This easy sewing project is perfect for beginners and a great summer craft project. It will transform a hard garden chair or bench into a comfy corner in which to relax and the pretty felt tufts adds a decorative touch and also hold all the layers of the pillow together.
Skills needed:
- Machine sewing seams (check out our techniques blog)
- Box stitching
- Trimming corners
- Slipstitching
ADJUSTING THE SIZES TO FIT YOUR BENCH
The instructions given here are for a pillow that is 20in. (50cm) square. If you need to adjust the measurements to fit your bench, remember to add 1¼ in. (3cm) to the squares that you cut in Step 1 to allow for the seams. Similarly, the side strip needs to be 1¼ in. (3cm) longer than the sum of the four sides—although the depth will remain the same.
MATERIALS
40in. (1m) of striped fabric
49in. (125cm) of thick batting (wadding)
10in. (25cm) of felt in 2 colors
Sewing thread to match fabrics
Embroidery floss
EQUIPMENT
Tape measure
Fabric scissors
Sewing machine
Iron
Pins
Sewing needle
Pinking shears
Long needle
MEASUREMENTS
20in. (50cm) square
SEAMS
Take 5/8-in. (1.5-cm) seam allowances throughout unless otherwise stated.
1. Cut two 21-in. (53-cm) squares of striped fabric.
2. Cut two strips of fabric 5½ in. (14cm) long by the width of the fabric. Cut off the selvages. With right sides together, machine stitch the two strips together. Press the seam open. Cut the strip to 80in. (203cm) long.
3. To make the handle, cut a 9 x 3½ -in. (24 x 9-cm) strip of fabric. Fold in half lengthwise, with right sides together, and machine stitch down the long raw edge. Turn right side out and press so that the seam runs down the center. Turn the ends under to the wrong side by 5/8in. (1.5cm), and press.
4. Pin the handle onto the long fabric strip with one end 6½ in. (15.5cm) from one end and the other end 7½ in. (19cm) from that. Machine stitch a square around each end of the strip and then a cross from corner to corner of the stitched squares.
5. With right sides together, pin and machine stitch the short ends of the long strip together. Press the seam open. With right sides together, pin and machine stitch the side panel to one of the squares, placing the seam of the side panel at a corner. Snip the corners of the square and press.
6. Pin and stitch the other side of the side panel to the remaining square, leaving an opening of about 8in. (20cm) in one side, and turn right side out. Cut four 20-in. (50-cm) squares of batting (wadding). Push them through the opening, making sure that the corners of the batting (wadding) are pushed right into the corners of the cover. Slipstitch the opening closed.
7. Using pinking shears, cut four 2½ -in. (6-cm) circles one color of felt and four 1½ -in. (4-cm) circles the second color of felt.
8. At each corner, place a pin 6in. (16cm) in from each side to mark the positions for the felt circles. Thread a long needle with embroidery floss and tie knot about 1½ in. (4cm) from the end. Thread the needle through the center of a small felt circle and then through a larger felt circle and push the needle through the pillow at the marked place. Pull the needle through the pillow.
9. Stitch back up from the back of the pillow to the front through the felt circles. Repeat to secure. Pull the embroidery floss to gather the pillow and tie a knot to secure it. Trim the ends of the thread to about 1¼ in. (3cm). Repeat at the other corners.
For more beginner's sewing projects, check out Learn to Sew by Emma Hardy.