable on Lucy’s bed with her Sherpa Fleece Blanket! Too many choices
Okay. Have I talked too much? Using my letter of love to a cactus? It will serve as a punching bag for Owen.
Actually (and he’ll probably detest that I’m revealing this), Owen actually loves stuffed animals. The images above reminded me of this summertime road trip to their grandparents’ place, which also included a trip through the desert. In the remote Texas countryside, we stayed in this quirky small motel. Additionally, they each brought a toy animal, which was naturally taken in front of the amazing pink motel front.
Another photo from one of our numerous summer road trips is included here. After a 15-hour drive, we arrived at our motel in Tucson, Arizona, when this picture was shot. They stopped long enough for us to snap a photo before we headed to the pool.
Okay. I’ve said enough. Sewing time! Enjoy by clicking the play button below. Or you can view it on my channel, which is HERE.
Super cute! Given that I live in Tucson and the majority of my family members are in Arizona, I’d love to make some to give as gifts. great concept
Step 1: Cut the pieces out using the felt succulent templates
With my Cricut Maker, I enjoy cutting felt with the rotary blade. Use the firm grip mat when using the blade if you don’t have a Maker.