DIY Anthro Orimono Pillow! Scrap-buster tutorial =)

DIY Anthro Orimono Pillow! Scrap-buster tutorial =)

• 5.08.2011

The Anthropologie Orimono Pillow, Flower has got to be one of the most iconic Anthro products ever.  You've seen it before, I'm sure...

Yep, it's a beaut'.  So popular, in fact, that I've seen several DIY knock-offs in the world of talented sewist bloggers in the past few years.  I wanted to make a version myself, and naturally take pics along the way and do a tutorial, but I don't want to step on the toes of those who have gone before me.  I found a couple of variations/tutorials here and here.  But I did things a little differently, so I hope no one minds if I offer up a tutorial of my own--my way's not better, but it's what worked for me.  =)

So, you'll start this pillow the same way you start any great Anthrocopy... pull out your bag o' pretty scrap pieces you couldn't part with.  Here comes the tutorial...

• Cut a square of neutral fabric 1" wider and 1" longer than your pillow form.  I had a 22" pillow form so cut a 23" square to allow for 1/2" seam allowances all around.  Anthro's pillow is off-white twill or lightweight canvas, but I used a tan cotton with a faint texture.  I recommend fabric that's sturdy enough for home dec--if you use lightweight, quilting-weight cotton, also cut a square of muslin or cheap cotton to reinforce it with.
• You'll also want a fabric marker and (gasp!)--this is the weird part--a glue stick.  Instead you could use spray adhesive, which is messy, or some kind of fabric glue, or a **** ton of pins, which would poke you like crazy and not hold things down in the right way, anyway.  The glue stick is a lightweight hold that keeps the pieces in place until you sew them down.

• Start at the center.  Fold your fabric in half twice and mark the center point.  Cut a small circle for the center of the flower.  Put a little glue on it and press it down.

• Cut out petal-shaped pieces and glue them down around the center piece.  I had a picture of the original up on my computer screen the whole time and tried to mimic it with similar colors and shapes.  Keep gluing the pieces down...

• You'll create lots of little scraps!!

• Leave a little space between each petal.  When you get toward the end of the process you may need very specifically shaped pieces, so you can use the fabric marker to trace the shape you need on the larger piece of fabric.  See the faint lines I made?

• Now, to the machine.  The original has white stitching going across each petal, but that looks like a LOT of sewing.  Its petals are also zig-zagged down around the edges with a rust-colored thread, it seems, but that also sounds tedious.  Sew the petals down however you like, but I oped for off-white thread in a straight stitch going around the edges of the petals.  Not too bad to do all of them.  I didn't cut the threads between each petal, so I had threads connecting them as I sewed--saves thread and frustration.  It is also easier if you can lower the feed dogs so you can turn the seams in curves.

• Great!  Now all your petals are sewn down.  Now make the back however you like (I can do a tutorial for what I did on mine at another time...)
• OPTIONAL: If you really wanna copy the original, make some bias strips in a strong-colored fabric, and use cording to make piping around all four edges.  I honestly meant to do this but totally forgot that I was going to until I had just sewn the front and back together!!
• Sew your zipper on both sides' bottoms, before you sew the side seams.

• Unzip the zipper most of the way and sew the other three seams.  I like to fold the zipper side seam allowances back toward the rest of the pillow so that when you flip it right side out, they stay out of the way.

• Snip all four corners...

• Press your side seams flat...

• Flip and turn the pillow cover right side out.  Poke your corners out with a tool so that they make nice points.
• Enjoy!!!!

Here's the back of mine...

The Anthro original's back is solid orange.  Do whatever you like!

Wasn't that easy???  And so fun!  I recommend putting a good movie in while you cut all those petals...

It is amazing what a great pillow can do to transform a room!!  Stay tuned for more bohemian scrap-buster pillow tutorials soon...