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So, the birthday boy from our superhero birthday party LOVES baseball!! What could be more fun then a little baseball pillow (and bat pillow) for his gift?
Violet was very excited to lend a helping hand for her cousins gift with input on fabric options and a bit of sewing herself. We decided on the red diamond fabric for the edges because, well you know...baseball diamonds. I used some Pellon interfacing to make the sides hold up a bit more.
I love the way the baseball turned out. Seriously, I kind of want to make one of my own now...and I'm not even a huge baseball fan! The bat, well, as you can see it looks more club-like then anything, I'm going to have to work on that one...But, the baseball is cute, fun and easy, although the "stitches" can take a bit of time.
The birthday boy loved it. Check out the tutorial below if you have a baseball superfan in your house too!
Baseball Pillow Tutorial
Materials:
½ yard of white flannel
red embroidery floss
one fabric strip that is 4” x 44”
mid weight Pellon interfacing
¼” red bias tape
Cut materials:
Cut two 14” diameter circles from the flannel
Cut Pellon interfacing and contrasting fabric to a strip that is 4” x 44”
Cut two pieces of bias tape to a length of 34 ½”
Begin:
Fold one flannel circle in half and iron the fold line, this gives you a center marker on the flannel so you can place the bias tape in the same place on both sides.
Next, leaving a slight overhang on each side, pin the bias tape in an arch shape on either side of the center fold, make sure that both sides are the same.
Sew down the center of each of the bias tape arches with black thread (remember to backstitch at the beginning and end). This gives the look of a “seam”.
Once you have the bias tape sewn on and the "seam" made, thread the red embroidery floss and tie the two tails in a knot, making a double thickness of embroidery floss. Begin making the stitches: Bring your needle up from the back of the fabric approximately ½” away from the bias tape go back through just under the bias tape and slightly below the first hole so that the stitch is angled.
Bring the needle up on the other side of the bias tape again approximately ½” away from the bias tape and is across from the where you began
make another angled stitch, repeat along both of the bias tape arches.
Next line up the Pellon interfacing with the wrong side of the fabric strip then fold together so that the right sides of the fabric strip are facing each other. Sew the two ends together using a ½ “ seam allowance (remember to backstitch) to make a “ring”.
Now pin the right side of one of the flannel circles to the right side of the contrasting fabric “ring”. Sew the two pieces together using a ¼” seam allowance. Pin the right side of the other flannel circle to the other edge of the fabric “ring” (right sides together) and sew together leaving a gap of ~ 4” for turning the pillow right side out and stuffing.
Stuff the pillow with large pieces of stuffing to avoid it being too lumpy. After the pillow has been filled fold unfinished edges in, pin together and sew up the opening using a *ladder stitch and white thread.
*I love this tutorial of a ladder stitch. I think her pictures and instructions are some of the best and easiest to follow.
Tada!! You have a baseball pillow!
Enjoy!! And, as always, feel free to share questions or pictures of your own baseball pillow!!
Ps. Please share your pictures at my Flickr group!
