Ruffle-Panel Throw Pillow

I just started working a litte facelift for our bedroom. (UPDATE: Click here to see the final results of the makeover. It's done!).  It's always the room in our house that gets the leftovers and it's time to make it a place for us to relax and enjoy (or at the very least a pretty place to pass out once the kids are down for the night).  Once the mini-makeover is complete, I'll do a full post with before and after pics but for now I'm sharing a quick tute for the Ruffle-Panel Throw Pillow with Envelope-Style Back I made for our bed.

*This tute is based on a 12"x16" pillow form.  Zigzag stitching may be done in place of serging.*

What You'll Need:

12"x16" Pillow Form

About a 1/2 yard or so of fabric

Matching Thread

Cut out your pieces.  Here is what you'll need:

• Pillow Front: 12"x16"
• Pillow Back (Cut 2): 12"x11"
• Ruffle Panel: 5"x32"

Serge one 12" side of each back pillow piece.  Fold over about 3/4", iron, and hem.  These will end up overlapping to form the envelope back as shown below. 

     

Set aside while we work on the ruffle.  Take your ruffle strip and serge each long side.  Fold over 1/4", iron, and hem.

      

Next, we'll ruffle just inside each hem of the ruffle strip.  You can do this by using a long stitch (5.0) and pulling by hand or you can use a special foot.  I bought this universal shirring foot for a under $10 and I love it.  I set my machine stitch length to 3.5 and tension to almost 9.  Then it ruffles nice and evenly.

 

 

Now center the ruffle over your front pillow piece.  Adjust ruffles so the strip is the same length as the pillow front piece (16") and pin well.  Sew on, sewing right over the ruffling stitch.

Now we'll assemble the pillow cover.  With right sides together, place the backing pieces over the ruffled piece so that they overlap as shown below.  Pin in place.  Sew around all four sides with a 1/4" seam and then serge.

   

Turn your pillow cover right side out a stuff with your pillow form.  Isn't it pretty?

   

To size the Ruffled Pillow Cover to another size pillow form:

• Make your front piece the same size as your pillow form.  This makes for a nice snug, full-looking pillow.  
• Makes your envelope pieces 5" shorter in length.
• The Ruffle will be however wide you'd like it x double the length of the pillow form.

For the other pillow pictured I used an 18"x18" pillow form and followed the same sewing instructions provided above, just without the ruffle and using two different fabrics.  My piece sizes were as follows:

• Pillow Front: 18"x18"
• Pillow Back (cut 2): 18"x13"

My fabrics are from FabricEnvy.com and are as follows:
Color Stripe Neutral Taza Dena Designs for Free Spirit
Medallion Grey Taza Dena Designs for Free Spirit
Pure Organic Marigold Ready, Set Go! By Anne Kelle

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