Quilted Pillow Sham

Last year the Christmas tree we put up was skirted at the bottom with a fluffy fake snow skirt.  These non-sewn skirts have always struck me as kind of sad, so I went out to the fabric store to find fabric for a tree skirt.  I came away with a whole-cloth fabric for the skirt by Debbie Mumm, which included several “craft squares” of happy Christmas-themed penguins.  The problem with these squares is this: I can’t just throw them out like I can the fabric bits with the tree skirt instructions.  To solve this issue I’ve spent the last weeks creating a table runner and pillow sham featuring two of the three squares with other Christmas-y fabrics. 

I thought the pillow turned out so cute, that I would post the pattern.  Please let me know if there are any errors (I’ve written out the pattern after the pillow was complete, not as I made it, so there might be some mistakes!).  This pattern features a decorate flange and is intended for a 14” pillow.  Happy Sewing!

Materials:

Dark Fabric: ½ yard (of 45” wide fabric)

Medium Fabric: 1 fat quarter

Light Colored Fabric: 1 fat quarter

Print: 1 fat quarter

Batting: at least 20” square (I used scraps from an earlier project)

Cutting:

Quilted Square:

Print:

-          Cut 1 square of 10 inches

Light Fabric:

-          Cut 2 rectangles of 10 x 1 ¼ inches

-          Cut 2 rectangles of 11 ½  x 1 ¼ inches

Dark Fabric:

-          Cut 2 rectangles of 11 ½  x 1 ½ inches

-          Cut 2 rectangles of 13 ½  x 1 ½ inches

Medium Fabric:

-          Cut 2 rectangles of 13 ½  x 1 inches

-          Cut 2 rectangles of 14 ½  x 1 inches

-          Approximate 20 inch square for backing

Batting:

-          Approximate 20 inch square

Decorative Flange:

Light Fabric:

-          Cut 6 rectangles of 1 ½ x 3 ½ inches

Dark Fabric:

-          Cut 4 rectangles of 14 ½ x 3 ½ inches

-          Cut 6 rectangles of 1 ½ x 3 ½ inches

Pillow Backing:

Dark Fabric:

-          Cut 2 rectangles 14 x 20 ½ inches

Notes:

-          Be sure to wash all fabrics before you begin sewing with them.  Some fabrics may shrink at the first washing, while others do not.   Even more problematically, the dyes used in vivid fabrics (especially reds and greens) aren’t always set when purchased, which means they may bleed on to the other fabrics giving you some strange spots on lighter fabrics. 

-          You’ll want to use a rotary cutter and quilting square/ruler to cut out the fabrics for accuracy.

-          All seam allowances are ¼ inch unless otherwise noted.

-          After sewing each seam, iron it flat, with the seam allowance pressed towards the darker colored fabric.

Assembling the Pillow Sham 

1.       With right sides facing each other, sew the 10 x 1 ¼ in. rectangles of light fabric to the left and right sides of the print square. 

2.       Sew the 11 ½ x 1 ¼ in. rectangles of light fabric to the top and bottom of the print square.

 3.        As in step 1, sew the 11 ½ x 1 ½ in. rectangles of dark fabric.

 4.        As in step 2, sew the 13 ½ x 1 ½ in. rectangles of dark fabric.

5.        As in step 2, sew the 13 ½ x 1 inches in. rectangles of medium fabric.

 6.       As in step 2, sew the 14 ½ x 1 inches in. rectangles of medium fabric.

7.       Stretch the pillow quilt top over the batting (I used a cotton-poly 80/20 blend) and backing fabric and pin.  Quilt as desired.

8.       When quilting is completed, trim the excess batting and backing fabric, squaring the pillow block.

9.       Sew the twelve  1 ½ x 3 ½ in. rectangles of dark and light fabric together to make the rail fence blocks as indicated.   Make 2 blocks of each color sequence indicated (4 blocks total).

10.    Sew two of the rail fence blocks to the right and left ends of the 14 ½ x 3 ½ in. dark fabric rectangles as indicated.  Make 2.

11.    Sew the remaining two 14 ½ x 3 ½ dark fabric rectangles in. to the right and left sides of the quilted pillow block.

12.   Sew the fabric strips completed in step 10 to the top and bottom of the quilted pillow block.

13.   Finish one of the 20 ½ in. edges of each of the large dark fabric 14 x 20 ½ in. rectangles, by twice turning the edge at ¼ inch.  Then sew along the turned edge as indicated.

14.   With right sides facing each other, pin the pillow front to the pillow backing as indicated.  The two backing pieces should overlap a few inches, to form the opening for the pillow.  Sew all the way around the outside edges.

