Nite Owls Hop: Throw Pillow

Who's ready for a little fall fun with some cute owls? We have several blogging designers working with Judy Hansen's Nite Owls line and we're excited to share their projects! Enjoy today's tutorial, a flying geese and owl pillow by Connie of Freemotion by the River, and then find out how you can win a fat quarter bundle of Nite Owls to play with yourself! Be sure to stop back this week for more Nite Owls tutorials!

Here's Connie!
I couldn't wait to play work with a cute bundle of Nite Owls fabric by Judy Hansen and take part in the Nite Owls blog hop. I don't know about you but.....I love owls.....especially cute ones!

This tutorial is for a fast and easy 18" pillow using the following colors.

Focal print: Owls 120-7051 - 1/2 yard for back of pillow
Focal print: Owls - 120-7051 - fat quarter
Fat quarters of dark orange 120-7071, light orange 120-7081, yellow 120-7082, light purple 120-7091 and dark purple 120-7072

Cutting Instructions:

Owl print fat quarter
     Cut (5) 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" squares

Light Orange print
     Cut (4) 2 1/2" strips x WOF
          Subcut (24)  2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares

Dark Orange print, Light purple print and yellow print
     Cut (1) 2 1/2" x WOF strip from each color
          Subcut (4) 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles

Dark Purple print
     Cut (1) 6 1/2" x WOF
          Subcut (8) 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles

Sew all seams with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Each block will be made with 3 easy to make flying geese sections. Start with (6) light orange 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares and mark a diagonal line on them. In the following photo I am using the yellow rectangle, do the same with the dark orange and light purple. Place the light orange square on the rectangle.

Stitch on your marked line, trim and press. Then continue adding the other square.

Directional fabrics can be tricky. Sometimes it helps to fold your square back and lay in on the rectangle to make sure the orientation is correct before stitching.

Each block will have 3 different color flying geese sections and also 2 of the dark purple strips.

Sew your flying geese sections together and then add the dark purple 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" strips to the sides.

Make four finished blocks.

Layout your blocks as shown below with the owl print squares and sew the rows together.

Here is the pieced pillow top.

When I got my pillow top all pieced I realized something didn't look right.....I had planned to have the dark orange flying geese blocks surrounding the center owl block. I actually like this better but......I wasn't going to rip it all out as it is still cute.

I added a 18" x 18" square of batting and backing to my pillow top and then quilted it.  I also did an envelope style closure on the back. I cut one piece 19" x 14" and the other 19" x 11" for my overlap. Press under 1/4" on one of the 19" sides of each piece and then press another 1" and topstitch. Watch the direction on the owl print. Over lap the pieces and place right side down on top of the pillow top and then sew all around the piece.

Here is the finished pillow. I have a granddaughter who loves purple and owls! I'm sure this will go to her house.

I hope you enjoyed the fast and easy tutorial for this cute pillow.

Thanks Connie! Such a cute pillow! Head over to Connie's blog to find out how you can win a fat quarter bundle of Nite Owls for yourself! 

And be sure to visit the blog again tomorrow for another Nite Owls tutorial.

Catch all the days of our hop!

Day 1: Halloween placemats by Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl
Day 3: Look Whoooo's Here Door Banner