Handmade Gifts: Retro Pillow with Flange

Notice the absence of "quick" from the title? This one will take some time. I've been loving handwork lately so this was right up my alley. This isn't so much a tutorial as a "how I made this." If you'd like to make it and need more detailed instructions, let me know!

Almost forgot -- I made up this pdf if you want to play along!!

The pillow front was inspired by an illustration from a 50s Christmas card. The "hair" and the holly berries are yo-yos (I made 33 small and 6 large). The fabric is "Have a Sheri Berry Christmas" and the yo-yos are made from part of a charm pack.


Once I had a bunch of yo-yos I cut a piece of fabric 1" larger than my pillow form in both length and width. I drew a face and wrote "Happy Holidays" with a water soluble pen. I cut my holly leaves from another charm and used steam-a-seam to attach it to the fabric. Then I stitched the face, words, and around the leaves using coordinating thread (I forgot to do the words and the leaves until after I sewed it all together. WHOOPS!).


Using the rest of my charm pack, I laid charms around the outer edge until I was happy with the placement. Then I sewed them together (adding an extra charm to the end just in case)...


...ironed-on some lightweight interfacing, folded in half, and pressed.


Pinning the raw sides together I stitched along one side, starting and stopping 1/4" from each end. I did this on all four sides (joining the two ends as if they were quilt binding).


Then I took the excess at one corner, folded it together...


...and laid it flat to create a pleat. Sew over the 1/4" gaps you left to create the pleats.


I made an envelope-style back (there are lots of tutorials out there for this)


Voila! Jaxon informed me that it isn't comfortable because of the "bumps." PERFECT!