Category Archives: Pillow

Scattered Squares Pillow


Hello All!–Corey Yoder of Little Miss Shabby here!  I always love hanging out over here on MBS and sharing a new project with you. =)  This is a quick, beginner friendly design that will add a dash of panache to your living space.  It uses just one mini charm pack and a bit of yardage–you might even already have all the supplies you will need to complete this project.  I love adding hand quilting to my projects but you could easily swap out the hand quilting for machine quilting and have this pillow on your couch in a jiffy.


(The fabrics I used are in parentheses)

-1 Mini Charm Pack (Miss Kate)
-1/4 yard background fabric (9900-98)
-1/8 yard border fabric (55091-12)
-1/2 yard pillow backing fabric (55090-17)
-1/8 yard binding fabric (55092-17)
-20″ square piece of pillow backing fabric (this will be used for the pillow top sandwich)
-20″ square piece of quilt batting

-18″ pillow form

Thread for hand quilting, if desired.  I prefer to use an 8 wt. Perle Cotton.

Cutting Instructions

From the background fabric cut:
(3) 1″ x width of fabric strips, subcut into (36) 1″ x 2 1/2″ rectangles
(3) 1″ x width of fabric strips, subcut into (36) 1″ x 3″ rectangles
(2) 1″ x width of fabric strips, subcut into (2) 1″ x 15 1/2″ strips & (2) 1″ x 16 1/2″ strips
From the border fabric cut:
(2) 1 1/2″ x wof strips, subcut into (2) 1 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ strips & (2) 1 1/2″ x 18 1/2″ strips
From the pillow backing fabric cut:
(2) 12 1/2″ x 18 1/2″ rectangles
From the binding fabric cut:
(2) 2 1/8″ x wof strips, trim selvages and sew together to create continuous binding


Piecing Instructions 

Notes:
-Use a scant 1/4″ seam allowance

-You will need (36) mini charms from the charm pack.  I opted to remove several of the solid colors.
1.  Sew a 1″ x 2 1/2″ background rectangle to the side of each of the 36 mini charm squares.  Press toward the rectangle.
2.  Sew a 1″ x 3″ background rectangle to the side of the units made in Step 1.  Press toward the rectangle.
3.  Layout the squares as pictured.  Sew the squares together in horizontal rows.  Press seams in adjoining rows in opposite directions.  Sew together the rows.  Press seams in one direction.

Adding the Borders:

(Press all seams away from the center)
-Sew the 1″ x 15 1/2″ background strips to the sides of the pillow top.
-Sew the 1″ x 16 1/2″ background strips to the top and bottom of the pillow top.
-Sew the 1 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ border strips to the sides of the pillow top.
-Sew the 1 1/2″ x 18 1/2″ border strips to the top and bottom of the pillow top.
This completes your pillow top!
Layer the pillow top, 20″ batting square, and 20″ pillow backing square to create a pillow sandwich.  Quilt as desired.

Finishing the Pillow

1.  Hem (1) 18 1/2″ side of each of the 12 1/2″ x 18 1/2″ pillow backing rectangles.  To do so, fold the edge in(wrong sides together) approx. 1/4″ and press into place.  Fold in an additional 1/4″ and press.  Top stitch into place.

2.  With the pillow top facing down, place the hemmed rectangles as shown.  The finished pillow backing edges will overlap in the center of the pillow and all raw edges will be aligned.


3.  Pin the backing pieces into place.  Use a long stitch and baste 1/8″ around the perimeter of the pillow top.
4.  Sew the binding onto the pillow to complete your pillow.  The scalloped fabrics in Bonnie & Camille’s fabric lines are perfect binding fabrics.


1 beautiful 18″ x 18″ Pillow which, incidentally, is the perfect companion to my Ruby, Pearl, & Opal quilt which I shared on MBS several years ago when Bonnie & Camille’s Ruby line of fabric was released.

You can find the tutorial for this quilt here.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial!–I hope you’ll stop by my blog, Little Miss Shabby, for a visit!

Corey Yoder
{Little Miss Shabby}

Quilt As You Go Improv Pillows



Hi All! This is Jera from www.QuiltingintheRain.com bringing you a creative weekend project. This pillow uses a modern Quilt as you Go technique which will be featured in my upcoming book, Quilt-As-You-Go Made Modern, to be released this Fall. I’m so excited to share this technique with you all!
 
