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Snowman Quilted Pillow Cover

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Using a Christmas Quilt Panel purchased from a store, you can easily sew this puffy-comfy pillow with a holiday theme. We “raise” the snowman on the quilted pillow cover by using a technique called trapunto quilting, which adds depth and texture to the finished product. Let’s get the instructions on how to make this trapunto quilted pillow cover, shall we?

snowman quilted pillow

As the last piece of my Christmas sewing project for this year, I transformed a quilt panel into 3 throw pillow covers. I cut up the “Share The Joy Snowman” (from Moda) quilt panel, and split it into 5 parts in order to get 3 snowman panels and 2 strips of text banners.

With them and additional matching fabrics, I sewed and trapunto quilted 3 throw pillow covers that has 3 different snowman prints on each. In order to make all 3 pillows a little different, I changed the side panels with quilt blocks: Christmas Tree and Pinwheel.

snowman quilt pillow pattern

Oh my, I am in love with this quilting technique and style. It not only gives the print a three-dimensional effect, but it also makes the quilt soft and pleasant to touch.

My kids can’t stop stroking the snowman’s face and hands, and they constantly squeeze and cuddle them. They have a serious need for something that comes from this.

They each received a quilted blanket that I made for them as a result of their requests: a Road Runner Quilt for my son and a Secret Garden Quilt for my daughter. Feel free to use the links to get the sewing pattern and instructions.

Oh, and I also made a Whale baby trapunto quilt blanket for my friend’s newborn son. If you arrived at this page from the blanket post, you can view some images that may help you comprehend better, particularly the 3D trapunto quilting portion.

trapunto quilting method

Christmas greeting from Craft Passion, together with the kids here to create a little hoax that spice up my already-challenging crafting world, and not forgetting Mr.CraftPassion that helps up the household core while free my time to craft and create………………
We wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS, let’s share the joy to the world!!!!
Wish you all have a wonderful time at this special holy season of the year with friends and families!

Christmas pillow

WHAT’S NEXT:

snowman quilted pillow

SNOWMAN QUILTED PILLOW COVER SEWING PATTERN

Yield: 19″ x 19″ PILLOW COVER
Active Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours
Difficulty: Avid Beginner/Intermediate
Estimated Cost: $10 - $20

As the last piece of my Christmas sewing project for this year, I transformed a quilt panel into 3 throw pillow covers. I cut up the “Share The Joy Snowman” (from Moda) quilt panel, and split it into 5 parts in order to get 3 snowman panels and 2 strips of text banners. With them and additional matching fabrics, I sewed and trapunto quilted 3 throw pillow covers with 3 different snowman prints on each. In order to make all 3 pillows a little different, I changed the side panels with quilt blocks: Christmas Tree and Pinwheel.

Enjoy sewing them!

Download and print separately SEWING PATTERN for drawing the fabric.

Materials

  • Share The Joy Snowman Panel – 1 pcs. 23″ x 44″
  • Share The Joy Birds Winter Frost White – 3/4 yard
  • Cotton backing (white) – 3/4 yard (44″ wide)
  • Batting – high loft polyester, 13″ x 17″
  • Batting – cotton, 3/4 yard
  • Twill tape for binding
  • Button, 2 pcs
  • Pillow form – 18″ x 18″

Tools

  • Sewing machine with appropriate presser foot
  • Erasable fabric marker
  • Ruler & Roller Cutter
  • Cutting mat
  • Scissors (sharp tip, best if have blunt point and curved blade)
  • Iron
  • Cover button maker (only needed if you want to use cover button)
  • Quilting safety pins
  • Quilting needle
  • Quilting thread, weight 50, white and dark brown or dark green

Instructions

MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO SEW SNOWMAN QUILTED PILLOW COVER

  1. cut snowman panelCut the panel as shown (click to see the larger picture, the picture will open in new window or new tab). Cut at the center between the borders.


  2. 1 materialsDownload the pattern, mark and cut fabrics according to the pattern.
    This is the front fabrics of the pillow with one of the snowman panel and text banners cut out from the big panel.

    Remark: The text banners on the panel are not enough to make 3 pillows with both top and bottom borders. Substitute one of the borders with other matching fabrics for the other 2 pillows.


  3. 2 materialsOther fabric and batting pieces for the front backing and the back of the pillow. You need high loft polyester batting to make the trapunto, and, 2 cover buttons or other buttons of your choice(not in the photo).



Pillow Front

  1. 4 snowman fronta. Sew the side panels to the main snowman panel

    b. Sew the top and bottom text banners to it with a seam allowance of 3/8″

    c. Press with a warm iron with seam allowance to the darker fabric.


  2. 5 snowman fronta. Place the high loft polyester batting at the wrong side of the center panel.

    b. Pin with quilting safety pins to secure the batting in place.


  3. 6 snowman fronta. Turn to the right side of the fabric, change the presser foot to darning foot or BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator), and lower down the feed dog.

    b. Perform free motion stitch around the snowman and the birds. Stitch just slightly outside the lines of the print.
    I used weight-50 white quilting cotton thread but you can use beige or cream, as long as it doesn’t create a contrast to the outline.
    (Tip: the 3D raise effect on the trapunto is not so obvious if the part is small, for instance, the bird might not seem as “bumpy” compare to the bigger part of the snowman.)

    c. Bring all thread-ends to the wrong side, tie double knots and trim away the extra length, leaving about 1-2″ there.


  4. 7 snowman frontAfter finished all the parts that you want to have 3D trapunto raise effect, turn to the wrong side and trim out the extra batting that sits outside the free motion sewing line.

