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    Home » Sewing » Pillow Sewing Patterns

    Summer Pillows- with free pattern :)

    Updated: Jul 29, 2021 by Melissa Mortenson · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 19 Comments

    Summer Pillows- with free appliqué patterns
    I’ve been having fun getting our outdoor room put together this year. The weather has warmed up and we find ourselves spending time out there most evenings.

    When I bought the sofa for outside, I decided to go with a neutral cushion.  I love the color. It hides dirt and blends in well with the garden, but I thought that the couch could use a bit of pop!
    How to make summer pillows

    I went to look for fabric to make pillows from and was not happy with anything that I found. (You know how you get an idea in your head, then can’t find what you want).   Then I remembered a tote bag my daughter bought a couple of years ago. It was this really great sunbleached canvas.  I thought that maybe I could recreate the same look with colored canvas.

    When I bought the canvas it was stiff and icky… (great term huh!)… So I figured out a way to soften it up and bleach it out a bit. (details in the tutorial below). The trick worked and I got the soft sunfaded canvas that I wanted.

    I ended up making 3 pillows in all.  Instructions are included for making the crab pillow – you just follow the same steps for the other two.  I’m going to leave these pillows outside- it’s a bit of an experiment, we’ll see how they hold up this summer.

    Crab Pillow and Anchor Pillow, how to make them
    The Anchor & Crab Pillow

    Here’s how to make them!

    You will need:

    Yardage of Duck Cloth (yardage depends on size and number of pillows you are making- I bought mine at Joann’s).
    Pillow forms (size of your choice, the crab is 12×16 and the other two are 14×14)
    Buttons for eyes
    Natural cording
    Heat N Bond Lite

    To begin (do NOT skip this step)

    Wash each color of duck cloth in the washing machine on the highest heat setting. Add fabric softener to the wash.  (do NOT wash more that one color of fabric at a time).  After it is washed, throw it in the dryer using 2 softener sheets. Repeat if you want it more washed out.

    Press lightly

    Cut out your pillow covers.  As a rule of thumb your pillow covers will be the same size as your pillow form. (you do not add seam allowance) so for a 14×14 pillow cut 2 pieces of fabric 14×14

    Trace the crab image (found here) onto heat and bond lite.  Iron onto pink fabric. Cut out crab. Arrange crab on pillow cover where desired. Remove heat n bond lite backing and press to set.

    Top stitch around the edge of the crab.

    Summer Crab Pillow Pattern
    Place the cording on the edge of the pillow cover- starting and stopping in a corner. Using your zipper foot, stitch as close to the edge of the cording as possible.
    cute Appliqué pattern for crab
    Sew on crab eyes.
    Clip the corners of the pillow. This will allow the cording to lie flat round the corner.
    Cute Summer PIllows

    With right sides together, sew pillow cover back to pillow cover front.  Just stitch on top of the line you just made for the cording. Leave an opening in the bottom to feed the pillow in.

    Slide pillow form in and slip stitch closed!

    Anchor Pillow

    To make the Anchor pillow, I followed the same steps but I used an anchor image from Martha Stewart found here.

    Sun Pillow

    The Sun pillow is made from adding 1″ strips of green fabric and the word sun. (the font is Arial Black)

    Cute Summer Pillows

    Have fun making them!! I can think of a few other cute designs, I’ll have to share if I make some.

    DIY Summer Pillows

    Just a quick post script: These pillows did fade in the sun.  If you want them to not fade I would recommend using outdoor fabric.   There is loads to pick from at the fabric stores, so you should not have a problem finding any.

    If the pillows had stayed in the shade all summer and been taken in in the winter they would have been fine.  (not faded too much).

    Linking up:

    Thirty Hand Made Days

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    About Author

    Melissa Mortenson

    Melissa Mortenson is a blogger, designer, and content creator. She is the Polka Dot Chair blog founder and has been sharing fresh and creative ideas with readers since 2008. She is the author of “Project Teen, Handmade Gifts your Teen will Actually Love.” Her work and designs have been featured on HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, BuzzFeed, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other established publications. Her first fabric line, “Derby Style,” debuted in January 2015 through Riley Blake Designs.  Additional fabric collections have followed it in subsequent years. A mom of 3, she considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. regina says

      June 15, 2011 at 2:05 am

      félicitation c’est très mignon !!!!!!!!

      ça sent les vacances et le soleil !!!!!!!
      bravo
      amitiés de Régina

      Reply
    2. Amanda says

      June 15, 2011 at 3:03 am

      These are wonderful! I’ve been meaning to make some beachy themed pillows for my boys, now I have no excuse! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    3. Becky says

      June 15, 2011 at 7:13 am

      Thanks for sharing these, I love them! And I was just thinking of making my sister an anchor pillow (she’s obsessed). I’m definitely going to have to try this!

      Reply
    4. Rhonda says

      June 15, 2011 at 7:43 am

      What a great project – thanks so much for the tutorial!

      Reply
    5. Anna says

      June 15, 2011 at 12:25 pm

      so cute melissa! love that crab!

      Reply
    6. CBH says

      June 15, 2011 at 12:42 pm

      Thank you so much for this post. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 5 post on Jun. 15, 2011. Thanks again.

      Reply
    7. Chris says

      June 15, 2011 at 1:04 pm

      The crab design is adorable. I wish I could come hang out on your porch!

      Reply
    8. casserole says

      June 15, 2011 at 5:45 pm

      They are all so cute!! And I love the rope trim! I linked to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:
      http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-summer-themed-throw-pillows/2011/06/15/
      (link will go live later tonight)

      –Anne

      Reply
    9. Carla says

      June 15, 2011 at 6:49 pm

      Those pillows are fun and perfect for the outdoors. Thank you for the tutorial!

      Reply
    10. CraftCrave says

      June 16, 2011 at 12:20 am

      Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave today [16 Jun 12:00am GMT]. Thanks, Maria

      Reply
    11. VickiT says

      June 16, 2011 at 6:29 pm

      What a great idea and awesome pillows. Thank you.

      I have to add that I am totally jealous of you for having an area outside that you can put such a great looking couch to relax on. That looks like a great couch to go outside on a nice cool summer night and just relax on.

      Reply
    12. Tauni says

      June 16, 2011 at 6:57 pm

      Cute pillows M! I love them 🙂

      xoxo

      Reply
    13. La-Dee-da crafter says

      June 24, 2011 at 2:51 pm

      I wanted to let you know that this will be featured on my blog, 6/30. I am telling you now because I will be on vacation. You have been crowned a Diva for Diva Thursday. Come by and grab a button.
      http://www.ladeedacreations.com

      Reply
    14. Jennifer @ Delightfully Noted says

      July 03, 2011 at 11:34 am

      Holy cuteness, that crab pillow pattern is adorable! Too bad I can’t stitch if my life depended on it:) Love it!

      Reply
    15. Maria M says

      September 26, 2012 at 11:10 am

      Templates aren’t coming up. Can they be e-mailed to me? Love this project for my grandson’s bedroom.

      Reply

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    Hello! It’s nice to meet you.

    I’m Melissa. I like to design things, like fabric, printables, and projects.

    I’m also a Mom and a Maker. I am like most of you, just trying to do my best every day. Some days I succeed, many days I fail.  I find joy in creating, if you do too, then I hope that you find something here bring a little “happy” to your life.  Find out more about me here.

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