DIY Network

Sewn Cat Lounge Pillow Cats already know they're royalty, so why not pamper your pet with a personalized quilted cushion? From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-119

Sewn Cat Lounge Pillow

Sarah Molini pieces together a traditional quilt block: the log cabin. She adds iron-on letters and touches of embroidery and beads to create a great little lounge pillow for a cat. (This project requires quite a bit of sewing; fortunately, however, it can mostly be done by machine.)

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	Arrangement of quilt pieces before sewing (wrong side)
	Arrangement of quilt pieces after sewing (right side)
	Seaming: detail
	Figure A
	Figure B

1. Select nine different fabrics. I like to use four darker-colored ones along with four lighter ones, then one contrasting piece for the middle. You don't need more than a yard of any of these fabrics, so this is the perfect project for remnants.

2. Cut fabric into strips 2-1/4" wide and about 24" long (don't worry if all the strips are not the same length, but they do need to be the same width).

3.Using the one contrasting color, make a square 2-1/4" on each side (this will be the center square). Leaving a 1/4" seam allowance, sew a lighter fabric strip to one side of the square. Cut off the remaining lighter fabric and sew that onto one side of the center square and the corresponding fabric. Cut off the excess fabric (you should now have a square with the center square in one corner and the lighter fabric on two sides of that square).

4. Using a darker fabric, sew along the side of the second strip of light fabric and another side of the center square. Cut off the excess fabric. Using that same darker fabric, sew along the side of the rectangle with the remaining side of the center square.

5. Now you should begin to see the pattern. You are basically framing the center square with light fabric on two sides and darker fabric on the other two. Each strip that you sew on will be 2-1/4" longer than the side before it. Continue in this pattern, keeping the light fabrics on half the square and dark ones on the other until desired size (mine is about 12"x15").

6. Embellish with iron-on letters (figure A) and embroidery (figure B). I like to use the contrasting center color in my embroidery.

7. For the back of the pillow, cut a piece of fabric the same size as the front and sew, right sides together, all the way around, leaving approximately 4" between the first and last stitch (this is where the stuffing goes in).

8. Turn pillow right side out and fill with stuffing. Carefully stitch up the opening.

9. Sew tassels onto each of the four corners. I made my own beaded tassels, but you can make them out of yarn or even buy them at the store.

GUESTS :

Sarah Molini
Website: www.urbanartsandcrafts.com