ashli brooke: Reverse Applique Pillow Tutorial

This summer, my sewing goal is to make 6 pillows for my bed in my new apartment and maybe a couple for the couch. Yesterday, I completed pillow #1! Yay!!! I went to √Hancock Fabrics in Paducah, Kentucky at the beginning of the summer and bought the fabrics I wanted to use for my pillows.

I have never made a pillow before and was a little nervous to start out which is probably why I have waited so long to make the first. However, as I created this pillow I created a tutorial to share with you so that you can create your very own. Don't be intimidated, it is not hard. :)

Materials Needed:

Main Fabric ( I used 1/2 yard of Michael Miller Mini Mike Dot n Square)

Front Fabric

Enough material to cover your pillow form and add 1" to your length and 1" to your width (mine was 12"x16" so I cut my front fabric to be 13"x17")

Back Fabric

You will need two pieces for the back, since we are making an envelope style pillow

TOP Back Fabric: 13"x 12"
BOTTOM Back Fabric: 13"x12"

Enough piping or fringe or whatever else you want around the edge of your pillow

You can follow my tutorial for making your own. It is super easy and cheap!

Applique

Enough fabric for your applique (kite in this pillow)
Enough lightweight fusible interfacing for the applique fabric...just to make it appear more structured
Freezer paper (find out more uses for freezer paper than wrapping meat)

Matching or contrasting thread and bobbin
Sewing machine (I love my Brother LB-6800PRW!)
Rotary Cutter
Scissors
Cutting mat
Exacto knife
Fray Check
Iron and Ironing board
Pins

**You may or may not actually use all of the supplies above based on your preferences**

Now, let's get down to business...

Press your fabrics
Cut your fabrics to match the dimensions listed above
Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the applique fabric following instructions that were with the interfacing
Use the freezer paper to draw or trace your design for the applique
Use the exacto knife to cut out the design
Iron the main piece of freezer paper to your Front Fabric with the waxy/shiny side against the right side of your fabric so that your fabric shows through the cutout how your want it on your pillow
Use the exacto knife to cut out the piece of fabric showing through the cutout in the freezer paper (you could save this and use it on another project if you take your time and cut it perfectly)
Fray check the edges of the cutout on the Front Fabric
Pin the applique fabric to the back of the Front Fabric with the applique showing through the cutout Front Fabric as you want it to look once finished
Sew around the edges of your cutout to hold the applique in place (I used 1/8")
Trim the extra fabric with interfacing if you would like to (good for thin fabric so it doesn't show as much)
Iron finished Front Fabric
Layout your 3 pieces of fabric
On the 2 Back Fabric pieces, fold the 12" edge down 1" and iron, then sew along bottom of fold
Layout the 3 pieces of fabric wrongside up
Now, you want to overlap the 2 Back Fabric pieces so that once overlapped, combined the length is the same as the Front Fabric
Pin the piping or whatever you chose to the right side of the Front Fabric
Pin the Front Fabric and Back Fabric right sides together
Sew around your pillowcase **make sure you sew on the side of the piping that is closest to the unfinished edge so that it will show once complete**
Turn your pillowcase right side out
At this point, I made the bows and stitched the tail on the kite then sewed on the bows
Insert pillow form
ENJOY!!!!!!