Monday, December 23, 2019

More Pillows for Christmas

I always like making a handmade gift for each of my kids.  I went with pillows again this year - such a fun project!


These are (of course!) Hermione and Harry!  I used a 20" pillow insert for this one (affiliate link).   The pillow front was back with fusible fleece instead of regular batting and to quilt, I outlined each of the shapes using matching thread.

My son is an indoor rock climbing enthusiast so I made him a pillow filled with the rock shapes he needs to cling to.


I know nothing about rock climbing - except I'm too chicken to give it a try - so I found an image online of a collection of these colorful holds.  I put the image on my ipad and then used my ruler to help me visualize a grid.  I then used graph paper and redrew each of the images.


Everything was raw edge applique using Heat n Bond.

I've started putting zippers into pillow back as sort of a 'faux' invisible zipper.   Perhaps a better tutorial coming in the future, but basically, put fusible fleece on the 2 piece for the back leaving 1/2'' without any fleece on each piece.  Quilt the back pieces - I just do a few walking foot lines for some texture.


Sew these pieces together with 1/2'' seam using a basting stitch.  Your pressed seam will be the width of your zipper!   Carefully pin the zipper and topstitch down.   (I usually put a few pins in from the back and then re-pin from the front and then REMOVE those pins in the back.)

Once the zipper is sewn, open up your basting stitches and you've created a zipper pillow back.


Mom got her VW pillow in the mail and my sister reported that she loves it!  (Read more about that pillow here.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


Have a wonderful day! Patty

8 comments:

  1. All the pillows are adorable! Great Job!

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  2. those look really nice - I am at times tempted to do pillows but we never really use them all that much - if I put any on the chair/couch and hubby is sitting there he removes them and tells me they are in the way. If I put them on the bed no one really sees them but us and I have to remove and put back on all the time.

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  3. Love your pillows, great job. We don't use pillows here either. The time and thought into presents is so inspiring!

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  4. Thanks for showing how you put in zippers. I dread putting zippers in, but this looks doable. I enjoyed seeing how you planned the rock climbing quilt. The results are wonderful.

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  5. All adorable pillows, and custom for each person. Love the zipper back also.

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  6. The Harry Potter pillows are adorable. But I really love the climbing themed one. I once did indoor rock climbing and it looks perfect! Really great job! Hope he/ they loved it/them. Have a merry Christmas. xo Melanie

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