We don't guarantee inner peace with our Ruched Asian Meditation Pillow, but we do promise style! The circular design adds a unique shape to your pillow mix, and the feel of the pillow can be altered by using different colored fabrics.

Prefer a flower on the top? No problem! You can apply the applique technique to any fabric motif. Just find a fabric with a motif you love, cut a few out, and then stitch them down using our instructions below. Large motifs are best, so they really pop off of the background fabric.

Full Disclosure: This project was created by one of our more sophisticated sewers – and it does incorporate some rather advanced techniques. It's probably not the first project you'll want to attempt, but once you have some other projects under your belt, we're sure you'll be up to the task!

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome DC 2010)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• ¾ yards of base or main fabric
• ½ yard or less of fabric with large motif for applique
• ½ yard of batting
• ½ yard of muslin
• ⅓ yard of fusible webbing with paper backing
• 1 20oz bag of polyester fiberfill
• All Purpose sewing thread in colors to match fabrics
• Teflon pressing sheet
• Metallic thread (optional)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Hand sewing needle
• Iron and ironing board

Getting Started

1. Cut two circles 14" in diameter out of your main fabric.
   Hint: the easiest way to cut a circle out of fabric is to find a household item, such as a plate, to use as a template. Try to find something as close to 14" as possible, and trace this on your fabric using a fabric marking pen. Then cut it out.
2. Cut one 14" circle out of the batting.
3. Cut one 14" circle out of the muslin.
4. Cut two strips of fabric 35" x 6" for the sides of the pillow.
5. Decide which motifs you will use for appliqué and roughly cut them out from the fabric; you'll want to leave a decent amount of fabric around them for attaching the webbing.
6. Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse appliqués to webbing.
7. Trim around motifs again, this time following the lines of the design.
8. Arrange fabric motifs on one 14" main fabric circle, creating a pattern that is pleasing to you. This will be the top of the pillow.
9. Following manufacturer's instructions, press to adhere appliqués.

At Your Sewing Machine

1. Sandwich your circle of batting between the main fabric circle with the appliqués and the circle of muslin. Pin this sandwich together.
2. Using a straight stitch, stitch around the appliqué design with metallic thread. Notice how this is done in the photo above. Stitch just inside the edge of the fabric all the way around each appliqué. Additionally, you may choose to follow some of the lines in the design to further secure the appliqué to the fabric (see close-up of stitching on top of pillow in photo above).
   
3. Stitch the two 35" x 6" strips of fabric, right sides together, end to end, along the short end, to create one 69" x 6" strip.
4. Set up your machine for Ruching as follows: select the straight stitch with set the stitch length at the longest available on your machine; reduce the upper thread tension slightly (set it to a lower number).
5. Place the right side of your foot on the raw edge of the fabric and sew along each side of the long single strip.
6. Gently pull on the bobbin thread (if you pull too hard, it will break and you'll have to start over), one side at a time, to gather the strip until it is approximately 48" long.
7. Sew the short ends together to create a circle.
8. With right sides together, pin one edge of the Ruching circle to the appliquéd circle, evenly distributing the gathers.
9. Return the thread tension on your machine to normal. If possible on your machine, move your needle position to the left (on the Janome DC2010, select stitch #2).
   Note: If you are unable to move the needle position on your machine, stitch to the left of the gathering stitch, so that when you open the 'strip' none of the gathering stitches show on the right side.
10. Place the right edge of your foot on the raw edge and stitch all the way around. Do not forget to remove pins as you sew.
11. Repeat to attach remaining ruching circle to the remaining fabric circle. Leave an opening about 6" long for turning.
12. Turn pillow right sides out.
13. Stuff pillow with polyfill through opening.
14. Using the hand sewing needle, slipstitch the opening closed.

Other machines suitable for this project include the Husqvarna Viking Emerald 203 or the Singer Fashion Mate.

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