One of the most popular quilted pillow patterns is back with a new colour combo! This time, I’m working with shades of pink with a pop of teal and a gorgeous floral back in the latest Shattered Star Pillow.
You might have noticed that I’m clearly on a pillow kick – ha!
In just the last little bit, I’ve shared the:
In all fairness, this project started back in either 2022 or 2023 but then got sidelined when I encountered machine problems (more on that below) and didn’t have the appropriate zipper colour on hand. Nothing like lacking a notion to see a project come to a screeching halt. Funny thing is, I ended up using a zipper I already had on hand to just make it work 😉
Plus, I just love how quick pillows normally are to stitch up. They’re a fun ‘quick win’ to have in your quilting repertoire. They also give you the chance to try new techniques and ideas that you might not want to try out on a full-size quilt, spoiler, I did just that this round (not planned, but still experimental!).
I’m sharing all the details of how this pretty lumbar quilted cushion came to be, and a fun unexpected trip for my sewing machine that happened mid-quilting – ouf.
Read on to find out more!
The Shattered Star Pillow pattern is available in the shop!
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
Shattered Star Lumbar Pillow
I hadn’t made another Shattered Star quilted pillow since I shared the original one back in 2020, and I felt compelled to change that!
This is, after all, one of my favourite designs too, and I was itching to make another.
What I didn’t anticipate was that it would end up looking a little like the first – ha!
Fabrics
The fabrics I selected were mainly fabric trimmings leftover from making the Holiday Winter Star Quilt. I absolutely loved those colours and was curious to see how they’d look in pillow form.
I was also excited to have a coordinated pillow to go with my Winter Star quilt that wasn’t a matching quilt motif. Sometimes you want matchy, sometimes you don’t, right?!
So, it really didn’t take me long to select my fabrics.
The backing wasn’t an immediate choice. I was hoping to make the tree print I used on the back of my Winter Star quilt, but I didn’t have enough fabric to make that work.
So, after rummaging through my fabric cabinet, I found this floral print, which you might remember from the lining of the Jade Ombré quilted coat I made back in 2022. I have quite a bit of that on hand and there was this perfectly sized trimming leftover. It seemed kismet to feature it on the back of the lumbar pillow.
Quilting
I had a plan all along. It was crystal clear in my mind that I would be going with a lovely pink thread for my quilting on the pillow front.
I loved how it coordinated beautifully with that pink and would be an understated pop against some of the darker fabrics.
Since I didn’t want to detract from the bold floral print I was using on the back of the pillow, I opted to go with this deep green thread in 28wt. It matched the darkest green perfectly and I loved the added stitch weight.
Midway through quilting the backing, my machine made this very weird noise and got stuck mid-position. I immediately turned the machine off (a good move, according to my sewing machine technician), and while some things returned to normal, the shaft holding my presser foot was definitely not back to normal.
Blergh.
Not ideal with me in full on Fall prep mode.
The importance of having a good sewing machine repair contact!
After reaching out to the technician who sold me my machine, and not hearing back, I decided to go into ‘get ‘er done’ mode 😊
I remembered meeting a super friendly man back at one of the Montreal Modern Quilt Guild meetings. This goes wayyyyy back, but I didn’t forget! Thank goodness, as I reached out to Tam (from Tamara Kate Design) to see if she had his number handy. After a quick check, she sent me his contact details. Thank you, Tam!
I phoned first thing in the morning and got his voicemail, which indicated his hours were 10 am to 6 pm.
It was 9 – ha!
So, I left him a message letting him know what the issue was and my contact details.
He returned my call before 10 am and indicated I could bring the machine that day, and he could most likely have it back to me the following day.
What?!
That’s amazing!
On a hot summer day, after my scheduled meetings, I packed up my Juki and hit the road.
My first experience with a sewing machine repair shop
Mr. Kamal has the most beautiful set-up. He’s converted his garage into this amazing sewing boutique filled with vintage sewing machines.
After a quick explanation about what the problem was, he said he could have it done in the next hour and a half or so.
I left my machine and headed to the local mall!
It was while I was perusing drinkware at Linen Chest that I got the call telling me my machine was ready for pick-up.
Upon my return, he explained that a piece had indeed been broken, and so he fixed it, tuned it, and cleaned her up. Not only that, but he also returned the machine to me with my cords tied together and my machine wrapped in plastic with an old-school invoice attached.
I loved every bit of my interaction with Mr. Kamel and will be returning to him for all my sewing machine care. If you’re in the Montreal area and need someone to care for your sewing machines, then don’t hesitate to reach out.
Back to quilting!
When I got my machine home and was settling back into continuing quilting, I opted to go with the top instead of continuing with the backing.
Why?
I think it was because I didn’t want to set up the guide bar on my first test run with my fixed machine. I wanted something straightforward to ease my way in.
But the green was already loaded, and I was in auto-pilot mode, and so I started stitching and immediately realized I wanted to use the pink thread.
This is where the internal debate kicked in.
Do I go and set up the pink?
Or do I take this as a sign that I should try featuring a dark thread (not typically my fave)?
It was back and forth in my mind and then decided that if I never try it, I’ll never know whether I really like it or not.
So, I stitched a couple of lines, and instantly wished I went with the pink – ha!
But I kept with it because sometimes I find that I often don’t like the quilting until the project is done. And then, suddenly, it seems to come together, and I quite like it.
I was hoping this would be the case. And it was!
Finishing details
You know my love for a metal zipper, and while I was frustrated with myself for not having a better match in my zipper stash, I was eager to see this one come to life.
So, I went with this dark olive-green metal zipper. It’s not a perfect match, but I have quite a few of them on hand and decided to make it work!
If you need some guidance on inserting a metal zipper in your own cushions, check out this step-by-step guide on How to Insert a Metal Zipper Tutorial here.
Make your own
Materials Featured
Here’s everything you’ll need to make your own Shattered Star lumbar pillow:
- Shattered Star Pillow Pattern
- Fabrics are all Art Gallery Fabrics in:
- Lining
- Batting
- Sewing machine
- Needles
- 50wt thread for piecing
- 28wt thread of quilting (here’s the colour in 50wt)
- Long Ruler
- Ruler
- HST Ruler
- Rotating cutting mat (here’s why I love mine)
- Cutting mat
- Rotary cutter
- Tailor’s scissors
- 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.
- Embroidery scissors
- Pins
- Pincushion
- Erasable marking tool
- Hera marker
- Metal zipper
- Seam ripper
For more home interior sewing inspiration, check out:
Home décor switch up
Fall and winter are just around the corner, and now’s the perfect time to stitch up some new pillows and switch up your interior décor to match the new season! I love doing this in my place with every season change. It’s such a fun and easy way to embrace the seasonal change!
Get your Shattered Star Pillow Pattern in the shop and get started on your cushions today!
xo,
Shannon
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