Bostic - Pillow pop: 25 quick-sew projects to brighten your space

Who Is Heather?

Heather Bostic ({House} of A La Mode) lives in beautiful Portland, Oregon. Shes a wife, a stay-at-home mother of two beautiful boys, and an autism activist. Sewing was an easy choice for relaxation while raising a child with autism, although what started out as a hobby for her has turned into a manic compulsion that has an appetite of its very own. She just cant help herself! Combine that with her Flickr site, her blog life, and the new Sewing Lounge/Studio in her hometown, and you have one serious nonstop party!

Heather tries to bring a masculine feel to her designs regardless of the fabrics being used, to create an edgy, urban look that she embraces as her true style. She credits the men in her life as her main source of inspiration for finding her rhythmher amazing husband, Aaron; her two wonderful sons, Reed and Colin; and her father, Michael. She says they have been her biggest fans and supporters.

INTRODUCTION

Hello, friends! And welcome to my manic need to have sensational statement pieces as home decor pillows. There is simply nothing that snatches peoples attention more when entering a space than a fabulous throw pillow!

A pillow could be a purely functional object, but you can elevate the commonplace cushion into something unique by making it a design statement. Design typically happens when you make a detailed drawing, deciding on the look and function of something (a building, a garment, or some other object). This act produces functional artart that embraces our personal tastes and thus exhibits our styles to the world.

Whether you use this book as an inspiration tool, as a skill builder, or even as a beginning reference for quilting techniques, youll find a wealth of ideas to keep you moving. Youll be empowered to walk away from mass-produced retail products and to let your own beautiful, artistic voice be heard!

You will find many techniques to try in the following pages, from appliqu to foundation piecing to quilting. Play around with color and texture in the patterns you select. And remember to have fun making these functional statement pieces that will bring a punch of design to your space!

X, Heather

FAIR FEATHERED FRIENDS

Finished size: 20 20Quilted by Angela Walters

Have you ever had any houseguests that you considered a little bit ... er ... bird-brained? Give your visitorswinged or nota comfy place to sit by adding these versatile pillows to your chairs and couches. This beginner-friendly pattern is a great way to highlight various prints from the same fabric line or to use up your leftover pieces from other projects for a scrappier look.

Directional prints are great for this pillowand if you rotate the prints on four different pillow tops, you can easily come up with four different looks.

ARTIST: John Q. Adams

WEBSITE: quiltdad.com

John is a husband and a father of three, who enjoys sewing and quilting in his spare time. Inspired by crafting blogs and vibrant, modern quilting fabrics, in 2004 John convinced his wife, Kiely, to teach him how to use a sewing machine. He started his popular blog Quilt Dad in 2008. John designs quilt patterns for both fabric designers and companies and contributes frequently to blogs, books, and other collaborative endeavors. He is a co-founder of the e-zine Fat Quarterly.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, John lives in Holly Springs, North Carolina, with his wife; twin daughters, Megan and Bevin; and son, Sean. He earned his undergraduate and masters degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, when not sewing, enjoys cheering for the Tar Heels.

Materials and Supplies

PRINT AND SOLIDS: coordinating scraps totaling yard for pillow top

MUSLIN OR OTHER LIGHTWEIGHT FABRIC: 22 22 for pillow top lining

BACKING: yard of 42 fabric

BATTING: 22 22

PILLOW FORM: 20 square

I used 11 different fabrics for a scrappy look, including fabrics from Laurie Wisbruns Nesting Chairs and shot cottons, which use different colors for the warp (lengthwise) and weft (crosswise) threads, adding great depth and texture to modern designs.

Cutting

BACKING FABRIC: Cut 2 pieces 14 20.

FABRIC SCRAPS: Cut pieces using sizes given in the pillow top assembly diagram.

tip

You can cut all the pieces up front, but I recommend you select fabrics along the way and cut as you go. If you use directional prints, be aware of their orientation as you cut and sew.

INSTRUCTIONS

All seam allowances are unless otherwise indicated.

Making the Pillow Top

This pillow top is sewn in rows. For row 1, sew a 2 8 rectangle to a 2 12 rectangle. Press seams as you prefer, either open or to the side.

For row 2, sew a 1 14 rectangle to a 1 6 rectangle. Press.

Sew row 1 to row 2 to create a section 3 20.

Continue for rows 3 through 11, adding each completed row to the pillow top as you go. The pillow top should measure 20 20.

Layer muslin lining, batting, and the completed pillow top; baste. Quilt as desired. Trim all layers to 20 20.

Finishing

Refer to Pillow Construction Techniques () to make an envelope backing. The backing pieces will overlap by about 8. Sew the backing to the pillow top using a seam.

Assembly diagram