Blue Pillow Tutorial

Sometimes I think I should keep a running list of the smaller projects I make just so I can remember to write about them.  This little blue pillow cover is a perfect example of one of those forgotten projects.

I have been trying to use up some of my old leftovers, so I decided on these strips from a quilt that I made years ago.  I auditioned a couple of fabrics from the stash, and the darker blue won out. 

In the end, I didn't use much of the strips because I wanted the pillow to have a modern feel to it.  Ignoring the seams, I fussy cut a couple of pieces to get pieces some of the pretty leaves in the picture.  After adding a wide strip in the center of the florals, I cut the block in half and added another wide strip.

It was easy enough to add a strip on the top and on the bottom, and then add one to the right and left.

The three layers created a quilt sandwich of the blue top, scrap batting and a pieced muslin bottom, also made from scraps.  

A couple of pins to hold everything together worked very well.

I wanted to experiment with some organic-looking, curvy lines across the pillow, so I started out just playing and ended up really have fun.  Most of the time I followed the pattern, but on occasion I mixed it up and went off-course.  I like variety, so I tossed in three strips of pebbles between the lines.  I think they work to help the curves stand out.  I think it took about 30 seconds...well, it felt like it because it was such fun.

Check out the backside of the pillow-top.  No one will ever see it, but I think it's kinda cool.

Most of the decorative pillows I make are 14 or 16 inches square since I have both size pillow forms.

I had decided on 16 in. early on, so the next step was to cut the quilt sandwich into a 16 1/2 inch square.


Then I prepared the back of the pillow cover: two pieces of the blue (16 1/2 X 10) hemmed along one long side so that I could overlap them to create one back the size of the front.




The easy way to make them fit is to put the pillow top on the work surface, right side facing up.  Then put one back piece down, right sides together (rst), with the hemmed edge in the center.  Now place the second back piece on top (rst) with the hemmed edge in the center.  Make sure all raw edges are even with the edges of the pillow front.  This will require that the back pieces are overlapped.  It doesn't matter which piece is on top.  Pin through all pieces,


I like to make two seams around the edges.  The first seam 1/4 inch from the edge and then another one just inside of the first.  After this it's just a matter of turning the cover right side out and pushing out the corners to shape them.

Of course, these photos are taken with the pillow form in the cover. It's going to make a really nice pillow cover for someone, don't you think?  Perhaps I'll make a few more just for fun; I need to add to my gift inventory since I depleted it over the holidays.