How to Sew Modern Pillows
Accent pillows are a great way to punch up a room without spending a lot of money, and they make for an easy do-it-yourself project. You can make a pillow to coordinate with any interior, but if you're going for modern flair, stay away from toile, plaid and traditional floral prints and pillows with piping or fringe around the edges. Modern pillows tend to feature clean lines, geometric shapes, bright colors and bold prints.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Compass
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Fabric in two contrasting colors
- Iron
- Sewing pins
- Air soluble marking pen
- Sewing needle
- Thread
- Stuffing
- 2 covered buttons
- Upholstery thread
- 5-inch-long sewing needle
Instructions
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1
Draw a circle that measures 19 inches in diameter onto a piece of paper. Use a drawing compass with an extension to create an accurate circular shape.
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2
Cut the circle template from the paper with a pair of sharp scissors.
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3
Place a piece of washed and pressed fabric on a flat work surface and fold it in half.
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4
Arrange the circle template in the center of the folded fabric and trace around it with an air soluble marking pen (a pen whose ink slowly fades when exposed to air).
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5
Remove the template and pin the two layers of fabric together using straight pins placed every inch along the inside perimeter of the circle.
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6
Cut out the circles with a pair of sharp fabric scissors.
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7
Fold the circles into quarters with the right side of the fabric facing inward (the folded pieces should look like pie slices) and mark the folds with an air-soluble marking pen.
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8
Open the folded circles and mark the center point of each on the front side of the fabric.
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9
Make the fabric gusset (the sides of the pillow) from a constrasting color of fabric by cutting a strip that measures 4 inches wide and 57.5 inches long.
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10
Fold the gusset into quarters with the right side of the fabric facing inward and mark the folds at the top and bottom edges of the fabric.
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11
Leave the right side of the gusset fabric facing inward and pin together the two four-inch edges. Thread a sewing needle with a length of sturdy thread, such as cotton-wrapped polyester, and back stitch the ends together, leaving a half-inch seam allowance. To make a back stitch, sew from the back side of the fabric to the front, and sew into the front of the fabric one-eight of an inch behind the point from which the thread emerged, then repeat.
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12
Open the seam and press it flat.
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13
Match the quarter-point marks on the gusset piece to the quarter marks on the top circle and pin them together with the right side of the fabric facing inward.
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14
Back stitch the two pieces together, leaving a half-inch seam allowance. When you've finished sewing, open the seam and press it flat.
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15
Turn the fabric pieces right side out, then fold them in half along the gusset. Top stitch, using a running stitch (passing the needle in and out of the fabric to create short, even stitches) one-eighth of an inch in from the seam. Make sure you sew through all the fabric layers.
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16
Sew the second circle onto the other edge of the gusset in the manner described in step 14, but leave an opening five inches long.
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17
Turn the pillow right side out, press the seam allowance open and top stitch along the sewn seam.
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18
Stuff the pillow with cotton or polyester fiber fill, adding stuffing until the pillow is firm.
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19
Hand-sew the open seam closed with a drawing stitch, making a tiny stitch into one folded edge and then making a tiny stitch into the other folded edge, until you've sewn across the length of the opening.
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20
Fold the pillow fabric at the just-sewn seam and place pins in both layers of fabric 1.5 inches in from the fold. This will create a flat surface so you can finish top stitching along the perimeter of the pillow.
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21
Attach a covered button at the marked center point on either side of the pillow. Connect the two buttons together through the fabric and stuffing with a length of upholstery thread threaded on a five-inch-long sewing needle. Pull tight to create a tuft.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose bold colors or geometric prints to give your pillow an ultra-modern appearance.
References
- Photo Credit pillow on a pink matress image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
