Vintage Tea Towel Pillow Tutorial

Vintage linens make me swoon! Not only are they beautiful but they can be very economical. I am alway on the lookout for old linens in good condition with interesting designs.

They are just too pretty to sit in a drawer waiting to be used. One of my favorite ways to display vintage tea towels is to make pillows...

This sweet-as-sugar pink pillow took under an hour to make. So easy!

Vintage Tea Towel Pillows make a wonderful gift, too! Wouldn't you love to receive one?

So, dig out your pretty tea towel and put it to use as a decorative pillow!

StoneGable Vintage Tea Towel Pillow

1 vintage tea towel with interesting design and edges

white cotton muslin

fiberfill

matching thread

Iron tea towel flat.

Turn the top edge of  the tea towel down to make the front flap of the pillow. Make sure motif is showing.

Press.

Take bottom edge of the tea towel and fold up so that 2 inches show out from under the top flap.

Press.

Cut a piece of muslin to match the width of the tea towel and 2 inches longer than the crease at the top of the pillow.

With RIGHT sides together, pin the bottom of the tea towel to the bottom of the muslin. Stitch tea towel and muslin together.

Cut off excess fabric and press seams open.

Using the fold lines at the top and bottom of your tea towel, fold fabric the opposite way, so that RIGHT sides are together and the motif is facing inward.

Pin the front flap with the design towards the center of your pillow. You do not want to catch any part of it when you sew up your pillow for the flap will be sandwiched between the front and back of your pillow.  Leave 1/4 inch at the top to sew. Be very careful that your front flap fabric is not in the way!

Fold up bottom of tea towel with attched muslin. Pin all around the pillow. The top layer will be muslin with the tea towel bottom, the middle layer will have the pinned up front flap with design and the bottom layer will be the tea towel back.

Leave a 2-3 inch opening at the side of the pillow that will be covered by the front flap. I used a fabric marking pen to remind me where to begin and end sewing.

Sew around the pillow, leaving tthe 2-3 inch opening. I use the side edge of the pillow determine my seam allowances. At the top I use a very small seam allowance so the flap will lay nicely.

  Reinforce the ends very well as you will be using this whole to pull the pillow to the right side and to stuff it.

Cut any extra muslin away.  Using the side opening, pull out any pins from the front flap. Turn pillow right side out. Press.

Fill pillow with fiber fill. Make sure corners are filled. Do not over stuff.

Close opening on the side with a whip stitch.

Press again, but do not press too hard. Gently tack down flap if desired. Press again. Fluff and find your pillow a home!