Holiday Retro Christmas Pillow Tutorial

Retro Car Holiday Pillow

It’s Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl here with a totally HIP totally RETRO Christmas Pillow!

I am in LOVE with this Hip Holiday line from Blend Fabrics!  It is the cutest ever.  I am such a fan of vintage cars that I had to take this theme from the fabric and bring it to life in a throw pillow!  Here’s how you can make one!

Holiday Retro Christmas Pillow Supplies:

Assortment of 5 Blend Hip Holiday fabrics
1/2 yard for back
1/4 yard binding
Scraps for car applique
Car Pattern, Click HERE
19″ square of cotton batting
20″ or longer zipper
18″ pillow form
Therm O Web HeatnBond® Lite Fusible applique
Therm O Web SpraynBond® basting spray


Holiday Retro Christmas Pillow Tutorial instructions:

My pillow form was a bit floppy because it’s down so I wanted the pillow cover to fit pretty snug.  If you feel your 18″ pillow form is really firm, you may want to cut everything 19″.

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Ornament fabric (top) 4.5″ x 18″
White swirl fabric 8.5″ x 18″
Green tree fabric 1.5″ x 18″
Retro car fabric 2.5″ x 18″
Tree fabric 3″ x 18″

Holiday Retro Christmas Pillow Instructions:

First.. let’s appliqué the car:

Trace the appliqué pieces on the HeatnBond® Lite.

Blend_hip_holiday_throw_pillow_tutorial_1Iron to the wrong side of the fabric.  Cut out the shapes and peel off the backing.  Center it on the white swirl fabric and press in place.

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Outline stitch each of the appliqué pieces in black thread twice.  Sew the strips together in this order using 1/4″ seams.  Press seams.

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Using SpraynBond®, baste the pillow front to the cotton batting.

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Quilt as desired.  This pillow is quilted using straight lines 1/8″ from each seam.  Pretty basic – and quick!!

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Your top is done!  Next prepare the back!

This is my new favorite way of finishing a throw pillow.  I think it’s even easier than my invisible zipper method!

Cut the top backing piece 5″ x 18″
Bottom backing piece 13″ x 18″
Accent flap 4.5″ x 18

 

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Press the accent flap in half long ways.

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Layer as shown, with all raw edges together and zipper facing down.  Using zipper foot, sew along the edge.
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Fold the zipper out and finger press.  Now flip the bottom piece (the piece that hasn’t been sewn yet) and align it with the top piece and pin along the zipper.

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It helps to pin this so it doesn’t move around and helps your pillow pieces line up.  Don’e worry about the zipper ends hanging off both sides, we will cut those in a minute.  Sew the seam in the same manner with the zipper foot.

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This is what it looks like after you press it.  A nice finished accent flap covering the zipper!!!

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Once your pillow back is pressed, square it up to 18″ x 18″.  There should be a little excess on the bottom to allow for different sizes of zippers.

Make sure your zipper is somewhere in the center of the pillow and cut off the excess zipper ( I have accidentally chopped off the zipper pull!!)

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We are going to bind this pillow.  If you were going to sew and turn it, now would be the time.  I like the little pop the binding gives the pillow.  Square up the quilted pillow front making sure it measures 18″.

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Lay it on top of the pillow back – wrong sides together.  It should look like this:

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Pin all the way around and sew a 1/8″ seam all around the pillow.  This will hold it in place while you attach the binding.

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Now you can bind the pillow as you would a quilt.  Cut (2) 2.5″ strips and sew them together using a diagonal seam.  Press in half lengthwise.  Line up the raw edges and sew around the pillow.  It will look like this:

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I hand stitched the binding – I think it looks nicer.  It would be hard to machine sew it and get it to look good.  It only takes a few minutes – put on a good TV show while you stitch 🙂

Insert your pillow and you’re finished!!

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I can’t say how much I love the pillow – even the back is adorable!!  My daughter was trying to talk me into making one with a truck.  I ran out of time!

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63 Comments on Blend Fabrics Hip Holiday Retro Christmas Pillow Tutorial

  1. Kailash
    December 2, 2013 at 7:05 am (10 years ago)

    I love the lawn fawn winter sparrows set, simply too adorable!!!

  2. Sue D
    December 2, 2013 at 12:36 pm (10 years ago)

    I like the Lawn Fawn Into the Woods set.

