Kimberbell Bench Pillows: A Look Back

At Kimberbell, we're known for our darling 16 x 38" bench pillows. Just name the holiday, season, or special occasion, and we've probably got a bench pillow for that!

So let's celebrate bench pillows in all of their glory, beginning with the very earliest designs and working our way to the present. 

The First Bench Pillow

The Kimberbell Bench Pillow was a stroke of inspiration. Years ago, as Kim was making a 40 x 40 winter quilt, she thought the bottom row would be SEW cute on a bench!

So she took that row (two snowmen and a penguin), made a 16 x 38" pillow, and put it on the bench in her entryway. The Kimberbell Bench Pillow was born (drumroll) . . .with Winter Whimsy! 

Winter Whimsy

Winter Whimsy brightens cold winter days in wonderful ways! Kimberbell’s classic bench pillow features two lovable snowmen and their penguin pal, each with dimensional hats.

☃️ Purchase and download the Winter Whimsy Bench Pillow HERE!

Classic Bench Pillows

After creating Winter Whimsy, a whole series of seasonal bench pillows followed. I call this time period (and this is NOT official) the "Classic Bench Pillows" era. 

These bench pillows featured one darling scene that spanned the pillow and included creative dimensional elements. (How many of these classics have you made?)

Slice of Summer Watermelon & America, Land That I Love

Slice of Summer Watermelon is a  refreshing bench pillow with dimensional blossoms, applique wedges, and a large patchwork slice with a lovely ruched rind.

America, Land That I Love is delightful decor for July with patchwork blocks and patriotic colors. Create applique stars, a beautiful banner, and dimensional pinwheels! 

🍉 Purchase and download the Slice of Summer Bench Pillow HERE!

🇺🇸 Purchase and download the America, Land That I Love Bench Pillow HERE!

Welcome Autumn & Halloween Boo

Welcome Autumn celebrates the season with an applique squirrel, delightful owl, and hanging banner. Add black buttons to the owl eyes and stitch border blocks with a lovely leaf motif! 

Halloween Boo features a grinning Jack-o’-Lantern and flowers with candy corn petals. A black cat perches against the full moon! 

🍂 Purchase and download the Welcome Autumn Bench Pillow HERE!

🎃 Purchase and download the Halloween Boo Bench Pillow HERE! 

Gather Together & Game On

Gather Together features warm colors, a welcoming sentiment, and an applique pumpkin! With a stunning wreath and pieced braided border, this bench pillow is beautiful fall decor.

Game On is perfect for Super Bowl parties, homecoming games, and the whole football season! With an athletic sentiment and team colors, Game On is the bench pillow you can’t wait to tackle.

🌰 Purchase and download the Gather Together Bench Pillow HERE!

🏈 Purchase and download the Game On! Bench Pillow HERE!

May Flowers & Welcome Spring

May Flowers are a delightful way to celebrate spring! Our classic bench pillow features a darling row of flowers . . .but oops! One tipped over! 

Welcome Spring is a breath of fresh air with a darling umbrella, sweet sentiment, and rain boots filled with dimensional fabric flowers. Add beads, bows, and rick-rack borders! 

💐 Purchase and download the May Flowers Bench Pillow HERE!

☂️ Purchase and download the Welcome Spring Bench Pillow HERE!

Deck the Halls & Be My Valentine

Deck the Halls with three pieced wreaths framed by a festive patchwork border. Top your wreaths with holly berry buttons and bows!

Be My Valentine is decor to fall in love with! Stitch applique hearts, a sweet sentiment, and a patchwork border, then add ribbon bows to the hanging hearts for a pleasing pop of dimension. 

🎄Purchase and download the Deck the Halls Bench Pillow HERE!

❤️ Purchase and download the Be My Valentine Bench Pillow HERE!

Let's Go Fly a Kite & Home Sweet Home

Let’s Go Fly a Kite is a whimsical way to welcome spring! Two adorable applique kites fly in the springtime breeze, their rick-rack tails dancing behind them. 

Home Sweet Home is cheery decor for the place you adore! Stitch three applique houses with tilted chimneys and button doorknobs, then hang the dimensional sign with a button and twine.

🪁 Purchase and download the Let's Go Fly a Kite Bench Pillow HERE!

🏡 Purchase and download the Home Sweet Home Bench Pillow HERE!

A New Look

After these beautiful classics, Kimberbell started designing bench pillows with a new look. Embroidery was offset with pinwheels and patchwork and filler blocks, like these! 

