Hey everyone,
I'm back on this rainy Wednesday to share the super short and simple instructions for my newest pillow...
( please note that my post contains affiliate links. IF you choose to shop through my links I will receive a small commission, at absolutely NO extra cost to YOU. This compensates just a teeny bit for the time and effort I put into writing posts and tutorials~Thank you!)
I followed the pillow instructions by Stuart Hillard Makes on Youtube ( click), but ignored the pocket and handle instructions ( as well as the spray basting!) and just made the pillow following his directions. What I love about it is that the inside of the pillow is actually "finished", which makes it easier to take off, wash, and put back on ( plus the more finished look is nice!). His instructions are for a 16" pillow form, but if you are using a different size, just add 1/2" to your pillow form size. This makes for a tight and really full-looking pillow, which I like, but if you are not a fan, add some additional fabric.
Alright, to start you want to cut your pillow front to your desired size and make some registration marks with an iron or whatever you prefer. I folded my fabric in half both ways, and then on the diagonal as well:
Next I chose some fabrics that I pre-fused, and pulled out some dies that I thought would work...
I wanted some skinny strips, so I pulled out my pincushion die to cut the big strip and then subcut that into skinnier ( and shorter )strips with my rotary cutter:
I placed those "plant" strips on the diagonal marked lines....
then I chose some other fabrics and dies to add to my design:
( you will notice that I pulled out that red print, but ultimately did not end up using it)
The great thing about this project is that you can use whatever scraps you have on hand, and if you prefuse them you don't even have to worry about which way your fabric goes through the cutter!
I played around with a few designs, and just kept adding the layers ( trimming plant parts shorter when needed), and mostly eyeballing placement, but you could use a ruler to ensure even placement of shapes. Just make sure that you stay well away from the edges of your background fabric, because you want your design to stay front and center, and not to disappear into the seam allowances.
Next I stitched everything down with a zigzag stitch, matching colors as much as I could, and changing zigzag sizes according to the size of the appliques.
And finally, I wanted to add a little bit of quilting and so stitched a bit away from the appliques and just followed the outline. I have not finished yet, and might decide to add more quilting lines, but you will have to wait and see the final result.
To finish up your pillow just follow Stuart's instructions ( they are great!) and you will have your pillow done in no time! And if you don't want a pillow, you could make 3 "blocks" and make a table runner, or even make 9 blocks and make a throw quilt!
This was such a fun and easy way to make a quick pillow, AND use up some more scraps ( why do they always seem to multiply??) and I can totally see making more in the future ( maybe one each to go with the seasons/holidays??).
Here are the dies I used for this project:
Pincushion die ( click) This one is on clearance right now too, so limited quantities remain!
Circle die ( click) This one is so versatile and I use it for so many projects!
Crazy Petals die ( click). I used the largest of the petals to make the yellow flower in the center, as well as the pink "buds", AND the "leaves".
And finally, to add the hearts, I used the Flower Shapes by Edyta Sitar ( click). This is another die that I pull out again and again, because it has so many useful shapes on it!
Alright, that wraps up this tutorial. If you have any questions do let me know and I will be happy to answer if I can!
Happy creating!
Monique
Nice job.
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