The Quilt as you Go technique is very creative as it doesn’t follow a precise pattern. Rather, it takes on more of a improvisational style of piecing and quilting. For updates on my latest quilting endeavors, check out my Quilting in the Rain Facebook page and blog. You can also find me on Instagram. Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the tutorial!


Please Note – For this pillow I used leftover Layer Cake squares from the April Showers Collection by Bonnie and Camille. Leftover fat quarter scraps will work too. For the solid borders, I used Moda Solids Prairie Cloth in Buff (this material is home decor weight but has a linen/canvas feel to it). For the back of the pillow, I used Moda’s Twill (home decor weight), Nautical Ticking Stripes in Red.

For Pillow No.1 (14″ x 14″ pillow cover):

  • 1 layer cake square (or a 10″ square cut from a fat quarter) 
  • 1/4 yard border fabric
  • 3/8 yard Backing
  • 15.5″ x 15.5″ batting square (needle-punched batting)
  • pillow insert

 For Pillow No.2 (16″ x 12″ pillow cover):

  • 6 layer cake squares for variety (or six different fat quarter prints)
  • 1/4 yard border fabric
  • 3/8 yard backing  
  • 17.5″ x 13.5″ batting square (needle-punched batting)
  • pillow insert 


    For Pillow No. 1 (14″ x 14″ pillow cover):

    1.  Take a 10″ square and place it in the center of the batting. Place a few pins to help keep it down. Then, quilt it directly to the batting. As shown below, make sure your stitch starts and ends on the batting.

    I did free-motion quilting with some simple loopy-loops. If you’ve never free-motion quilted before, now is a good time to try it out as it’s easier to do it on a smaller, more manageable block.

     2. From your border fabric, cut two 3.5″ strips along the length. Take a strip and trim it with fabric scissors so it’s the same length as the side of the square. With right sides facing together, sew a 1/4″ seam allowance.

    3. Press open, and then quilt lines that run parallel to the seam. There will be some extra fabric hanging over the batting. As shown below, make sure your stitch starts and ends on the batting.

    4. Take the strip and trim it with fabric scissors so that it measures the length of the square and strip that you just pieced together, as shown below. With right sides facing together, sew a 1/4″ seam allowance.

    5. Press open, and then quilt lines that run parallel to the seam. There will be some extra fabric hanging over the batting. 

    6. Repeat the previous steps until there is border fabric surrounding all four sides of the square. You are essentially piecing fabric in a log-cabin style method, but quilting it directly onto the batting as you go.
    When you are finished, the entire batting will be covered and will look similar to this.
    The back will look similar to this:
    Flip the block over so the batting side is facing you. Trim the excess fabric sticking out side of the batting. Then, flip it over so the patchwork is facing you and trim approximately 1/4″- 1/2″ from all four sides so that your block measures 14.5″x14.5″.
    7. Next, create an envelope closure for the backing. From your backing fabric, cut two 11″x14.5″ rectangles. Along the length,  turn the edge 1/4″ under, press, then turn under 1″, then press again. Stitch along the fold to keep in place to create a pretty seam. Repeat on the other rectangle as well. 
    With right sides facing together, take one rectangle and align it along the left side of the pillow cover. The finished seam you created from the previous step should be facing toward the right. Pin to keep in place, then sew a 1/4″ seam allowance along the perimeter as illustrated by the dashed line below. Start and end your stitch with a back-stitch.
    Repeat with the other rectangle, but align it on the right side of the pillow. Lastly, trim the corners to get rid of bulk fabric, and then turn right side out.
    Insert the pillow and there you have it! 🙂