15.   Turn the pillow sham right-side out.  Topstitch around the edges of the sham.

16.   Pin the pillow sham flat around the outside edge of the medium fabric.  Stitch in the ditch around the outside edge of the medium fabric.

17.   Turn the pillow sham right side out, and insert your pillow in the opening at the back.  Celebrate your sewing success!

Life Update 1

           I have officially been unemployed for almost two months.  It's really strange, to me, to have no early-morning alarms and no crazed daily driving experiences.  When employed, I'm a music teacher, which meant (at my old job) spending anywhere from 8-12 hours of every day, 5 days a week, in the school building.  When you are devoting so much time to a career, it's almost impossible to manage anything else.  I let friendships slide, I didn't exercise, I didn't practice my horn, I didn't do any of the activities which I enjoy.  I did my job, laundry, microwavable dinners and TV.  Now, having no job to eat my time, I've been doing a much wider variety of things: job applications, cleaning, textiles, running, lessons and free-lancing. And, apart from the current stress of wondering how I'll make rent, I'm beginning to feel more balance in my life.  The only thing I really miss right now, is being a student.  It's always been a plan of mine to get my masters in something (now I can figure out what, I guess) but money is currently an issue.

Job Applications:  This is the most depressing part of life right now.  It's frustrating to look at the number of jobs to which I've applied, with no job!  There simply aren't many music-related teaching jobs (what with Illinois not paying school districts and school districts laying-off fine arts teachers; that's what happened to me).  Even looking at the jobs available for aides or substitutes, there are simply too many talented, qualified teachers who are still looking, for anyone applying to have good odds of landing a job.  I keep looking, hoping that something will come along, but it's incredibly difficult to wake up every morning, knowing that I have been highly trained to teach band students, and that I am good at it, without having that job to go to.  (I'm well aware that I do complain about time spent on the job, but truthfully, I thrive on stress and packed schedules, so having a calm schedule make me kind of anxious).

Textiles:  Since there are only a limited number of hours in a day I can spend job hunting, without becoming depressed and slightly crazy, I've taken to working on the number of incomplete projects stashed around my apartment.  And, since my mother has taught me to knit, cross-stitch, sew and quilt, there are a fairly wide variety of projects at several stages of completion.  Lately, I've been working on quilt or sewing related projects.  I finished a Renaissance skirt and chemise to go with a bodice for a Halloween costume (which looks pretty sweet) and sewed an orient-inspired blouse (which did not turn out well...).

                 I've also been working on a star-themed quilt top in bold colors and blacks (pictures to come, when the quilting starts) and a blue and pink quilt for charity.  I started it as an NHS project back when I was in high school, but never got further than sandwiching the quilt.  So...I started experimenting on it with some free-motion quilting, and it's turned out pretty cute! 

                

                   

 The inside is based on a shell pattern, and the border quilting is a heart vine.  (for more information on free motion quilting ideas, I'd check out this blog: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/  , it's where I got my ideas from).   Overall, I'm very pleased with it, except for one thing.  The fabric I used for the backing has turned my white machine pink.  That's right, pink.  Let's all take a few minutes, boys and girls, to remind ourselves to WASH and SET the DYE for all fabrics when purchased. 

                 Currently, I'm working on a quilted tree skirt (pics and more details to come later).

Running: After taking a two-year, job-induced hiatus from running, I've discovered the joy of running outside in all types of weather (there is more joy in cool weather!).  I probably need to get some new shoes, but I've been working towards longer distances (I'd like to try a half-marathon next spring).  4 miles is my record so far!

Horn: Since I have no job, I've been spending more time on my horn.  I'm currently playing with an all-French horn group, working towards a seasonal concert in December.  We're playing some fairly meaty pieces including Eric Ewazen's Grand Canyon Octet (I'm in love with this piece, despite drawing the range-y first part) and an all horn arrangement of Procession of the Nobles.  I've also got a gig playing pit for November, which should help to improve my high range.  In lessons in college, I always felt like there was some magic trick to getting effortless high notes, but I'm feeling more and more, that range is one of those "just do it" things; i.e. the more you do it, the more the notes come to you.

Lessons: I'm currently teaching piano and brass beginning lessons, which is reminding me how much I love to teach.  It's fun to be there when the students have that "aha!" moment, when they master a technique, or discover love for a particular composer.  This is what I miss most from my old job.

Friends:  Bah!  I need to talk to you all WAY more than I have been. 

              And that, is where life is, at this point.