Urban {Hug} Pillow Tutorial

Heather from {House} of A La Mode and our editorial board created this fun pillow tutorial for Valentine’s Day or any day! Enjoy…

This cutie will show your appreciation all year long!

Needed Supplies:

• 7 different saturated color prints

• 3 X 44” – Sashing
• ¾ yard – Backing
• 21” X 21” – Muslin
• 21” X 21” – Batting
• Embroidery Thread & Needle
• Sewing Machine
• Rotary cutter & Mat
• Pins

(20 X 20 inch pillow. Please note pattern is sewn using a ¼ seams.)

Pillow Prep:

I chose non-traditional Valentine colors for those of “us” that don’t do pinks!

1. Cut 4 X 4” squares of the following colors: (Batch A)

• 2 Blue, 2 Yellow, 2 Aqua, 2 Orange, 1 White/with print, 1 Grey, 1 Red, 11 Sashing (Sashing A)

2. Cut 3 ½ X 3 ½” squares and put them aside in the following colors: (Batch B)

• 1 Orange, 1 Aqua, 2 Red, 2 Grey, 2 White/with print, 8 Sashing (Sashing B)

3. Cut (2) – 1 ½” X 44” strips of sashing and put aside.

4. Use a ruler to draw a diagonal guide line on the wrong side of each colored 3 X 3” square of Batch A.

5. Then combine Batch A with Sashing A, right sides together, and pin.

Set Batch A aside.

6. Using the drawn line guide as your center marker, move your needle position to support a ¼ inch seam. Sew your squares together in the chain piecing method.

7. Simply restart the chain method sewing technique on the opposite side of the center drawn guide line…

…And continue sewing your half square triangles together.

8. Snip your connecting threads…

…And cut each square on the drawn guide line.

9. Press each seam open. This should produce a ¼ inch seam on each now half square triangle.

10.Trim each Batch A to 3 ½ inch squares.

11. Next arrange your {X}.

12. Sew your half square triangles together in horizontal strips first and press seams open.

13. Then sew the strips together and press seams open.

14. Grab your (2) – 1 ½” X 44” strips. Starting with the top of your {X} pillow, place right sides together and sew. Then cut the sashing off. Simply turn your {X} pillow top to the bottom and repeat (toss your couple of inches of sashing in your scrap bin). Press seams open.

If you have a little overage on your sashing just snip it off!

15. Repeat step #14. You’ll then have a 20 X 20” inch pillow top.

16. Sandwich your pillow top, batting, & muslin and pin (in that order).

17. Time to quilt your pillow top! I personally love simple quilting, so I chose to hand stitch mine with ½ inch space between each row.

18. Once you’ve finished quilting the top of the pillow. Choose your backing fabric. (I prefer to use home dec weight fabric for my backing to add stability to the form.)

19. Utilizing Julie’s Basic Pillow Instructions for an envelope style, attach your backing.

20. Then presto… one Urban {Hug} pillow for a special Valentine!

Enter our Pillow Contest! Create a pillow this month and enter to win some fabulous prizes.

You can also comment on any post this week for your chance to win one of these great prizes below, courtesy of Robert Kaufman Fabrics:

1 fat quarter pack of Betty Dear, 5 Kona Cotton color cards, 1 fat quarter pack of Night & Day in the Summer Colorstory, 10 sets of 5 Kona charm packs

96 Responses to “Urban {Hug} Pillow Tutorial”

1. alisha responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 12:04 am →

   Looks lovely.

2. Desirée responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 12:05 am →

   thanks for the tutoral and i really understand everything!

3. Melissa responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 12:12 am →

   Okay, that is just TOO CUTE! Man. Welp, just gonna have to add one more to my must-do list…

4. Claire@Pootleflumpssewingroom responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 12:23 am →

   Loving the colour selection!

5. Jennifer responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 12:32 am →

   Wow! Absolutely beautiful!

6. Joanne responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 1:06 am →

   I really like the hand stitching done on this pillow top. It’s such a nice extra touch.

7. linda responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 1:07 am →

   Love how we can use up scraps with all those squares…to build up a design.

8. Rebecca responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 1:10 am →

   Nice patchwork!

9. Sarah McGrath responds:
   Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 1:21 am →

   Great tutorial!

10. CJ responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 1:44 am →

    Thanks so much for the tutorial! Nice looking pillow, I love the bright colors against the dark background.

