Jewel Pillow

This combination of machine embroidery and classic quilt techniques results in a magnificent pillow. Fabric is pieced together to mimic a faceted jewel, framing an embroidery design. Bright colors and elegant designs make it the perfect addition to your home decor.

Supplies & Materials:

Project Needs & Notes

18" x 18" high pillow form
5/8 yard cotton fabric (lightest color -- for front embroidered piece, borders, and inner lining)
1/2 yard cotton fabric (medium color -- for front pieces and back)
1/4 yard cotton fabric (dark color -- for middle front pieces and borders)
1/4 yard polyester shantung
19" x 19" piece of cotton batting (I prefer Warm & Natural brand)
Nylon monofilament thread
Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
Temporary spray adhesive (like Gunold KK100)
Air-erase pen for marking
Rotary cutter and cutting pad

For this tutorial, I used the small size of the Mehndi Elephant Spray design. Browse through the many Embroidery Library designs to find something that matches your preference and decor. For the best fit, choose designs that are of a circular or rectangular shape, and 5" x 6 1/2" or smaller.

Finished Size: 18" x 18"

This project was featured in the following:

Pillow Party Trunk Show 2 Video

Gather Materials:

Using different shades of fabric adds to the faceted jewel effect. Three different colors of fabric are used: light, medium, and dark.

Draw a 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" diamond on the lightest color cotton fabric. This will be the center of the pillow.

Draw lines connecting the corners.

Hand holding a blue pen drawing lines on blue fabric with a 12-inch wooden ruler to create a diamond shape outline, on a white surface.

Print the design from embroidery software to make a template.

Place the template so that the center point is directly over the center of the diamond on the fabric.

Make sure the design will fit well within the diamond. There should be at least one inch of space between the outer edges of the design and the sides of the diamond.

Black ink drawing of a stylized elephant with swirls and patterns on white paper, placed on turquoise fabric with a diamond shape drawn around it in black ink.

Start Embroidering:

Remove the template.

Spray the cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive.

Smooth the fabric on top and hoop the fabric and stabilizer together.

Align the marks on the hoop with the marks on the fabric.

Turquoise fabric hooped in an embroidery frame with marked black lines forming a central cross and an eight-pointed star around the frame edges.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the embroidery design.

Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point.

Embroider the design.

Embroidery machine stitching a colorful elephant design with red, blue, yellow, and brown threads on turquoise fabric held in a rectangular hoop.

After embroidering, trim the excess stabilizer away from the back. Leave about 1/2" around the design.

Hand cutting around an embroidered design of an elephant with floral patterns in red, blue, and brown on white fabric, held by fingers with metallic scissors.

The next step is to mark where to cut the fabric for the center front piece.

Along each side, measure and mark 2 7/8" out from each corner.

Draw lines connecting the marks.

Close-up of a turquoise fabric with a colorful, embroidered elephant design surrounded by a hand-drawn hexagonal outline. A wooden ruler and hand holding a white pencil are visible.

Using a ruler, rotary cutter, and cutting pad, cut out the shape.

Cut along the lines to create an octagon, as shown.

Turquoise fabric with an embroidered colorful elephant in red, yellow, blue, and brown with floral and swirl patterns, next to a rotary cutter on a white surface.

Cut two squares from the darkest cotton fabric. Cut the squares to 3 3/8" x 3 3/8".

Then, cut the squares in half diagonally to make triangles, as shown.

Four dark teal fabric triangles arranged on a white surface next to a rotary cutter with a black and silver handle.

Align the triangles on the embroidered piece.

Place them right sides together, with the long edges of the corner pieces aligned with the top, bottom, and side edges of the center piece.

Extend the points of the corner pieces out 1/4" from the edges of the fabric.

Pin in place, and sew a 1/4" seam along each pinned edge.

Partially completed turquoise and dark blue fabric project with colorful elephant embroidery in the center, secured with sewing pins on a white background.

Press the back seams open with an iron.

Turquoise fabric square with an embroidered elephant in red, gold, and dark brown, detailed with decorative swirls and floral patterns on teal corners.

Cut two squares of the medium color cotton fabric to 6 1/8" x 6 1/8".

Cut the squares in half diagonally to make triangles.

Three blue fabric triangles arranged on a white surface with a rotary cutter partially visible on the right side.

Align two of these triangles on top of the center piece. Place right sides together, opposite to one another.

Align the long edges of the corner pieces with the side edges of the center piece.

Allow 1/4" of the points of the corner pieces to extend out past the edges of the fabric.

Pin in place and sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.

Press the seams.