     
    For Pillow No.2 (16″ x 12″ pillow cover):
    Please note: For this pillow, the same exact technique that was described above (for pillow No.1) was used, except with smaller pieces of fabric. The technique I explained from the first pillow will give you the basic understanding you need to complete this next pillow. That being said, I will not list step-by-step instructions.  Rather, I have listed the order in which the strips should be pieced. Enjoy!
    1. From your fabric, cut one 3″ square and a couple 2″ strips from each print (you will trim these strips as needed).
    2. Start by placing the 3″ square in the center of the batting, and then quilt it. Next, add strips making sure to trim them with fabric scissors to the correct size. Add the strips in the following order, using the quilt as you go method previously described. For this pillow, I quilted straight lines that ran parallel to all of the seams. 
    Tip! Fabric can shift while stitching on the batting. Correct for this by keeping the strips aligned and ‘square’ them as necessary. The seams of each successive piece should be at a 90° angle to the previous quilted piece. 
    Also, please note that your pieces will shift around slightly and the batting will stretch a little – this is completely normal. So don’t expect yours to look as straight as the illustration above. =)
    3. From your border fabric, cut one 5-6″ wide strip along the length. With right sides facing together, place the strip along the length of the patchwork as shown below. Overlap the strip with the patchwork as needed to straighten it out, and as mentioned in the “Tip!” above. Sew.
    4. Press the strip down, and then quilt lines that run parallel to the seam. Repeat for the top so that the entire batting is covered.
    5. Flip the block over so the batting side is facing you. Trim the excess fabric sticking out side of the batting. Then, flip it over so the patchwork is facing you and trim approximately 1/4″- 1/2″ from all four sides so that your block measures 16.5″x12.5″.
    6. Next, create an envelope closure for the backing. From your backing fabric, cut two 11″x12.5″ rectangles. Repeat step 7 from Pillow No.1 to create the envelope closure and to finish your pillow. 
    And that’s it! Quilt as you Go is a fun and different way to quilt. I hope you enjoyed learning this new improvisational technique! Now that you know the concept, you can get really creative with all the other fun Quilt as you Go pillow designs you can think up! 
    (Above: Paige modeling a Quilt as you Go strip quilt using the Scrumptious collection by Bonnie and Camille).
    Come visit me at www.QuiltingintheRain.com for more Quilt as you Go projects. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram.
    Let your creativity rain!
    xoxo
    -jera brandvig
    {www.QuiltingintheRain.com}

    Applique Hearts Pillow

     

    Hi All! This is Jera from www.QuiltingintheRain.com bringing you this simple Applique Hearts Pillow tutorial just in time for Valentine’s day. Depending on what fabrics you use, the pillow can be used year round. This pillow has an easy envelope enclosure, making this a quick and fun weekend project that you can complete in a few hours.

    Also, I wanted to share that I have a quilting book coming out this year, so come check out my blog for details (or for some great tutorials!), or follow me (and my corgi, Paige) at Quilting in the Rain’s Facebook to see my latest quilts and projects. Thank you so much for stopping by! Let your creativity rain!

    • 1 yard Moda Solids Prairie Cloth in Buff (this material is home decor weight but has a linen/canvas feel to it) 
    • 1 Bella Solids charm pack in Porcela, plus one scrap for the colored heart
    • Clear glue that works on fabric
    • Coordinating thread
    • 20″ square pillow insert


    1. From the prairie cloth, cut one 21″ square. For the back of the pillow, cut two 15″ x 21″ rectangles (these will be made into the envelope closure).

    From the charm squares, cut hearts of varying shapes and sizes. I think the variety and imperfection of the heart shapes adds character to the pillow. To cut a big heart, simply fold a charm square in half and crease it with your finger so it stays folded. Then, use fabric scissors to cut the arch of ‘half of a heart’ along the folded edge. When you unfold it, you will have a heart shape.

     
    To make smaller hearts,  repeat but cut two hearts from one charm square. 

    I started by cutting approximately 8 big hearts, and then filled up the pillow with smaller and medium sized hearts. Also, from your scrap fabric cut one medium-size colored heart.
    2. Next, arrange the hearts on the 21″ square.
    3.Use clear glue that works on fabric to temporarily hold the hearts in place. Use very little glue as this is just an alternative to using pins and is meant to be temporary. For each heart I put the tiniest drop of glue and then spread it with my finger to make a very thin layer.
    This is the glue I ended up using but i’m sure Elmers would work just as well. I just recommend getting a clear adhesive.
    4. Sew the hearts in place using a regular presser foot. I simply guided the edge of my presser foot along the heart to sew a 1/4″ seam allowance, using a straight stitch setting.
    If you’ve never done this before, to get around the curves of the heart you will need to stop and pivot the fabric quite often. To do this, simply stop sewing with the needle in down position, lift the presser foot and pivot the fabric underneath to follow the curve. You’ll get the hang of it. 🙂 
    5. Along the length of a 15″ x 21″ rectangles,  turn the edge 1/4″ under, press, then turn under 1″, then press again. Stitch along the fold to keep in place as shown below. Repeat on the other rectangle as well.