To me, they look like a quilt turned into a pillow. ☺️ We also started adding new and exciting embellishments, making our bench pillows more textured and dimensional than ever! 

Luck o' the Gnome & Hoppy Easter

Luck o’ the Gnome has “all the joy your heart can hold!” Make darling leprechauns with knobbly knees, along with a rainbow, pot of gold, and shiny green shamrocks.

Hoppy Easter is a joyful parade of peek-a-boo bunnies, downy chicks, and dimensional elements! Applique carrots have looped ribbon tops and just-hatched chicks have fluffy fringed wings. 

🍀 Purchase and download the Luck o' the Gnome Bench Pillow HERE!

🐇 Purchase and download the Hoppy Easter Bench Pillow HERE!

Sweet as Pie & Ginger's Kitchen

Sweet as Pie is a feast for the eyes with delectable colors and delightful techniques! Create pies with fabric and vinyl, then top with a felt lattice crust. 

Ginger’s Kitchen is “baking spirits bright” with jolly gingerbread and Christmas confections! Add ribbons and bows to the cookies, then cap gingerbread houses with applique glitter.

🥧 Purchase and download the Sweet as Pie Bench Pillow HERE!

🍪 Purchase and download the Ginger's Kitchen Bench Pillow HERE! 

Two Scoops & Shout Hooray

Two Scoops is summertime sweet with your favorite frozen desserts! Enjoy ice cream sandwiches, dipped bars, milkshakes, and more, all served with a smile from the applique cart and truck. 

Shout Hooray is a total party with confetti, cake, and more! Stitch names and greetings with our included alphabet and sentiments, then feature your message in the letterboard panel.

🍦 Purchase and download the Two Scoops Bench Pillow HERE!

🎉 Purchase the Shout Hooray Bench Pillow HERE! (This product will be shipped.)

Neighborhood Street Scenes

Around that same time, we started designing popular neighborhood and street scenes, beginning with Twilight Boo-levard and ending most recently with Autumn Acres.

I love these pillows. Each nostalgic scene feels like you can just wander up the lane and enjoy every stop along the way! 

Twilight Boo-levard & Autumn Acres

Twilight Boo-levard is where you’ll find all your favorite “haunts!” Stop into Bella’s Boo-tique and Broomhilda's Bakery, then rest beneath a spooky old tree. (Also add a string of  fairy lights!)

Autumn Acres is warm and whimsical with cozy colors, crisp apples, and crunchy leaves. Stitch cornstalks and sunflowers, then add a vintage truck, general store, cider stand, and country home! 

🦇 Purchase and download the Twilight Boo-levard Bench Pillow HERE!

🌻 Purchase and download the Autumn Acres Bench Pillow HERE! 

Candy Cane Lane & Sweetheart Street

Candy Cane Lane celebrates the wonder of the holiday season! Stitch lamp posts, houses, and a darling cocoa stand, then add festive fairy lights to make them glow. 

Sweetheart Street is Valentine Day-cor to make your heart happy with sweet memories and delicious designs. Choose from three sentiment options for the sign at Grandma’s house! 

🎄 Purchase and download the Candy Cane Lane Bench Pillow HERE!

🍬 Purchase and download the Sweetheart Street Bench Pillow HERE! 

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail & Main Street Celebration

Hoppin’ Down the Bunny Trail features blossoms, bees, and more! Follow the sign to the carrot home, then open the mushroom door to peek inside. A bunny burrows into the rain boot pocket!

Main Street Celebration is inspiring decor for every hometown heart! This beautiful bench pillow pulls out all the stops, with fairy light fireworks bursting in the night sky. 

🥕 Purchase the Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail Bench Pillow HERE! (This product will be shipped.)

🛻 Purchase and download the Main Street Celebration Bench Pillow HERE!

Nativity Bench Pillow

I didn't know how to categorize the Nativity Bench Pillow, so I'm just going to set it apart as its own special project.

The Nativity Bench Pillow is a peaceful reminder that all is calm and all is bright. The Holy Family is safely ensconced in an applique stable, while fairy lights twinkle in the night sky. 

✨ Purchase and download the Nativity Bench Pillow HERE!

I hope this look back has been as fun for you as it's been for me! Have you made any of these bench pillows? Which one is your favorite?

Bench pillows are just one more way to Experience the Joy of Creativity® with Kimberbell. Give one a try! Our instructions will walk you through each step. 

Psssst . . .don't forget the 16 x 38" Pillow Insert so you can swap each pillow cover out with each new season!

Happy stitching!