Strawberry Pillows
These pillows are easy and quick to make, a perfect end of summer project! The best thing about them is seeing other people’s reactions to them. Everyone who sees them wants to touch them, squeeze them, and carry them around. There is something about their large size (about 15-inches high) that just makes people smile! –Molly
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Molly Schnick. Click here to see even more of Molly’s work!
Materials
To make a set of four (roughly) 15-inch high pillows:
- 1 1/2-yards of Kiyohara Organic Woven Dots in Pink or any pink dot
- 1 1/2-yards of Kiyohara Organic Woven Dots in Red or any red dot
- 1/2-yard of Organic Cotton Duck in Avocado or any green solid
- Two bags of Stuffing
- A spool of light green thread to match the green fabric, I used color #8975
- A spool of neutral thread for sewing the berries
- A ball of cotton embroidery floss
- A Creative Grids 6.5-inch by 24.5-inch ruler or a protractor
- A Strawberry Pillow Stem Template printed and cut out, available for free here.
Cutting
Fold and press the first of your dotted fabrics in half selvege to selvege. Mark a 24-inch length along the fold of the fabric. Using your long ruler mark a 60-degree line, pointing inward from each of these corners. This will form an equilateral triangle, where each edge is 24-inches long and each angle is 60-degrees.
Here is a more close-up shot of marking a 60-degree angle. The ruler has one line that’s labeled 30-degrees and 60-degrees. The 60-degree side is the more open of the angles. You can place this 60-degree line along the fold as shown above and start marking the sides of your triangle from the outer corner of the ruler.
Repeat this step to cut out a second equilateral 24-inch triangle from your fabric on the fold. Turn one of these shapes inside out, so the reverse side of the fabric is showing. Repeat for the second color of dotted fabrics.
Each one of these triangular pieces will make one pillow.
Sewing the Berry
Sew one of the open sides of one of the triangles with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. The shape will now only have one open side.
Open up and fold the shape so that the seam you just sewed lines up with the fold, and the open side is at the top, and press it flat. Then mark a 4-inch long line perpendicular to the seam, at the bottom of this new long triangle shape.
Sew along the marked line and then trim off the bottom of the triangle.
Re-press the shape back towards its original equilateral triangle shape, with the side seam on one side, the fold on the other, and the open edge at the top. Press the bottom of this shape open and flat into a diamond shape with the 4-inch seam arrangled vertically. Make a perpendicular mark 1-inch from the top and bottom of the 4-inch seam.
Sew along these markings and trim off the corners as shown above.
Turn your shape right sides out. It should look something like this. Press out any creases in the bottom.
Stuffing
Stuff the berry shape tightly and very full.
Gather the two long opposide corners (the side seam and the fold) and stitch them together in the middle of the top with the embroidery floss.
Then gather the opposite sides and sew them to the middle gathering.
Keep gathering and sewing opposite sides until the stuffing is fully encased.
Fluff and mold your berry shape until you’re happy with it.
Making the Top
Using the template cut out the pieces for the stem from the green solid.
Place the two stem top pieces on top of each other so that they match up exactly. You may have to flip one of the pieces over because the leave shapes are not symetrical. Sew the pieces together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance along the stem and straight top line only, not the leaves.
Trim the seam allowance to an 1/8-of an inch along the stem and cut notches into the right angles of the seam.
Turn the top right sides out. You may need to use a knititng needle or other long object to fully turn out the stem. Press the top flat.
Stuff the stem section only tighly with stuffing until it stands up.
Let some of the stuffing from the stem stick out into a little poof in the middle of the top. This will give the stem a little bit of a platform to stand up on once you’ve sewn it on.
Pin the bottom piece to this sewn stem piece, right sides together as shown above. The stuffed section of the top of the stem will be encased inside of this.Turn the pieces around until they match up exactly before you do this, as the leave shapes are not symetrical.
Sew the pieces together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, leaving one side of one leaf un-sewn. Cut notches into all the curves of and sharp angles.
Turn this piece right sides out, taking special care to poke out the corners (again you may want to use a knitting needle or other sharp object.) Press the raw edges of the un-sewn leaf inside and pin it shut. Sew this side closed with a blind stitch. Press the top.
Finishing
Pin the stem and leaves onto the top of the strawberry shape, covering the top gathering stitches.
Sew the top on through it’s underside to the berry as shown above.
You’re all done! Repeat for the other remaining 3 three pillows and enjoy!
Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
So darling!
This is adorable !! Is it possible to buy all the fabric pieces, pre-cut, in a kit?
These are SPECTACULAR! Thanks for posting!
I'm smiling … very cute! Thank you.
You always come up with the best projects! Love this.
Adorable! They look lovely on the porch seat.
Is it strange that I kinda want to make a matching giant tomato beanbag chair for a pincushion seat? 😛
Would be a fun place to sit and embroider.
These are so adorable and huggable too! Nice twist to the little versions I usually see. These would look great in my bowl chair.
