Silk Petal Pillow

Flowers are a beautiful addition to any home, but the upkeep required to keep them alive can sometimes be a deterrent. Instead, use fake flowers to create a Silk Petal Pillow that you can display on a couch. Decorative pillow patterns can quickly and easily transform an otherwise boring piece of furniture.

Materials:

1/3 yard medium to heavy-weight fabric
Compass or 11-inch round object
Scissors
Sewing machine
Silk rose petals, one package
Straight pins
Stuffing
Hand sewing needle
Large button

Instructions:

Cut two 11-inch circles from a medium to heavy-weight fabric. The fabric I used was upholstery fabric. You can use a compass for an exact measurement, but for a pillow where "fit" is not an issue, you can use a similar size round shape for your pattern.
Place the edge of one circle right side up under your sewing machine's presser foot. Place one rose petal on the circle's edge with the top edge of the petal 1/4 inch from the edge and the bottom of the petal pointing toward the center. Top stitch over the bottom edge of the petal 1/4 inch from the edge.
Place another petal next to the first, overlapping the edges a 1/2 inch. Stitch over the bottom edge. Continue to add more petals to the circle in the same way until you have stitched a petal ring around the edge. Finish off and cut the thread.
Place the top edge of the first petal for the next ring over a petal in the first ring. Shift the petal so that the bottom edge extends 1/2 inch further (toward the center) than the bottom point of the petal on the first ring. Stitch over the bottom edge of the petal. Continue to add petals in the same way as the first ring. Finish off and cut the thread at the end of the ring.
Repeat the process with additional rings until you reach the center of the circle. Place one petal in the center of the circle. Tack in the center of the petal to secure.
Place the fabric circles together with the right sides facing. Pin the circles together around the edges. Sew the pinned edge using a 1/4-inch seam allowance being careful not to catch the petals in the seam. Leave a 4-inch opening for stuffing.
Trim the seam to 1/8-inch. Turn the pillow covering right side out. Stuff the pillow and hand sew the opening closed.
Choose a large decorative button from your button collection. The button I used measured 1-1/2 inches. It reminds me of a coat button from the 1950s. Hand sew the button to the center-front of the pillow. Sink the needle through the center of the pillow and out the center-back. Pull the thread to dimple the button on the front of the pillow. Bring the needle back up through the center to the center-front of the pillow. Pull the thread to dimple the center-back of the pillow. Stitch a few more times from the front to the back and to the front again. Knot and cut the thread.