Autumn Inspired Harvest Time Pillow

Capture the beauty of this colorful season with a pillow created with the fabrics of fall. With the ever-popular burlap, a glorious autumn cotton print and a burlap rosette, memories of back-to-school, Halloween, and Thanksgivings past will linger even on the occasional gray days of November. Use any Brother sewing machine and some fabric to create a warm and welcoming harvest time accessory for your home.

Requirements

• 3/4 yd. tan burlap
• 1/8 yd. orange burlap (Optional)
• ½ yd. fall print fabric
• 2.5” felt circle
• 5/8 yd. fabric for making or covering pillow form
• 16” pillow form or self-made pillow (you will need fiber fill to stuff the pillow)
• Brother sewing machine
  
• Notions: chalk marker, fray block, darning needle

Basic Pillow

1. Measure pillow form vertically and horizontally. Do not rely on the pillow’s label as those measurements are approximate. 2. Add 2.5” to pillow’s width and length. The seam allowances will be on the outside of the pillow and fringed. The added 2.5” allows for 1.25” beyond each seamline. 3. Pull a thread to identify burlap’s straight of grain. This is important as you make the fringe. 4. Remove pulled thread to create a channel for cutting on straight of grain. 5. Cut 2 pieces of burlap to size and press. 6. Stitch on “channel” seam line, beginning 1.25” from raw edge and stopping to pivot 1.25” from the next side. Leave 4th side open. 7. Insert pillow. Hand stitch opening closed with a darning needle and a strand of burlap. 8. Remove .5-.75” of burlap threads to create fringe. Save these threads.

Sashes

1. Cut fall fabric 7” x 40-45”. 2. Mark the lengthwise center, 3.5” from either long side. 3. Cut a strip of burlap 1.5” x length of the fall fabric strip. 4. Fringe .25-.375” from each raw edge. 5. Zig zag from edge of fringe into burlap on each side, w. 3.5 L 1.2. 6. Stitch burlap strip to center of 7” fall fabric. Straight stitch on either side close to zig zag. [caption id="attachment_21908" align="aligncenter" width="789"] -[/caption] 7. Measure the lengthwise circumference of the pillow as you would measure a waist line. 8. Seam sash right sides together with ¼” seam. Join into a circle like a belt so that it measures ½” 1” smaller than the pillow circumference. 9. Slip sash over the pillow and center. 10. Measure the vertical circumference of the pillow as you would measure a waist line. 11. Create a 5” wide sash for the vertical circumference as was done for the horizontal sash, with a 1” fringed burlap strip centered and straight stitched on the fall fabric. 12. Slip sashes over pillow.

Burlap Flower

13. Cut a strip of burlap 13” x 1.75”. Select an overcast stitch w. 5.0, L. 4.0. 14. Overcast one long burlap edge. 15. Select triple zig zag, w 6.0, L 1.0. 16. Butt the ends together and join with a triple zig zag. 17. Stitch a very strong gathering thread .25-.375” from raw edge. Begin this gathering thread at least 1” before the triple zig zag seam. 18. Cut another 10 x 1.25.” Finish this strip as the first one. 19. Gather each strip as tightly as possible into a circle. Knot gathering threads together to hold gathers in place. 20. Fringe the outer edge, leaving 1” toward the overcast edge intact. 21. Remove 2-4 threads from orange burlap. Bundle with 4-6 threads of tan burlap threads, fold into a 4-5” loop as shown and tie with a burlap thread. 22. Draw up each opening with tapestry needle. 23. Stack the two circles and whip together. 24. Pull tail of loop through rosette center. Insert thread tails through large tapestry needle. Clip a small hole in the center of the felt and pull the burlap tails through. Knot tails and dab with a little fray block. 25. Hand stitch rosette to felt circle. Then hand stitch rosette’s felt circle to pillow sash. Enjoy your harvest time pillow indoors or outside on a pretty autumn day.