Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome MO200QC)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• One 10" square Fabric A (for pillow center)
• ¼ yd Fabric B (for borders)
• ½ yd Fabric C (for pillow back)
• Small piece Fabric D (for Flower Center)
• Fat quarter (18" x 22") Fabric E (for Flower Petals)
• Thread in colors to match fabrics
• Thread in contrasting or accent colors for applique (optional)
• Template plastic or Cardboard (for applique)
• Scissors
• Printout of the applique pattern for Flower Center and Flower Petals
• One 14" x 14" pillow form
• Ruler (at least 15" inches long)
• Iron and Ironing Board

Before You Start

1. Trace the Flower Center and Flower Petals onto a piece of template plastic or cardboard and cut out.
2. Use these plastic/cardboard templates to trace the shapes onto Fabrics D and E, and cut out two of each shape. Hint: To ensure that the shapes will mirror each other exactly, fold your fabric with right sides together, then trace and cut out the shapes through both layers of fabric.
3. From Fabric B, cut two 3" x 9½" pieces and two 3" x 14½" pieces.
4. From Fabric C, cut two 14½" x 11¼" pieces.
   

At Your Sewing Machine

Note: Use a ¼" seam allowance when sewing this project.

Pillow Top:

1. Sew the 3" x 9½" Fabric B strips to the top and bottom of the 9½" center square and press.
   
2. Sew the 3" x 14½" pieces to the sides of the piece made above and press.
   

Create the Appliqué:

1. With right sides of the fabric together, place the two pieces from the Flower Petals pattern together. Pin the pieces together to secure.
2. Wind a bobbin with thread that matches Fabric E (for Flower Petals). Thread your machine with the same thread and insert your wound bobbin. Select a straight stitch.
3. Place your fabric under the foot with the raw edge of the fabric against the side of the foot. If possible move your needle to the right needle position; this will set you up for an apx. ¼" seam. This does not have to be exact. When sewing, don't forget to remove the pins just as your reach them. Do not sew over pins or you could break the sewing machine needle.
4. Start sewing at one of the petals. Take a few stitches and then backstitch for a few stitches to secure. Continue sewing all the way around the flower leaving approximately 1"-1½" un-sewn. Backstitch at the end to secure.
   
5. When you come to the inside points, stitch approximately 5-6 stitches beyond the point. Stop with your needle down. Pivot so the fabric is straight across. Sew 3-5 stitches. Stop again with the needle down. Pivot and continue sewing around the next petal.
   
6. When working with curves and points, it is helpful to clip the seam allowances. If you do this, when you turn the fabric right side out, your curves and points will lay flat. Using just the tip of your scissors, clip at the cut edge to the stitching line. Be very careful that you don't clip through the stitching line.
   
7. You can change the thread and bobbin color for each appliqué if desired or leave the thread color the same. The thread will not show when the appliqué is turned right side out.
8. Turn the flower right side out through the opening you left in step #4. With your fingers, roll the edge of the seams flat. It is helpful to use a point turner to smooth out the petals.
9. Press, tucking the unsewn area into the petal.
10. Repeat steps 1-9 for the Flower Center appliqué piece.
11. Arrange the Flower Petals on the Pillow Front, using the picture of the finished project as a guide. Pin in place to secure.
    
12. The appliqué is sewn to the base fabric using a straight stitch. You can match thread color to the fabric piece or use a contrasting color.
13. Position the Flower Center in the middle of the Flower Petal appliqué, and pin. Stitch in place using a straight stitch. Again, you can match the thread color to the fabric piece or use a contrasting color.
    

Pillow Back:

1. Take one piece of your backing fabric, and turn under the right side of the fabric ½" along the entire width of the piece (the 14½" side in our sample). Press.
2. Fold under an additional 1½" and press.
3. Edgestitch along the folded edge to make a clean double turn hem.
   
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with the other piece of backing fabric.
5. Take both pieces and overlap the hems to yield the correct finished height (14½" in our sample). Pin hems together.
   
