Target Flower Pillow Tutorial

Have any of you seen this pillow from target?
It's soooo cute, right? Well, I decided I wanted it. Not in yellow, and not by paying $30ish dollars. Soooooooo I made one meself!

Here goes.

1. Cut out two squares. I did the back of my pillow in a pattern, similar to the target one. These are 17" x 17" squares.

2. Fold the plain square in half one way, and in half the other way. Mark with a pin on all the folds (center, side, top).

3. Find a circle that is around 3 1/2" in diameter. If it's a little bigger that's just fine! I wouldn't go smaller though.

4. Trace around the circle 9 times. I just eyeballed the right spots based on the pin marks. I'm SURE someone can figure out a more calculated way to do this...I just didn't feel like it!

5. Make a strip that is 5/8" thick. This does not have to be real special...as in lined up with the selvage or whatever. I seriously took old random fabric and took the longest edge, and folded it over...lined the fold on 5/8" mark on the sewing machine, and sewed! It was VERY sloppy...but this project really doesn't need precision (at least for the flower parts)! This strip should be approximately 50" long.

6. Turn strip right side out. This part proved to be VERY TRICKY for me...until I realized...HELLO GENIUS! Do this! So I tried to picture it...but it's difficult. Basically, put a long safety pin through the top...about 1/2" down.

Then...slyly turn the pin upside down!

After you do that you can just push it through and pull. Good luck. It's still a little difficult with such a small width.

7. Iron strip flat.

BTW- This part doesn't need to be perfect either! The seam can be all over the place if it tries to do so...mine did a lot and I just let it. As long as the strip is flat, we are good to go!

8. SEW THE STRIP ON! And make it into a pretty flower! This takes a few pointers.
First of all, when you start, fold the raw edge over, so that it is hidden and looks nice and clean. You basically want to put the left edge of the strip, a little over the circles line. As you are sewing, you will come to a curve and this will seem really awkward....
You're thinking...wait a titch...how the heck do i sew this flat? WELP, ya don't! This is how they make those little flowers so cute! You fold it over. Like so...
You see? Instead of bunching it, you fold it flat. Then you just sew right over that, and continue folding everytime you're put in a situation like that where you feel like you're having to bunch it at a curve.
You see?

So continue doing that. All around the circle. I suggest overlapping the rows like half way. Meaning when you move onto another row (moving towards the inside of the flower) overlap halfway over the last row you sewed. Eventually you'll get to the middle...
This part can be confusing too...how do you make that perfect middle? Here's the catch...it's really easy! But kinda hard to take pictures of. I'll try my best to guide you through it.

First, twist the tail a bit.
Next, swirl it around the presser foot/needle (make sure your needle is down at this point and pressure foot is up). Fold under the raw edge and just kind of bunch it in with your swirl. It may look funny, but it really does turn out just fine.
Put your pressure foot down and sew a triangleish type shape ontop of the outer swirl. Then continue your triangleish shapes inward towards the center. Backstitch and your done!
See? It looks a little messy, but personally I think it fits perfectly with the look. If you want you can spend the time to go around the swirl perfectly... but I think this looks just great! And it's quick!

9. Iron the flower.

This is actually really important. It just solidifies everything and makes it look professional.

10. Continue the flowers until you have completed all nine. This actually takes a LONG TIME! Don't get discouraged! The finished product is WORTH the time.

11. PIPING! First, cut strips about 2-3" thick. This all kind of depends on how thick your piping is...just make sure you have 1/2" excess on each side when you wrap the fabric around the piping. If you have to piece together the strips like I did, make 45 degree angles (I think that's right? teehe) on the edges.

Then you place them like this.
NOTE: this pictures i kinda deceptive. I cut one strip bigger than another strip...they should all be the same width. After I sewed the seam there, I trimmed the wider strip down to the smaller one. I only sewed the length of the smaller one....Make sense? Sorry!

Sew them together and press. This way when you wrap the strip around the piping, it will look like this:
This is better than just sewing two normal pieces together because it makes it so it's not so thick in one spot.

Next, use your normal pressure foot still...wrap the strip around the piping and pin it, and sew along the edge. This just makes it easier when you are sewing it on the actual pillow.

Next, pin piping all around the flower square. Make sure you put raw edges together.
When you get to the ends of the piping, unpick the seam a bit so that you can fold under the fabric. Cut piping inside so that it fits together properly, and you can put the folded edge ontop of the other raw edge. See?
Now, use your normal pressure foot still, and sew around the pillow.

Next, pin right sides of pillow squares together.

NOW, use your zipper foot. Feel with your fingers the piping and sew as close as you can to it. You can move your needle far to the left for this.
TIP- I have found that when doing corners, it turns out better if you sew a little bit on the piping itself. I don't know why...I think if you DON'T do this, it always is too loose (for me anyway).

Make sure you leave an opening to turn right side out!

Turn right side out (poke corners out), and stuff with stuffing. I used batting from an old pillow I didn't like.
Pin shut.
Now the best way to do this would be to hand stitch this closed. However....I just sewed it with my machine. It isn't the prettiest that way, but it works and you really wont ever see it unless examining it!

And whala!

A mock target pillow for my polka dot chair, that I love SO MUCH! Good luck! Comment with a link to yours if you make one! :)

I entered my pillow in the Blogger's Pillow Party! Hope I win cause the prize is pretty pretty fabric :)