Flower Mandala Pillow: A Hand-Stitched Journey in Appliqué, Embroidery & Quilting

There’s something magical about slow stitching — watching fabric and thread come together, one careful stitch at a time. This project began as part of Aurifil's Thread Labs 1.4, a beautiful hand-stitched design created by Jo Avery, and it quickly became a piece I wanted to turn into something extra special.

The Flower Mandala Pillow brings together three of my favorite techniques — appliqué, embroidery, and hand quilting — layered to create a design rich in warmth, texture, and movement. It's a true labor of love, an invitation to slow down, savor each stitch, and let the process unfold organically.

Whether you’re new to hand stitching or an experienced maker, I hope this project inspires you to pick up a needle and thread and create something meaningful with your hands.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the entire process— choosing fabrics and thread, appliqué techniques, embroidery details, and hand quilting, then turning it into a cozy quilted pillow cover with a lapped zipper finish.

📌 If you’d like to explore this specific project, you can find the Aurifil kit HERE.

What is Applique?

Applique is the process of stitching fabric shapes onto a background fabric to create a layered design. It's a wonderful way to add texture, color, and storytelling to your quilts and sewing projects.

80 Weight Cotton Colors

• 2410 Pale Pink
• 6723 Fairy Floss
• 2625 Arctic Ice
• 2805 Light Grey Turquoise
• 5007 Light Grey Blue
• 2155 Cinnamon
• 5022 Mustard
• 2105 Champagne

Embroidery is where this design truly comes to life. Each stitch adds depth, texture, and movement, transforming simple fabric into something rich and dimensional. I used a mix of Aurifil 12 weight cotton and 12 weight wool threads to create contrast in texture - cotton for crisp definition and wool for a soft, slightly raised effect.

These are my favorite needles to use for embroidery and hand quilting.

Running Stitch

A simple but effective stitch that adds gentle texture and movement to both embroidery and quilting. It creates flowing lines that guide the eye through the design.

How To Do A Running Stitch

1. Bring the needle up through the fabric.
2. Insert the needle down into the fabric a short distance ahead, leaving a small space.
3. Bring the needle up again, keeping an even distance between stitches.
4. Repeat to create a series of evenly spaced stitches.

Backstich

Perfect for bold outlines and defining shapes, the backstitch creates a continuous, unbroken line. This always adds structure to a design, making elements really stand out.

How To Do A Backstitch

1. Bring the needle up through the fabric.
2. Insert the needle a stitch length behind the thread.
3. Bring the needle up a stitch length in front of the last stitch.
4. Insert the needle behind the thread at the end of the last stitch, closing the gap for a solid line.

French Knot

A delicate, raised accent that adds tiny pops of dimension. French knots create soft, organic details that feel like itty bitty beads of texture.

How To Do A French Knot

1. Bring the needle up through the fabric.
2. Wrap the thread around the needle 1-2 times (or more for a bigger knot).
3. Insert the needle right next to, but not in the same hole where you started.
4. Hold the working thread taut while pulling the needle through to form the knot.

Satin Stitch

Used to fill in shapes with solid pops of color, the satin stitch adds richness and visual weight. The thread is layered closely together for smooth, dense coverage.

How To Do A Satin Stitch

1. Bring the needle up at one edge of a shape.
2. Insert the needle down at the opposite edge, directly across. 
3. Bring the needle back up right next to the first stitch, keeping stitches close together.
4. Repeat until the area is filled with smooth, even stitches.

Every stitch choice plays a role in shaping the final design, from airy textures to structured details.

Aurifil 12 Weight Wool Colors

• 8431 Rosey Melon
• 8401 Rose
• 8410 Pale Pink
• 8865 Seafoam

Aurifil 12 Weight Cotton Colors

• 2430 Antique Rose
• 2410 Pale Pink
• 4654 Turquoise Foam
• 5006 Light Turquoise
• 2335 Light Cinnamon (not shown)
• 2134 Spun Gold
• 4150 Creme Brulee

There’s something incredibly satisfying about adding the final layer of stitches to a project. Hand quilting isn’t just about securing the layers together — it’s about adding movement, texture, and a sense of rhythm that makes the piece feel complete.

For this pillow, I used a Running Stitch for quilting with Aurifil 12 wt cotton, which gives each stitch a visible, textural quality that stands out beautifully against the appliqué and embroidery. Instead of blending into the background, these stitches become part of the design, subtly guiding the eye around the fabric.

Hand quilting has always felt like the most meditative part of the process for me. There’s no rush, no pressing deadline — just the steady rhythm of the needle moving through layers, the soft pull of thread, and the quiet satisfaction of seeing the quilted texture come to life.

Binding is one of those steps that some people rush through, but for me, it’s a moment to slow down and savor the process. I machine stitched the binding to the back of my project, but secured the edges to the front by hand, using small, even running stitches. 

There’s something intimate about finishing a quilted piece this way — it’s like signing your name at the end of a letter, giving it that last personal touch.

The binding not only adds structure and durability but also frames the entire design, neatly enclosing the edges so it feels polished and complete.

Instead of leaving this as a small mini quilt. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to turn it into a pillow — something cozy, something functional, something that could sit on my couch or bed and be enjoyed every day.

I backed the piece with a quilted panel and a lapped zipper closure. If you’ve never sewn a lapped zipper before, it’s one of my favorite finishes for quilted pillows. It’s sleek and seamless, tucks away neatly, and lets you swap out the pillow insert easily without the bulk of an envelope closure or the fuss of an exposed zipper.

📌 Want to learn how to make a lapped zipper pillow back? I will be adding a full tutorial with step-by-step instructions on how I made the lapped zipper backing - coming soon! 

Once the pillow insert was in place, I couldn’t help but smile. The stitches, the textures, the layers—it all came together into something more than just fabric and thread. It became a story stitched by hand, something that holds time and care within its seams.

If you’re drawn to slow stitching, if you love projects that evolve under your hands, if you want to create something that feels just as beautiful to make as it does to hold, I can’t recommend this enough. There’s a kind of quiet joy in watching fabric transform under your fingertips, in seeing textures take shape, in knowing that every stitch is uniquely yours.

I’d love to see what you create! If you try a similar project, tag me over on @remivailstudio so I can celebrate your stitches with you.

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Happy Stitching!

xo,

Tamara💞

My Favorite Threads

• Aurifil 12 wt Thread - quilting, embroidery, big stitch binding
• Aurifil 12 wt Wool Thread - embroidery
• Aurifil 8 wt Thread - embroidery, big stitch binding
• Aurifil 50 wt Thread - piecing, bobbin
• Aurifil 80 wt Thread - hand sewing

Here's a Link to my Amazon Store Front if you're curious about the specific supplies I use!