11. Jill B responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 2:05 am →

    Very pretty. I’ve been wanting to try sewing some triangles…

12. Louise responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 2:14 am →

    Lovely and so neat and modern, love it!

13. April responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 2:30 am →

    Cool! But shouldn’t it be called Urban {Kiss}? Or have I been taught wrong? )

14. Vanessa responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 2:40 am →

    Great tutorial, thanks! I have to try this one.

15. Susan in SC responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 3:50 am →

    Great tutorial! Thanks. Love this pillow!

16. Suzie responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 4:36 am →

    Gorgeous! Such a sweet idea

17. Becky T responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 5:07 am →

    great tutorial. Thank you

18. WandaFish responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 5:12 am →

    I like this a lot – thank you

19. Amy responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 5:32 am →

    It’s striking!

20. Tara responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:05 am →

    Great tutorial – getting bookmarked for sure!

21. Jess responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:10 am →

    It looks great! But I always thought O’s were hugs and X’s were kisses for some reason … My bad!

    Jess

22. Wendy D. P. responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:21 am →

    I love this!!!

23. Tong responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:24 am →

    how fun!

24. Anya responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:26 am →

    Thanks for the tute! And the chance for the giveaway!

25. Erin d. responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:28 am →

    I love the tip on how to make the process more efficient! Thank you for a great tutorial!

26. Susan C. responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:37 am →

    Another great tutorial to bookmark!

27. SewLindaAnn responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:50 am →

    This is a really neat pillow design, it’s nice to see it in non-traditional valentine colors.

28. Rebmara responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 7:32 am →

    I like this pillow!

29. Sara Upshaw responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 7:41 am →

    Isn’t “x” a kiss?

30. Cassandra responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 7:57 am →

    OMG! How do you quilters do it? That’s a lot of cutting and piecing together. Amazing!

31. Colette responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 8:03 am →

    so fun ~ I absolutely adore this pillow!

32. Laura responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 8:09 am →

    love all the pictures in the tutorial, makes it much easier.

33. Debbie responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 8:14 am →

    great tutorial and i’m hoping my seams turn out as well-matched as this one!!

34. Christine responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 8:39 am →

    Thanks for the tutorial.

35. sharonj responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 8:41 am →

    Very nice tutotial. Great pillow for using up bits of fabrics, thank you.

36. Laura Reich responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 8:44 am →

    Cute. I love the newspaper print.

37. Sonya M responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:00 am →

    You’ve de-mystified triangles for me! Thanks for the tute!

38. julie @ jaybird quilts responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:07 am →

    what an adorable pillow heather!!

39. Jacqueline responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:13 am →

    I love the bright colors.

40. Brenda responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:21 am →

    Love all these tutorials you are sharing with us this month. Such a lot of pillows to choose from. Thank you.

41. Cherie responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:24 am →

    I am loving all these pillows. So creative.

42. Ms. Fine responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:26 am →

    I’m not in love I thought–but it’s the colors. I love black and can’t abide cheery colors next to it. But I really like the pattern itself. You folks are getting fancy!

43. Lynda responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:31 am →

    Beautiful! I might just have to try this

44. Debra responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:38 am →

    Thanks for the tutorial, this is a perfect valentine pillow, but not over the top!

45. Kristin H responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:38 am →

    This is a great tutorial. Now I just need to figure out how to make an ‘O’ in the same fashion and have tic-tac-to pillows!

46. Jennifer responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:59 am →

    Great tutorial! Thanks.

47. Irene responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 10:03 am →

    AMAZING! Heather you outdid yourself. Love this!

48. Rebecca responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 10:05 am →

    Fun design!

49. Laura responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 10:20 am →

    what is the newsprint fabric? I love it in this project!

50. Mary on Lake Pulaski responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 10:24 am →

    What a fabulous pillow Heather! You are the board queen already!

51. Jessica responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 10:25 am →

    I always wondered about how people got such crisp cornors.

52. Kelly P responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 10:32 am →

    What a beauty! Maybe if I try this, I’ll gain some skills to be used in making a quilt?

53. Rebecca responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 10:44 am →

    lovely pillow and great tutorial. I look forward to making my own.

