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Garden Pillow

Design by Lorine Mason

Coordinating checked floral prints team up in this pretty pillow. Bias piping accents the edges of the woven strips and garden paths. With the the combination of the crisp and clean colors, this pillow would make a perfect accent in your sunroom or breakfast nook.

Finished Size
Garden Weave: 18 inches square

Materials

54-inch-wide decorator fabrics
- 1 1/2 yards green-and-white check
- 5/8 yard coordinating floral botanical print on white background
5/8 yard cotton lining
14 yards 5/32-inch-diameter white cotton cord for the strip piping
2 1/2 yards 12/32-inch-diameter white cotton cord for outer-edge welting
18-inch-square pillow form
Rotary cutter, mat and ruler
All-purpose thread to match fabrics
Air- or water-soluble fabric marker
Basic sewing tools and equipment

Cutting for Garden Weave

From the green-and-white check, cut three 19-inch squares, one for the pillow front lining and two for the pillow back with envelope closure.
From the remaining check fabric, cut enough 1 1/2-inch-wide bias strips to make 14 yards of bias piping for the 5/32-inch-diameter cotton cord and enough 2-inch bias strips to make 2 1/2 yards of bias welting using the 12/32-inch-diameter cotton cord. Use bias seams to join the strips into continuous lengths.
From the floral botanical print, cut (12) 3 1/2 x 19-inch strips.
From the cotton lining, cut (12) 3 1/2 x 19-inch strips.

Assembly for Garden Weave
Project Notes: Use ½-inch-wide seam allowances unless otherwise directed.

1.	Refer to making fabric covered welting located at the end of the pillow instructions. Create 21/2 yards of bias welting for the outer edge of the pillow using the 2-inch-wide fabric strips and the 12/32-inch-diameter cotton cord. Create 14 yards of bias piping using the 11/2-inch-wide fabric strips and the 5/32-inch-diameter cotton cord.
2.	Cut the 14 yards of piping into 20-inch lengths.
3.	Set four 31/2 x 19-inch print strips aside for step 5. With raw edges even, sew a length of piping to the long edges of each of the remaining eight print strips. Use a contrast-color thread in the bobbin and adjust the zipper foot to the right of the needle so you can sew as close to the cord as possible (Figure 1).
4.	With right sides facing and raw edges even, pin a 3 1/2 x 19-inch cotton lining strip to each of the piped print strips. Pin in place along both edges. Turn over and stitch just inside the row of contrast basting on each long edge. It may feel as though you are crowding the cord, but you should be able to stitch a bit closer to the cord, just inside the basting. It’s not necessary to remove the basting. Turn each lined strip right side out and press (Figure 2). Trim piping ends even with the fabric strips.
5.	Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the four remaining strips, but sew piping to only one edge of each of the strips. Sew the lining to the piped edge of each strip as described above, and then turn the lining to the back of the strip and press. Machine-baste the long raw edges together a scant 3/8 inch from the raw edges.
6.	Working on a large flat surface, use the fabric marker to draw center lines on the right side of one of the 18-inch squares. Position piped strips along each side of the vertical lines and weave the third and fourth strips over and under them with their edges meeting at the horizontal line. Pin the strips in place, making sure to keep them straight and perpendicular to the placement lines (Figure 3).
7.	Continue weaving strips horizontally and vertically until you have covered the square with all but the last four strips. Pin the strips in place as you work. The outermost strip of each row will not have piping. Check the weaving to make sure all strips are straight and perpendicular to each other. Adjust as needed and then machine-baste a scant ½ inch from the raw edges to secure the woven strips to the checked square underneath (Figure 4).
8.	Turn under and press 1 inch along one edge of each of the remaining checked squares. Turn under and press an additional 3 inches. Edgestitch in place. Place the rectangles face up with the folded edges aligned, and then adjust one over the other so the resulting layered piece measures 19 inches square. Pin and baste the overlapped layers together (Figure 5).
9.	With right sides together and raw edges even, round the corners. Use a small saucer to mark the cutting line. Cut each corner on the marked line (Figure 6).
10.	. Place contrasting thread in the bobbin and attach the zipper foot to the machine. Beginning with the turned end of the welting a few inches from one corner, pin and sew it to the right side of the woven pillow top. Start the sewing about 2 inches from one corner and make a neat join when you reach the point where you started.
11.	. With right sides facing, sew the pillow back to the pillow front. Stitch with pillow top on top so you can see the basting and stitch just inside it as you did when constructing the piped strips for weaving. Serge- or zigzag-finish the seam allowance edges together.
12.	. With right sides facing, sew the pillow back to the pillow front. Stitch with pillow top on top so you can see the basting and stitch just inside it as you did when constructing the piped strips for weaving. Serge- or zigzag-finish the seam allowance edges together.

Making Fabric-Covered Welting

1.	Cut bias or straight-grain fabric strips at least 1 inch wider than the cable cord diameter. If you don’t know the diameter, wrap a piece of paper around the cord and pin in place. Trim the excess paper 1/2 inch from the pin and remove the paper. Measure it for the minimum cutting width required (figure 10).
2.	Sew the strips together to make one long strip equal to the distance around the pillow top, plus 5 or 6 inches. Use bias seams and press open.
3.	. Attach the zipper foot and adjust the foot to the right of the needle.
4.	Wrap the fabric strip around the cord, right side out, and align the raw edges. Machine-baste close to the cord, keeping the cord smooth inside the fabric as you stitch (Figure 11).
5.	If necessary, trim the seam allowance to an even 1/2 inch along the length of the wrapped cord.

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Sew Far - Sew Good,

Lorine Mason
Editor, Sewing Savvy newsletter

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