by Victoria Newmyer, aka Midlife Quilter
Skill level: Beginner
Fabrics shown are from Art Gallery Fabrics, A Year in Petals, by Bonnie Christine
Spring is one of my favorite seasons. Since I live in West Michigan, we get through the cold, wintry days by dreaming of spring days ahead.
This 18.5” pillow is a quick make, and is very scrap friendly! You just need one 6.5” square, twelve 3.5” squares and 1/3 yard of background for the top.
This beginner friendly pattern is a lovely way to showcase your favorite fabrics or to coordinate with your décor. It’s a win-win!
The pattern below creates the pillow as shown, but feel free to make it scrappier and not repeat any colors. If you are like me and prefer controlled scrappy, follow the instructions to create a balanced palette with placement.
Supplies needed:
Fabric (requirements listed below)
Thread
Sewing machine
Rotary cutter and ruler
18” pillow insert
24” square of batting
Fabric requirements:
Fabric A, blue, (2) 3.5” squares
Fabric B, pink, (4) 3.5” squares
Fabric C, gold, (3) 3.5” squares
Fabric D, green, (3) 3.5” squares
Fabric E, center green floral, (1) 6.5” square
Background: 1/3 yard minimum, recommend ½ yard if you need to square up fabric.
Backing for top: 5/8 yard (will not show in final project)
Backing for pillow: 1/2 yard
Cutting instructions for background:
Cut (6) 2” by WOF strips.
Subcut into:
(2) 2” x 9.5” strips
(2) 2” x 6.5” strips
(12) 2” x 5” strips
(12) 2” x 3.5” strips
Sewing instructions:
Gather your 3.5” fabric squares. Pair each one with a 2” x 3.5” strip, right sides together. Sew the strip to the right of the square.
Next, take the unit you created above, and pair each with a 2” x 5” strip. Sew the strip to the right of the square.
Repeat with every 3.5” square and coordinating strips. You will make a total of 12 units like diagram 4.
Next, take the 6.5” center square and the (2) 2” x 6.5” strips. Sew the strips to the sides as shown.
Next, take the 2” x 9.5” strips and sew to each side of the unit you created.
Pillow Top Assembly:
Note: you want to focus on where the 3.5” square is placed within the small square units. Focus on that more than the strips. Your longer strip may be on a different side than shown in the diagram. That’s ok, just turn the pieces so the square is oriented to match the diagram below.
Take a fabric A, Fabric D, Fabric B and Fabric C small square unit. Orient them as shown in the diagram 9 and sew them into a row. This will be Row 1 in the pillow.
Repeat with a Fabric D, Fabric C, Fabric B and Fabric A small square units. Orient them as shown in diagram 10 and sew them into a row. This will be Row 3 in the pillow.
Next, sew a Fabric B and Fabric C small square unit together to form a vertical unit as shown below in Diagram 11. Repeat this with a Fabric D and Fabric B small square unit as shown in Diagram 12.
Diagram 11 Diagram 12
Sew these vertical units to either side of the center square as shown in Diagram 13. This will be row 2 in the pillow.
Sew Rows 1, 2, and 3 together to form your pillow top.
Finishing Your Pillow
Create a quilt sandwich by layering a backing piece measuring 24” square, right side down, 24” square of batting and your pillow top. Quilt as desired.
Take the 1/2 yard of backing fabric and cut into (2) rectangles measuring 12.5” x 18.5” rectangles.
Take each rectangle and fold over the 18.5” long edge down by 0.5”, press, then fold over 0.5” again. Sew the hem down with a top stitch.
Place your quilted pillow top, right side up, and cover with the backing pieces, right side down. There will be overlap in the center of the backing pieces to create the envelope opening.
Pin the backing pieces in place or use binder clips.
Sew all the way around using a 1/4” seam allowance. Trim the corners, being careful not to cut into your seams. This will create sharper corners when you turn it inside out.
Turn your pillow cover right side out. Give it a good press and enjoy!