Let It Snow Holiday Pillow Tutorial

Hello Everyone,

It’s December, AGF’s favorite month of the year! Holiday music is playing and we are full of happiness and cheer! For those of us that sew, we love to make handmade gifts for our friends and family because it makes our present extra special and one of a kind. We created the Let It Snow Pillow featuring Blithe fabric and our Outland Yarn Dyes. Anyone on your holiday gift list would absolutely love to receive this holiday themed pillow. The luxurious feel of our yarn dyes mixed with embroidery details and BERNINA’s stitched letters makes this pillow so fun to make and to display in your home!

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Since there is nothing like receiving a homemade gift from the one you love, we wanted to have a FABRIC GIVEAWAY! See details at the bottom of this post, and good luck!

Finished Pillow Size: 20″ x 20″

Materials to make the Let It Snow Holiday Pillow

Fabric A– DEN-OYD-6004- 3/8 yd
Fabric B-DEN-OYD-6000- 1 1/4 yds
Fabric C-BLI-75601- 10″ square
Fabric D-BLI-85610- 10″ square
Fabric E-BLI-75602- 10″ square
Fabric F-BLI- 75610- 10″ square

Cutting Directions

Two (2) 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ strips from Fabric A
Two (2) 2″ x 4″ strips from Fabric A
Two (2) 2 1/2″ x 6″ strips from Fabric A
One (1) 3″ x 6 1/2″ strips from Fabric A
Two (2) 3″ squares from Fabric A
One (1) 2 1/2″ square from Fabric A
Four (4) 4″ squares from Fabric A
Four(4) 3″ square from Fabric A
Four (4) 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ strips from Fabric A
Two (2) 1″ x 2″ strips from Fabric A
One (1) 5 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle from Fabric A
One (1) 4 1/2″ x 7 1/2″ rectangle from Fabric A

Two (2) 2 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ strips from Fabric B (top and bottom border)
Two (2) 2 1/2″ x 20 1/2″ strips from Fabric B (side border)
Two (2) 24″ x 20 1/2″ rectangles from Fabric B (backing)
One (1) 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ strip from Fabric C
One (1) 1 1/2″ x 4″ strip from Fabric C
One (1) 2 1/2″ x 6″ strip from Fabric C

Two (2) 4″ squares from Fabric D
One (1) 3″ square from Fabric D

Two (2) 3″ squares from Fabric E
One (1) 2 1/2″ square from Fabric E

Two (2) 4″ squares from Fabric F
One (1) 3″ square from Fabric F

Other Materials Used

  • Sewing machine (we use a BERNINA 350 PE)
  • Reverse pattern foot #1/#1C/#1D
  • Open embroidery foot #20/#20C/#20D
  • Walking Foot #50
  • Fabric Marking Pen
  • Clear Ruler with 45 degree
  • Batting
  • Embroidery thread and needle
  • Aurifil Threads Used:
    • #2021-Natural White
    • #2132-Tarnished Gold

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Note: We found it incredibly helpful to label our white yarn dye pieces to help with any confusion during the sewing process.

Step 1: Creating the Half Square Triangles

Take all of your square pieces cut in Fabric A and draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric from one corner to the other with a fabric marking pen. Match up all of your squares from Fabric A to the corresponding squares from Fabric D, E, and F. Place right sides together. Pin together if necessary.

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Sew 1/4″ on each side of the line chain piecing all your HST’s (half square triangles). Sew on one side of the line and then the other. Clip thread and press HST’s as desired.

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To square off your HST’s take a ruler with a 45 degree line and match the 45 degree line up with the seam line. Using a rotating cutting mat works great because you can trim two sides, then rotate the mat and trim the other two sides without moving your piece! Repeat this process trimming your HST’s to 2″, 2 1/2″ , and 3 1/2″.

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Step 2: Assembling the Pillow 

Sew two 2 1/2″ HST’s together and then sew on each side a 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ strip. Then sew two 3 1/2″ HST’s together for the second and three row of your first tree. (Follow picture below)

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Repeat this same process with the other F/A HST’s and 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ strips from Fabric A to create another tree!

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Repeat this same process with your HST’s from E/A and your 1″ x 2″ strips from Fabric A.

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To create the tree trunks sew a 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ strip from Fabric A to each side of a 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ strip from Fabric C. Sew this trunk to your first tree.  Sew a 2 1/2″ x 6″ strip from Fabric A to each side of a 2 1/2″ x 6″ strip from Fabric C. Sew this trunk to the third tree. Sew a 2″ x 4″ strip from Fabric A to each side of a  1 1/2″ x 4″ strip from Fabric C. Sew this trunk to the second tree.

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Next sew a 5 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle to the top of your first tree, a 4 1/2″ x 7 1/2″ strip to the top of your second tree and a 3″ x 6 1/2″ strip to the top of the third tree. Sew all your trees together.

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Sew a  2 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ strip from Fabric B to the top and bottom of your pillow then sew a 2 1/2″ x 20 1/2″ strip from Fabric B to the sides of your piece. Your pillow top is complete and now it’s time to add the hand-stitched embroidery and decorative lettering.

Step 3: Finishing Details

Place a piece of batting behind your pillow top and quilt as desired! We echoed the background pieces with coordinating thread. Using your walking foot works great for this part, it allows you to quilt over the batting and pillow top with ease.

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Draw big and small stars and snow flakes with a  fabric marking pen. Following your hand drawn designs stitch using embroidery thread!

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To program the letters you would like click here to learn how. We stitched “Let It Snow” but feel free to stitch any words or use any decorative stitches you would like! We like to use my open embroidery foot for this part.

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Step 4: Envelope Backing

The last step is to take both 24″ x 20 1/2″ rectangles and fold in half with wrong sides touching and stitch two lines 1/4″ and 1/2″ away from the folded edges. Place both pieces right sides together on top of each other to the top of your pillow top. Stitch all the way around your piece at 1/2″ and clip corners at seam allowance! Flip your pillow through to the right side and place a 20″x 20″ pillow form inside!

 

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Happy Holidays,

AGF

Art Gallery Fabric’s December 9 Gift for You

One lucky winner will receive a fat quarter bundle featuring Blithe fabrics and Art Gallery Fabric’s soft outland yarn dyes! Have fun creating this holiday themed pillow or other gifts to give away this holiday season with this bundle!

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All you have to do is post a comment below answering the following question:

What is your favorite Holiday movie?

A winner will be chosen at random on December 10, 2016 and announced the following week!

Good luck!

The contest is open for comments until December 9 at 12:00 midnight Central Time. Click here for contest rules.

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