I have been gradually accumulating a stash of print fabrics,
but I realized I've been neglecting them. When I pulled them out to plan a fall
project, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had four fabrics that worked
perfectly together. I knew I wanted to make something patchwork, and since my
living room is in need of a splash of fall color, I decided on a pillow.
The pattern is super simple. I cut four 3 1/2-inch squares
(for the center strip) and eight 3 1/2-by-5-inch rectangles for the top and
bottom strips. To give the fabric stability, I adhered a piece of iron-on fusible
web to each.
After playing around with the pieces for about an hour, I
finally settled on an arrangement. Then it was time for the stitching. Using a
1/4-inch seam, I sewed the four square pieces together to make the center
strip. To assemble the top and bottom strips, I sewed the long edges of the
rectangle pieces together.
Pretty easy so far, right? To finish the pillow front, I sewed
to three strips together, and then pressed the seams flat on the wrong side. I
kept the pillow back simple. It's a 12-inch square of the brown print, but if
you're feeling ambitious, you can make the back patchwork too. To assemble the
pillow, I pinned the front and back together, wrong sides facing, and sewed the
top and both side edges closed. Then I turned the pillow right side out,
inserted a 12-inch pillow form, and whip-stitched the bottom edge closed.
That's it! My first patchwork pillow is finished and sitting
pretty on my love seat. I think I'll be making more to keep it company.
