Advanced Techniques for Designer Pillow Styles
Instructor: Laurie Medford
Wednesday, January 27 – Thursday, January 28, 2027
9:00 am – 5:00 pm, with a 1-hour lunch on your own
Class size: Limited to 6 students (minimum 4)
Prerequisites: Students must have completed Introduction to Sewing Soft Furnishings and Pillows 1 in order to participate, or have equivalent, demonstrable experience.
Take Your Pillow Work to the Next Level
Pillows are one of the most versatile ways to showcase workroom skill — and one of the best places to push your craftsmanship further. This two-day, hands-on class with Laurie Medford is built for students who already have pillow-making experience and want to design and fabricate more advanced styles using a range of techniques, fabrics, and trims.
Laurie brings a working professional's eye to every project, sharing the design ideas, construction methods, and finishing details that elevate a pillow from basic to custom.
What You'll Make
- A knife edge pillow with an inset design and border, using a needlepoint, embroidery, or statement fabric, finished with a pleated flange
- A boxed pillow incorporating tape trim
- A "student's choice" lumbar pillow mixing fabrics and trims
What You'll Learn
- Design
- Pillow forms
- Calculating yardage
- Working with pattern motifs, pattern placement, and matching
- Zippers
- Welt cord
- Finishing techniques
- Professional methods and tips
What's Provided
Each student works at a dedicated 5' x 10' worktable with an industrial straight stitch machine and an industrial walking foot machine, complete with assorted machine feet and a sewing kit. Two industrial sergers are available to share. Pillow forms, lining, stabilizer, zippers, and welt cord are provided.
What to Bring
Students bring their own face fabrics and trims. Yardage amounts will be sent after registration. This is an active class, so please be sure to wear comfortable clothes. In a workroom environment, thick-soled shoes are a must have: no open-toed or thin-soled shoes, such as flats and sandals.
Who Should Take This Class
This is an advanced-level class. It's designed for sewists who already have experience making basic pillows, working on industrial machines, and applying practical workroom knowledge. Students must have completed Introduction to Sewing Soft Furnishings and Pillows 1 in order to participate, or have equivalent, demonstrable experience. You'll go home with two to three finished pillows and skill-focused samples.
Seats are limited to 4 students to ensure focused, hands-on instruction time with Laurie. Reserve your spot today.
