Rainbow Pillows

Create your own rainbow with strips and a bit of appliqué. It looks harder than it actually is.

MATERIALS

Materials are for one pillow. • 1 fat quarter each in 5 different shades (lightest, light, medium, dark, darkest) of blue, green, yellow-orange and red tonals or prints • 5/8 yard coordinating tonal or print • Batting 161/2" x 161/2" • 16"-square pillow form • Thread • Basic sewing tools and supplies

CUTTING

From lightest and darkest red, blue, yellow-orange and green fat quarters: • Cut 2 (11/2" x 81/2") strips. From light, medium and dark red, blue, yellow-orange and green fat quarters: • Cut 3 (11/2" x 81/2") strips. From backing: • Cut 1 (161/2") square From coordinating tonal or print: • Cut 2 (83/4" x 161/2") rectangles for

pillow back.

COMPLETING PILLOW

1. Join eight 11/2" x 81/2" strips as shown in Figure 1 using one each darkest and lightest strip, and two each of the light, medium and dark shades of same color. Make one set of strips for each color. 2. Join strip sets referring to Figure 2 for color placement and orientation. Set aside for pillow front ackground.

3. Join five 11/2" x 81/2" strips of one color, lightest to darkest shades, as shown in Figure 3. Make one set of strips for each color. 4. Trim each color set to make a 51/2" square, again referring to Figure 3. 5. Join strip set squares referring to Figure 4 for color placement and orientation to make the center unit.

6. Prepare a circle pattern using template provided. Center and cut a circle from the center unit referring to Figure 5 and staystitch 1/8" from the edge of the circle.

7. Turn and press circle edge 1/4" to wrong side. Pin the circle to the pillow front center, aligning the seams and referring to the Placement Diagram for placement, and appliqué in place by hand or machine.

8. Layer quilt backing square wrong side up, batting, and pillow front right side up. Quilt as desired by hand or machine.

9. Turn 1/4" to wrong side on one 161/2" edge of each pillow back rectangle. Repeat and stitch to make a double-turned 1/4" hem on both pillow back rectangles.

10. Position and pin pillow back rectangles right sides together with

quilted pillow top, matching raw edges and overlapping hemmed edges as shown in Figure 6.

11. Stitch around all outside edges using a 1/4" seam allowance. Trim corners and finish seam allowance with zigzag or overedge stitch.

12. Turn right side out and insert 16"-square pillow form to complete pillow. QW