This pretty pillow makes a great throw pillow for a bed or a lovely accent for an overstuffed chair. Soft and comfy, it’s just right for lounging, or for curling up with at bedtime. It looks great in a single fabric or in a lovely mix of stripes and a floral.

FINISHED SIZE OF PILLOW 17 in/43 cm diameter by 7 in/18 cm high by 50 in/127 cm circumference

Materials

1 1³/₈ yd/1.3 m of striped mid-weight cotton fabric (45 in/114 cm wide) for Top and Bottom

2 ⁵/₈ yd/60 cm of coordinating mid-weight cotton fabric (45 in/114 cm wide) for Sides and Piping

3 3 yd/2.75 m of ⁶/₃₂-in/5-mm cotton filler cord

4 1 Dritz covered button kit (size 1¹/₈ in/2.8 cm diameter)

5 Coordinating thread

6 Fiberfill

FROM THE SEWING BASKET:

Scissors (for use with paper and fabric)
Tracing paper (optional)
Pencil (optional)
Pins
Zipper foot for sewing machine
Fine gauge string or crochet cotton
Large tapestry needle

Cutting

Cut out (or trace with tracing paper and pencil) the Pillow Top/Bottom pattern piece that is provided at the back of this book.

FROM TOP/BOTTOM FABRIC:

Fold fabric in half, right sides together, lining up the cut edges. Cut a total of 8 Pillow Top/Bottom pieces: 4 for Top, 4 for Bottom.

FROM SIDES AND PIPING FABRIC:

Cut 2 rectangles, 5¹/₂ by 26 in/14 by 66 cm. Fold each rectangle in half crosswise, aligning along the short ends, and clip a ¹/₄-in/6-mm notch at both the upper and lower edge of the fold.

Cut enough 1⁵/₈-in-/4.1-cm-wide bias binding strips (see page 22), so that, when pieced together, they measure 108 in/2.75 m long.

Save the scraps for making the fabric-covered buttons.

Assemble

STEP 1: PILLOW TOP, BOTTOM, AND SIDES

A Assemble Top and Bottom: Place 2 Top/Bottom pieces, right sides together, aligning all edges. Pin along 1 of the straight edges, and then sew pieces together with a ¹/₂-in/12-mm seam allowance. Repeat with another set of 2 pieces. Lay the 2 joined pieces one on top of the other, right sides together, aligning all the raw edges. Pin along the 2 straight edges. Sew each of the straight edges together with ¹/₂-in/12-mm seam allowance; you now have a doughnut-shaped piece. Press all seams open. Repeat with the other 4 Top/Bottom pieces.

B Use Gathering Method Two (see page 24) and sew around the outer edge of each of the Top/Bottom pieces. Sew around the inside edges using the same gathering method, but make the zigzag stitch length shorter, because the string will be staying in place on the inside edges. (See illustration on page 126.) Set both of these pieces aside. You will gather in step 2C.
C Sides: Lay Side pieces right sides together; align all edges. Pin together both short ends. Sew short ends together with a ¹/₂-in/12-mm seam allowance to form a wide short tubular shape. Press seams open and set aside.
D Join the bias binding strips together (see page 22).

STEP 2: ASSEMBLE PILLOW

A Put zipper foot on sewing machine. With bias strip wrong-side up, place filler cord down the center of the bias strip. Fold the bias strip in half lengthwise. Align the raw edges, encasing the filler cord; pin. Sew the raw edges together, as close to the encased filler cord as possible. You will end up with about a ¹/₂-in/12-mm seam allowance from the raw edge to the stitching and the total width of the Piping should be about ⁷/₈ in/2.2 cm. (See illustration on page 127.)
B With Side piece right-side out, align Piping along one of the raw edges. Begin and end the Piping at one of the side seams, leaving about a 2-in/5-cm tail of Piping at the beginning. Pin Piping in place and baste to Side piece, ³/₈ in/1 cm from the edge. Note: When you sew around the Side piece and arrive back at the beginning of the Piping, overlap the Piping while pulling the tail and the other end of the Piping up. The ends of the Piping need to be caught in the basting; you may want to backstitch over this point a second time. Trim the tails off the Piping. Repeat on other raw edge of Side piece. (See illustration on page 127.)

C Align the outside circular edge of one of the Top/Bottom pieces with one edge of the Side piece, right sides together; match up the Top/Bottom seams to the Pillow Side seams and notches and pin at these 4 points. Pull the string to gather the Top/Bottom outside edge; distribute the gathers evenly and pin all around. Sew together with a ¹/₂-in/12-mm seam allowance, sewing as close to the Piping as possible. Repeat with other Top/Bottom piece and attach to the other edge of Side piece.
D Remove the gathering string from both of the outer edges. Turn pillow right-side out through one of the inside openings.

STEP 3: FINISHING

A Covered buttons: Use the leftover fabric and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make the two covered buttons. Set them aside.

B Gather one inside circle edge as tightly as possible; when the covered button is over the center, it should cover all of the raw edges. Pull the loose ends of the zigzag threads inside (to the wrong side of the pillow) and knot them. Next, pull the ends of the gathering string inside and knot tightly. This side will now be referred to as the Bottom.

C Stuff the pillow with fiberfill, through the Top circular hole; do not overstuff. As you’re stuffing the pillow, keep track of the Bottom string ends; once you are finished with stuffing, bring the Bottom string ends out through the Top circle.

D Gather the Top circle, as you did for the Bottom. Knot the zigzag thread loose ends and tuck them inside. Knot the string, trim so that the ends are even, and thread the tapestry needle with both ends together. While holding onto the Bottom string that is threaded outside the Top hole, push the needle down through the center of the pillow and out the Bottom hole. (See illustration.) Unthread the needle.

E With the Bottom of the pillow facing up, take one covered button and feed one of the top strings through the shank. Tie into a knot with the other top string, while pulling the string, so that the button sits flat inside the dimple created. Push the string end down inside the hole under the button. Repeat on the Top side of the pillow with the other button.