Sew a Magic Cloud – Free Cloud Pillow Tutorial with Colorful Rain

A cloud pillow with colorful magic rain is a cute sewing project for a child’s room. It does not only look lovely, but also adds a small playful element. The soft cloud shape is perfect for cuddling, while the colorful jersey strips invite little hands to grasp, feel, and explore.

The combination of a soft cloud, a friendly face, and colorful magic rain creates a pillow that looks playful, while still being quick and easy to sew. It makes a wonderful baby gift, a lovely detail for a cozy corner, or a small project for making good use of fabric scraps.

What I especially like is that each cloud can be designed individually. Depending on the fabrics, colors, and patterns you choose, you can create a soft pastel pillow, a bright rainbow cloud, or a cuddly little dream cloud.

In this free tutorial, I will show you how to sew your own cloud pillow with magic rain.

Materials

For your cloud pillow, you will need:

• fabric for the cloud, for example velour, fleece, winter sweat fabric, or jersey
• Vlieseline H609 if you are using jersey for the cloud
• colorful jersey scraps for the magic rain
• stuffing
• matching sewing thread
• Stylefix
• fusible web, for example Bondaweb, for the cheeks
• a small piece of felt to stabilize the fabric when sewing the face
• fabric scissors or a rotary cutter
• pins or sewing clips
• disappearing fabric marker
• sewing machine
• one sheet of A4 paper for the pattern

Soft fabrics are especially suitable for the cloud. It looks very lovely made from velour or fleece. Winter sweat fabric also works well if you use the cozy brushed inside as the outside. This gives the cloud a beautifully soft surface.

If you use jersey for the cloud, you should reinforce it first with Vlieseline H609. Jersey is stretchy and may bulge more when filled with stuffing. The interfacing helps the cloud keep its shape a little better.

Jersey works especially well for the magic rain because it does not fray. This means the strips do not need to be finished, and when you gently stretch them, they curl up beautifully.

Preparing the Pattern

You do not need a complicated pattern for the cloud. I simply drew the shape myself on a sheet of A4 paper. Since the cloud is meant to be symmetrical, draw it on the fold. This means you only draw half of the cloud along the folded edge of the paper.

Then cut out the shape and transfer it to your fabric. You can either add the seam allowance directly when transferring the pattern, or include it on your paper pattern. Then cut the cloud from your fabric 2 x mirrored.

You can also draw the face directly onto the paper pattern. Draw the sleepy eyes and the position of the cheeks onto your cloud shape. To transfer the markings neatly to the fabric later, carefully cut open the curves of the sleepy eyes. Pierce the center of each cheek marking with a needle or the tip of sharp scissors.

Then place the pattern on the right side of your cloud fabric and transfer the markings to the fabric with a disappearing fabric marker. The cut-open eye curves and the pierced cheek centers make it easy to transfer the positions evenly and accurately.

Cutting

Cut your cloud 2 x mirrored from your main fabric. If you are working on the fold, you will have a complete cloud shape once you open the fabric out.

If you are using jersey for the cloud, iron Vlieseline H609 onto the wrong side of the fabric either before cutting or directly afterwards. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the magic rain, cut several jersey strips measuring 20 x 2 cm. Cut the strips with the grainline, so they curl up nicely when stretched later. If the strips are cut against the grainline, they will not curl as desired.

I first cut all strips to the same length. This makes them easier to prepare, arrange evenly, and attach neatly to the cloud.

The final length is created later. After sewing, the strips are knotted at the bottom and then trimmed to different lengths. This makes the magic rain look more lively and playful.

When making toys for young children, make sure that ribbons and strips are not too long. With a starting length of 20 cm, you stay below the commonly mentioned limit of 22 cm for cords and ribbons on toys for young children. Still, always check yourself whether your finished pillow is safe and suitable for the child it is intended for.

Creating the Face

Before sewing the cloud together, create the face on one of the two cloud pieces.

First transfer all markings to the right side of the fabric using a disappearing fabric marker. The eyes are stitched directly onto the fabric. To prevent the fabric from stretching or shifting and to help the sewing machine feed it smoothly, place a piece of felt on the wrong side and stitch it along with the fabric. The felt stabilizes the area and will remain hidden inside the cloud later.

For the cheeks, cut two small circles from jersey or velour/fleece. You can use a roll of tape, or another round object in a suitable size, as a template.

To keep the cheeks from shifting while sewing, first iron a fusible web, for example Bondaweb, onto the wrong side of your cheek fabric.

Then cut out the circles, peel off the backing paper, and place the cheeks on the marked positions of your cloud. After that, iron them in place once more.

