How to Make Old Colonial Designed Pillows

Accessorize a colonial home with colonial pillows.

During the colonial period, home were usually decorated simply, using materials that were easily found and items also used in home making. Decorations were often created by repurposing fabric and materials left over from other projects. Today, the colonial style of decorating still holds a fondness, now being created through the use of reproduction fabrics and reproduced colonial primitive decor pieces, such an old colonial designed pillows made with reproduction coverlet and cotton fabrics.

Things You'll Need

• ½ yard reproduction coverlet fabric
• ½ yard reproduction colonial print or homespun weave fabric
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Needle
• Polyfill or wool stuffing
• ½ yard osnaburg or quality muslin
• Stitchery design
• Masking tape
• Disappearing ink fabric marker
• Embroidery thread
• Embroidery needle

Instructions

Coverlet Pillow

1. Cut the coverlet fabric into two squares of 13 to 16 inches in size. The finished size will be 1 inch smaller that the size cut.

2. Lay the squares on one another, with the right sides together, and pin them in place. Your straight pins should run parallel with the top of the fabric's line across the top to prevent them from getting caught by the sewing machine. Pinning every 2 to 3 inches is efficient.

3. Sew a ½ inch seam, beginning 2 inches from the bottom left corner. Back up after a ½ inch of stitching and go over the area again to secure the seam.

4. Continue stitching around the pillow, removing the straight pins as you go, until reaching the area 2 inches from the right bottom corner. Back up on the ½ inch of stitching to secure the end of the seam.

5. Clip the corners at an angle, close, but not into the seam. This will help the corners be neat and crisp.

6. Turn the pillow right side out. If the corners are sunk in, insert the closed pair of scissors into the pillow and use the scissor tip point to push the corners outward.

7. Stuff the pillow with small amounts of stuffing until packed at the desired firmness. Stitch the opening closed using the sewing needle and thread, using small stitching.

Stitchery Pillow

1. Cut a piece of osnaburg or muslin fabric that allows for 3 extra inches on each side of the stitchery design. Lay the design down in a well lighted area or tape on a sunny window. Lay the fabric piece over it and tape in place, to prevent shifting.

2. Trace the design onto the fabric using the disappearing ink fabric pen. You may also use a regular pencil, but the design will appear lighter.

3. Stitch and embroider the design on the fabric according to the design's instructions and your own preferences. The stitchery fabric piece is the centerpiece of the old colonial pillow.

4. Cut a 2-inch strip across the reproduction fabric's width. Line the 2-inch strip with the corner and edge of the stitchery fabric and sew the two fabrics, right sides together, with a ½ inch seam, stopping at the bottom of the stitchery fabric.

5. Clip the excess strip away with a straight line and repeat on the opposite side. After you've sewn the two sides, sew the remaining strip across the top and then across the bottom. If the strip is not long enough, you can cut a second 2-inch strip from the reproduction fabric yardage.

6. Cut a square the same size as the pillow's front side. Pin the two squares, right sides together, and stitch around the pillow shape as you did with the coverlet pillow, Steps 3 and 4.

7. Clip the corners and turn the pillow right side out. Stuff and stitch the pillow closed as done with the coverlet pillow.

Tips & Warnings

• Sawdust, crushed walnut shells, or pine needles can be used to fill the pillows more like traditional colonial pillows were sometimes stuffed when feathers or wool was not available.

• If you would prefer to use a pillow form, choose one slightly larger than the pillowcase to fill the case up amply.

Resources

• Colonial Crafts: Coverlet Collection
• Primitive Stitches