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Battenburg Lace Pillow

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Throw pillows are a fabulous way to decorate your home for the holiday or for the season. Custom fabrics and patterns make it possible to reflect your style any way you like. Add Battenburg lace to a homemade pillow, and you turn something special into something truly extraordinary!

Delicate yet sturdy, Battenburg lace is beautiful enough to dress up any pillow project, yet sturdy enough to hold up to everyday use.

Read on for project instructions to create an elegant and comfortable pillow decorated with Battenburg lace!

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For Lace:

**Cotton thread for embroidering Battenburg lace

**Water soluble stabilizer (WSS)

**Paper towels

Supplies Needed:

For Pillow:

**18" by 18" pillow form

**2/3 yard fabric (for front and back; I used home decor fabric)

**1/3 yard fabric (for front; I used home decor fabric)

**2/3 fabric (for lining; I used quilter's cotton)

**Medium weight cutaway stabilizer

**Temporary spray adhesive

**Air-erase pen

**18" zipper (I used an invisible zipper)

**Straight edge

**Large piece of paper or tag board (for pattern)

Special Project Notes:

Designs Used:

I used the Medium and Extra Large sizes of the Battenburg Paisley Corner (Lace) designs. I also used the Medium and Large sizes of the Battenburg Paisley I (Lace) designs, and the Medium and Large sizes of the Battenburg Paisley II (Lace) designs.

Finished Size: 18" wide by 18" high

Free project instructions for a Battenburg lace paisley pillow.

First, I embroidered the Battenburg lace, soaked it in hot water, allowed it to air dry, and then pressed it with an iron and pressing cloth. See the earlier Battenburg lace project instructions to learn how to embroider the lace. I embroidered a total of six pieces for my pillow. Have fun choosing colors, and mixing and matching the lace pieces, to personalize your pillow!

Next I prepared the pattern pieces for the front panel of the pillow. On a large piece of paper or tag board, draw a 19" by 19" square. Place the end of a straight edge (ruler) at the bottom left corner and align the edge with the left side of the paper. While holding the end of the straight edge in place at the lower left corner, place a pen or pencil at the 12" mark and draw a curved line from the left side to the bottom edge of the paper by pivoting the straight edge.

Draw another curved line at the top right corner just as you did earlier. Place the pen at the 9" mark and pivot the straight edge. Cut out the shapes by cutting along the lines you just drew.

Pin the pattern pieces to the fabric. Trace the shapes along the straight edges and measure and make marks 1/2" out along each curved edge (this adds a seam allowance). Draw lines connecting the marks along the curved edges. Remove the patterns and cut out the shapes. Note: I used two different fabrics -- one for the outer corner pieces, and one for the inner piece.

To assemble the pieces, align the center of the curved edges of the corner pieces with the center of the curved edges of the inner piece. Pin in place at the center only. Sew a 1/2" seam starting at the center and ending at the edge of the fabric, aligning the fabric as you sew. Sew the other side by starting at the center and ending at the edge of the fabric.

Snip the seam allowances about every 1/2". This allows the curved seam to lay flat. Press the back seams open with an iron.

Lay the front panel flat with the right side facing up. Using an air-erase pen or other marking tool, measure and mark one inch in along the entire outer edge of the front panel.

Draw lines connecting the marks. Arrange the lace on the front panel, keeping the outer edges of the lace inside the lines you just drew. Pin the lace in place.

Using cotton thread in the top needle (the same thread you used to embroider the lace) stitch a 1/4" seam (just inside of the second color detail) along the outer edges of each lace piece.

To prepare the back panel, cut a piece of fabric to 19" wide by 19" high. To add the zipper, align it on top of the back panel fabric along the bottom edge, right sides together. Pin in place and using a zipper foot, sew a seam along the bottom edge of the zipper as close to the zipper as you can.

Lay the front panel flat with the right side facing up. Align the back panel on top, right sides together. Align the open edge of the zipper with the front panel fabric, right sides together, pin in place, and sew a seam along the open edge of the zipper just as you did before.

Unzip the zipper, align the front and back panels together, right sides together, and sew a 1/2" seam along the side and top edges only. Turn the fabric right side out; the outer shell portion is now complete.

To prepare the lining, cut two pieces of fabric (I used quilter's cotton) to 19" wide by 19" high. On each piece, fold one of the edges over 1/2" to the wrong side and press.

Sew a 1/4" seam along the folded edges. Align the pieces together, right sides together, pin in place, and sew a 1/2" seam along the side and top edges only.

Insert the lining inside the outer shell, wrong sides together, and align the folded edges of the lining over the raw edges of the zipper, with the folded edges about 1/4" from the outer edge of the teeth of the zipper. Pin in place and sew a 1/8" seam along the folded edges of the lining.

Your beautiful Battenburg lace pillow is complete! Stylish and sturdy, Battenburg lace is the perfect way to turn a pretty pillow into a showpiece.

Click here for a printable version of these project instructions.