A Garden Gate 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

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



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



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



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



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. Cut on marked line.



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



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







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





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



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





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!









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

• Amy Ellis
• April Rosenthal
• Lisa Calle
• Natalia Bonner
• Megan Bohr
• Amanda Woodruff
• Heather Valentine
• Amy Smart
• Vanessa Christenson
• Maureen Cracknell  -- me!
• Amanda Jean Nyberg
• Dana Bolyard
• Christina Lane
• Heather Bostic
• Audrie Bidwell
• Amanda Herring

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