Autumn Sunflower Pillow Pattern (Free)
The Autumn Sunflower Pillow is a crochet pillow project written by Mallory Krall of Nautikrall Crochet. This page is a pattern overview, not a full tutorial: it gathers the supplies, gauge, sizing and construction notes so you can decide whether the project suits your yarn and your season, then follow the Original designer’s pattern and instructions for the row by row details. The design is built from starburst sunflower granny squares joined into a panel, and the source describes it as a late summer into autumn piece.
If you enjoy seasonal pillow covers, our Bobble Crochet Pumpkin Pillow: Pattern Overview covers a related autumn project worth comparing before you choose a yarn palette.
Intro
The designer frames this pillow as a transitional piece, sitting between late summer and early autumn. The sample uses Wool of the Andes Tweed from WeCrochet, a worsted weight tweed whose texture the source credits with giving the sunflower square a rustic, warm look. The maker also mentions working the design in more than one colour before stopping, which suggests the square is a good candidate for experimenting with different petal and background combinations.
Sunflowers carry strong seasonal associations, and the source leans into that: the project is presented as a way to hold onto late summer flowers while moving toward autumn colours. If you like the idea of a pillow cover that changes character with your yarn choice, this is the useful part of the overview, because the square motif does most of the visual work and the colour placement does the rest.
On access: the source offers the pattern on the web, and it also notes an ad-free, printable PDF available through the designer’s Ravelry and Etsy pattern shops. Those are separate formats, so free web access does not mean the printable PDF is free. Check the designer’s own listing for current format and pricing details.
Notions
The supply list is short and ordinary, which keeps the project approachable. Here is the complete checklist exactly as the source lists it:
- US 5.00 mm (size H) crochet hook
- Needle for weaving in ends
- Scissors
- 14 in x 14 in washable pillow form (insert)
Nothing here is unusual, but the pillow form matters more than it looks. It is specified as washable and as a 14 in x 14 in insert, which matches the finished size listed further down. A washable insert suits a cover that will live on a sofa or chair through the damp part of the year.
Yarn
The sample yarn is WeCrochet (Knit Picks) Wool of the Andes Tweed, worsted weight, listed at 110 yd per 50 g. The source breaks the sample into five colours with specific yardage and gram amounts:
| Colour | Name | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A | Farmhouse Heather | 24 yd (11 g) |
| B | Rabbit Heather | 40 yd (18 g) |
| C | Olive Heather | 86 yd (39 g) |
| D | Prussian Heather | 84 yd (38 g) |
| E | Oyster Heather | 88 yd (40 g) |
The source states that any worsted weight yarn will work as long as gauge is met, and names these alternatives: WeCrochet Wool of the Andes Superwash, Wool of the Andes Worsted, Dishie, City Tweed Aran and Brava Tweed. Treat those amounts as sample specific estimates. If your squares come out larger than the stated gauge, the source notes you will need more yarn.
Gauge
Gauge is given in a simple, motif based way rather than as a stitch count over a flat swatch. A four round sunflower square should measure 4.5 in square, unblocked, and the finished pillow panel should measure 16 in, also unblocked. Both figures come from the source as written.
Because the gauge is tied to the square itself, the practical check is to work one square and measure it before committing to all nine. If your square is larger than 4.5 in, the source advises adjusting your hook size to meet the pattern gauge, and warns that oversized squares will consume more yarn than the sample amounts.
Finished Size
The finished pillow is listed as 14 in x 14 in. That is the size of the completed cover once the panel is joined and seamed around the insert, and it matches the 14 in x 14 in washable pillow form named in the notions list.
Glossary (using US Crochet Terminology)
The source uses US crochet terminology and supplies a short abbreviation list. These are standard technical definitions, so they are worth keeping to hand while reading the pattern:
- st(s): stitch(es)
- ch: chain
- ch-sp: chain space
- sl st: slip stitch
- YO: yarn over
- SC: single crochet
- DC: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- cl st(s): cluster stitch(es)
- 2 DC cl: 2 double crochet cluster stitch
- 4 tr cl: 4 treble cluster stitch
- 5 tr cl: 5 treble cluster stitch
- CJAYG: continuous join as you go
- DC shell: group of DC stitches
The glossary also explains how the cluster stitches are formed. For a 2 DC cluster, you yarn over, insert the hook into the circle, draw up a loop, then yarn over and pull through two loops; work a second partial double crochet into the circle the same way, then yarn over and pull through the three remaining loops, finishing with a chain 1. The 4 treble and 5 treble clusters follow the same partial stitch method, repeating until five or six loops sit on the hook, then yarning over and pulling through all of them.
Pattern Notes
Several notes shape how the project behaves in practice. Gauge is described as important, and the source repeats that larger squares mean more yarn. The written pattern treats a chain 2 as a double crochet and a chain 3 as a treble crochet throughout, so the turning chains are counted as stitches rather than ignored.
The panel is deliberately tight. The source explains that crochet tends to loosen over time and that the designer prefers a snug fitting cover. If the panel feels too tight for your taste, the suggestion is to add another round of double crochet stitches to the final 3×3 panel before joining. That is an optional adjustment, not a required step.
One caution is worth repeating: the source notes that some video tutorials were made for other patterns. The written pattern’s yarn recommendations, hook size and stitch counts take priority, and the videos are intended only as visual guides. There is also a Colour Legend section in the original that lists the designer’s favourite substitutions for Colour D, which is useful if Prussian Heather is hard to find.
Pattern Starburst Sunflower Granny Square
The panel is made from nine sunflower squares, and each square is worked in four rounds with colour changes that build a flower like centre and then square it off. This overview will not reproduce the row by row instructions; the full round by round text lives with the designer, and the source also points to a video tutorial for the square.
Assembling Pillow Panel (CJAYG)
The nine squares are joined into a panel using the solid, tight CJAYG method, which stands for continuous join as you go. The source describes starting in the top right hand corner and joining squares across the rows, and gives an example of the direction: the first row joined from square number 3 across to square 1, the second row from square 6 to 4, and so on.
A video tutorial accompanies this step in the original. Once the panel is complete, the instruction is to fasten off and weave in all ends. Because the join is described as solid and tight, the finished panel reads as one continuous surface rather than as separate motifs with visible gaps.
Assembling Finished Pillow Cover
The finished pillow panel should measure 16 in. To assemble the cover, place it wrong side up, fold the corners of the cover into the centre, and seam them together using a zigzag slip stitch. On the final seam, leave enough room to insert the pillow before closing it completely, then fasten off and weave in all ends.
One note from the source is worth flagging so the photos do not confuse you: the assembly pictures were taken from the Hygge Burst Pillow Pattern. Your version will show sunflowers and uses only a 3×3 panel, so the layout in the images is a stand in for the seaming method rather than a picture of this exact cover.
~The End~
The source states that the pattern, photographs and video tutorials belong to Nautikrall Crochet. Makers may sell items they make from the pattern, but may not sell, reproduce or distribute the pattern itself, in whole or in part, as their own. The stated copyright is 2023 Nautikrall Crochet, all rights reserved.
If you want the full instructions, the round by round text, the video tutorials and the Colour Legend substitutions all live with the designer. Start with the Original designer’s pattern and instructions, work one square to check gauge, and choose your five colours with the seasonal transition in mind.
