Fabric weaving plus decorative stitching-in-the-ditch packs a powerful color punch! Start with one 40-piece jelly roll bundle, and with clever seaming and slicing, end up with two different, yet completely coordinated 20” pillows.
What makes a great pillowscape? Gorgeous fabric, an interesting shape or two, and a few special bits of embellishment are a great start. We combined all these attributes to create a fabulous 50″ bolster with two matching rounds.
We have dozens of S4H pillow projects for you to choose from. This article pulls together everything you need to know before launching into that pillow making: a little history, basic types, and what we recommend stuffing inside.
Let this pretty kitty keep watch over the rest of the pillows on your sofa or bed. The bold silhouette with its sweet dimensional bow is truly the Cat’s Meow. Our appliqué design is a free download, including the lettering.
The classic round bolster is a great way to add a new and interesting shape to your pile o’ decorator pillows. Cording accents and gathered ends are elegant touches that add true designer style yet are so very easy to accomplish.
Freshen up the pillow-scape on your bed or sofa with this terrific trio. We used simple patchwork techniques to blend together 13 coordinating prints, creating three different pillow shapes: square, rectangle, and bolster.
Create a fast, patchwork pillow using thin scraps. We dove into our stash for leftover Jelly Roll and Honey Bun strips. A variety of decorative stitching along each seam adds a dash of color and texture. Each one is different.
We love sewing by machine! It's fast, it's easy, and when you have great machines like the Janome models in our S4H studios, it's almost effortless. But it doesn't mean you can't whip out the hand needle and thread now and then. A few well-placed hand-stitched accents add a unique decorative touch. Today's lovely lumbar
Great fabric, an interesting shape, and a few special bits of embellishment. We combined all three to create a fabulous 50" soft bolster pillow. Bolsters are usually round, but the Home Décor Rule Book allows you to vary both shape and size. Of course, there's not really a rule book, but if there was, you
Two pillows are better than one – especially when they are in two different shapes and sizes. Our Square and Bolster Set also adds great texture and dimension with natural cotton webbing and twisted rope trim.
Our grandma was amazing in the way she could take cast-off bits and pieces and turn them into something so very sweet. These five pretty mix and match pillows are inspired by her inventiveness with a variety of scraps and textures.
What’s faster than a pillow. Well… cheetahs, Italian sports cars, and the time it takes for your kids to age from 2 to 20 to name a few. So, let’s be more specific. When it comes to sewing projects, what’s faster and easier than a pillow? Nothing! This pillow design is certainly quick and easy,
The box pleat is one of the easiest pleating techniques to master. We’ve used the inverted version to create a pair of simple yet stunning pillows. Use a single or double pleat; we give you measurements for both versions.
If your sofa seems down in the dumps, the solution can be as quick and easy as a new set of pillows. A blast of beautiful fabric makes your whole room (and you) happier. This set is reversible with pretty flange accents.
Many heirloom techniques can be re-imagined by machine. Try some classic stitches to create a unique decorator pillow. We incorporated straight tucks, wave tucks, entredeux, and lush ruffles into this tone-on-tone beauty.
We explain three different decorative stitching options for you to try, and have included three template downloads to re-create our exact designs. Vary the fabric, thread colors, and stitch patterns for dozens of options.
This clever pillow looks complex with its intricate lattice front and peek-a-boo inset, but it’s so easy. We love the splash of color behind the lattice strips. Just imagine all the wonderful fabric combinations you could try!
The graceful crane is a symbol for longevity. Although often depicted in flight, the cascading pleats on the front and back of our pillow simulate the folded wings of a crane at rest. Silk dupioni provides a shimmering finish.
Like your favorite pair of sweats, sometimes you gotta have a loose fit. This throw pillow follows suit with a relaxed and roomy cover. We added 15 lines of decorative stitching and custom corner tassels.
This dramatic pillow is what is traditionally called a “statement” pillow, the member of the pillowscape with the strongest flair, the one that anchors the collection. Our striking fleur-de-lis appliqué is a free download.
We provide complete step-by-step instructions for our own woven braid design plus two alternative ideas. The pattern works best in fabric with a variety of smaller motifs in distinct colors to achieve the pretty braided effect.
