Pillow Perfection
 by
Lisa Shepard Stewart
Decorating with pillows is one of the quickest way to
freshen up the look of a room, especially as spring approaches! They’re
easy, economical, and fun to make. When you’re making a quilt from your
favorite Marcus Fabrics collection, add some accent pillows to create an
ensemble. Try these tips for exciting room accents that look great season
after season . . .
- Give quilting fabrics the proper “hand” for
pillows: simply apply fusible fleece to the wrong sides of the pillow
front and back. It gives the fabric more body and helps the pillow to
keep their shape. Trim the fleece approximately 1/2" smaller than
the fabric to reduce bulk at the edges, but be sure that the fleece is
caught into the seam to stabilize the edge of the pillow when turned
right side out.
- The fusible fleece also helps smooth out any
unevenness whether you stuff the pillow with fiberfill or a purchased
pillow form.
- Sometimes a bowed effect occurs on a straightedge
pillow after it is filled so that the corners protrude. To avoid this,
stitch straightedge pillows seams so that the corners dip downward
slightly.
- Make your own neck roll pillow forms from quilt
batting. You can control the finished length and height of the pillow,
and roll as tightly or loosely as you like to achieve the desired
firmness. Then hold the roll together with tape or rubber bands. Wrap
the entire pillow form with a piece of fusible fleece and fuse into
place, removing the tape or rubber bands as you go. Then cover with
fabric as you would a purchased form.
Try some of these techniques with Lisa’s free
Envelope Pillow project.
Lisa Shepard Stewart is the Marketing Manager for Marcus
Fabrics and a self-taught quilter & decorator. Her favorite Marcus
collection at the moment is Color
Works in the new Vegetable colors, and her quilt projects rarely
involve the use of rulers or templates! Visit her online at www.CulturedExpressions.com |