  3. Janis in ID
    December 2, 2013 at 1:14 pm (10 years ago)

    Lools so snuggly!!!!
    <3 J

    jwoolbright at gmail dot com

    • Janis in ID
      December 2, 2013 at 1:18 pm (10 years ago)

      Didn’t see where we were supposed to mention our fave LF. Mine is Into the Woods!! Have the stamps….still need to collect the other parts.
      <3 J

      jwoolbright at gmail dot com

  4. Joyce Mitchell
    December 2, 2013 at 2:33 pm (10 years ago)

    Critters In Costume is my favorite stamp set. Thanks.

  5. Barbara Staradumsky
    December 2, 2013 at 4:41 pm (10 years ago)

    I am still in love with the Into The Woods Collection! It was the most trendest and cool Fall Collection out there!

  6. marylouh
    December 2, 2013 at 4:51 pm (10 years ago)

    The woodland creatures. the little fawn is so cute.

  7. MoeWest
    December 2, 2013 at 6:14 pm (10 years ago)

    I like the Lawn Fawn winter sparrows set.

  8. Amanda Christensen
    December 2, 2013 at 8:22 pm (10 years ago)

    So hard to choose! I like Into the Woods right now, but the more cute stamp sets they release, the harder it is to pick a favorite.

  9. Gene Black
    December 2, 2013 at 8:50 pm (10 years ago)

    Woodland Creatures.,

  10. Cecilia
    December 2, 2013 at 9:10 pm (10 years ago)

    I like the Into the Woods stamp set. Thanks!

  11. Charlene McCullough
    December 2, 2013 at 10:07 pm (10 years ago)

    I use and love Therm O Web and Heat and Bond. I like Lawn Fawn. The Cuddle Blanket Kit looks so soft. Thanks .

  12. usairdoll
    December 3, 2013 at 3:22 am (10 years ago)

    Beautiful pillow! For giveaway comment I’m not sure if I was looking in the correct area but love the Critters at the Dog Park, Lawn Fawn Stamp Set.

    Thank you for a super giveaway and a chance to win.

  13. Janice
    December 3, 2013 at 8:23 am (10 years ago)

    I like Into the Woods.

  14. Shawn J
    December 3, 2013 at 10:57 am (10 years ago)

    I like the Into the woods stamp set, thanks for the giveaway.
    smjohns63 at yahoo dot com

  15. Cindy in ND
    December 3, 2013 at 2:19 pm (10 years ago)

    I like Woodland Creatures.

  16. Shelly S.
    December 3, 2013 at 9:07 pm (10 years ago)

    I love the textured dots!

  17. Barbi Vogel
    December 4, 2013 at 1:54 am (10 years ago)

    Winter Sparrows…too cute!

  18. Lori Morton
    December 4, 2013 at 1:31 pm (10 years ago)

    Oh my…loved soooo many stamp sets! lol Choosin Winter one”s for now…Making Frosty friend”s & Winter Fox!!!

  19. Lisa Marie
    December 4, 2013 at 2:02 pm (10 years ago)

    Into the Woods is very cute — love the little fox!

  20. Denniele
    December 4, 2013 at 6:12 pm (10 years ago)

    Great tutorial on the pillow. Will be looking for the spray adhesive.

  21. Rita
    December 4, 2013 at 6:46 pm (10 years ago)

    Love the cuddle fabrics could sew it up for my new grandson

  22. Carla Hundley
    December 4, 2013 at 8:08 pm (10 years ago)

    Oh this is too cute!
    Love it.
    I like the cute
    winter sparrows
    and the matching
    die set.
    Carla from Utah

  23. Tammy Hempel
    December 4, 2013 at 9:04 pm (10 years ago)

    I like the woodland creatures

  24. sherry
    December 4, 2013 at 9:27 pm (10 years ago)

    love into the woods…also new to therm-o-bond but love it

  25. Vicki H
    December 4, 2013 at 9:47 pm (10 years ago)

    I like the Winter Sparrows.

  26. Margaret Schindler
    December 5, 2013 at 5:15 am (10 years ago)

    I love in the woods and winter sparrors. Great tutorial.

  27. Meredith
    December 5, 2013 at 7:10 am (10 years ago)

    I would like to have all of the stamps!

  28. Sandy K
    December 5, 2013 at 10:26 am (10 years ago)

    Into the Woods in one of my favorites.

