Embrace the colours of autumn with the 7-colour version of the Fraser Fir quilted pillow!
As soon as there’s a hint of a Fall cool breeze, it instantly has me craving cosy indoor vibes, with warm tones, candles, and hot chai lattes! It usually kicks starts my autumn décor planning too 😉
There’s already proof that autumn is on the way, as there are several trees in the area that have started to change colours. I noticed the first sign a couple of weeks ago, and it felt super early. Fall happens to be my favourite season, and even though I always look forward to autumn, I don’t want to rush through summer. But Mother Nature likes to beat to her own drum, and I’m just taking her cues for when to start embracing and planning for the next season.
So, to say that I’ve been in an autumn state of mind would be an understatement, and helping me to embrace all things autumnal was making this 7-colour Fraser Fir cushion.
The Fraser Fir Pillow Pattern is now available for instant digital download.
For more Fall stitching ideas, check out:
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How this Fraser Fir pillow came to be
I made her a few weeks ago when I spotted that first sign that the trees were starting to turn. It was early August, and I was out for my morning walk when I spotted a few red-tinged leaves that were telltale signs that Fall was in the air.
With the release of the Fraser Fir block for the 2024 Little Forest Block of the Month QAL, I’d promised I would also share the Fraser Fir Quilted Pillow Pattern. I’d always planned on making another version with more colours, as it was an idea I couldn’t get out of my mind.
Fabric play
I love the 3-colour version – it’s classy and understated and makes for a lovely pop of colour. But I know you and I both love playing with fabric so I thought a 7-colour version would be nice to have. My initial intent was to make this one in the original Little Forest Quilt colours, but I’ve been loving my blue version so much and was super curious about seeing some of the warm-toned fabrics playing off one another in this more detailed option, that I just couldn’t resist making this one.
Spoiler, I LOVE it!
- I love the dark background
- I love the warm tones
- I even love that little pop of blue I included in the tree
- I don’t love the pop of white, but live and learn – ha!
That’s the fun though of playing with your fabric selection in the 7-colour version. You could go:
- With warm tones for Autumn,
- With festive colours for Winter,
- With pastels for Spring, and
- With bold vibrant colours for Summer!
Pillow details
Fabric
It was all about playing with the warm tones from the AGF Signature Solids collection. Namely, I pulled Poppy, Snap Dragon, Spiced, and Pearl, all set against this glorious deep blue.
Quilting
I kept the quilting super minimal and focused on echo quilting around the Fraser Fir canopy in this deep tealy blue Aurifil Thread. I adore this thread and was so happy to use it again after featuring it in the Blue Odyssey quilt.
It’s not a perfect match to the background, which was what I originally searched for in my thread stash. Since I didn’t have a matching blue, I opted for this one which has a subtle sheen to it.
My goal was to keep the focus on the canopy, so I was a little concerned that the lighter blue and that sheen might compete/pop too much against the dark blue background. In the end, I think it helps to lighten the overall feel of the pillow and entices you in!
Finishing details
I’m a firm believer that what takes something from nice to extra lovely is the little details that you sneak in. Here are the finishing touches I added to my own Fraser Fir pillow.
To pom pom trim or not, that is the question
The Fraser Fir Pillow Pattern includes optional pom pom trim finishing instructions, which adds a super cute and fun detail to your cushion.
To show the versatility of the pattern, I opted to forgo the pom pom trim on this fall-inspired Fraser Fir quilted pillow. I wanted the focus to be squarely on the autumnal colourway featured in the canopy. I love how the foundation paper piecing technique creates these layers and lines within the tree to show off those colour pairings.
Metal zipper
There’s something about metal zippers that I just can’t get enough of. I know they’re a little trickier to stitch with, but nothing insurmountable.
To help take the fear away from working with metal zippers, here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to insert metal zippers into your own pillows. I’ve also been playing with different approaches to see which ones work best, so let me know in the comments below if you’d be interested in seeing that.
I was over the moon to find this rusty orange-coloured metal zipper in my zipper stash! It coordinates beautifully with the deep orange of the solids featured in the tree canopy.
Plus, I love that it sticks with those autumn-inspired colours and gives an earthy grounding feeling to the quilted cushion
Materials featured
In case you want to stitch up your own (or several), here’s a list of everything I used to create mine:
- Fraser Fir Pillow Pattern – 7-Colour Option
- Fabrics
- Batting
- Muslin
- 50wt piecing thread
- 40wt quilting thread #1125
- Sewing machine
- Sewing machine needle
- Cutting mat
- Rotary cutter & blades
- Long ruler
- Ruler
- Rotating cutting mat (optional, here’s why I love mine)
- Glue (optional)
- Cardstock or magazine insert (optional)
- Seam roller (optional)
- Iron
- Wool pressing mat – Use code SHANNONFRASER15 to save 15% on your entire purchase at The Felt Store Canada or The Felt Store USA. One use per customer, offer cannot be combined with other discounts.
- Seam ripper
- Pins
- Pincushion
- Erasable marking tool
- Hera marker (optional)
- 17” Metal zipper
Shop my most used notions here.
The big question is what version of the Fraser Fir pillow are you most excited to make?! Always fun to have quilty options and, either adventure you take, is sure to lead to a fun and cosy outcome.
Grab your Fraser Fir Pillow Pattern in the shop to get started today!
xo
Shannon
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