Hey everyone. Today we're making a cozy reading pillow with a handy pocket for your book.
Let's start with the fabric, y'all. This is the 2 yd Luxe Cuddle Cut Sorbet Mystic, from Shannon Fabrics. It comes to you as a 2-yard Luxe Cuddle cut.
Luxe Cuddle is the plush side of the family. Folks also call this kind of fabric minky. Run your hand across it once. You will feel why we picked it for something you lean on.
The colorway is called Sorbet Mystic. The name is soft and a little playful. The plush texture does the showing off all by itself.
This fabric is 100% polyester. Care is simple. Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low. No fabric softener. That last one matters, folks. Softener can coat plush fibers over time. Skip it, and your pillow cover stays soft longer.
A 2-yard cut is generous for one pillow. Make this pillow first, then use what is left for another small make. Just like that.
The Project: A Reading Pillow
A reading pillow is a throw pillow with a pocket on the front. The pocket holds your book, your glasses, or your e-reader. It keeps your spot ready for the next chapter.
We are aiming for an 18-inch square pillow, finished. That size fits most ready-made pillow forms. It is big enough to lean back on, and easy to carry.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? A reading pillow lives on touch. You hold it, hug it, and prop it behind your back. Plush Luxe Cuddle feels good in all those places. It is soft without being stiff, and forgiving to sew, too.
Materials
- Your 2 yd Luxe Cuddle Cut Sorbet Mystic — part of the cut makes one pillow cover, with fabric left over
- An 18-inch pillow form
- 50-weight polyester thread to match
- A 90/14 ballpoint or stretch needle
- Wonder clips or long pins — plush likes to shift
- A walking foot, if you have one
- Sharp scissors or a rotary cutter and mat
- A tape measure and a marking tool
Brief Steps
First, cut your pieces. Cut one front piece 19 inches square. Cut one pocket piece about 19 inches wide by 10 inches tall. For the back, cut two pieces, each 19 inches wide by 13 inches tall. Those two will overlap for an envelope opening.
Start with the pocket. Fold the top edge down about 1/2 inch, then fold it down again. Clip it in place. Topstitch along that folded edge, about 1/4 inch from the fold. That gives your pocket a clean top.
Lay the pocket on the front piece, right sides facing up. Line up the bottom and side edges. Clip well, then baste the pocket to the front along the sides and bottom with a 1/4-inch seam. Go slow. Plush likes to creep.
Now build the back. Fold one long edge of each back piece down 1/2 inch, then again. Topstitch those hems. Lay the back pieces over the front, right sides together. Overlap the hemmed edges in the middle. Your whole sandwich should measure 19 inches square.
Clip all the way around. Sew around all four sides with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Lengthen your stitch a touch — about 3.0 to 3.5 millimeters works well on plush. Backstitch at the start and finish to tie off your seam.
Turn the cover right side out through the envelope opening. Push the corners out gently. Give it a good shake outside. Fresh-cut Cuddle makes little fluffy bits. That is normal. Slip in your pillow form, tuck a book in the pocket, and you are done. Super duper cute.
Practical Tips
Cut with the pile in mind. Lay your fabric flat, and cut one layer at a time. A rotary cutter wants a firm, even surface here. Slow down or the edge gets wavy.
Use a walking foot if you have one. It feeds the layers at the same speed. If you do not have one, use lots of clips, and sew a little slower. Both ways work just fine. Completely up to you.
Here is your permission beat. It does not have to be perfect. A pocket that sits a tiny bit crooked still holds a book just fine. You are your own worst critic. Take your time. It is not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Wash the cover cold, tumble dry low, and remember — no fabric softener. Shake it out, and the pile perks right back up. We're not reinventing the wheel here. A simple, soft pillow like this is a really really good gift, too.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 2 yd Luxe Cuddle Cut Sorbet Mystic at Linda's Electric Quilters.
