Hey everyone. Today we're making a throw pillow, and you're going to learn how a long-pile faux fur can turn a plain sofa corner into the coziest seat in the house.
Meet the fabric first
This is the Amber Signature Luxe Cuddle Red Fox Blanket from Shannon Fabrics. It is a finished Cuddle blanket, and Luxe Cuddle is the line.
Here is what you are working with. It is Luxe Cuddle minky — 100% polyester plush, made by Shannon Fabrics.
The texture is the star here. Red Fox is a long-pile faux fox fur, with that deep, brushable pile you just want to run your hand across.
The color is Amber — warm amber tones, rich and glowing, like a fox coat in good light.
Now the numbers. This is the Signature size: 60 by 72 inches. As a blanket, it fully covers an adult on the sofa and tops a twin bed. Today we're turning one small corner of it into a pillow.
Care is simple. Machine wash cold, gentle cycle. Tumble dry low. Never iron — heat crushes that plush pile for good.
The project: a throw pillow
A throw pillow here is simple. One square front. One square back. One pillow form tucked inside. That's it.
We're making an 18-inch pillow. Big enough to lean on. Small enough to sew in an afternoon.
Why does this blanket suit it? That long pile was made to be touched, and a pillow gets touched all day. You need very little of a 60 by 72 blanket, so the cuts are low-stress. And that warm Amber does the decorating work by itself — no print to match, no piecing to plan.
Let's size it with real numbers. For an 18-inch pillow, cut front and back 19 inches square — a 1/2-inch seam allowance all around. Both squares come out of one short end, side by side, and the rest stays in one big piece.
Want a different size? Completely up to you. Cut your squares 1 inch bigger than your form.
Materials list
- 1 Amber Signature Luxe Cuddle Red Fox Blanket, 60" x 72" — you'll cut two 19" squares from one end
- 1 pillow form, 18" square
- All-purpose polyester thread to match the Amber color
- Size 90/14 ballpoint or stretch needle
- Walking foot for your machine
- Long ruler, rotary cutter or sharp scissors, and a marking pen
- Plenty of pins or clips
Brief steps
Step one. Pick one short end for your squares, so the rest stays in one piece. Mark before you cut.
Step two. Check the pile direction. Brush it with your hand. You want it running the same way on both squares, down toward the pillow's bottom.
Step three. Mark two 19-inch squares on the back side of the blanket, and cut from the back. You will cut less pile that way.
Step four. Take your squares outside and shake them. Cut faux fur sheds — oh my goodness, does it shed. A shake now saves cleanup later.
Step five. Pin right sides together, tucking the pile inward so the fur stays out of your seams. Pin every 2 to 3 inches.
Step six. Sew all four sides with a 1/2-inch seam and a 3.0 to 3.5 millimeter stitch, roughly 8 to 10 stitches per inch. Leave a 6-inch opening in the bottom for turning.
Step seven. Turn it right side out, push the corners out gently, and slip the form inside, a corner at a time.
Step eight. Fold the opening edges in and hand-sew them closed with a ladder stitch. Brush the pile over the seam. Just like that, you're done.
Practical tips before you sew
Use that walking foot. I have sewn plush without one, and the layers crept — I had to rip the whole seam out. Learn from my mistake, folks.
Slow down at the corners. That pile is thick, and thick layers like to shift. Slow and steady keeps your square square.
And never press this pillow with an iron. Finger-press your seams instead, and brush the fur back up with your hand.
Here is your permission beat. Your corners do not have to be perfect. A pillow forgives a wobbly seam like nobody's business. You are your own worst critic, and nobody is measuring that pillow. Take your time. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
That leftover blanket is still a big, cozy sofa piece — or cut a second pillow and make a pair. Super duper cute.
Alrighty. Thanks for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Amber Signature Luxe Cuddle Red Fox Blanket 60" x 72" at Linda's Electric Quilters.
