Boxed corner cushion sewing project

Beautiful fabrics deserve to be made into beautiful products... so when I find something like this vintage velvet remnant, it's project time! And the perfect choice for this vintage fabric, is a vintage style pillow. Piping, zippers, and boxed corners are all part of today's DIY.



What you'll need:

• Fabric (yardage based on pillow size)
• piping cord
• Needles/thread for machine sewing 
• Zipper (length based on bed size)
• Stuffing 

Tools: sewing machine, scissors, chalk or fabric marking pen, ruler

Cutting the Fabric
Our pillow is going to be dictated by the amount of fabric we have, so that's 18x18 inches. We'll cut 2 squares and set them aside. Next we'll need 3 strips for piping: 1.5x18 inches.
Done!


Time to get stitching...
First we'll make the piping, simply fold the fabric strips over the piping cord lengthwise, and stitch on the right side as close to the cord as possible (a zipper foot or piping foot are really helpful for this step).
Set the piping aside.


Next we'll insert the zipper. A 14 inch zipper is ideal for this project, giving us a little room on either end to stitch the boxed corners. First center the zipper on the edge of the fabric, with right sides facing (see photo), and stitch along the edge. If you have a zipper foot that's great, if not it's no problem... you can use your regular presser foot on the machine and just adjust the needle all the way to the left. Next, flip the fabric over on top of the other piece with right sides facing each other. Align free zipper edge to the edge of the other piece, and stitch the same way.

 

 

Lastly, we'll put them all togetherWith right sides facing (that means inside out, with wrong side of fabric facing out) sandwich the pieces of piping on each of the 3 sides (skipping the zipper side), making sure the raw edges are aligned. Place a couple pins along the edges of your fabric to hold it in place while stitching. starting at one side of the zipper edge (and overlapping it at least .5 in.) stitch all the way around the perimeter of the pillow about .5in. from the edge. Before boxing the corners, open the zipper at least half way, to ensure you can turn the bed right side out at the end of this process! Next, Pick up a corner and flatten it out so the width and length seams are matching. Now measure down along the seam (from the corner) 2 in. And mark a line perpendicular to that, which is your sewing line! Repeat on each corner, and turn right side out.

I hope you found this little experiment helpful, and consider trying some of these DIY ideas for yourself...

That's it; on to the next project! Want to know what it is? Follow me on twitter for sneak peeks and updates! If you're just looking for DIY inspiration, stayed tuned @ dawntoussaint.com for more on my DIY projects through the summer! If you're looking to get some of the items you've seen here, on twitter, or on my boards, check out my etsy shop!