ACCENT PILLOW BASICS
What you should know before you buy or make throw pillows.
ACCENT PILLOW BASICS
Dating back to our ancestors, pillows have always been a popular way to decorate a home with color. And like our ancestor’s decor, pillows today are also used as a means for displaying artwork in stitching like crewel and embroidery.
Pillows can completely change the look of a room at very little cost. Pillow inserts allow you to change covers when seasons change, or when you just need a new look. The covers can be saved for next season or used in another room. Mixing several pillow colors, shapes and fabrics in one room creates a modern look, while traditional looks generally feature paired pillows that match.
Pillow edges can be plain or trimmed with piping, fringe, beads, tassels, or contrasting fabric.
Use pillows to emphasize an existing color in the room, like the walls, to prevent the room from seeming disjointed or unplanned.
For a crowded or cluttered room used solid color pillows to add balance and calm.
For a decorator look mix pillow styles, like a bolster in front of a larger square pillow.
Don't be afraid of metallic fabrics but use them in moderation.
Pillow colors can blend with your room or contrast it depending on the effect you’re trying to achieve.
Use smaller pillows on couches, chairs and oversized pillows on the floor for seating.
CONSTRUCTION
Not only do accent pillows come in every size, color and shape imaginable, their construction can be just as varied. Some are sewn on all four edges, some have a zipper opening and still others have what's called an envelope back.
Sometimes when a pillow with a loose weave fabric cover feels scratchy, it may be that a coarse insert of filler is poking through the cover's weave. You can remedy that by exchanging the insert for one with a smoother feel, or by simply covering the insert with a fabric that will not be easily penetrated.
Often, trims are sewn into the seam as the cover is constructed. Other times, the trim is sewn to one cover piece on all four sides, then the two cover pieces are sewn together.
INSERTS/FILLERS/FORMS
Pillows are stuffed in several ways: Pillow inserts or "forms" come in polyfill, feather and down. Loose filler is sometimes also used on bargain pillows which can account for a lumpy look over a period of time.
When the wrong size insert is used, you'll often notice pillow corners that look deflated. The pillow cover fabric also may rumple and wrinkle. To avoid this and create firm pillows buy inserts one size larger than the pillow casing or cover. To accurately measure the cover, remove the insert, lay the fabric flat on a yard stick and pull the two sides.
HOW TO REMOVE A PILLOW INSERT
If you need to remove a pillow insert and there's no zipper, simply use a seam ripper to open one of the side seams. If the edges have a trim like piping that's another matter and you'll have to proceed cautiously. If you use a seam ripper to open a seam with piping, you may find that the piping disconnects from the pillow, in which case you will have to reconnect the piping to one side of the cover, then slip stitch the seam closed.
fringe trim
matching piping trim
contrasting piping trim
- HOME DECOR -
