Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (2024)

Written by:

Carrie Nelson

Published:

Jun 26 2020 - 06:50

Three years ago, I shared two flag pillows I designedto celebrate the 4th of July. Because I still love making pillows, and there was all this really pretty new fabric in the sample room, I felt like I needed a make a new one. Because threes.

Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (1)

The first thing to do was the re-make the original pillows because they'd found new homes a few years ago. This is , it's made with the coming-in-September Shine On collection by , and the background is from Harbor Springs. (More on that in a moment.) The pillow is a 20" x 20" square.

Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (2)

Then made with . fabrics, mostly from Catalina and Christmas Figs II, with one or two additional light strips. (This pillow measures 12" x 28".)

The new idea was for a square pillow with three stars and scrappy-pieced stripes, because who doesn't have a pile of 1-1/2" strips in their scraps?

Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (3)

This also measures 20" x 20". (The fabrics are the same as those used above - Bonnie & Camille's Shine On and Minick & Simpson's Harbor Springs.)

Then another idea came.

Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (4)

-a rectangle, or lumbar pillow, that measures 14" x 20". (Yes, I make pillows to fit the different pillow inserts I find.)

Then it got a little silly... maybe a lot silly.

Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (5)

Using all the same fabrics, a Fig Tree & Co. version, and Minick & Simpson version with pinks and blues are from Mackinac Island and Harbor Springs. (Mackinac Island is in shops now and Harbor Springs will arrive in August.) The background fabric is one of my favorites, it's from Primitive Gatherings' Urban Farmhouse Gatherings.

The background used with the Bonnie & Camille fabrics is a keeper - a stasher. The one I used is Harbor Springs 14906 21 - a blue grid with red stars. The red grid with blue stars is also terrific - it's Harbor Springs 14906 11. (And while you're at it, also get a little bit of Harbor Springs 14907 28 - it's a shirting-like Charcoal stripe on Cream that goes really well with Fig Tree's All Hallow's Eve.)

Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (6)

Clearly it was a lot silly. For a bit more variety with the pinks, there are also prints from 3 Sisters' Rue 1800 and Daybreak, Corey Yoder's Sugarcreek Wovens, and .

All four Flag Pillow patterns are free downloads:

We'll be sharing more soon about how these pillows are finished. For now, they're quilted on the front and back, and there is a zipper in the bottom for a nice, tight fit. It also makes them easy to launder and switch out.

Have a good, safe, weekend.

Posted in:

Trending, Seasonal

Tagged:

Flag Pillow, Pillow,

Comments

50 comments

Rachel

Comment:

I'm totally in love with your stars and stripes obsession! :D Haha! I've loved your first pattern SO MUCH it just makes me giddy to see all these new fabrics and layouts! ;D Thank you for sharing

Fri, 2020-06-26 09:37

  • reply

Carrie Nelson

Comment:

Hi Rachel - Thank you. Theyre fun to make, and to see if I can come up with new ideas. And I do love making and using pillows. xo

Fri, 2020-06-26 13:50

  • reply

Ann J Bradley

Comment:

I love your pillows and appreciate the downloads so much! I've had some beautiful red/cream collections I've saved forever and will finally use them!

Fri, 2020-06-26 16:38

  • reply

Nancy Burk

Comment:

Thanks so much! Great designs.

Fri, 2020-06-26 18:18

  • reply

Debbie

Comment:

These are darling! Love them :)
Thank you for the patterns

Fri, 2020-06-26 18:27

  • reply

Debbie Herbaugh

Comment:

Love them , looking for the pattern. Thanks

Fri, 2020-06-26 18:57

  • reply

Wilma Evans

Comment:

I sincere Thank you for the free pillow patterns!
God Bless You

Fri, 2020-06-26 20:51

  • reply

DONNA Yalipsky

Comment:

Thank you! Theses are fun, wonderful new designs!

Fri, 2020-06-26 23:48

  • reply

Becky

Comment:

Looking through my stash for blues and reds. Love the three stars and stripes and the fabric! So happy you love to make pillows and share patterns,

Sat, 2020-06-27 09:59

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Glenna Hepworth

Comment:

Love these pillows

Sat, 2020-06-27 15:38

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Janice R

Comment:

I keep wishing that I lived next door to you and you were my best friend and every time you went crazy like this you would bring them to my house so that I could have them. Haha! Seriously - these are all so fun and creative. Thanks again for sharing!

