Have any beautiful fabric patterns you just can’t bear to part with? A blouse that’s too small, a few leftover pieces of fabric from your last sewing project, or that small fabric swatch you bought just because. Instead of letting them continue to collect dust, use them to create a beautiful patchwork throw pillow that you can use in any room of the house!
Create your own Anthropologie inspired patchwork pillow…
Patchwork pillow
Supplies:
- Pillow form
- Sewing scissors
- Thread
- Sewing machine
- Pins
- Scrap fabric in various sizes
- Large piece of plain fabric for backing
- Cutting mat
- Rotary cutter
- Straight edge
- Iron
- Ironing board
Instructions:
1. Gather fabric and cut into squares
Compile your scrap fabric and cut down into straight square or rectangle pieces.
2. Arrange scrap fabric
Using your pillow form as a guide, lay out your pieces of scrap fabric that have been cut straight. Arrange them so that they completely cover the pillow.
3. Pin together
Once your scrap fabric pieces are arranged, start in 1 corner and pin 2 of the fabric pieces together to start patchworking what will end up being the front of your pillow.
4. Sew pieces together
Sew the 2 pieces that were pinned together along the pin line leaving a small (approximately 1/4-1/2 inch) seam allowance. You will sew with right sides against each other, wrong sides facing outward.
5. Iron the seam
Iron the seam flat.
6. Repeat steps 3 to 5
Grab the next piece of scrap fabric from your patchwork layout and repeat steps 3 to 5. Sew along multiple sides as indicated by the layout to piece your fabric swatches together.
7. Continue until finished
Continue piecing, sewing and ironing all of your pieces until you have patchworked together enough pieces to completely cover the front of your pillow form and allow for seam allowance (here we used a 20 x 20-inch square pillow form so we made our patchwork piece approximately 21 x 21 inches.
8. Measure and cut down to size
Once your pieces are all patchworked together, measure your finished pillow top size and cut the patchwork piece down to size (here for our 20-inch square pillow we cut a 21-inch square piece out of the finished patchwork, cutting straight the sides and cutting off a few excessively long pieces).
Also cut out a piece of plain fabric for the backing of the pillow (we used a matching 21-inch square — the same size as our pillow front leaving a 1-inch seam allowance around the entire pillow). Place right sides against each other and pin in place.
9. Sew 3 sides together
Sew along 3 sides of the pillow case (sides and top), leaving the bottom side open.
10. Flip inside out and add the pillow form
Flip the pillow case right side out and stuff in the pillow form.
11. Pin again and sew shut
Pin the bottom of the pillow shut, folding the seams inward.
12. Finish it up
Lastly, to finish up your pillow, sew along the bottom seam where you have pinned to sew the pillow form into the case.
Cut off any excess threads, give your pillow a few fluffs and find a cozy corner to place your new patchworked piece!
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