Daffodil Days {Throw Pillow Tutorial}

It's almost my turn in the Oh Sew Baby! series over at Fort Worth Fabric Studio. My Forest Friends {Framed Nursery Applique} tutorial will be featured tomorrow, and then check back here on Friday when I'll be share coordinating templates on my blog... in the meantime, here's a sneak peak of this adorable woodland wall art (with some helpful photo bombing courtesy of my two littles who got bored running through the sprinkler while I was shooting ; )

---

In the run up to my newest tutorial, I thought I'd do a little throwback and post my Daffodil Days {Throw Pillow Tutorial} from a few months ago that was also featured at FWFS. This is a great intro project if you've never tried curved piecing before, and you can easily adapt the block for alternate projects, like this table runner, or try it in other color palettes than my "pining for spring" daffodil yellow, like this similar purple pillow. 

Here's what you'll need:

• Daffodil Days Template
• Selection of yellow and orange fabrics for the flower petals 
• White fabric for the flower background and pillow back 
• Coordinating thread 
• Template plastic (card stock or cardboard will work in a pinch)
  
• Batting and backing for quilting
• Basting pins or spray
• Spray starch (optional, but very, very helpful with so many curves)
• 20” pillow form
• Rotary cutter, quilt ruler, scissors, pins, pencil, fabric marking pen, and chocolate (I never quilt without it!)

Before you get started, download the Daffodil Days Template, then trace and cut from template plastic. I strongly suggest starching your fabrics now, too, because it will stabilize them, making them hold their shape better as you cut and work with the curves and bias. 

Step 1
Using Template A

• Trace and cut 4 pieces from your orange fabrics (flower center)
  
• Trace and cut 8 pieces from your white background fabric (petal background)

Using Template B

• Trace and cut 4 pieces from your darker yellow fabrics (center petals)
  
• Trace and cut 8 pieces from your lighter yellows (outer petals)

You can avoid fabric waste by lining the tracing up back-to-back with the previous one. I'm always tempted to use my rotary cutter directly around the template, but if you do, you must be very careful to avoid cutting into the thin plastic - tracing and cutting with scissors is a tad more time consuming but prevents you from damaging the template.

Using your quilt ruler

• Cut 4 squares from your orange fabric measuring 2¼” square (border cornerstones)
• Cut 4 squares from your white background fabric measuring 4¾” square (background corners around flower)
  
• Cut 4 strips from your white background fabric measuring 2¼” x 17½” (borders) You may wish to wait until you're done piecing to cut these strips. If your block is slightly shorter or slightly longer than 17½”, adjust the length of your white border strips accordingly.
  
• Cut one 12 x 21" piece and one 17" x 21" piece from the white backing fabric (envelope pillow back)

Step 2
Align each of the four orange flower centers (Template A) to each of the four yellow flower center petals (Template B) to prepare for piecing. There are different schools of thought about piecing curves, but I adhere to the pin-like-crazy method, so that’s what you’ll see here. Finger press each A and B to find the center, then align at the creases and pin right sides together. Take tiny “bites” with the pins, starting with the center point and working out to the corners. Your Template A pieces will be just shy of the corners of the Template B pieces – that’s ok, they're supposed to be like that.

Sew using a ¼” seam allowance. Use your fingers to guide and ease where necessary to keep the seam smooth. (See that little purple strip? That's my favorite sewing notion ever! It's a handy seam guide for assuring a scant quarter inch when you're piecing.)

Step 3
Sew the outer petals (B) to outer background pieces (A). When you have all twelve A/B pieces sewn together, spray with starch and iron so the seam fans out above the arch. If your blocks look a teensy bit wonky at this point, don’t panic. It’s amazing how forgiving the blocks are despite the tendency to stretch a little because of the curved seam and bias of the fabric. Take your time piecing and press carefully to avoid stretching them, but don’t rip it all out if the block is a tiny bit uneven because you can accommodate for it as you go.

Step 4
Sew the four center blocks together, being careful to align and pin the seams so you end up with nice matching points. (You might notice I have a walking foot on my machine during piecing. I don’t do this regularly, but I find it helpful with all the thick seams that result at the corners of these blocks.) 

