Happy Black Friday! The Christmas season has officially begun here at Modish Quilter. No holiday would feel complete without a gift from us to our subscribers. We figured what you could really use this time of year in your sewing room is a little help to get all of your gifts done in time for gifting. Although we can’t come help to press your seams or square up your blocks we’d like to send some sewing do-gooders your way.
All current and new subscribers are being emailed our “Chillin With My Gnomies” quilt pattern for FREE. Gnomes have a long history of being cheery, if not slightly mischievous, creatures who offered late night assistance in gardens and protection of the home. We hope these adorable Gnomes will bring your sewing room some cheer while you’re cranking out your family members’ presents under your sewing needle while they sleep. If you believe in 1600’s European folklore they might provide a little assistance in the sewing room too while you’re away.
The pattern comes with instructions for making a throw size quilt, or a single quilt block which can be used to make a pillow. Have you never made a quilted pillow before? Don’t worry if you haven’t, because we’ve got you covered with a pillow cover tutorial!
Pillow Cover Tutorial
So you put together a test block that you love and don’t know what to do with it, or you love a block pattern so much that you want to make a block into a pillow? Here’s how to make an envelope pillowcase – with NO ZIPPERS! This project is also a great way to use up scrap batting.
Quilt the Block
First, lay your quilt block right-side up on a piece of batting. Cut out the batting 1 inch larger (on all sides) than the size of your block. For our example, we are using a 20” square block, so we will cut out a 22” x 22” piece of batting. We recommend using a thin, good quality batting that is 100% cotton!
Next, quilt the block and batting, just like you would on a quilt. This is a great opportunity to try out a new quilting technique since you’re working with a smaller project. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Once you’re done quilting your block, trim off the excess batting by squaring up your block.
Assemble the Pillow Cover
To determine how much fabric is needed for the back, divide the size of your pillow in half and add 2.5” for the width. The length will be the same size as your quilted quilt block. You will need two of these cut pieces of fabric. For our example block, since our pillow is 20” square, our two pieces of fabric will be 12.5” x 20” each.
Take the back pieces and lay them right-sides down. Along one length edge of each piece, fold and press the edge ½” in. Fold and press another ½” over to create a double ½” seam. Increase your stitch length to a 3 and top stitch along the edge of the inner fold.
With right sides together (quilt block facing up and back panels facing down), align your back pieces so that the hemmed edges overlap in the center and the raw edges all align with your quilt block. Pin in place and sew a ½” seam all the way around the block.
Trim your corners (careful no to clip the thread in your seam) and turn your pillowcase right side out. You may need to use a turning tool to poke the corners out more.
Lastly, you’ll need to find a pillow form that is the same size as your quilt block. In this example we would use a 20” x 20” pillow form. You can now slide your pillow form into your pillow cover and enjoy!
Enjoy!
We hope you’re enjoying all of these awesome projects with Modish Quilter! While shopping for the quilters in your life this holiday season consider gifting them a year of sewing fun with us! Grab a subscription to Modish Quilter Magazine HERE for your quilty friends and family.
Be sure to check out our current issue, Quilts Around the Home, or previous issues for more sewing inspiration.