Stripes are one of those universal motifs. We turned and seamed them in clever ways to create a unique effect. Our “spun stripes” allow simple triangles and squares to morph into pillow tops that seem almost three-dimensional.
When you think of patchwork, you usually think of quilting cotton. But there’s no rule! We added luxury into the mix with a jewel box blend of silk dupioni in Tiffany blue, glittering silver, burnished gold, and rich ebony.
This pillow features a unique way to make ordinary piping pop. You start with jumbo piping, which requires a wide fabric strip as a wrap. This fabric strip then becomes the base for two rows of bold decorative stitching.
Quilter’s prairie points create a unique edge for this pretty pillow. We used charm squares to make things quick and easy. There are 32 points around the edge; including clever mitered corners, which we show you how to make.
Things that are six sided: snow crystals, the cells of a honeycomb, the Tam Tam (a six-sided matzo cracker) and this delightful star-shaped pillow. Completely proving 1) not all pillows need to be square, and 2) you'll need to get a magnifying glass or microscope to make sure I'm telling the truth about the snow
It’s the classic special touch: adding a little something on top. Pie is great. Pie with whipped cream is awesome. This pretty pillow overlays patchwork with a touch of embroidery. It’s a simple way to make a stunning statement.
A horizontal pillow injects an interesting shape into the ordinary pile of pillows. This one features an envelope style opening on the front rather than the back, so we can show off a set of three beautiful cherry wood buttons. The buttons are not only fabulous, they are also keeping the pillow cover closed. Who
Pretty pillow numéro deux in our French Pillow Trio features a French word in its name: appliqué. Derived from the French verb "appliquér," meaning "to put on or apply," appliqué does exactly that, putting one fabric onto another as a decorative embellishment. We've created two free appliqué templates you can download, one for either side
This pillow’s pleated front is embellished with thin belted accents and a bow. With no intricate angles or curves, it’s a great project to practice pleating. Master the fold-and-tuck method, and you can use it again and again.
You needn't be a cowboy or cowgirl to fall in love with this excellent accent pillow. The faux cowhide is 100% polyester with a heavy, velvety feel. Continuing our theme of imitation as the greatest (and humanest) form of flattery, we've paired it with a thick, rich faux suede, also 100% polyester. The design is
Patchwork done in small prints in a coordinated color palette is lovely. But when you want to mix it up, try bold designs + bright colors set against crisp, clean white with hand embroidery on the front and pretty tassels on the back.
Pleats and tucks are one of the most versatile sewing embellishments. Sew4Home offers several step-by-step tutorials on some of our favorites: Box Pleats, Knife Pleats, and for this pretty pillow: Wave Tucks. Clever folding and stitching with two contrasting fabrics creates a wonderfully textural effect. We've added it to a pillow front but bet you
All those “special” T-shirts from events, vacations or sports teams… you don’t wear them anymore, but you also can’t seem to part with them. Make them into keepsake pillows! Cut out the motif, stitch, and stuff! It’s as easy as that.
We searched for trendy decorator pillows at retail then “knocked off” our own versions for $100s less, like this bold awning-stripe option with piping + peek-through grommets. Other interesting accents? Try buckles, rings or toggles.
If you need to instantly perk-up your outdoor living space, nothing is faster or easier than a set of pretty pillows. The focal pillow in our patio trio uses faux fur. Faux fur for summer? Yep! We chose a great shaggy fur that looks like a pillow made of fresh green grass. It's paired with
Border prints are exactly what they sound like they'd be: a wide motif band running the entire length of the top and/or the bottom of a fabric's design. A border print provides built-in drama along the edge of your chosen project, and is often used in garment sewing for skirts or in home décor for
Our plump little pillows have a pleated chiffon sash across the center to give the look of classic heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, but with zero calories! Hidden layers of batting and muslin keep our hearts smooth and round.
A pretty little pillow is a fast and easy way to add a touch of sweet color and design to the pillowscape on a bed, sofa or chair. Our banded bow pillow blends petite florals and sweet stripes, a nostalgic combination with a soft, romantic feel. We add a light interfacing to the bow, which
$300 to $500 and up! That's the price range we found for similar pillows to this one at the fancy home décor companies in-store and online. And, we don't mind sayin'... we think ours is actually nicer and more interesting than many of the ones we saw for sale. This project is a great lesson