Twin Peaks Log Pillow

One of my friends asked me to make a pillow that looks like a log. Her husband is a huge fan of “Twin Peaks,” and he loves pillows, so the project would be the perfect Christmas gift for him (that’s right, I made this in December!). This project was fun and easy – the kind of thing that’s relaxing when working on more complex things, like cosplay. Whether you enjoy the show or just want to see how to make a log pillow, here’s what I did:

The Pattern

I drafted the pattern by looking at other log pillows people had put on Etsy. Because it’s a cylinder, the log doesn’t require too many pieces. I ended up with four pattern pieces in total:

1. The trunk (cut one, cut circles in the fabric).
2. Branches (cut two).
3. The ends of the Trunk (cut two).
4. The ends of the branches (cut two).

Altogether, that gave me 7 pieces of felt.

Sewing it Together

With so few pattern pieces, I only had a few steps to complete. I used both my sewing machine and my serger for this project, as well as a simple needle and thread.

Woodgrain

First, I created a woodgrain look on the pieces by sewing straight lines with my sewing machine. I used a gold-brown thread, altering my start and stop points and moving around “knots” in the wood. For the ends of the trunk, I sewed concentric circles to create that cross-section you’d see on a real log.

Branches

Next, I sewed the branches down the side, making cones. Then, I topped them off with the small circles. I simply placed the circles down on my sewing machine, put the branches on top (wrong side out) and sewed along the edge.

Trunk
With both branches done, I attached them to the trunk by pulling them through the holes in the fabric and stitching around the holes. Then, I sewed up the side of the log.

Finally, I attached the ends of the log in the same way I did the ends of the branches, leaving a space to flip the whole thing outside-in.

Stuffing and Finishes

All of that left me with a limp log. I filled it with pillow fiber and closed the opening by hand using an invisible stitch.

The Finished Pillow

I really love how this turned out. The branches look like arms trying to hug you, so it’s certainly a cuddly pillow! Confession: I definitely snuggled it for a bit before giving it to my friend.