DaisyPillow

Sew Solid Sunday #4

Welcome back to Sew Solid Sunday!  Whether you already love working with solids or are thinking you might like to, but aren’t sure where to start, I hope we’ll have some inspiration here for you.

So, this was my couch a few days ago.  It is April people, April!  And I still have a snowflake on my couch – a sorry state of affairs.  Sew Solid Sunday to the rescue!

Those of you who have been around here for a while know how much I love working with bias.  (You can see some previous projects in my Modern Bias collections on Pinterest or Flickr).  It feels like I haven’t done a bias project for a while and its light, airy feel is perfect for Spring.

So here is my couch now. MUCH better 🙂  I seem to be drawn to this Kona Peridot and White combo as you may have seen in my White Diamonds table runner in the new issue of Modern Patchwork.  It just feels so fresh!

What have you been sewing with solids?

 

So, let me tell you how I got from Snowflake to Daisy.

Makes a 16″ pillow.

Fabric:

1/2 yard Robert Kaufman Kona Peridot

1/2 yard Robert Kaufman Kona White

 

Trim the Peridot to 16 1/2″ square for the background.

Cut 6 one inch wide bias strips from the white, plus two 4 1/2″ squares.

 

Trace the templates (download here) onto freezer paper and cut them out on the lines (Be sure to print them at actual size).  Fold the circle in half twice to make a plus sign and then twice more to make an “x”.

Pressed lines/circle template

Pressed lines/circle template

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Press creases in the background 9 3/4″ from the top and 10 3/4″ from the left raw edges.  Place the center of the circle template at the intersection of the pressed lines.  Press the circle in place and, using a removable marking pencil, trace around the circle.

 

Background ready!

Background ready!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Center the petal template over one of the pressed lines; press in place and trace around the template.  Rotate the template to trace outlines for 8 petals.  Remove both templates from the background.

BastingBias copy250

 

To make the bias strips, set your machine for basting.  Fold the bias strip approximately in thirds and baste down the center without stretching the strip.  Press.

 

(In the picture, I haven’t yet folded the right side of the bias strip over).

 

 

 

With the raw edge against the background, pin the bias strips in place over the marked lines.  Be sure the ends extend into the circle just a little bit so the circle will cover them.  Stitch the bias strips in place along the long edges.  Remove the basting.

 

OpenWIP copy250

Here is what you should have now (ignoring the circle of white stitching at the center):

A couple of  notes about this picture – I originally planned to make the pillow in this orientation but, when I’d finished it, I liked it better turned a quarter turn.  As the WIP sat on my design wall, I began to like the open center.  I stitched a few rounds of white stitching where the center was planned to see if I should leave it like that.  In the end, I decided I liked the solid center best.

 

Press the circle template onto the wrong side one of the 4 1/2″ white squares (With solids, there really is not right and wrong side – so many errors avoided!).  Trace around the circle.  Place the second white square right sides together with the first one and, using small stitches, stitch on the traced line.  Trim the seam allowance to about 1/8″.  Carefully cut a slit in one of the circles and turn the piece right side out.  Press.

 

Place the circle at the center of the daisy, on the traced line, and stitch in place along the outer edges.  To reduce the green showing through here, I cut a third white circle about 1/4″ smaller in diameter and sandwiched it in between the background and my center circle.  Your pillow top is done!

 

I like to quilt my pillow fronts.  I usually use muslin as a back to layer with the batting and top.  I’m out of muslin at the moment, so I used some more Kona White (I buy it by the bolt so I have plenty!).  I quilted a spiral in the center of the daisy and echo quilted inside and outside the daisy petals.  I used Auriful #2021 for construction and quilting the daisy center and Aurifil #1231 for the rest of the quilting.  The #1231 is a bit lighter than the Peridot, and I think it worked out well.

 

For the pillow back, I took the rest of the half yard cut of Peridot and cut about 6 1/2″ off (the width of my ruler).  I inserted the zipper between this section and the rest of the half yard.  I trimmed the result to 16 1/2″ square and sewed it, right sides together with the quilted front using a 3/8″ seam on the sides and a 1/2″ seam at the corners.  My pillows often have “ears” that are too perky, so I wanted a slightly larger seam at the corners.

 

10 Comments
  • maria
    Posted at 17:41h, 30 March Reply

    where can I find the tutorial for this pillow?. I really love it. Thanks

  • KaHolly
    Posted at 19:35h, 18 March Reply

    Brilliant!

  • ChristaQuilts
    Posted at 17:22h, 14 April Reply

    I love it – solid lovers unite!!

  • knitnkwilt
    Posted at 04:25h, 14 April Reply

    Your spring pillow is wonderful. I like large flowers that are bigger than the design space.

  • PT in SC
    Posted at 01:35h, 14 April Reply

    I love everything about it…and don't worry about your snowflake pillow on the sofa, my snowman tea towel, a friend made for me, is still hanging on my oven door and the high today in SC was 83! Thank you for the tutorial, can't wait to try it.

  • Malu
    Posted at 20:16h, 13 April Reply

    I love your pillow. It is so extraordinary. It really deserves a very special place on your couch. The technic is great. Thank you for explaining it.

  • Anne
    Posted at 19:07h, 13 April Reply

    Ha. We have snow on the ground today after temps in the 70's for a few days last week so the snowflake would fit right in. Gotta love springtime in Colorado. I really like the simplicity of both your pillows. The new green daisy brings a very fresh, modern feel to springtime. Thanks for the tutorial too.

  • Lucinda Miller
    Posted at 16:29h, 13 April Reply

    I don't think it's unusual that you still had a snowflake at on your couch — we had actual snow on the ground til a couple weeks ago! But I do love the daisy — they are my favorite flower — and this looks like something I need to try. Thanks for the how-to!

  • Jayne
    Posted at 15:35h, 13 April Reply

    I love both pillows! The peridot is gorgeous and I love the technique! I may have to try this! Thank you!

  • Margaret
    Posted at 12:16h, 13 April Reply

    What a GREAT pillow! Love it – especially your choice of Peridot and White. Thank you for the tutorial – I really want to give this a try!

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