Thursday, April 22, 2010

Creating a "Target" or "Bulls Eye" Pillow Front.

Stripes can be used in creative ways for your pillow designs.  Try using horizontal and vertical blocks of stripes or cutting so that the stripes form a cross or target design as shown here.  

Begin with a pattern cut the size of your finished pillow front.  Cut it into 4 equal triangles and mark the direction of the stripe.  Use these pieces as patterns, adding seam allowances to all sides.
To join the cut iron in the seam allowance and then pin together to match, stabbing into the work table (if  the table has an underlayment).  Carefully remove the pieces and rock the pins to catch the pressed seam pinning the two pieces together.  Sew together slowly, following along the crease and removing pins as you go.  (Often when matching seams, especially along a bias edge using an iron-on adhesive tape makes the job much easier but for this pillow the seams will be pressed open, using a fusible tape would only allow for the seams to be pressed to one side).
 

Sew together two triangles for each half of the pillow and then sew together, matching the stripes.  Press seams open.  After it is sewn apply to a piece of Fusible Stabilizer or Lining cut to the correct size.  This will prevent the bias cuts from stretching.  The pillow front is now ready for a knife edge or boxed style. 

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