Supply List:
- 18 ½ inch square piece of Muslin or light colored solid fabric
- 18 inch square piece of Black and White printed fabric (or other fabric, if desired) for the back of the pillow
- 18 inch square Pillow form
- One sandwich bag of Selvages (cut about 1 ½ inches wide)
- Scissors (for cutting the selvage lengths to size)
- Sewing machine
- Off-white Thread (will match most selvages)
- Pen (to mark the corner triangles)
- Straight Pins, about 6 (to hold long selvages in place)
- Hand-sewing Needle (to sew up the opening after you have inserted the pillow)
- Iron and ironing surface
Rotary Cutter, Mat, and Ruler (to trim selvage-covered foundation to 18 inches square) One cutting station for the whole class will probably be enough since there isn’t much rotary cutting to do.
Directions: (see photos below)
Step 1. Starting with the 18 ½ inch square of muslin, mark a triangle in each corner, whatever size you like. Make it nice and dark so you can see it from the back, because your horizontal selvages will cover these lines. The lines will provide a rough guideline for placement of your diagonal selvages.
Step 2. Place the first selvage close to the bottom of your square. Make sure that your selvage is long enough to cover your pen lines.
You may want to pin the selvage in place. Sew along the bottom “bound” edge of the selvage.
Step 3. Lay the second selvage so that it’s bound edge overlaps the raw edge of the first selvage. This way you secure the top of the first selvage. Continue on to the top of the square.
It’s okay to let the selvage ends hang off the foundation. You will trim the block later.
Step 4. Apply the diagonal selvages “by eye” or using your guidelines. You will now have to turn the square over and see them through the back. Don’t agonize here. It doesn’t have to be perfect. A little “wonkiness” will add some improvisational charm.
Step 5. Continue until the square is completely covered. Press smooth. Trim to 18 inches square.
Step 6. Place this selvage block and the backing fabric right sides together. Sew a ¼ or ½ inch seam along all four sides, leaving an opening about 10 inches long on one side. (You might want to “round” the corners to avoid having pointy corners on your pillow.)
Step 7. Insert the pillow form and smooth the corners of the pillow nicely into the corners of the pillow cover. Then hand-sew the opening closed.
Small Selvage Pillow
This version of the pillow described above is faster to make because you LEAVE OFF THE CORNER TRIANGLES. Just sew the all the selvages across the entire width of the square.
Supply List same as above, except:
- 14 ½ inch square of Muslin
- 14 inch square of Backing
- 14 inch Pillow form
- No pen for marking triangles.
