Pillow Tutorial Made Easy!

Some of the items I find myself making over and over again with embroidery designs are pillows. Whether I use a primitive sampler or even a seasonal applique, I love to find ways to decorate throughout my home with pillows! Pillows also make great gifts to give!

For me, making a pillow was something I don't really remember learning about, and so I guess I take it for granted that it comes so easily. But over the last few months, I have had numerous requests from customers who would like to know how I make them. And so I am going to share with you a very basic, step-by-step tutorial on putting together 4 strips of sashing to a pillow. I'll also tell you my time-tested trick for getting the lumps and bumps out of your stuffed pillows!

I'm using the "spring flowers" design from Needle in a Haystack at SWAKembroidery.com for this demonstration. But remember, this same technique applies to ANY project you want to do, whether it's machine embroidery or not.

1. Stitch out your design onto background fabric.

2. Trim fabric so that you have an approximate 1 or 1 1/2" border around each side of the design.

3. Cut 4 different strips of fabric, each measuring 2 1/2" wide X _____. (This second number changes all the time depending on the finished size of your background fabric.) What I usually do is cut a long 2 1/2" size strip and then I trim the ends after sewing each strip onto each side.

4. With right sides together, place your first strip on the top of your background. Use a 1/4" seam allowance to sew a straight line. Trim any excess fabric off at the end. Press open with a hot iron.

5. Now take your 2nd strip and sew to the right-hand side of your pillow front. Again, make sure right-sides are facing and you are using a ¼” seam allowance. Press open.

6. Now it’s time to sew on your 3rd strip to the bottom of your panel. (Same as above instructions)

7. And finally, sew on your last strip! This will go on the left-hand side of your panel.

8. Now that your front panel of the pillow is finished, use this as your template to cut out your pillow back. Place this panel on top of the material you will be using for the back of your pillow. Pin. Cut out.

9. Place right sides together and sew around the entire pillow, leaving about a 2” opening at the bottom of the pillow as I show in this diagram.

10. Turn inside-out and now you can add the stuffing. Be sure to poke all the way through the corners. I sometimes find a dull pencil or a chopstick to be very helpful in this. Stuff away!

11. Hand-stitch the bottom of your pillow closed.

And my #1 tip for getting a nice, evenly stuffed pillow? Once your stuffing has been pushed all the way to the corners, edges and center, and you have closed the bottom, take a hot iron and steampress over top. I will even hold my iron down firmly for several seconds over the entire pillow. It may sound simple, and it is...but this is definitely the key to having a nice, firm, and lumpy-free pillow! (Is that a word?) ;)

Happy Tuesday everyone!