Next sew each set of adjoining outer petals together, and then iron all seams from Step 4 open. You will have four layers at each corner where A and B meet and are pieced to the adjoining block, so ironing these seams open will make it easier to continue piecing the rest of the flower, and will make it easier to quilt once you’re done. 

Step 5
Piece the top and bottom outer petals to the 4 white squares you cut in Step 3, pinning your points carefully. 

Then join the right and left outer petals to the center of the flower. Finally join the three rows together to form the entire flower. Make sure all the thick petal seams are pressed open.

Step 6
Chocolate break! And then if you’d like to square up your flower block, this is the time to do so. It should measure 17½” square and you should have a ¼" seam allowance visible at the tip of each flower petal around the perimeter of the block.

Step 7
Sew two border strips to the right and left side of your flower block; press seams. Sew a cornerstone square to each end of the two remaining border strips; press seams. Sew the top and bottom cornerstone borders to the top and bottom of the bordered flower block; press seams.

Ta da! Your pillow top is pieced. It should measure 21” square, which includes a ½“ seam allowance for sewing the pillow front and pillow back together. Time to move on to quilting… or a quick break for more chocolate ; )

Step 8
Make a quilt sandwich: lay your backing fabric right side down (remember this will be inside the pillow, so it’s perfect for muslin or that weird print you’ve had hanging around that you have no intention of using in a quilt top) and tape tightly to work surface, then add the batting, then the pillow front right side up. Spray or pin baste. 

Step 9
The fun part – quilt your pillow top! I chose to straight line quilt about 3/16” off to the right and left of each seam, following the curves. The possibilities are endless, though, so have fun! (If you’re new to quilting, Fort Worth Fabric Studio has a great series on "How to Make a Quilt," including tips for quilting the basted top.)

After you finish quilting, take a moment to square off your pillow front. The pillow front should measure 21" across, including the ½“ seam allowance for sewing to the back.

Step 10
We’re almost done! Just need to make the envelope closure for the pillow back and then join it to the pillow front.... For each backing piece, fold just the top edge over one inch, press seam, then fold it over a second inch, and press seam. Top stitch 1/8" from folded edge along each folded edge to ensure a nice flat finish. You should have two backing pieces measuring 10” x 21” and 15” by 21”, each with one double folded and stitched edge running the length of the fabric.

Step 11
Assemble the pillow cover. Lay the pillow front on your work surface face up. Taking the narrower backing piece, lay it face down (the folded edge should facing you, smooth edge down) on the pillow front, aligning the unfinished edge with the top edge of the pillow front. Then take the wider backing piece, lay it face down on the pillow front (it should be overlapping the narrower piece by four inches) and align the unfinished edge with the bottom edge of the pillow front. (I know all the top/bottom/front/back directions get tricky – hopefully the picture helps if you’re new to sewing envelope closure pillow covers, but if you're stumped, you can find a detailed step-by-step tutorial - and adorable heart pillow design - from Lindsey here.)

Step 12
Using a straight stitch, sew the pillow front and back pieces together using a ½” seam allowance. Finish the raw edge so it doesn't fray when you wash the cover (a step I sometimes skip, but was oh-so-glad I didn't when the very next day my daughter drew black crayon all over the pillow and it needed emergency cleaning!).  I usually sew a zigzag or blind hem stitch just to the outside of the straight seam all the way around, then trim off the excess fabric and clip the corners before turning. If you're not familiar with this process, check out this handy seam finishing tutorial by The Seasoned Homemaker. 

Turn your pillowcase right side out, working the corners to nice points. If you don’t own a tool specifically for this, a very blunt pencil or a chopstick tip work just as well! Then tuck the pillow insert inside your pillow cover. And finally... enjoy your new “daffodil!”

I always love seeing what you whip up with my tutorials! 
Please do share on Instagram or Flickr #berrybarndesigns.

And if you have any need for adorable nursery decor (shower gift anyone?),
check out my Forest Friends {Framed Nursery Applique} tomorrow
at Fort Worth Fabric Studio! 

~ Sarah

Linking up with Let's Bee Social.