54. Stephanie S responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:01 am →

    I love this one! What a great idea!

55. Samina responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:04 am →

    That’s so cute! It might just have to go to the top of my pillow pattern pile!

56. Rachel responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:18 am →

    Bookmarked this one for sure! Super cute… I’d love to do this with a circle one as a companion. Though I agree with others that an ‘X’ is a kiss!

57. Addy responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:29 am →

    Thanks for the tutorial!

58. Sherry J responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:38 am →

    cute pillow. thanks for the pattern.

59. Cat responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:38 am →

    cute pillow.

60. Meg responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:45 am →

    Great tutorial, Heather!

61. Bethany responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 11:48 am →

    Oooh, I love it! I’d probably make a “kiss” pillow to go with it too!

62. Kristi Van Os responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 12:30 pm →

    Great- I love the quilting!

63. Sharon T. responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 1:33 pm →

    Great tutorial! Thanks!

64. Judith responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 2:31 pm →

    Very cheery!

65. Tina responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 2:44 pm →

    beautiful!

66. Kelly Sas responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 3:07 pm →

    Great tutorial of a great pillow!

67. Kathleen P responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 5:07 pm →

    I love it: no pinks for me either!

68. Sara responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 5:32 pm →

    Love how the black makes all those colors pop!

69. Charlotte responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:14 pm →

    Love the color contrast.

70. Joy responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:34 pm →

    I love the hand stitching…it adds such a nice touch!

71. Janice S responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:57 pm →

    Great tutorial. Love the pillow.

72. Jenny S. responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 7:05 pm →

    Great pillow! I love the colors.

73. Jessie Hansen responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 7:07 pm →

    Very clever way to do the triangles!

74. Shanea responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 7:19 pm →

    Thanks for the tutorial! Totally would not have put those colors together but it works.

75. stacey responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:00 pm →

    now it just needs a kiss!

76. smalltowngirl responds:
    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:33 pm →

    I really like the hand quilting done on this pillow!

77. susan h responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 7:01 am →

    the colors look really great together!

78. Kay responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 7:33 am →

    Great tutorial. Love the bold colours!

79. Tonya responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 9:48 am →

    Definately gonna try this. Thanks!

80. Tiffany responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 11:06 am →

    I love bright colors.

81. Paula responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 12:39 pm →

    Came from Heather’s blog, her pillow is amazing! xo

82. Karo responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 1:24 pm →

    what a clever way to piece triangles! thanks!

    and i’m with you on the pink.

83. Karen responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 1:30 pm →

    Thats a lovely pillow, great colours.

84. Kim responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 4:12 pm →

    This this great! I can’t wait to make one. Thanks!

85. Marcia W. responds:
    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 7:03 pm →

    absolutely modern gorgeous – wonderful colors and hand stitching

86. Sarah McGrath responds:
    Posted: February 11th, 2011 at 2:06 am →

    Great design!

87. Southern Gal responds:
    Posted: February 11th, 2011 at 6:02 am →

    Love the colors on that dark background.

88. Margaret responds:
    Posted: February 11th, 2011 at 9:52 am →

    Great pillow and tutorial. So much you can do with this idea!

89. Ann responds:
    Posted: February 11th, 2011 at 6:58 pm →

    This is a great pillow tutorial, I will definitely be trying this one!

90. Sylvia responds:
    Posted: February 12th, 2011 at 7:45 am →

    Cute patchwork, love the colors.

91. michele hester responds:
    Posted: February 13th, 2011 at 6:18 pm →

    add some O pillows and voila, another reason for my children to take all the cushions off the sofa! LOL

92. Tiffany responds:
    Posted: February 14th, 2011 at 10:47 am →

    LOVE~~

93. Judy responds:
    Posted: February 14th, 2011 at 8:06 pm →

    Love this pillow will have to make one. Very pretty

94. Judy Urban responds:
    Posted: February 14th, 2011 at 8:10 pm →

    Love this pillow will have to make it plus my last name is Urban to match the pillow!!

95. Aniza responds:
    Posted: February 17th, 2011 at 2:37 am →

    what a lovely pillow and the tute is great. TFS

96. Sara L. responds:
    Posted: February 18th, 2011 at 12:10 pm →

    So cute, but have to agree with others. Xs are kisses, Os are hugs.

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