    6. With right sides facing together, take one rectangle and align it along the left side of the pillow cover. The finished seam you created from the previous step should be facing toward the right. Pin to keep in place, then sew a 1/2″ seam allowance along the perimeter as illustrated by the dashed line below. Start and end your stitch with a back-stitch.

    Repeat with the other rectangle, but align it on the right side of the pillow.

    Clip the corners to rid of bulk and then turn right side out through the envelope opening.

    7. Lastly, rub your hands up and down the pillow to help ruffle-up the edges of the hearts. The semi-freyed and ruffled hearts adds texture to the pillow. The freying will not go beyond the stitch. 

    And there you have it! A beautiful, applique heart pillow!


    One fabulous 20″ x 20″ pillow

    Thanks again for checking out my tutorial! Come visit me at www.QuiltingintheRain.com or follow me on Facebook at QuiltingintheRain. You can also find me on Instagram.

    Let your creativity rain! 🙂

    Jera Brandvig
    {www.QuiltingintheRain.com}

    Candy Bars and Candy Boxes Pillows


    Hi All! I’m Heather and I blog at here.  I hope Santa left you some candy (Moda Candy, that is!) in your stocking, because we’re going to make some pillows today.
    To make 2 pillows, you’ll need 2 Moda Candy packs, 2 fat quarters background fabric and 2 fat quarters pillow backing fabric.


    2 Moda Candy Mini Charm Packs (From Outside In by Malka Dubrawsky)
    2 Fat Quarters Background Fabric (Seed Grey)
    2 Fat Quarters Print Fabric (one for each pillow back)
    2 20″ squares of batting (optional)
    For each pillow, one 18″ zipper (Longer is fine! I used a 20″ and trimmed down.)
    Glue stick
    2 18″ pillow forms

    Let’s start with Candy Bars.
    On you design space (wall, floor, table, whatever you have) refer to the picture and arrange your candy pieces into groups of three. Move them around until you’re happy with your arrangement. These will make your pieced “bars.”  (See that piece in the top right corner ~ the one that’s the same as the background fabric? If that bugs you, see *** below.)
    From the background fabric, cut five 2.5” x 22” wide strips. Sub cut these strips into 2.5” x 6.5” long pieces. You’ll use 13 for this pillow top. Reserve the extra 2 for the Candy Boxes pillow.
    Place the background candy bars into place on your design space. Your layout should look like this:
    ***Take your backing fat quarter of fabric. Cut it down to 18”x 19”. Set aside. See that nice little remaining strip? Cut yourself one extra 2.5” square for the Candy Bar Pillow. 
    Whew, crisis averted.
    Using a ¼” seam allowance, sew the three piece units into candy bars. (Chain piecing makes this go super fast!)
    Sew the rows together. Press seams away from the background fabric.
    Sew your rows together, matching seams.
    Your pillow top should look something like this:
    Candy Boxes
    From the background fabric, cut four 2.5” x 22” strips. Sub cut these strips into six 2.5”x 6.5” bars and thirteen 2.5” x 2.5″ squares.
    Take your candy pieces and background bars and squares and arrange as below (use your reserved two background bars from the Candy Bars Pillow.) Or, if you’re only making the Candy Boxes pillow, cut an additional 2.5” x 22” background strip and sub cut into 2.5” x.6.5” bars. 
    Uh oh, wait a minute. You’re two candy pieces short of a full candy box. (Or three, if you count that one background piece of candy.)
    Okay, nobody panic. Here’s what we’re going to do. Take your second piece of backing fabric. Trim as in *** above, and cut a two additional 2.5″ square candy pieces (also cut one from the other backing fabric for more variety.)
    Okay, go back to arranging the blocks. You should have five 9 patch blocks with a seed grey center. You should have four alternating grey seed blocks with a patterned center. Sew the nine patch blocks together in rows. Press. Sew the rows together. Press.  For the alternating blocks, sew a background square to each side of a patterned square. Press. Sew the rows together. You should now have nice 6.5” blocks. 
    Sew your blocks together in rows. Press. Sew rows together. Press.Your pillow top should look similar to this:
    And here’s both pillow tops together.
    Decision time. To quilt, or not to quilt. Your choice. I decided to do some simple straight line quilting. I like the added structure and texture it adds. However, if you’re in a time crunch or just not feeling it, skip the quilting. 
    Time to make the pillow backs. We’re making a hidden zippered back with awesome flap/flange back. Complicated title, simple to make.
    From your background fabric, for each pillow cut a piece 4” x 18”. Fold in half, length wise, wrong sides together and press. This is your flap/flange.
    Take your backing fabric. Cut in half, to make two pieces 9.5” x 18”. (Or, cut into two pieces 6″ x 18″ and 13″ x 18″ or wherever you want your flap/flange to be!) 
    Take your zipper and run a small line of glue from your glue stick on the top side of the zipper.  Flip the zipper over on top of the flap fabric. The zipper will now be right side facing the flap with the glued edge meeting the raw edges of the back and flap. The glue stick gives the whole unit a little more stability, a little less “wiggle room.” I use Wonder Clips to hold the layers together.
    Your zipper should be face down, aligned at the left. 
    At you sewing machine, switch to your zipper foot. Sew the length of the zipper. When you get close to the zipper head, leave your needle down and raise your presser foot. Wiggle that zipper head down a bit, past where you’ve already sewn to get it out of the way. Continue sewing the zipper.
    Press well.
    Use your glue stick and glue the remaining top side of the zipper. Lay the top half of the pillow back on the bottom half of the pillow back, right side together, and matching the edge of the zipper with the cut edge of the backing. Sew as above. Press well. You now have a pillow back with hidden zipper and awesome flap/flange! Yeah you!
    Finishing: Trim your pillow top and pillow back to 18″ square. Lay your pillow top, right side up. Lay your pillow back on top of pillow top, right side down. Make sure your flap/flange is laying down nicely to cover your zipper. Unzip your zipper 3/4 of the way (this is your turning/escape hatch!) Pin all the way around. Stitch around all four sides. Clip the corner of your pillow to reduce bulk. Turn right side out. Press. Stuff with pillow 18″ pillow form (it should be nice and snug!) 
    Zip up your zipper and admire your handiness. Go show the rest of the family how clever you are!


