What Is a Patchwork Pillow?

Piecing

• The art of quilting involves accuracy in piecing. Aligned corners and rows of even stitching make the difference between a quality patchwork pillow and one that does not please the eye. Quilting differs from sewing in the pressing of seams. Quilters press seams with the edges toward the darker fabric, not with edges divided as in clothing construction. Pressing to the side prevents the batting from coming through the seam.

Difficulty

• Circles and curves are more difficult to work with than straight surfaces, and the common starter patchwork pillows are squares, rectangles and maybe triangles. Nine-patch is a common starter patchwork pattern, with nine squares assembled in three rows and three columns. These designs may have a strip border with 45-degree mitered corners for more style. A log cabin design is easy to make. The quilter starts in the middle with two squares and adds rectangular strips or "logs" in a counterclockwise process until reaching the desired size of the patchwork pillow.

Embellishments

• A simple patchwork pillow can have embroidery stitches or appliqué patchwork over a basic background. Embroidery is hand stitching with fancy surface stitches in colors that show the artisanship. Applique adds another layer or layers of fabric to the pillow top by stitching around the edge of the added design. Add embellishments before quilting a patchwork pillow.

Quilting

• You may prepare to quilt a patchwork pillow pieced top by making a quilt sandwich. The quilt sandwich requires a layer of batting and a backing fabric. The quilting looks best with the use of a quilting or embroidery hoop to hold the three layers together during the quilting or stitching process. Stitch in the ditch is a quilting method used primarily with machine quilting. The stitching does not show because it is exactly in the seam where the fabrics come together. Quilting with a straight stitch 1/4 inch from the seam edge is another common method of keeping the layers together.

Pillow Assembly

• Making the patchwork pillow top is where the artistry comes into play. Assembling the pillow is the sewing part and requires the backing fabric and maybe a zipper. You can use a pillow form or your choice of filler for the pillow, and make it plump or soft, depending on the amount of filler used. Add the zipper while you can work with the front and back pieces flat before you sew the sides and make the pillow envelope. You can make a separate envelope for the filler and insert it into the pillow envelope if your pillow will be washed often.