  29. Susan Paxton
    December 5, 2013 at 11:24 am (10 years ago)

    love the pillow…It will be great for my 16 year old grandson who is into retro cars

  30. Natalie Y.
    December 5, 2013 at 11:59 am (10 years ago)

    The last project I made was a collage book.

  31. Karen
    December 5, 2013 at 6:26 pm (10 years ago)

    What a great idea!

  32. Chris
    December 5, 2013 at 11:48 pm (10 years ago)

    Quilts and more quilts.

  33. Heather
    December 6, 2013 at 6:59 am (10 years ago)

    This looks amazing! Great color selection and I love the appliqué!

  34. Nicole McNamara
    December 6, 2013 at 2:22 pm (10 years ago)

    LOVE LOVE LOVE that pillowcase! Sooo awesome! so clever/cute!

  35. Kim
    December 6, 2013 at 3:20 pm (10 years ago)

    My last project was a superhero cape!

  36. Brenda
    December 6, 2013 at 3:25 pm (10 years ago)

    Cute pillow and love your tree!

  37. kbo
    December 6, 2013 at 8:35 pm (10 years ago)

    I just finished a patchwork snowflake table runner as a gift

  38. Debra Neiman
    December 6, 2013 at 11:12 pm (10 years ago)

    The last project I made was a wedding quilt for my daughter and some placemats, mug rugs and table runners for me. Busy month. I love cuddle fabric. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

  39. Marianne
    December 7, 2013 at 2:41 pm (10 years ago)

    This Hip Holiday collection is so cute. I fell in love with the vehicles out with trees atop them. Had to buy some!

  40. LisaT
    December 7, 2013 at 6:13 pm (10 years ago)

    Don’t know if I like the retro car but we all have different interests right? Love the color choices, might stick to the Christmas theme. Thanks!

  41. crystal moyer
    December 10, 2013 at 12:25 am (10 years ago)

    cell phone case and thermoweb mae it so much easier

  42. Ellee
    December 10, 2013 at 8:45 am (10 years ago)

    My last project was a denim totebag for my granddaughter.

  43. Judi Cushing
    December 10, 2013 at 1:00 pm (10 years ago)

    Last project I made was a Christmas cross body bag for my i-pad mini

  44. Sally
    December 11, 2013 at 12:10 pm (10 years ago)

    I’ve heard it recommended to cut pillow covers 1″ – 2″ smaller than forms to make them nicely full.

  45. Adrianne B
    December 13, 2013 at 11:48 pm (10 years ago)

    The last project I made was a crocheted hat.

  46. florence
    December 14, 2013 at 11:12 am (10 years ago)

    christmas stockings for a swap !

  47. Heather Thompson
    December 14, 2013 at 12:31 pm (10 years ago)

    i havent done much sewing and such lately but this gives me the urge

  48. Janetta Zeimetz
    December 14, 2013 at 1:36 pm (10 years ago)

    I quilted a flannel blanket.

  49. leanne
    April 8, 2014 at 8:05 pm (10 years ago)

    love this fabric range and love love love this pillow – thanks so much 🙂

  50. Barbara Weber
    August 9, 2014 at 7:47 pm (10 years ago)

    Love the pillow! Where can I get the retro car fabric? My suppliers do not carry it. Without that fabric, the pillow doesn’t look the same. Thanks

  51. Barbara Weber
    August 9, 2014 at 7:51 pm (10 years ago)

    What is your source for the retro car fabric? Love the pillow, but hate when sources are not given. Thanks

  52. christmas 2014 trends
    October 24, 2014 at 1:14 pm (9 years ago)

    Hey there! I’ve been reading your web site for a while now
    and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Dallas Texas!
    Just wanted to mention keep up the good job!

  53. Rachael
    October 30, 2014 at 8:03 pm (9 years ago)

    I found you through a post on the Craftgossip blog

  54. Joy @ Yesterfood
    November 22, 2014 at 7:29 am (9 years ago)

    Oooh, this is toooo cute! Thank you for the pattern and tutorial! I do have a question about the car applique- could you please tell me approx how long the car should be? My printer is giving me several options for “fit to page” and other things, so I have several patterns here of all different sizes…thanks for your help! I can’t wait to make this for Christmas!! ♥ ♥ PINNED!

  55. Sandy Wootten
    November 22, 2014 at 9:00 am (9 years ago)

    This pillow is so cute. Instructions are marvelous

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