    2 Deliciously Easy Pillows!

    Thanks for sewing along with me. I’d love for you to stop by my blog and say “hi”!

    Heather Kojan
    {www.heatherkojan.blogspot.com}

    Owl Pocket Pillow



    Hello again my dear friends!! I know it’s been a while since I have posted here but I am back and I am very excited to bring you this adorable little project!! If you don’t know me, I am KarrieLyne Winters and I am owner/designer of Freckled Whimsy. I’d love it if you stopped by to say hello! 🙂

    Are you ready to make oodles and oodles of these pocket owls??!! They are a bit addicting… so there you have your warning! Heehee!

    Ok, on to fabrics… For my tutorial I used Sweet Serenade by Basic Grey.  I would also encourage you to pilfer through your scraps and come up with some lovely combinations, such as maybe a quilt as you go version for the pocket. I think that’d be super cute!

    Grab those fabrics and let’s make some owls!

    1/2 yard cuts for the body
    1 Fat quarter for the front pocket
    1 Fat quarter for the back pocket
    Scraps for the wings, eyes, and nose
    Iron on adhesive that is paper backed, such as Heat’n Bond for face pieces
    Your favorite craft stuffing

    **Light to Medium weight fusible interfacing ( 3 yards) ** — This is optional. If you are making these for kids who will bury them in the sand box or use them for pillow fights, I suggest using this as a stabilizer to help support the cotton fabric.  If you are only using them for decoration, you will not need the stabilizer. A good Medium weight is Pellon 93TD.

    1.  Print out the PDF that has the templates.  Be sure not to reduce the size. Print at 100% and check your 1″ square against a ruler to ensure its truly 1″.  If it is not, check your printer settings.

    2. Pages 1-4 is the body of the owl. Cut out each piece and tape together making sure to match up outer edges. Don’t worry if inner lines don’t line up right on.

    3.  Using the 1/2 yard cut, keep wrong sides together and lay the body template on the fabric. Pin around the edges and using a rotary cutter or scissors, cut out the pattern.  Unpin. You will have a front piece and a back piece.  Set aside.

    4.  If you are using interfacing, repeat step 3.  You will then need to trim 1/2″ away from the edge all the way around. If you don’t, your edges will not fray. Iron interfacing to the wrong side of the body pieces following the manufacturers instructions. Be sure to center the interfacing before ironing it down.

