Sew a Vintage Button Monogram Pillow

Button Monogram Pillow

Vintage buttons are wonderful little works of art that come in all sizes, shapes and colors. So often, however, these pretty little trinkets wind up sitting in jars in our sewing rooms and never reaching their full design potential. Incorporate vintage buttons into your home décor with this tutorial for a Button Monogram Pillow. Designed by Laurie Anderson, the pillow is actually part of a trio of vintage button throw pillows that were featured in our January/February 2009 issue. You don't need a specific pattern to make the pillow - Laurie used a basic 14-inch pillow form and made the pillow cover to fit.

What you need:
Fabric: 1/2 yard of print fabric (fabric shown on samples is "Fontanelle" by Waverly);1/2 yard of white Kona cotton

Supplies: Vintage buttons all sizes, colors and shapes; Vintage handkerchief (10- to 12-inch square); 14-inch square pillow forms; Water-soluble stabilizer; Piping cord; Wash-away fabric marker; Fabric basting glue

Thread: Thread for lace embroidery (sample uses Isacord 9904); 60wt white thread (sample uses Mettler 60wt); 80wt pink thread for pinstitching (sample uses Madeira Cotona 80wt); Quilting thread for sewing buttons in place

Needles: Universal 70 needle; Universal 120 needle for pinstitching; Hand stitching needle to sew buttons in place

How to create:
1. Cut one 14-1/2-inch fabric square (print fabric); 1-1/4-inch-wide bias strips for 60 inches of piping (print fabric); and two 11- x 14-1/2-inch rectangles for back (white fabric).

2. Center handkerchief onto print fabric square and pin or glue-baste in place. Sew discreetly in place using either a narrow zigzag stitch, a pinstitch, decorative stitch or handstitching. If the handkerchief has lace edging it can be either left loose or tacked down.

3. Use a water-soluble marker to mark letter and button placement in corners.

4. Sew buttons in place using quilting thread.

5. We'll now begin pillow construction. NOTE: Back of pillow opens like a sham with a button closure. On back piece, fold 14-1/2 inch edge under 1/2-inch then 2-inches under and stitch in place. This is center button facing.

Figure 1

6. Choose buttons for back closure, measure and mark buttonholes on one side. Stitch buttonholes and cut openings (fig. 1).

7. Overlap 2-inch hems and stitch edges together on overlapping sides. Lay top pillow onto back and square up to same measurement of front.

8. Cover 60 inches of cord with bias to make piping.

Figure 2

9. Stitch piping 1/4 inch away from outer edges on back pillow piece (fig. 2).

10. Stitch back to front with right sides together. Trim corners and turn right side out.

11. Sew buttons behind buttonholes on back closure.

For more home décor design inspiration, check out our new DVD, Home Decorating: Tricks & Techniques. You'll love learning resourceful solutions to your home décor sewing dilemmas, plus tips and tricks that will change the way you sew for your home.

Sew On, Sew Well, Sew Beautiful,

Cyndi and Amelia