Hand holding folded turquoise fabric pinned over embroidered turquoise fabric with a red and teal elephant and floral design, on a white background.

Add the remaining corner pieces as you did the first two.

Hand holding folded turquoise fabric with colorful abstract embroidery in the center, pinned with multicolored sewing pins against a white background.

Next, prepare the inner top and bottom borders.

Cut two pieces of the light color fabric to 11 3/8" x 2 1/4".

Align the fabric pieces on top of the assembled center-and-corner piece, right sides together, along the top and bottom edges of the fabric.

Pin in place. Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges. Press the seams.

Hand holds folded turquoise fabric edge over a square piece with blue tones, featuring an embroidered red, orange, and brown decorative elephant with floral and swirl accents. Fabric pinned with multicolored sewing pins on a white background.

To create the upper and lower corner pieces that are placed at the ends of each border, cut two squares from the light color fabric, and two squares from the dark color fabric.

Cut the squares to 2 3/4" x 2 3/4".

Then, cut the squares in half diagonally to make triangles.

Pair the pieces light and dark, right sides together.

Pin in place and sew a 1/4" seam along the long side edges.

Press the seams.

Hand holding layered fabric triangle pieces, with two fabric triangles pinned with sewing pins on white surface, in dark blue and teal colors.

To prepare the fabric for the inner side borders, cut two pieces of the dark color fabric to 2 1/4" x 11 1/4".

Align the assembled upper and lower corner pieces on top, right sides together. Place the pieces so that the light-colored sides are with the short ends of the border pieces, as shown.

Pin in place. Sew a 1/4" seam, and press.

Two vertical strips of dark teal fabric with turquoise fabric folded and pinned at corners. A hand lifts one folded corner on left strip. White background.

Place the corner and side border pieces on top of the fabric, right sides together.

The dark side of the corner pieces should be aligned with the short ends of the top and bottom pieces.

The long side of the border piece will be aligned with the sides of the assembled piece.

Pin in place. Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges only, and press.

Close-up of fabric pieces pinned together for a jewel pillow, featuring a brightly colored embroidered elephant design in the center on turquoise fabric.

The next step is to create the outer top and bottom borders.

Cut two pieces of the silky fabric (polyester shantung) to 14 1/2" x 3".

Align these on top and bottom of the assembled piece, right sides together.

Pin in place. Sew a 1/4" seam, and press.

Use a pressing cloth over the silky fabric to prevent scorching.

Fabric square with a colorful embroidered elephant in the center surrounded by teal and dark blue geometric shapes; gold fabric pinned on edges.

Cut two pieces of the polyester shantung to 3" x 19" for the side borders.

Align the long edges with the side edges of the fabric.

Pin in place. Sew a 1/4" seam, and press.

Use a pressing cloth over the silky fabric to prevent scorching.

Blue, teal, and gold fabric framed around an intricate embroidered red and gold elephant with decorative swirls, secured with pins on a white surface.

Add one layer of cotton batting behind the front piece.

Lay the front piece on top of the batting, right side up. Pin in place and cut the batting, following the outer edges of the front piece.

Using nylon monofilament thread in the needle, sew along the existing seams of the front piece to quilt through the layers.

To prepare the inner lining, lay the front piece on top of the light color cotton fabric, wrong sides together.

Pin in place and cut out the shape.

Hand holding up a folded corner of a quilted fabric piece with light gold satin backing, revealing stitching and a beige batting layer underneath. Blue patchwork with some stitching visible.

For the back of the pillow, cut two pieces of cotton fabric (the medium color is used in this example) to 12" x 19".

On both pieces, fold one of the long edges over 1/2" to the wrong side and press. Fold the fabric over 1/2" again and press.

Sew a seam along the folded edges.

Lay the front piece flat with the right side facing up. Align the back pieces on top, right sides together, with the folded edges facing inwards and with the back pieces overlapping.

Align the outer edges of the back pieces with the outer edges of the front piece.

Pin in place and sew a 1/2" seam along the entire outer edge of the fabric.

Light blue fabric pieces pinned together with multicolored pins on a white surface, with a hand lifting a folded corner showing the sewn edges.

To finish, turn the fabric right side out. Insert the pillow form in between the layers of the back pieces.

Hand pressing a white pillow partially covered by a teal-colored fabric sleeve with a gold inner lining, on a white background.

Get Inspired:

This stunning jewel pillow adds a colorful and classic look to your home decor.

Experiment with different fabric colors and designs to result in a variety of styles and themes.

Square pillow with geometric teal and turquoise patchwork and beige border, featuring a red and orange embroidered elephant design, resting on a dark couch.