Boxed-Corner Buttoned Pillow Tutorial

Boxed-Corner Buttoned Pillow Tutorial

Give your living space a breath of fresh air by sewing new pillows. These box-cornered pillows are almost effortless to make. I’m sharing this pillow-sewing tutorial in hopes you’ll be inspired to participate in our pillow challenge. Click on the badge directly below and learn how you can participate in this great sewing project.

Fabric, Notions, and Supplies:

• Home Décor Fabric
• Matching Thread
• Three Buttons
• SofShape Interfacing
• 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge

Fabric dimensions for 14″, 16″, 18″, and 20″ pillow forms are listed blow:

• 14″ pillow form: 15″ X 38″ (1/2 yard)
• 16″ pillow form: 17″ x 42″ (1/2 yard)
• 18″ pillow form: 19″ x 46″ (5/8 yard)
• 20″ pillow form: 21″ x 50″ (5/8 yard)

If using a pillow form that is smaller or larger than the sizes listed, cut a fabric rectangle as follows: 1″ wider than the pillow form (width) x double the pillow size plus 10″ (length). If using a 12″ pillow form, cut a 13″ x 34″ rectangle of fabric.
Note from Nancy: The ivory and yellow print is directional. Normally, 5/8 yard would be the amount to purchase for 20″ pillow forms. To keep the print of the fabric in the correct orientation, I purchased 1-1/4 yards (54″). The benefit is I now can have two matching pillows.

Construction:

• Cut two 4″ wide strips of fusible interfacing, such as SofShape Interfacing
• Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of each narrow end of the pillow fabric.

• Attach the interfacing and finish the fabric edge with a serger or zigzag stitch.
• Consider using a wide zigzag stitch to finish the edge, if a serger isn’t available.

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• Using the 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge, turn under 4″ on each narrow edge; pin.

•  Hem the narrow edges using a straight stitch.

• Mark 1/2″ from the cut edge with a pin, which denotes the seam allowance.

Marking Buttonhole Placement:

• Three buttons and buttonholes are centered along the narrow ends.
• Fold the narrow end in half.
• Fold a second time, meeting the center fold to the ½” pin markings. Place pins at each fold.
• Unfold the fabric.

• Measure 1″ from the fold. Place a mark for the starting point for the buttonhole.

Buttonholes:

Note from Nancy: Do not let buttonholes intimidate you or keep you from this design element. See The Absolute Easiest Way to stitch buttonholes on this previous blog post: How to Sew Buttonholes.

• Make a test buttonhole on a scrap of fabric. Determine the appropriate length of the buttonhole based on button size.
• Measure and mark the ending point of the buttonhole, based on the test size.
• Stitch three buttonholes; cut open.  

Buttons:

• Measure 1-1/4″ from the fold at each of the three pin markings on the opposite end of the pillow fabric.
• Hand or machine stitch buttons at each of the three markings.
• Add a thread shank to each button, allowing space between the fabric and the back of the button.
  

•  Button the pillow. The closure is centered in the featured pillows; however, another option is to offset the button/buttonhole accents.

• With the pillow buttoned, cut a small nip at each corner.
• Turn the pillow wrong side out, aligning the nips in the corners.

• Stitch the side seams with a ½” seam allowance.

Make the Boxed Corners

• Insert the pillow form.
• Determine how deep to sew the box-corner treatment.
• Fold the fabric at one corner with the seam down the center.
• Place a pin or mark at the point in the fabric where the pillow form ends.
• Measure from the tip of the corner to the marking. Record that measurement.

• Remove the pillow form.
• Mark the stitching line at all four corners.
• Stitch along the marking.
• Do not trim off the excess fabric.

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• Turn the pillow cover right-side out.
• Push the boxed corners out gently with a Bamboo Pointer Creaser
• Insert the pillow form and button the opening.

Need a Refresher Course in Sewing Buttonholes?

If you need an introduction or refresher course on how to sew buttonholes or other sewing or quilting techniques, check out my book, The Absolute Easiest Way to Sew. You’ll find updated basics in this compilation of my favorite tried-and-true sewing and quilting tips and techniques.

Bye for now,

Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s blog at NancyZieman.com/blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News for the latest news in sewing, quilting, & creating.

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