Thursday, February 6, 2014

A Garden Gate Pillow Tutorial : :

A Garden Gate Patchwork Pillow Tutorial

Today I'm sharing a new tutorial for a 20" Garden Gate Quilted Patchwork Pillow, a project I designed as part of Amy's Creative Side's Pillow Collective! Amy invited me to join in this fun blog hop, asking that I put together a new pillow tutorial to share, inspire, and motivate you to create a handmade pillow of your very own, as well! Now let's get started!!

What you'll need : :
  • 6  - 6" squares of dark fabrics of your choosing (I'm using Blythe fabric by Rebecca Bischoff for Robert Kaufman)
  • 24 - 3.25" squares of light fabrics of your choosing (I'm using these Blythe prints)
  • 2 - pieces of fabric measure 3" x 20.5"  
  • 2 - pieces of fabric for the backing measuring 14" x 20.5"each
  • 1 - piece of batting measuring a 22" square
  • 1 - 20" pillow insert
  • Coordinating Thread
  • Rotary Cutter/Mat/Ruler
1 supplies

Cutting and Piecing the Fabrics : :

For this pillow I made lots of Flying Geese using my favorite method that yields four flying geese quickly! Each block begins with a 6" square of dark fabric, cutting one of these to yield four flying geese units. For the light fabric cut 3.25" squares, you'll need to cut four of these to yield four flying geese units.

1. Lay two of the light fabric squares onto the larger dark square with right sides facing. The light squares will overlap slightly in the middle. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the two light fabric squares. Pin in place.

2 mark and pin

2. Sew 1/4" away from the marked line, through all the layers, on both sides of the marked line.

3 stich from line

3. Cut on the marked line to make two units.

4 cut

4. Press open with the seam allowance pressed in the same direction for both.

5 press open

5. Working with one unit at a time, lay one of the remaining light fabric squares onto one unit.

6 final squares

6. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the light fabric square again and sew 1/4" away from the marked line on both sides of marked line.

7 mark ans sew again

7. Cut on marked line.

8 final cut

8. Press open and you'll have two finished Flying Geese. Repeat with the other unit and you'll have four Flying Geese. Repeat with the remaining 6" dark fabrics and 3.25" light fabrics until you have a total of 24 Flying Geese.

9 continue making geese

9. Layout your pattern and begin by sewing two flying geese together at a time using a scant .25" seam allowance to create the diamond pattern. Trim each diamond block to measure a 5.25" square.

10 square up

10. Using a 1/8" to a very scant 1/4" seam, sew together four diamond blocks to create a panel.

11 sew units together

11. Repeat for a total of three panels of four diamond blocks each.

12 sew four together

13 repeat

14 make three

12. Connect the three panels together using the two 3" x 20.5" fabric strips.

15 connect panels with strips

16 finished top

13. Baste the pieced pillow top to the batting using basting spray or pins.

Pillow Top Basting

14. Add the quilting stitches in a style of your choosing. Trim away excess batting to square up.

Quilt it

Trim up to a 20.5 square

15. Prepare the backing fabrics with a double seam or bound edge and finish the pillow with an envelope style closure. Insert the pillow form and viola!! Your pretty patchwork pillow is finished!

Garden Pillow Backing -- Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Black

Garden Pillow Backing -- Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Black

A Garden Gate Patchwork Pillow Tutorial

A Garden Gate Patchwork Pillow Tutorial

Be sure to stop by the blogs listed below to see all of the amazing pillow ideas being shared during the Pillow Collective!

If you do give this tutorial a go at anytime, be sure to share on my Facebook page, in my Maureen Cracknell Handmade Flickr group, or on Instagram tagging me @maureencracknell with hashtag #pillowcollective -- I love seeing what you create!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!     Maureen

39 comments:

  1. Oh I love it! So simple yet stunning! You are inspiring! I keep thinking I can come up with cool patterns/designs bc you make it look so easy! But I just haven't Yet! Until then I will use this pattern :0) thanks for sharing!

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  2. Love it. What I love about you Maureen you are not afraid to use large print fabrics in smaller projects. Your work is fantastic. thank you for this tutorial.

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  3. wow - I love this pattern!!! You make it look so simple!!! I have never tried the squares on the corners and slicing in the middle. I have done the flying geese like this but not two squares!!! I shall have to give it a try. Love your tutorials!!!! I follow you on instagram too and love it!!!

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  4. Very pretty - nice materials. Are you located in any of the bad storms in Pennsylvania?

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  5. Gorgeous, Maureen! I love the fabrics and pattern! =D

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  6. Another beautiful offering! Love this and ready to give it a try.
    lindagutierrez9@yahoo.com

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  7. Thanks for the great tutorial. Love the pillow. You made it look so easy.

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  9. this is very pretty. thanks for the tutuorial

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  10. I love the pillow, Maureen! I believe I'm going to give it a try. Thanks for the tutorial!

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  11. I love your pillow - those floral prints are beautiful too! Thanks for sharing Maureen!

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  12. This is so pretty. Thank you for sharing!

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  13. Oh, I just love this pillow ~ thank you so much for the tutorial ~ I've got some Art Gallery fabric from a while ago I think would look great in this pattern! Maureen, you inspired me with every post!!!

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  14. Very very pretty! thanks for the tutorial. :)

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  15. So pretty! I'm jealous of your stash . . . :)

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  16. Such a pretty pillow. I love the colors!

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  17. I've never seen flying geese made like this - I love it! Do you know if there is a formula to determine what size squares you need for different sized flying geese?

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  18. Beautiful! you never disappoint.

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  19. Very cool. I don't think I would know how to pull all those prints together but they are lovely.

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  20. Fab - been dying to try patchwork for a while. This has given me the incentive. Very clear instructions & lovely design.

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  21. I was happy to see your name on the list...... I have this problem with envelope pillows, I always have a gap in the back, but I think I told you that, so just delete if its a repeat question. Anyhow, I stopped by and the list goes on .. LOL

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  22. Oh, I love your Pillow choices and I am glad you reminded me about the flying geese I had forgotten about them, I dont like making them unless its easy and I am working with 10 in squares right now.......so this would look great. Hugs..

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  23. Love the tutorial! I have never made flying geese that way, but you have inspired me to try it!

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  24. I really love the pillow. I am definitely going to try this one. Stunning!

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  25. does the number generator work this far down the list?

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  26. does the number generator work this far down the list?

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  27. This is absolutely beautiful! Love the back too!

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  28. Love the pillow & the flying geese method! I've always hated how there's those waste triangles in other methods... :)

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  29. I follow Fabric Editions on FB.

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  30. I follow Maureen on FB. I love these fabrics you used for the pillow. This would make a nice quilt block too! Thanks!

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  31. how big is your finished front panel after quilting? Should it be 20"x 20", same size as the pillow?

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