Pendleton Pillows

I made a barter deal with my cubicle-mate, Darcy. She's getting a new couch and I told her I would sew her a couple of pillows. When I pulled out my home dec boxes and wools, I found this Pendleton Wool that worked with her colors.



I found this Pendleton Wool at a garage sale in Aurora (I remember exactly where!) probably 15 years ago.

A UFO.

A jacket (and lining) that was cut out and ready to sew up but the sew-er lost interest. I loved it because it was Pendleton wool.


This wool 'jacket' UFO languished in my stash until the Darcy project. I was going to mix and match some wools with pleather for the back side. Some strips, some rectangles. Random strips.

I was going to make a cording rolled edge but didn't have cording the right size and, frankly, I just needed to make pillows and not get all fancy on the design.

While the back is sewed with strips of coordinating wools from my stash, I loved the simplicity of it when I finally turned the corner this morning into having a finished project.


Here's the UFO pattern - Simplicity 9522. Vintage 80's length meant I had plenty of material. The second pillow front was pieced in the upper corners (armhole scye) but not that you would ever notice.
Utilizing my black vinyl pleather set up a good contrast with the deep red of the wool.


Various wools littering my sewing room floor. Those two pieces in center front are the left & right hand fronts to the jacket. I still have plenty of wool left!


I love these pillows. Darcy and I might have custody issues over these stunning Pendleton pillows!

Darcy and I had each others backs during my Portland detail job. She made me go walking at lunchtime -down by the river and to check in on the police horses every day - five times a week. She went with me on 'field trips', to the print shop, downstairs to drop our mail and other breaks. She kept me sane while I was commuting and working so many hours.
Her barter is to give a me a bunch of vintage sewing supplies.


Even better, I managed to piece two pillows that basically match - pretty dang well.

Here's my pieced back. I lightened (contrast/brighten) the photo up and the reds went a bit fuscia.

Everything came from my stash, including an 18"  & 22" zippers. They are both blue. I used a flap to cover the zipper and that turned out well.

My tip for making pieced pillows like this is start and try to keep to 19" wide - for an 18" pillowform (knowing I will be using 1/4" serged seams at the end).  However, fabrics shift while sewing and what you are really headed for is 18 1/4" by the time you trim &  serge the edges together with a 1/4" seam. This makes the finished pillow top 17.75" which makes the 18" pillowform sit tighter inside - poufing out those corners.

If anyone wants the multi-sized UFO jacket pattern, holler at me and I will mail it to you.