Swan Pillow
Spring 2020. To go along with the bear quilt, I had the idea to make a cute swan pillow.
Since the baby was going to be born this year, I wanted to use Kona’s Color of the Year for 2020, Emerald. I also had in mind to use some opal metallic Essex linen, Robert Kaufman black gingham, and some adorable pom pom trim.
I love how quickly pillows come together! Most of the time, if I make something, it’s big and has a ton of piecing! Pillows are so quick and satisfying! It’s a great way to make a pattern you’ve been wanting to make, without a big time commitment!
This one came together beautifully and just as I had imagined in my head!
It’s no secret that I love Elizabeth Hartman patterns, I’ve done more of her quilts than any other designer!
I quilted this pillow with diagonal lines 2” apart in a crosshatch pattern on my Juki 2010Q. Pre-longarm days! I used Aurifil #2835 Medium Mint for the quilting. I did increase my stitch length a little to give the quilting some definition. This was a fun opportunity to use a mint colored thread for the quilting! It didn’t match anything in the pillow, but it worked beautifully and added a nice pop!
I added a zippered pillow flap to the back so the pillow cover can be washed easily! For the pillow forms, I used 2 IKEA INNER forms. They’re super economical - even with using 2 forms and paying for shipping! Using 2 forms gives the pillow just the right amount of fluff and makes it look full!
The swan pillow finished at 20” square, not counting the pom pom trim!
Pillow finished: May 1, 2020. Pattern: Swan Island by Elizabeth Hartman. Fabrics for top: Essex Metallic Linen in Opal, Robert Kaufman Kitchen Window Wovens in Espresso AZH-17722-174 (the smaller check) by Elizabeth Hartman, some Kona scraps for the beak area, and the Kona Color of the Year for 2020, Enchanted.