Sew a Dog-Bone Neck Pillow

Because of an unexplained sore neck it seemed like the perfect time to shop for a neck pillow. Wow, there are certainly a lot to choose from, and the prices can be...well, somewhat pricey. I determined a dog-bone-shaped neck pillow would do the trick, but my frugal personality would not allow me to actually purchase one. Besides, I didn't care for any of the fabrics they were made with. My designer light bulb clicked on, and I figured out how to make one of my own.
This project is one of the quickest sewing projects I have made in a long time. Once I figured out the dimensions and shape of my dog-bone pattern, the actual construction time took less than 30 minutes. Now that is my kind of craft project! Since it was so simple, I plan on making several more for gifts using fabric that reflects the personality of the recipients.

Things You Will Need:

Wrapping Paper
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors
1/2-yard fabric
Straight pins
Sewing machine
Stuffing
Hand-sewing needle and thread

Step 1
Trace a 5-inch wide by 15-inch long rectangle on the back of wrapping paper with a 1-inch grid printed on it, or trace a 1-inch grid on plain paper. Sketch the dog-bone shape, referring to the pattern photo (enlarging the photo if needed) to get a good look at where the curves begin and end. Note: I darkened the lines to make them easier to see in the photo. Cut out the shape.

Step 2
Center a mark on each end of the pattern. This mark will be the beginning and end of each seam.

Step 3
Fold a 1/2-yard of fabric into four layers. Pin the pattern to the fabric or trace around it. Cut out the shape through all four layers. You will have extra fabric leftover. A 1/2-yard of fabric is actually enough to produce two pillows.

Step 4
Mark the wrong sides of each piece with end marks from the pattern. Be consistent. You want each mark in the same place on each piece.

Step 5
Place two fabric shapes together with the right sides facing each other. Pin one long edge from one mark to the other. Sew a 1/4-inch seam allowance along the pinned edge. Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Step 6
Open the sewn piece with the right side facing up. Place another shape on one edge of the sewn piece with the right sides facing each other. Pin the edge from mark to mark. Sew the pinned edge and back stitch as before. Repeat with the last shape.

Step 7
Fold the sewn piece in half with the right sides together and matching the two long edges. Pin the edges together. Sew the pinned edge, leaving a 3-inch opening for turning.

Step 8
Turn the pillow casing right side out. Fill the pillow firmly with stuffing. Hand sew the opening closed.