Then sew around the cheeks with a wide zigzag stitch. I used a stitch width of about 5 mm and a very short stitch length of about 0.1 mm, creating a dense appliqué edge. Here, too, you can place a piece of felt on the wrong side to help prevent the fabric from stretching or shifting.

Once the face and cheeks are finished, you can remove the disappearing marker lines according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or simply let them disappear on their own, depending on the marker you used.

Preparing the Magic Rain

Gently stretch the cut jersey strips lengthwise. This makes the open long edges curl upward, turning the flat fabric strips into narrow, soft rain ribbons.

Stylefix works very well to keep everything from shifting while sewing.

Apply a strip of Stylefix to the right side of one cloud piece, along the lower edge where the magic rain will be attached later. Then remove the backing paper and place the prepared jersey strips on top.

You can arrange the colors however you like. The magic rain looks especially lovely when you combine different colors and patterns. This way, each cloud turns out a little different, and it is a great way to use up smaller jersey scraps.

The upper ends of the rain strips should line up with the fabric edge. The strips themselves point inward toward the cloud. This may look a little unusual at first, but it is correct: after turning the cloud right side out, they will automatically hang down from the bottom of the cloud.

The Stylefix keeps the strips in place so they do not shift as easily when sewing the cloud together. If you like, you can also baste them once close to the edge, within the seam allowance. This is especially helpful if you are using many strips or very narrow ones.

Sewing the Cloud Together

Now place the second cloud piece right sides together on top of the prepared cloud piece. The right sides of the fabric are facing each other, and the rain strips are sandwiched between the two fabric layers.

Carefully secure the two cloud pieces all around with sewing clips or pins. Pay special attention to the area with the rain strips: they should only be caught in the seam along the bottom edge. Make sure they do not accidentally get caught in the side or top seams.

Sew all around the cloud, leaving a turning opening in an easily accessible spot. The opening should be large enough so you can turn the cloud right side out and fill it with stuffing later.

Sew slowly around the curves. For the cloud arches, it helps to leave the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot, and carefully turn the fabric. This will give you cleaner curves.

If you are using a thicker fabric such as fleece, velour, or sweat fabric, it can be helpful to trim back the seam allowance along the curves. Be careful not to cut into the seam. On inward curves, you can carefully clip the seam allowance almost up to the stitching. This helps the fabric lie more smoothly after turning.

Trim back the jersey strips within the seam allowance.

This is also a good time to trim back the felt that stabilized the eyes and cheeks, so it will not show through later as a dark shadow.

Turning and Filling the Cloud

Carefully turn the cloud right side out through the turning opening. Pull the rain strips out as well.

Carefully shape the curves of the cloud. You can use a blunt object for this, such as a chopstick or a point turner. Do not press too hard, so the seam does not get damaged.

Then gradually fill the cloud with stuffing. It is best to start in the outer curves and work your way toward the center.

How firmly you stuff the cloud is a matter of preference. For a cuddly pillow, it can stay soft and squishy. If it is meant more as a decorative piece, you can fill it a little more firmly so the shape is more defined.

Make sure the stuffing is distributed evenly. Gently knead the cloud with your hands from time to time to avoid firm lumps.

Closing the Turning Opening

Once you are happy with the shape and firmness of the cloud, close the turning opening by hand using a mattress stitch, also called a ladder stitch. This makes the seam almost invisible.

Fold the seam allowances at the opening inward and sew the edges together with small stitches. Gently pull the thread tight every now and then so the opening closes neatly.

Finally, knot the thread securely and hide the thread end inside the cloud.

Finishing the Magic Rain

Now the magic rain gets its final touch.

Tie a small knot at the bottom end of each jersey strip. This gives the strips a little more weight and makes them look even more playful.

Then trim the strips to different lengths. Do not cut them all exactly the same length. Vary the length slightly so the magic rain looks more lively and natural.

You can cut the ends straight or slightly at an angle. Small differences make the finished pillow look even more interesting.

Safety Note

If the cloud pillow is intended for a baby or toddler, carefully check all seams. The rain strips should be sewn in securely and must not come loose. Avoid any small parts that could be swallowed, and adjust the length of the strips according to the child’s age.

The pillow should only be used under supervision if the child is still very young. Especially with ribbons or strips, it is important to assess for yourself whether the finished pillow is suitable for the individual child.

Your cloud pillow with magic rain is now finished. The soft fabrics, the little face, and the colorful rain strips create a lovely one-of-a-kind piece that you can customize exactly as you like.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions or run into any problems, please feel free to write them in the comments. Of course, I would also be very happy to receive positive feedback. :)

Have fun sewing your own cloud pillow! Feel free to check out my other free blog posts as well, or take a look around my shop. There you will find many more sewing and crochet patterns for practical projects, cute plushies, and amigurumi.