CHRISTMAS IN JULY: RENAISSANCE RIBBON ACCENT PILLOWS

Today we have a special treat for our month long CHRISTMAS IN JULY event. My dear friend Susan [@thefeltedpear] is here to share some of the cutest little crafted pillows I have ever seen!

I guess I would officially put this in our CRAFTING CATEGORY [if you remember we are SEWING, CRAFTING and STITCHING our way through the month of July] although one could easily argue that it is both SEWING & CRAFTING.

Susan is using little bits of our RENAISSANCE RIBBONS in some amazingly creative ways. If Susan’s creativity has inspired you and you are interested in the ribbons themselves, CLICK HERE to see our brand new RIBBON SHOP.

To see all of Susan’s adorable pillows, let’s read on!

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FROM SUSAN

When Joanna showed her new collaboration of Buon Natale with Renaissance Ribbons, I started dreaming of different ways to use them.  I immediately knew that they would be great for drawstring bags, to hang a Christmas stocking or ornament, but wanted to come up with a project that really showcased the ribbon and highlighted their detail and quality.

I decided to make a new set of throw pillows for my house inspired by the popular banded grain sack pillows seen in home dec stores.  They would be simple project I could make in an afternoon where the shining star would be the ribbon.  I think they fit the bill!

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TO MAKE A VERTICAL BANDED PILLOW

1.  Cut your background fabric at 12 ½” x 18 ½” and adhere a matching sized piece of fusible fleece to the back.  I used EYELET in Holly.
2. Arrange ribbons in a band format, alternating thicker and thinner bands and stitch into place. I spaced thinner ribbon 3 ½” away from each edge of the pillow and the wider ribbon 1” away from the thinner ribbon edge.
3. Sew ribbons down, going through the EYELET fabric and fusible fleece layers.
4. Assemble pillow with your favorite method.  I used a simple envelope back style closure and stuffed with a 12” x 18” pillow form.

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TO MAKE A CORNER PLAID PILLOW

1. Cut your background 12 ½” x 18 ½” and adhere a matching sized piece of fusible fleece to the back.  I used EYELET in Holly.
2. Arrange ribbons in a grid format alternating the positions of each ribbon to give a woven look. I chose a red and green ribbon for each direction (vertical and horizontal) and alternated the thicknesses of the ribbon.  My grid is centered approximately 3 ¾” from the bottom and left sides of the pillow.
3. Sew ribbons in place, going through the EYELET fabric and fusible fleece layers.
4. Assemble pillow with your favorite method.  I used a simple envelope back style closure and stuffed with a 12 x 18” pillow form.

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TO MAKE A RIBBON TREE PILLOW

This is a great pillow for using up all those scraps of ribbon you have leftover from your projects!

1. Cut your background 18 ½” x 18 ½” and adhere a matching sized piece of fusible fleece to the back.  I used a woven linen fabric.
2. Arrange approximately 8 ribbons scraps in descending order mimicking the shape of a tree.   My stripes ranged from 2 ½” long at the top to 10 ½” at the bottom and are spaced roughly 3/8” apart.  Be sure to center your design and leave room at the top for a bow and bottom for a tree trunk. Once you are happy with your layout, heat seal the edges of your ribbon to prevent fraying.
   • PRO TIP: Alternate both color and width of ribbons and don’t be afraid to flip the ribbon over to the “back” side for an additional look!
3. Sew ribbons in place, going through the linen top and fusible fleece layers.
4. Sew a 1 ½” x 2” “tree trunk” below the tree.  I used EYELET in Latte and raw edge appliqued it in place.
5. Top your tree with a bow and stitch into place.
6. Assemble pillow with your favorite method.  I used a simple envelope back style closure and stuffed with an 18” pillow form.

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ADDITIONAL HINTS AND TIPS

While I was making my pillows, I found a few tips to be helpful:

• Use a fresh sized 75 or 80 sewing machine needle. 
• To hide imperfections, use polyester thread of a matching color.  I used Mettler 100% polyester thread in the colors 1000 (white), 1146 (green), and 0503 (red).
• When sewing ribbon down, stitch each side in the same direction.  This prevents shifting of the ribbon.
• “Baste” your ribbon into place with a double-sided seam or basting tape. 
• Make a test swatch to see what size and type of stitch you like for stitching down your ribbons.  I used a 2.8 straight stitch on my machine (slightly larger of a stitch than I normally use for piecing).
• Use interfacing or fusible fleece on the back side of your base fabric.
• Use a walking foot or “duel feed” feature if your machine has it to prevent the ribbon from shifting.

You can find more tips on Renaissance Ribbons website HERE.

I can’t wait to see the projects and ideas that y’all come up using the ribbons.  How cute would they be as a decoration for a table runner or napkins, or trimming a holiday tea towel?!

Happy Sewing,

-Susan & Joanna