    5.  Next, cut out and tape the front pocket and back pocket pieces together.

    6.  For each pocket you will need a fat quarter.  Take each fat quarter and fold it in half, wrong sides together and press. Lay the pocket templates on the fabric lining up the fold marks on the template with the fold on the fabric.  Pin in place and cut around sides. Do NOT cut the fold and keep the pocket folded.

    7.  Repeat for interfacing if you are using it.  Make sure you trim 1/2″ around this piece too, only don’t  cut the fold. Center on the wrong side of the fabric of each pocket, iron down per manufactures instructions.

    8.  Cut out the wing template and cut from fabric. I used a different fabric for each wing.  Feel free to do this or use the same fabric.

    9.  Take one owl body piece and lay the front pocket on top lining up the edges.  Lay the wings down, also matching up the edges. They will match up, just move along the edge until it lines up. Pin all 3 pieces in place.

    10.  Sew 1/2″ around the edge of each wing going through all layers (wing, pocket, owl body).

    11.  Cut out face pieces. Trace both eye pieces, two of each, and beak on the paper side of the heat’n bond. Cut out each piece. Do NOT remove paper backing yet. Using the manufacturers instructions, iron the pieces to the fabrics you chose on the WRONG side. Let sit to cool. Cut around pieces to remove excess fabric.  Remove paper backing.

    12.  Lay the beak on the front owl piece that has the pocket sewn on.  If you want it centered, fold the body in half to create a guide. Unfold and center beak on this fold mark. Make sure not to put it too close to the top of the head.  You need to leave room to sew the edges at a 1/2″ plus room for rounding edges after stuffing is put in. Use my photo as a general guide. Once you have it where you want it, press in place to activate the glue. Zig zag, or use another decorative stitch, around the edge of the beak. 

    13.  Repeat for the “whites” of the eyes using steps in #12 and then for the “pupils” of the eyes.  Experiment here before ironing down.  Change the placement of the pupils for different emotions. 🙂

    14.  Take the back owl body piece and the back pocket.  Line up the edges and pin in place along the top and center. Keep pins at least 1″ away from all outer edges.



    15.  Lay the back owl body WRONG side up, then lay the front owl body RIGHT side up and pin all layers together.

    16.  Starting at the left wing where the stitching begins, 1/2″ seam allowance, take a few stitches, backstitch, and continue sewing around the edge of the owl body keeping a 1/2″ seam allowance. Stop and backstitch when you get to the bottom of the opposite wing.  This leaves the bottom open to allow for stuffing.

    17.  Remove all pins and stuff.

    18.  Following the same 1/2″ seam allowance, stitch the bottom closed, backstitching at the beginning and end.

    19.  Maneuver and squish the owl to distribute the stuffing to your liking.

    20.  Here comes the fun part.  Making him scruffy! You can get this look multiple ways. Have your kids throw it around, sleep on it, hug it and squish it and call it George.  It will get there. You can also use a bristle brush to coax the fibers apart. My favorite thing to use is a wire bristle cat brush. Cleaned of course.  Those wires go to work like crazy and your owl will be scruffy in no time.  Just don’t brush too hard if you use one of the wire brushes so you don’t create holes.

    One super adorable owl! 😉

    Measures about 17″ high and about 13″ wide.

    What are you waiting for??? Go make some owls!!

    I would love to see the owls you make!! If you use Flickr, you can add the photo to my group HERE. Or just use the hashtag #FreckledWhimsy in any social media. You can also email them to me too!

    Thank you so much for looking. I hope you like the project!

    Much Love!!!

    Karrie Winters
    {www.freckledwhimsy.com}

    Type Geek Pillows



    Hi there! It’s Casey from Casey York Design and Studioloblog.wordpress.com, and I’m back to share the pattern for my Type Geek pillows. I am a self-professed type geek, myself, so I couldn’t resist coming up with a project for Typography month on the Moda Bake Shop. These pillows are a perfect way to showcase your favorite fabric collections and fonts. I had so much fun matching typefaces to fabric lines that I couldn’t stop with just one pillow and ended up making three. You can find the templates for these three appliqued words in the Printer Friendly version of this tutorial at the bottom of this page. However, it’s easy to create your own templates, and this project is even more fun if you make up your own fabric-font pairings. I hope you have as much fun with this project as I did, and that you’ll share your finished pillows with me through the Casey York Quilts flickr group!

