Hi everyone,

Happy Tuesday! We hope you are all having a great day – it’s National Pastry Day…which means we should probably get ourselves some yummy treats. I mean, it’s a national holiday…so we have to, right? ;) We’ll take an apple and cheese turnover, with extra whipped cream please!

Time for this week’s How To’s Day! Today we are featuring a super stylish tutorial for our Twin Pillows. Changing up your pillows, whether it be your couch or bed pillows, are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to add some new flair to a space. We love rotating pillows for the different seasons and holidays, as it gives us a fun opportunity to decorate often, while being budget-friendly. Making your own pillows also allows you to choose the designs and colors you want so that the decor you’ve envisioned can come to life…

We adore our Twin Pillows Tutorial because they are unique, modern, and you create (for those who like quicker projects) two pillows from one tutorial. We also provide two different versions in the tutorial, so you can mix it up and have an array of beautiful pillows for your home! We love it with our Opposites Attract by Jackie McFee collection, because the white and black prints can be incorporated into just about any decor.

Want to make your own Twin Pillows? Click MORE to see the full tutorial…

TWIN PILLOWS TUTORIAL

TOOLS & SUPPLIES:

For Version A
– Fabric A: 2/3 yard of Opposites Attract quilting cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 4141307 #1
– Fabric B: 1/4 yard of Opposites Attract quilting cotton in 4141303 #1

For Version B
– Fabric A: 2/3 yard of Opposites Attract quilting cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 4141303 #1- Fabric B: 1/4 yard of Opposites Attract quilting cotton in 4141307 #1

For each version:
– Backing: 1 yard of Fresh Solids quilting cotton in 214-0002 Black
- 18” square pillow form
– 24” straight edge ruler
– Basic sewing supplies: sewing machine, iron & pressing surface, scissors & fabric shears, measuring tape, pencil/fabric marker, straight pins, and coordinating thread

NOTES:
These pillows are constructed as Half-Square and Quarter-Square Triangle units, which are popular ways of making triangle pieces in quilts and other piecework projects thanks to their simplicity and the fact that they make (2) units at a time. In this tutorial, we’ve played with the scale so the entire pillow front is made as a Half-Square or Quarter-Square Triangle unit, meaning you’ll be sewing (2) “twin” pillow fronts at once.
– Please wash, dry & iron your fabric before beginning, and trim selvages.
- Unless otherwise directed, sew all seams with a 1/4” seam allowance.
– WOF = Width of Fabric.
– RST = Right Sides Together.

CUTTING:

MAKING THE PILLOW FRONTS:

1. Sew the Fabric A & B strips together top-to-bottom, alternating between the two fabrics. We like to start by sewing them in A-B pairs, then sewing the pairs together.
Press your seams toward the darker fabric.

2. Lay out your work on a flat surface and cover it with the Fabric A square, RST. Draw a diagonal line on the Wrong Side of the Fabric A square, connecting (2) opposite corners.
3. Pin the layers together and sew 1/4” from the diagonal line on both sides, taking care to keep your seam allowances flat as you sew.
4. Cut along the diagonal line to create (2) half-square triangle units. Press the diagonal seams open.

This completes the pillow fronts for Version A. Version B continues as follows:

5. Place the (2) half-square triangle units you just made as shown, RST with the diagonal seams aligned. The Fabric A half of the upper unit should cover the striped half of the lower unit.
6. Draw a diagonal line through the center of the upper square, running at a right angle to the existing diagonal seam.
7. Pin & sew the layers together as you did in Step 3, making sure that the existing diagonal seams are perfectly aligned at the points where your new seams cross them.
8. Cut along the diagonal line you drew in Step 6 to make (2) hourglass units. Open up the work and press the seams open.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Turn & press a 1/4” rolled hem along (1) longer edge of each backing rectangle. Topstitch in place.
2. Place (2) backing rectangles on a pillow front, RST, so that the backing pieces’ rolled hem are overlapping at the center of the pillow. Pin in place and trim any excess fabric.
3. For rounded corners, trace a small bowl or large mug at each corner as shown.
4. Sew the pillow backing to the pillow front around all (4) sides, backstitching at the beginning & end of the seam, and at the (4) points where the seam passes over one of the rolled hems.
When you sew around the corners, sew 1/4” inside the traced line.

5. Trim along the rounded corners, turn the pillow right side out through the gap between the overlapping back panels, and fit it over your pillow form.
Repeat all Assembly steps with the second “twin” pillow front.

We hope you have all enjoyed this week’s tutorial! You can also find the PDF printouts for our Twin Pillows on our website: Version A and Version B. Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Happy Sewing!