Pleated Sheets Ring Pillow By Lindsay Conner (www.lindsaysews.com, http://www.craftbuds.com/) A free pattern for the pillow can be downloaded fromhttp://meylah.com/lindsaysews/pleated-boxes-pillow-pattern . A springtime or summer wedding calls for vintage chic wedding accessories, like this pleated sheets ring pillow. You can easily change the style and colors by selecting fabric in your wedding colors. Finished size when filled: 7.5″ wide x 7.5” long x 2” tall Supplies: • 7 assorted fabric strips, 1.5” wide and 18” long (I used vintage sheets) • 2-4 oz. (or several handfuls) synthetic fiber fill • Rotary cutter, acrylic ruler and cutting mat • Dual Duty XP General Purpose thread • sewing pins, hand sewing needle and iron • 2 feet of ribbon for center tie Use ¼ seam allowance and press seams open. Make Accent Squares Sew together 7 strips of patterned fabric, right sides together, along the long edges. From one short end of your patchwork, cut three strips, each 2.5” wide. Setting aside the unused sewn strips for the pillow back. Cut each 2.5” patchwork strip into three 2.5” columns, so you have 9 pieced 2.5” squares. Set aside. From white background fabric, cut six 2.5” squares and two 8.5” x 2.5” strips. Arrange pieced and solid background squares in three rows. Start with an accent square, then a solid, alternating until there are five blocks in a row. Rearrange until you have a good balance of colors and pieced strips facing different ways. Stitch fabric right sides together to piece together rows. Start with one patterned and one background square, and before cutting your thread, pull fabric a few inches away from machine. Pick up the next two squares and continue to chain stitch until only one square is left in that row. Repeat with other three rows. Join Together Rows Alternate background fabric strips with pieced rows. Pin together a pieced row to fabric strip, right sides together, and stitch, making sure your pieced squares line up among the columns. Stitch together remaining rows until all rows have been joined to create pillow front. Press pillow front and trim edges. Patchwork block will measure approximately 8.5” square. Add Messy Pleating Along each of the background fabric rows you just added, you’ll use the following technique to pleat the fabric. Take a small section and add 3 horizontal folds. Hold in place and carefully press. Repeat with the next section, creating messy folds, and pressing them into the fabric, until you’ve pleated the whole row. Pin gathers in place at the patterned box intersections so that the pleated rows are about 1” wide. You can measure the first one and approximate the rest. At the patterned box intersections, stitch a vertical line (with matching thread) from the top to bottom of the row. Remove pin as you sew and use your fingers to carefully guide fabric through, retaining the pleats. Remember to backstitch at both ends. Without cutting your thread, release your pressure foot and lift your pillow front so you can stitch the next vertical line. Again, stitch from the top patterned box intersection to the bottom intersection, and backstitch. These vertical lines will keep your pleats in place. When you have finished the row, trim your threads. Repeat process with other rows. To keep the pleats on outer edges of pillow front from shifting, you may stitch across each row with 1/8” seam allowance from the edge, so stitching is not visible when pillow is assembled. Repeat pleating with columns. Attach Pillow Back Cut an 8.5” x 8.5” patchwork piece from your pieced strips for the pillow back. You may need to add one more row to make it wide enough. With pillow front and back right sides together, pin pieces together and stitch ¼” around perimeter, leaving a 2” opening on one side for turning. Turn pillow cover right side out and press. Fill with fiber fill and hand stitch opening closed. Add Ribbon Take your needle and thread, and stitch into the center of the pillow front a few times to lock thread in place. Take two feet of matching ribbon, and knot in the center. Hand stitch the knot to the pillow front. To create an indentation in the pillow, take your needle and thread all the way through the pillow front to the pillow back, and repeat several times, securing with a knot. Tie loose ends of ribbon into a bow. If desired, stitch a ring of elastic or ribbon to pillow back in the same way as the pillow front, for the ring bearer to hold. Lindsay Conner is writer, editor and crafter who blogs at www.lindsaysews.com and www.craftbuds.com. She has contributed to Fabric-by-Fabric: One-Yard Wonders and loves sewing modern quilts, handmade gifts and apparel.