    Front patchwork and back appliqué: one jelly roll (samples show PB&J, Comma, and 2wenty Thr3e)
    Pillow back: (1) fat quarter or ¼ yd. solid white fabric (samples show Bella Solids in Porcelain)
    Front Appliqué: (1) piece solid white fabric, 12” long X 3” wide
    Lightweight, double-sided, paper backed fusible web: (1) 9” X 12” sheet
    (1) 18” zipper 

    Please note: this pattern uses only (9) jelly roll strips, resulting in a lot of leftover fabric. You may want to plan another project to use the excess—I recommend one of the other wonderful tutorials here on the Moda Bake Shop!


    Step 1: Make the pillow front:

    Select nine strips from the jelly roll, trim to measure 18” long. Stitch along long sides to form a striped patchwork panel. Trim to measure 17 ½” X 17 ½.”

    Tip: For maximum contrast, try to position a darker print or near solid as the second stripe from the bottom. This will ensure that your white appliqués show up well. Reserve the rest of this strip for the appliqués on the back of the pillow, which you will make in Step 2.

    Step 2: Make the Appliqués

    Print the template for the typeface of your choice—this tutorial features Helvetica, Rockwell, and Playbill. You will only need one template page per pillow. Templates can be found in the printer friendly version of this tutorial linked at the bottom of this page.


    Tip: Make your own templates: Select a favorite font from your computer’s word processing program (bold san serif or slab serif fonts work best for this project). Type out the name of the typeface, then enlarge the character size until the letters are approximately 2” tall. This generally works out to be a type size of 180 to 210 pt., although this will differ from typeface to typeface. Print your template; for the pillow front appliqués, reverse the letters by turning the page over and tracing the outlines of the printed characters on the back. Use your templates to make fusible appliqués as follows.

    Following the manufacturer’s instructions, trace the templates onto the double-sided light fusible web. Cut out roughly, leaving a ¼” margin around your traced lines; you may want to cut out the entire word rather than cutting out each letter individually. Fuse the letters that appear reversed onto your white appliqué fabric. Fuse the letters that appear correctly oriented onto the wrong side of the jelly roll strip you reserved from Step 1, or a different strip that matches the second stripe from the bottom of your patchwork panel. Make sure to use a pressing cloth between your iron and fabric in order to avoid getting sticky residue on your sole plate.

    Step 3: Place the Front Appliques:

    Position your white fabric appliqués on the patchwork panel, aligning them with the bottom edge of the second stripe from the bottom. You will want to make sure that the last letter is at least 1 ½” from the right hand edge of the panel to leave room for the seam allowance.

    Tip: Begin laying out your letters from the right-most letter and move left (i.e. backwards) towards the left side of the panel. 

    When you are satisfied with your layout, fuse the appliqués in place, again using a pressing cloth between fabric and iron. Stitch around the appliqués using your machine or by hand; the samples were stitched by hand using a blanket stitch and a single strand of six-stranded cotton embroidery floss.


    Step 4: Make the Pillow back:

    From the solid white fabric, cut two rectangles measuring 17 ½” wide X 8 ½” long and 17 ½” wide X 11 ½” long. Fold one long edge of the 17 ½” X 8 ½” rectangle back 1 inch and press well, creating a crease.

    Install the zipper: 

    Make sure the zipper is zipped. Unfold the crease in the 17 ½” X 8 ½” rectangle and place with the crease facing up; this is the right side of your pillow back. Place zipper face-down along the 17 ½” edge closest to the crease and align long edge of zipper tape with edge of fabric; pin well. Your zipper will be slightly longer than your pillow back is wide; to create a new “stop”, simply stitch back and forth several times across the zipper teeth at the point where the zipper reaches the 8 ½” edge of the fabric. Use your machine’s zipper foot to stitch as close to the zipper teeth as possible. When you approach the zipper pull, lower the needle, raise your presser foot, and carefully unzip the zipper until the pull is behind your needle. Lower the presser foot and continue stitching to the end of the zipper.

    Refold crease; stitch along fold as close as possible to the zipper, making sure not to catch the zipper tape in your stitching. This will create a placket to cover the zipper.
     

    Unzip the zipper. Place the tape face down against a 17 ½” edge of the 17 ½” X 11 ½” rectangle and pin well. Stitch as close as possible to the zipper teeth. This time, when you reach the zipper pull, carefully zip the zipper until the zipper pull is behind your needle. Continue stitching to the end of the zipper. Zip the zipper, place pillow back right side up, and press well.

