Quilted Strip Pillow

Straighten Fabric Pieces

Supplies needed: Tote tray Shears Yard stick 1. Clear off table 2. Find the selvage edges, a finished edge that will not ravel and there are two. 3. Lay fabric flat on table, with selvage edge on the edge of the table.

4. With the yard stick lying on top of fabric and a couple inches above selvage edge; make a small 1 inch
cut about 1 inch from the raw edge of the fabric.

Raw edge

Yard StickZero should be here

Selvage edge

Make a 1 inch cut, 1 inch from the raw edge.

5. Place shears on table. 6. Move yard stick off fabric, pick up fabric and tear fabric all the way to the other selvage edge. If the fabric breaks, recut the 1 inch mark on the opposite selvage end. 7. Repeat steps 3 7 with the second fabric. 8. Now your fabric is straight! Great job!

Tearing 6 inch strips for pillow

Supplies needed: Tote tray Yard stick shears

1. Lay fabric flat on table with selvage edge on edge of table. 2. With the yard stick lying on top of fabric and a couple inches above selvage edge and the zero at the
right side of fabric; make a 1 inch cut at the 6 inch mark and at the 12 inch mark.
Straightened edge

Yard Stickzero should be here

Selvage edge

Make a 1 inch cut, 12 inches from the raw edge.

Make a 1 inch cut, 6 inches from the raw edge.

3. Place shears on table. 4. Move yard stick off fabric, pick up fabric and tear fabric all the way to the other selvage edge. Do this
with both 6 inch cut and 12 inch cut.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Repeat steps 1 4 with the second fabric. Iron all strips so they lay flat. Fold extra fabric and place in tote tray. Now you have your strips for your pillow! Excellent work!

Assembling the Quilted Strip pillow

Supplies needed: Tote tray White piece of fleece Pins in pin cushion Seam gauge Fabric marker/pencil Sewing machine (threaded with top thread and bobbin and test machine with scrap fabric) Iron shears 1. Select a strip you would like to use as the center strip you would like use first. Place the strip on the white fleece with the pretty side of the fabric facing up (right side up). The fabric strip will lie diagonally on fleece, one end should be longer than the opposite end.
White Fleece

First Strip of fabric, longer on one end and shorter on the opposite end.

Second strip of fabric, longer on one end and shorter on the opposite end. Pretty sides together. Edge of first strip should peek out from under the second strip.

2. Pin the strip of fabric to the fleece, using three pins. One in the center and one on each end of strip. 3. Place a strip of fabric, second color, on top of first strip of fabric. Pretty sides together. Edge of first strip should peek out from under the second strip. 4. Pin all three layers together, smoothly. 5. Using a seam gauge and fabric marker/pencil, mark inch lines on second strip of fabric. These lines are your stitching line. 6. Using a straight stitch, stitch on marked lines. Backstitch three stitches at the beginning and at the end. 7. Using an iron, press open first and second strips of fabric until they are smooth and flat. 8. Trim off the ends of pressed fabric, using fleece as a guide. 9. Repeat steps 3 8 until fleece is covered.

Seam gauge at inch mark

Sewing back of Pillow

Supplies needed: Tote tray Pins and pin cushion Seam gauge Fabric marker/pencil Yardstick Sewing machine (threaded and tested) shears 1. Place the pillow front on the reserved large piece of fabric, pretty sides together (right sides together). Pin and cut edges to be even on all four sides. 2. Using a seam gauge and fabric marker/pencil, mark a 5 inch opening for stuffing (no sew zone) 3. Using a seam gauge and fabric marker/pencil, mark 5/8 inch around all four sides, not in the no sew zone.
5/8 inch mark 5 inch mark

4. 5. 6. 7.

Using a seam gauge and fabric marker/pencil, mark four corners for pivoting Use a yardstick and fabric marker to draw stitching line on all four sides. Begin stitching at the starting point, backstitch three stitches. Pivot with needle down at all four corners. 8. End stitching at the stop point, backstitch three stitches. 9. Using shears, trim all four corners diagonally without cutting the stitching.

Pivot Points, keep needle down in fabric and pivot.

Stop here and backstitch three stitches. 5-inch NO SEW ZONE Start here and backstitch three stitches.

Stuffing and Hand Stitching Pillow

Supplies needed: Pillow Stuffing Stuffing stick Pins and pin cushion Hand needle Thread Shears 1. Using the 5 inch opening, turn the pillow right out. 2. Carefully poke out the corners using a stuff stick.

Stuffing stick

3. Using small amounts of stuffing fill bottom two corners of the pillow first. 4. Continue stuffing pillow until full. 5. Adjust stuffing so there are no lumps in the pillow. 6. Fold pillow edges at the opening and pin under.

7. Thread hand needle with long thread, tie two end threads into a knot, teacher will demonstrate the magic knot. 8. Hand sew the opening closed using the blindstitch method, teacher will demonstrate.

How to blindstitch.

Push your threaded needle up and through one of the folded seams, from back to front, and pull the thread tail completely through. The knotted end of your thread will now be nicely concealed within the seam on the inside of the project.

Now, directly across from the point at which your thread emerges at your starting point, push the needle down and then back up through the opposite seam crease to create a stitch that is between 1/8-1/4 long.

When you pull the thread through, you will notice that the stitch you just made is concealed within the seam crease, and there will be a horizontal stitch connecting the left and right sides of your opening.

The rest of the process is essentially a repeat of the previous step. Directly across from the point at which the thread emerges from the seam crease, make another 1/8-1/4 stitch through the opposite seam crease: down, through, and up. Note how I pinch both sides together as I work to pull things nice and taught. This helps ensure your stitching is even.

You will continue this process until you reach the end of your opening, creating a ladder of connecting stitches as you work.

When you reach the end of the opening, pull the thread to tighten the stitches, so that each of the connecting ladder stitches is magically concealed between the two sides of the seam. So nice and tidy! To finish, use your needle to pick up a tiny section of the seam opposite where the thread emerges

and then pass the needle and thread through this loop and tighten and form a knot. You can repeat this step if you wish to further reinforce the stitching.

Now, snip your threads, and you are finished. Congratulations on creating a nice, tidy seam to close your pillow!