Pieced Pillows

I made some pillows for a friend for Christmas this year.  They were pieced pillows and the pattern came from "Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts" by Joelle Hoverson.  I picked up this book ages ago, probably when I first started sewing, because I was convinced that I would soon make the Color Wheel Quilt.  Well, patchwork scares me.  Sewing straight lines scares me too.  I've been trying to be a bit braver about my straight line phobia, so I actually ended up doing two projects from this book.  The first project was from page 37...Pieced Pillows.

Martha Stewart actually reprinted the how-to for these pillows on her website, so you can make them too by following these directions.  Don't listen to the few commenters on that page...the directions were not difficult and you don't need step-by-step photographic documentation in order to complete this project.  Also note that this book is divided into sections telling you how long each project will take.  The pillows are in the 2-4 hour gifts section and that was pretty accurate.  (BTW, the color wheel quilt is in the 12+ hours section.)  The only thing I modified was the closure.  The directions tell you to sew it up, but I put in a zipper instead.  What if someone vomits on the pillow?  You need to be able to wash it.  Plus I was sending this as a gift, so it was easier to send the pillow forms in a separate package straight from a retailer.  Also, I only made two pillows.

Front

And yellow on the backs.

I love this fabric.  I picked it up at a church sale in North Carolina before I could sew...maybe even back when I lived in New York, so this could have been at least seven years ago.  I had big ideas for that floral fabric.  I think I wanted to recover a chair with it at first, but never got around to that.  When I started sewing, my sewing teacher thought I should make some mod dress out of it, but she could sometimes be cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs, so I didn't listen to her.  I almost made a maternity dress out of these two fabrics, but decided against wasting them.  And I am also currently considering using the floral as part of the maternity bag for my sister-in-law.  I have tons left.  Yay!