Oh my… I love this cutie strawberry!
You guys must be mind readers! Would you believe that just last night I was thinking about making some strawberries to my sewing studio? I even got out the fabric, just needed to find a pattern! Thanks so much for making my day 🙂
That's incredible.. Love the fabrics.. Thanks for posting!
jadore bises jojo
Lovely!
just think these are absolutely luscious
I made two of these for my eight year old cousin and she wouldn't put them down all day! Thanks for a great gift idea. 🙂
I love your works. Very beautiful.
For a gift, I asked my granddaughter to draw her favorite picture. I then would take her picture and “Make” a duplicate of her drawing. Of all the things to draw, she chose a Strawberry! Thank you so much for the Pattern. She'll be so happy thanks to you
Those are just too cute and would make a great gift for a young lady.
Hi there! I just wanted to let you know that I featured this tutorial and linked back to this post on my blog:
http://sewlindsaysew.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/sunny-summer-sewing-projects
Thanks for sharing this magical tutorial!
Thank you for this tutorial. It is such a cute and great idea.
I made one in bright red.
death by … cuteness! i think i had a heart attack when I saw the first picture. it's just … tooooo cute!
These are so cute! I think I might make a bunch of them for our porch furniture. Just in time for spring! 🙂
Ok so I've never sewn anything in my life but a button. I bought a cheap sewing machine to use for my scrapbook pages and had run across your pillows on Pinterest. So I thought……I can make those! It took me 3 hours to make one, but I'd never sewn before so I think I did ok. You can see my post about it here:
http://www.giddygreetings.com/2012/05/my-first-time-sewing.html
Thanks for all your ideas, you might just make a sewing person out of me!
Thanks! Monica
What a fun idea! Cant wait to try this! Thanks!
I am about to make the strawberry pillow and somehow part of it does not compute with me so I wanted clarification. I made a template for the pillow rather that drawing it out on the fabric. I am looking at the directions as to placement on the fabric and it shows to put it on the fold, I think, but then it says to do a second . At first glance it looks like only the one piece is needed so not sure what the second piece is for and how it is used, so what am I missing?
Hi Patti-
This pattern makes 4 pillows, so each of the triangle pieces makes one pillow. I have corrected the pattern to (hopefully) make that more clear.
Thanks for writing in and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
omg this is beautiful. I would love to this at work today lol <3333
(FYI I work for a pillow manufacturer)
I've tried to make these twice now. I get stuck at the first fold, after cutting the triangle. If I fold at a point, then the strawberry ends up way too thin. If I fold on one side down the middle, then I end up with the back of the fold pointed (one point of the triangle), instead of straight and a much smaller strawberry. Am I going mad, can anyone explain?
Not enough details for a newbie. 🙁
Hi Rebecca-
Are you cutting the triangle out on a fold? One of the three sides of the triangle should be a fold, you don't fold it after you cut it. Does that make sense? Please let me know.
Molly
My daughter collects everything strawberry. Can't wait to make this for her!!
This is so cute! My grandfather grew strawberries and watermelons on his farm. My granny's kitchen was always decorated with a strawberry theme. I have bookmarked this for a fun sewing project that will bring a smile and happy memories to mind of my late granparents! Thanks!!!
Luv ur creation its awesome
How many strawberry pillows can you make with the materials that you listed?
Hi Karen-
You can make 4 pillows. This information is also listed under the photo in the “materials” section of this pattern..
Thank you for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
I love these pillows!
Do you have an electronic copy or detailed description of the template you used for the top? Thank you!
Hi Kristin-
Yes, the template for the top is linked in the “materials” section of the pattern. You can also see it by clicking here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/strawberrypillow.pdf
Thank you!
Molly
Hi! I know this was posted quite a long time ago but I’m super excited to make it. I was just wondering, how would I wash these? I’m worried that I wouldn’t be able to secure the stem to the berry well enough for it to handle the washing machine. I’m also curious, why is it that you use embroidery floss to close the top of the berry? Is it stronger/thicker than thread? I’ve only ever used it for cross stitch. Thanks!
Hi Sean,
Thanks for writing in! I suggest spot cleaning or a very gentle cycle on your washing machine. The best way to secure the top to the pillow is to do a lot of little stitches. This will distribute the pull on the stitches if the fabric is agitated. I assume that the floss was used to close up the top because it is thicker and stronger than normal thread. You need to pull tightly on this portion in order to gather the fabric. Let us know how it goes!
Best,
Adam
Hi!! I’m having a problem with the last step of the steam and the leaves…. I don’t get it… sorry for my English.
Hi Marieta,
Thanks for writing us! If you could let me know exactly what problem you are having I’d be glad to help!
Thanks,
Adam
Do you sell them ready- made?
Hi Alice,
I’m sorry, we don’t sell these already made, but we do have all of the materials and instructions for you to make one of your own! Thanks for getting in touch!
Best,
Cassy