An easy-sew project, made more fabulous with Dritz® iron-on shirring tape.
Pillows are a really perfect way to easily update your home for the changing seasons. This shirred pillow sewing project made with cozy plaid fabric immediately says “fall is here.” Its soft gathers are perfectly achieved using Dritz® iron-on shirring tape. This blog post shows you how simple it is to use the shirring tape, but be warned: you’re going to want to make lots of pillows, skirting, curtains and more!
Dritz® supplies:
Omnigrid® supplies:
- Rotary cutter, ruler, and mat
Other supplies:
- 3/8 yd of 52” wide home decor fabric
- 13” x 17” pillow form
- Iron
Fabric prep:
Cut home decor fabric using rotary cutter, mat and ruler (these tools really do make cutting so much easier!):
- 1 pc: 13” x 25” for shirred panel (piece A)
- 2 pc: 13” x 2.5” for front panels (piece B)
- 1 pc: 13” x 14” for back panel (piece C)
- 1 pc: 13” x 8” for back panel (piece D)
Other notes:
Finished pillow is 13” x 17”
SA = seam allowance
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Before starting, you might be wondering, what is iron-on shirring tape? Good question!
It’s a woven tape with rows of cord running through it. After you iron it on, you pull the cords to create the pleats or gathers in your fabric. Now let’s get sewing! |
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1) On piece C, hem right 13” side of back panel by folding ½” of raw edge over the Ezy-Hem® gauge and pressing. Starch is helpful. |
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2) Fold the same edge over again ½”. Press and pin in place.
Repeat on left 13” side back panel D. Tip: The Dritz® Easy Grasp pins shown have elongated heads – they’re easy to grip and perfect for so many sewing projects! |
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3) Edgestitch along the top edge of hem on each back panel. Set aside. |
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4) Cut a piece of shirring tape 28” long. On wrong side of piece A, center shirring tape along 25” length. Ends of tape will hang 1 ½” over the edge of the fabric. Fuse to panel following package directions.
Be sure not to press the ends of the tape onto your ironing board. |
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5) Pull the strings out of tape at the edges of the fabric. Trim excess tape even with fabric.
Knot cords on one end of the tape. |
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6) Lightly steam tape and pull strings to gather fabric. Pull until shirred panel is 13” x 13”. Evenly distribute the gathers. Steaming tape will let you position gathers as desired.
Knot cord ends and cut cord tails. |
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7) Pin the B panel pieces to each 13” side of the shirred panel and stitch with a ¼” SA. |
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8) Press seams towards panel B. Edgestitch along the seams. |
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9) To make the envelope pocket on the back, place the back panels on cutting mat, right sides up. Position panels so they overlap by 2.5” and the entire back panel is 17” wide.
Pin and baste the panels together with a ⅛” SA. (This picture shows finished back.) |
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10) Align side edges of front and back panels, right sides together. Pin along edges. Pin front edge to back edge, taking time to even out the gathers.
Or, stitch a long gathering stitch along both top and bottom edges of front panel. Pull threads to gather edges so they are even with back panel edges. Stitch all sides with a ½” SA. Backstitch at the beginning and end. |
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11) Clip corners and turn right sides out. Gently poke out corners.
Insert pillow form and adjust shirring as needed. |
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You like? We are really pleased with the finished look of the pillow, but wait… |
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Give it a home alongside other pillows and you’ve instantly updated your space!
Play with textures, color, and pillow shape to create a focal point on a couch, chair or bed. Leave a comment below and tell us what you think about the shirring tape, and how you’d use it … pillows? Skirting? Curtains? |
Thanks to Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane for making this lovely pillow for us. Jennifer has contributed many popular projects to our blog – you’ll have a hard time picking out a favorite!