Sat, 2020-06-27 15:39

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Sheila O Buchanan

Comment:

Love the stars and stripes pillows! Thanks for the patterns.

Sun, 2020-06-28 17:37

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Jan Dudley

Comment:

Love these pillows. Thanks for providing the patterns!

Mon, 2020-06-29 16:11

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Janette

Comment:

on the 3 stars and stripes square pillow, should the ivory stripes be cut at 2 1/2 inches? I cut it all out and I am starting to assemble and wanted to check

Tue, 2020-06-30 16:41

  • reply

Carrie Nelson

Comment:

Hi Janette - It depends on which pillow you're making - the square or the rectangle. For the square Three Stars pillow, yes, the ivory stripes are cut at 2-1/2" wide. But the ivory strips for the Three Stars rectangle are cut at 2" wide. :)

Wed, 2020-07-01 12:00

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Jeanne Hopkins

Comment:

I would like your pillow pattern. Thank you!

Sat, 2020-07-04 07:38

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Carrie Nelson

Comment:

Hi Jeanne - The links to the four pillow patterns are in the blog post. The easiest way to find them is the list at the bottom. :) (The links often get lost in the text.)

Mon, 2020-07-06 09:23

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Sandy Steinke

Comment:

Thank you

Sat, 2020-07-04 16:35

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Cathy McMann

Comment:

Yes, please, more about how you made these pillows. I'd like to sew up a few.

Wed, 2020-07-08 17:23

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Carrie Nelson

Comment:

Hi Cathy - I'm working on a "pillow" post for August. :)

Thu, 2020-07-09 09:57

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Donna

Comment:

I am making the stripes and three stars pillow and I’m a little confused. It says to alternate the ivory stripes with the red which is fine but it doesn’t match up with the stars which means I have to add a fifth ivory strip is that correct. And then put the side strips on each side of the stars and the flag and then the top white strips on the top and bottom

Wed, 2020-07-08 19:34

  • reply

Carrie Nelson

Comment:

Hi Donna - If I'm following your question, no, you shouldn't need a 5th ivory strip. With all the strips measuring 2" finished, five pieced red strips and four ivory strips should add up to 18" - 18.5" with seam allowance. That's what the three-star panel should measure - 6.5" x 18.5". The stars-strips square should measure 18.5" x 18.5" before the borders are attached. (If it helps, mine is always a skosh smaller.) :)

Thu, 2020-07-09 09:56

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Donna

Comment:

Yeah I don’t know what went wrong I followed the directions exactly. Also do you put the strip down right of flag stripe, 1 to the left of stars, And one on the bottom?

Thu, 2020-07-09 10:33

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Deb Buscher

Comment:

These are great ideas, I love them! I have a question about the Stripes - One Star Pillow....the second instruction says "With right sides together, place two matching navy squares in opposite corners of a 4 1/4" square as shown. Stitch on both sides of the drawn lines as shown"

My question(s)....no mention was made of drawing that line on the navy squares....only the cream. So should I use the cream squares for this step?

Thu, 2020-07-30 15:02

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Rita Cummings

Comment:

Love the patriotic pillow

Wed, 2020-08-26 11:41

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Cecilia

Comment:

I love the way your pillow designs look. I’ve been want to mar some pillows ad pace mat to go with the table cloth I made.

Tue, 2020-10-06 07:06

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Jan Dudley

Comment:

Thanks for these free patterns. I needed cute patterns before the 4th!

Mon, 2021-06-28 19:38

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Carrie Nelson

Comment:

Hi Jan - You're welcome! Have fun! And have a good July 4th!

Tue, 2021-06-29 08:10

  • reply

Karen Balder

Comment:

LOVE LOVE LOVE these! I need a couple to go on my bench in my breezeway. Thank you so much!!

Fri, 2021-07-02 08:47

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Stripes, Stars, Flags & Pillows (2024)

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