    **You have to do this very carefully and slowly if it is your first attempt. Watch out on every snip you are making so that you won’t accidentally cut the fabric.

    **You may fold the fabric down and away from the batting while cutting so you can see clearly before you trim.


  5. 8 snowman frontThis is how it looks like after the extra batting was trimmed away.


  6. 9 snowman frontThe right side of the trapunto. You will see the 3D effect better after you have quilted the surrounding, which will press the fabric down smoothly.


  7. 10 snowman fronta. Layer in the batting and cotton backing to the snowman panel.

    b. Smooth out any wrinkles by stroking with your palm outward; from the center to raw edges of the snowman panel.

    c. Secure the layers with quilting safety pins.


  8. 11 snowman fronta. Again, with the darning foot or BSR and the feed dog down, free-motion stitch along the same sewing lines of the borders of the trapunto.

    b. Quilt the blue sky with small stippling stitch.

    c. Stitch in the ditch between the center snowman panel and the bird side panels, and sew along the white borders of the top and bottom banners (you can change the foot to walking foot and raise back the dog feed). Then, follow by bigger stippling stitch with a darning foot and feed dog down again on the side panels.

    d. Change the top thread to dark brown or dark green, quilt a row of small pebbles stitches on the border of the center snowman panel and the top and bottom of the banners.


  9. 12 snowman frontA completed front pillow of a snowman with a 3D effect of the trapunto quilting.
    a. Bring all thread-ends to the back, tie double knots. Hide the thread ends and knots into the batting by using the needle.

    b. Insert needle from the stitch endpoint and come out as far as you can, pull until the knot gets into the batting. Pull a little before trimming the end, the thread ends will hide inside the batting after the trim.

    c. Trim the front piece to 20″ square with roller cutter and ruler.


  10. 13 snowman frontThis is the back of the front pillow.
    Tip: Always perform a test quilt on a stash to check the tension of the thread, especially when you are using 2 contrast thread colors for top and bottom.

    Another tip, always look-out for the thread ends when you quilt, don’t accidentally get the thread-end stitched at anywhere of the quilt. In order to see where your thread-end is, always bring it up to the top either after performing the first needle down and up or after a few stitches away. Always hold your thread ends to the back of the sewing machine during the first few stitches to ensure that your thread ends won’t tangle up at the bottom or being accidentally sewn.



Pillow Back

  1. 14 pillow backa. Change presser foot back to normal foot or walking foot.

    b. Sew the bird fabric with white backing, 1/2″ seam allowance on the bird fabric and 1″ seam allowance on the white backing.


  2. 15 pillow backOpen flat and press the seam allowance to the bird fabric.


  3. 16 pillow backPlace the batting on the bird fabric, align the edge to the raw edge of the white fabric.


  4. 17 pillow backa. Fold the white fabric over at the batting edge.
    b. Press to make a fold crease line.


  5. 18 pillow backTopstitch at the edge and the seam line between the bird and white fabric.


  6. 19 pillow backChange foot to darning or BSR with feed dog down, free motion quilt with stippling stitch.


  7. 20 pillow backTrim the back pieces to 20″ wide x 10 1/2″ high each.


  8. 21 pillow backSew 2 buttonholes at one of the back piece, approx 7″ in between.




Sewing up the Pillow

  1. 22 pillow backa. Place the front piece with right side facing up.

    b. Place the back piece (with buttonholes) facing down at the top part of the pillow. Then, place another back piece at the bottom part. The back pieces overlap 1″ at the center.

    c. Sew around with 1/2″ seam allowance.


  2. 23 pillow backBind the raw edges with twill tape or as per your preference.


  3. 24 pillow backa. Turn right side out by folding seam allowance at the corner in right angle then push the corner out to get a nice and neat right-angle corner. Perform this to all the 4 corners.

    b. Insert the pillow form into the cover, faster the button.



    Complete.

snowman quilt pillow pattern

Notes

Seam allowance: 3/8″, included in the pattern, otherwise, as stated in the tutorial.

Multiply the materials, except the panel (item 1), with 3 to make 3 pillows.

Get the full article at https://www.craftpassion.com/sewing-snowman-quilted-pillow-cover/

Recommended Products

Purchase the exact same material used in this pattern from Craft Passion Shop. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you make this project?

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Envelope Pillowcase (French Seam) - Easy Sewing Tutorial • Craft Passion

Wednesday 2nd of December 2020

[…] Snowman Quilted Pillow Cover […]

Yolanda Rivas

Thursday 8th of November 2018

I found your darling snowmen pillows and wanted to buy the fabric to make them, but cannot find them anywhere. I know its been many years since you posted them, but they are so popular, can you direct me to where I can buy this snowman fabric. I tried Moda, but to no avail.

Thank You Yolanda Rivas

Craft Passion

Sunday 11th of November 2018

I have deleted your email from the above comment for your privacy, no worry, I have your email in my system which is hidden from others.

Craft Passion

Sunday 11th of November 2018

Hi Yolanda, I bought it from a local quilt supply shop and yes, they have sold it out, otherwise, I could buy it and send to you. I will keep this in mind and will inform you when I found it somewhere else.

cathy

Wednesday 10th of October 2018

Hi, love your pillows love all your work. Could you tell me why some trapunto tell you to get washable thread, I have a panel and going to do trapunto on it but I am in two minds why I need washable thread.

Cathy

susan

Sunday 27th of May 2018

I marked 5 stars, but only 3 showed!

susan

Sunday 27th of May 2018

Thank you! I never understood trapunto before. Your tutorials are easy to follow!

Susan

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