All Buttoned Up

Button Pillows — Chances are you have a jar hidden away filled with buttons of various sizes, shapes, and colors. If not, scour flea markets and tag sales for these colorful treasures, get some crisp cotton fabric and create these embellished pillows to announce the arrival of spring.

You need: 1 yard of floral print fabric; 1 yard of white cotton fabric; 1/8 yard of green cotton fabric; tape measure; scissors; pins; iron and ironing board; matching threads; sewing machine; assorted buttons; hand-sewing needle; standard bed pillow.

Cutting: From floral fabric, cut one 20" x 27" piece for front, two 20" x 16" pieces for back and one 7 1/2" square for medallion. From white fabric, cut one 20" x 27" piece for front lining, one 9" square for medallion and one 5" square for medallion. From green fabric, cut one 80" x 1 1/2" strip and one 48" x 1 1/2" strip for medallion trim, piecing as needed.

Making medallion: Turn under 1/4" on each edge of each medallion square; press. Stitch ends of each trim strip together to form 2 rings. Fold each ring in half with wrong sides facing; press. Pleat raw edge of each ring; pin under folded edge of white square. With right sides up, layer all 3 squares; pin.

Making front: Pin floral front to white front, with right sides up and raw edges even; baste edges. Pin medallion in center of floral front piece. Stitch edges of each medallion square through all layers.

Making back: Turn under 1/2", then 1/2" again, on one short edge of each back; press and stitch close to fold to hem backs. With right sides up, overlap hemmed edges to form 20" x 27" piece; pin and baste side edges together.

Making cover: With right sides facing and raw edges even, pin front to back. Stitch edges in 1/2" seams. Trim corners; turn right side out. Sew buttons to front as desired. Insert pillow through back opening.

--Designed by Sandra Withers