    You should have a 17 ½” X 17 ½” square (if slightly larger, trim to measure 17 1/2″ X 17 1/2″). Baste along side edges to hold zipper together when you assemble the pillow cover.

    Place the appliqués:

    Place your pillow front right side up. Place the pillow back on top with the right side facing down, the zipper towards the top edge, and the edges aligned. You should be able to see your front appliqués through the white fabric of the pillow back. Use a removable fabric marker–I recommend a Hera Marker or other creasing tool–and your ruler to trace lines along the bottom and sides of the word on the front of the cover. These will be your guidelines for placing the appliqués on the back. Turn the pillow back right side up and use the guidelines to place your back appliqués; the letters should be backwards. When you are satisfied with your placement, use your iron to fuse them in place. Stitch around appliqués using your machine or by hand.


    Tip: If you use a fabric marker or pencil to make your placement guidelines, make sure you remove your markings before you use your iron to fuse the appliques in place! This is why I prefer to use a creasing tool for this step–I don’t need to remove any markings before pressing.

    Step 5: Assemble the Pillow Cover:

    Place pillow front cover and back cover together, right sides together. Make sure the zipper is unzipped a few inches. Align edges and pin well. Stitch along edges with a ¼” seam allowance. If you wish, finish the edges with a zigzag stitch. Unzip zipper all the way and turn cover right side out. Insert an 18” X 18” pillow form and you’re done!


    This pattern will yield one cover for an 18” X 18” pillow. I recommend making several—have fun matching typefaces to the character of different fabric collections!

      Casey York
    {www.casey-york.com}

    120-Minute Gift: Yuletide Twist Pillow


    Christmas is almost upon us again but this year I am well prepared! I decided last year that I really needed to jazz up our living area this year with new Christmas pillows and Christmas quilts and for once I have actually been organized enough to do it!

    I made this pillow to co-ordinate with my Yuletide Twist Quilt which features in Issue 11 of Fat Quarterly. You can visit {www.fatquarterly.com/issues/issue-11}for more information.


    15 charm squares from Joy by Kate Spain
    1 fat eighth of red solid
    1 fat eighth of green solid
    1 fat eighth of blue solid
    1 fat quarter of white solid
    1/4 yard for binding
    24″ square piece of batting
    24″ square piece of lining fabric
    2 pieces 15″ x 22″ for the back of the pillow
    2 pieces 15″ x 22″ to line the back of the pillow

    Cutting Instructions

    From the red solid cut:
    8 strips 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″

    From the green solid cut:
    8 squares 2 1/2″

    From the blue solid cut: 
    16 squares 2 1/2″

    From the white solid cut: 
    12 strips 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″
    16 squares 2 1/2″
    2 strips 1″ x 20 1/2″

    Make the Centre Panel

    Trim the charm squares down to 4 1/2″ square. Arrange in 5 rows of 3 and sew together.

    Sew the white 1″ x 20 1/2″ strips to both sides of the panel

    .

    Make the Flying Geese

    Draw a line down the diagonal on the wrong side of all the green, blue and white 2 1/2″ squares.

    Make 8 flying geese using 16 white 2 1/2″ squares and 8 red 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strips.

    Make 4 flying geese using 8 green 2 1/2″ squares and 4 white 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strips.

     

    Make 8 flying geese using 16 blue 2 1/2″ squares and 8 white 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strips.

     

    Sew the flying geese into 2 strips as shown.

     

    Finish the Pillow

    Sew the flying geese strip to both sides of the pillow top. Layer the pillow top, batting and lining fabric anmd baste in place. Quilt as desired.

    I quilted straight lines down the geese and a swirly pattern all over the centre panel. Trim away excess

    Place the back pieces and back lining pieces together right sides facing. Sew along the long edge. Turn right side out, press and topstitch.

    Lay the pillow top right side down and place the back pieces, right side up, on top so that they are overlapping. Pin in place and sew all the way around with 1/8″ seam allowance. Trim away excess.

    Cut the binding fabric into strips 2 1/2″ wide and sew together to form a continuous strip. Use this strip to bind your pillow.

    1 pillow 20″ x 21″

    Tacha Bruecher
    {www.fatquarterly.com}