When college students are preparing to go back to school, they want to decorate their dorm rooms and apartments with fun and quick pillow ideas. Pillows are a fabulous canvas for adding embroidery designs. OESD’s Fresh Flora Medley #12526 embroidery collection is a set of light and airy flowers that can be stitched in many different colors and has some tufted satins for dimensional effects. Let’s look at how to make a quick zippered pillow using this collection.

When choosing fabric colors, place some of the designs on the fabrics next to each other to get a visual of how the colors would look together.

Also decide how big to make the pillow; this one is 16″ because that is a standard pillow form size. It is helpful to know in advance what size pillow forms are available when deciding what size pillow to make. Stitch each of the designs on the chosen background fabrics on larger pieces of fabrics, so they can be cut down to the appropriate sizes. If the designs have tufted satins, follow the instructions with the designs for cutting them.

The designs used here were stitched and cut as follows:
• #12526-02 Floral 2 Applique on off-white fabric cut to 9″ x 13″
• #12526-13 Floral 13 Applique on yellow fabric cut to 7″ x 8½”
• #12526-15 Floral 15 Applique on green fabric cut to 7″ x 8½”
• #12526-16 Floral Border on turquoise fabric cut to 4″ x 9″
• (2) 1½” strips turquoise fabric (borders)
• (2) 9″ x 17″ turquoise fabric (backs)

Choose a 22″ turquoise zipper for the back closure.

After cutting the pieces, stitch the embroidered pieces to make the front of the pillow, right sides together, and use a ¼” seam allowance.

Next, stitch the borders to the pillow front. Right sides together, stitch the borders to each of the sides, then to the top and bottom of the pillow front.

To create the back, fold under ¼” on the long side of one of the back pieces. Place the zipper under the folded edge and topstitch in place.


Take the other back piece, and fold under ¼” on the long side. Place the zipper under the folded edge and topstitch in place.

Baste both sides along the ends of the zipper. Place the front and back pieces of the pillow, right sides together, leaving the zipper open more than halfway. Pin and stitch using ½” seam allowance.

Trim the zipper and corners. Turn right side out. Press. Insert pillow form and zip closed. Your Fresh Flora Medley Pillow is finished!

Another embroidery collection that is great to use for pillows is Chic Décor Pillows #12484. Instructions are included with this collection for making two pillows.

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