6. Working as close to the edge as possible, stitch the sides of hems together to secure and create one piece. It's easier to work with one piece to stitch front to back.
   

Finish the Pillow:

1. Place the pillow top right sides together with the pillow back.
2. Pin in place.
3. Stitch around all four edges of the pillow cover.
4. Trim all four corners.
5. Using the envelope opening on the back, turn the pillow covering right side out. Push out the trimmed corners from the inside to make nice, square corners on the outside. Use your finger or a blunt edge tool, like a large knitting needle.
6. Insert the pillow form and fluff out the corners.

Hints and Tips

Flower Power Appliqué Alternate Instructions

The instructions below teach you how to use a zig zag stitch and fusible web for creating appliqué. Practice using the zig zag stitch on your machine. You may tighten it by decreasing the Stitch Length to create a denser stitch to add more definition to the outline of the appliqué or keep the stitch length loose so that the thread does not show very much. In the images below, the Flower Center is adhered with a very tight Stitch Length (.25), while the Flower Petals are attached with a looser Stitch Length (.75).

Alteration of Supplies:

• Scraps of Fabric D (for Flower Center appliqué)
• One 9½" square of Fabric E (for Flower Petal appliqué)
• Fusible Web (This is a special supply for appliqué. It comes in a few trade names, such as Heat N Bond. You can ask for it at your local fabric shop. You will want a lightweight version. Be sure to read the manufacturer's instructions for any special tips about using this product.)
  

Create the Applique

1. Trace the Flower Petal and Flower Center shapes onto the paper side of the fusible web.
2. Roughly cut around each piece. You want extra fusible web around the shape outlines.
3. Using your iron, fuse web to the wrong side of fabric, following manufacturer's recommendations.
4. Cut out appliqué pieces, this time following the exact edge of your shapes.
5. Peel off paper backing from the fusible web.
6. Arrange the Flower Petal piece on the pillow top so that it pleases you. (You may choose to arrange it in the lower corner as ours is, but don't feel obligated. Personalize!)
7. Once you have found a placement you like, take everything to the ironing board.
8. With the fabric right side up, and the fusible webbing facing the pillow top, iron the applique to fuse it in place. (You fuse the appliqué so you can sew without the threat of it moving or bunching. You could use pins to secure the appliqué in place – the fusible web just makes the sewing easier.)
9. Take the pillow top with its fused appliqué to your machine.
10. Use thread in a color that matches your fabrics to adhere the appliqué - or you may choose a contrasting or accent color of thread to add some spunk to your project.
11. Choose a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine. Hint: if you have a Blanket Stitch on your sewing machine, you could choose this stitch instead.
    
12. Starting at the top of one of the petals, begin sewing around the appliqué shape. Try to position your stitching so the center of the stitch follows the outline of the appliqué, and one point of the zig zag is in the appliqué fabric, and the opposite point of each stitch is in the fabric of the pillow top.
    
13. When you come to the inside points, stop with your needle down. Pivot so the fabric is straight across. Sew 1-2 stitches. Stop again with the needle down. Pivot and continue sewing around the next petal.
14. When you have finished sewing around the petals, fuse the center piece in place with the iron, as described in Step #4.
15. Using the zig zag stitch again, sew around the Flower Center appliqué to stitch it in place. You may choose to use matching or accent thread for this piece as well.
    

Other machines suitable for this project include the Pfaff Select 3.0 or the White Style-Maker 3100.

Comments (2)

rsdavid said:

	... The pillow shows mitered corners with the square in the middle. I was really hoping to learn how to do it that way rather than the simple quilted block. Are there further instructions? Thanks!
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June 08, 2009
Votes: +0

liz.johnson said:

	... Good for you to want to try the mitered corners. See our article on that here: http://sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/315-how-to-make-a-mitered-corner
	report abuse vote down vote up

June 22, 2009
Votes: +0