Floral Applique Pillow

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• 5/8 yd Fabric (for Pillow Front)
• 5/8 yd Muslin (for Backing of Pillow Front)
• 5/8 yd Fabric (for Pillow Back)
• 1/3 yd Fabric (for Piping)
• Fabric Pieces, Orange (for Flowers)
• Fabric Pieces, Lavender (for Flowers)
• Fabric Pieces, Blue (for Flowers)
• 1/8 yd Fabric (for Leaf and Stem)
• 2 1/4 yd of 1/4" Cording
• Small Amount Fiberfill or Thin Batting
• Freezer Paper
• Spray Starch
• Small Brush
• Fabric Basting Glue or Applique Pins
• Applique Needles (for Hand Sewing)
• Thread To Match Applique Fabrics
• Sewing Machine Zipper Foot
• Rotary Cutter
• Ruler
• Mat
• Basic Sewing Supplies
• Iron & Ironing Board
• Sewing Machine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut a 22" x 22" piece from the fabric for pillow top and from muslin. Baste together for stability. These will be trimmed when applique is completed. Set aside.
2. Refer to template diagram. Begin by tracing each template on the dull side of a sheet of freezer paper. Take 3 more sheets and place them shiny side down.
3. Add your traced sheet to the top, shiny side down, and iron sheets together using a dry iron. This gives you a firm reusable template.
4. Cut out templates on the line.
5. Iron the shiny sides of templates to the wrong side of your fabric leaving 1/2" or more space between pieces. Cut out leaving about 1/4" seam allowance of fabric all around each template.
6. Use a small brush to paint the spray starch onto the seam allowance.
7. Use your iron and press the seam allowance over the template to shape it and finish the edges. When cool remove the template.
8. You will need to make two of each template to complete the applique design. Repeat steps until you've finished all your pieces. Set aside the orange petals for later use.
9. Refer to Layout diagram and center the pieces as shown. Apply a few dots of basting glue or place a pin in the center to hold.
10. Thread the needle and knot. Start stitching by bringing needle up from the bottom of background fabric and through the edge of the applique piece.
11. Then stitch straight down again into the background fabric and bring needle back up into the edge of the piece. Keep your stitches as close to the edge as you can and no more than 1/4" apart.
12. Continue until lavender petals and blue stem and leaves are all hand stitched.
13. For the orange petals use templates and cut batting shapes a little smaller than applique pieces so they will fit inside the seam allowances (Fiberfill can also be used).
14. Pin in the center to hold and hand stitch like you did for the other pieces. This gives a little dimension to your finished piece.
15. Measure so the finished design is centered and trim edges so your pillow front measures 19" square.
16. Next step is to prepare the piping. From the piping fabric cut several pieces 1 1/2" wide on the diagonal.
17. Sew pieces together to total an approximate 1 1/2" x 76" strip.
18. Fold the piping strip around cording matching edges.
19. Starting in the middle of one side line up the two edges of piping with the edge of the pillow front making sure all three edges match exactly. Stick a pin in a couple inches from the start of the strip to hold. (It may be easiest to baste the piping around the pillow before you stitch.) Slowly stitch from the pin with your zipper foot as close to the cording as you can. Before you get to a corner ease and clip where necessary and then continue to stitch. Stop sewing when you get a few inches from where you began and remove from the machine.
20. Pull back the fabric strips from the cording and cut cording edges so they butt up to each other. Fold the fabric back over the cording on the side you are sewing from.
21. Fold the raw edge back a little on the opposite strip. Now fold it over the piece with the cording already enclosed. Pin and stitch until you've stitched back to where you began on the pillow top.
22. To make the back cover cut 2 pieces of fabric 19" x 14". On the long end of a piece fold over 1/2" and press. Fold over again, press and stitch at the edge.
23. Repeat with the other piece so you have a finished edge on each piece.
24. Lay the front panel right side up on a flat surface.
25. Lay one of the smaller back panels on top right side down making sure a hemmed edge is towards the middle. Lay the second back panel right side down over the other pieces with hemmed edge towards the middle. Pin and slowly sew around the pillow cover with your zipper foot as close to the piping as possible.
26. Clip your corners, turn right side out and put in the pillow form.