Updated at: 12-08-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

You may discover that quilting a pillow is more enjoyable than you first expected, and it’s an excellent skill to have.

The reasons why certain people enjoy quilting are often a mystery to others. In the end, repurposing discarded fabrics to make something new may be beneficial. Cutting perfectly beautiful cloth into different shapes and stitching them back together seems like a lot of unneeded effort.

Quilting, on the other hand, is the best option if you want to create a unique design. Creating a custom blanket, pillow, or whatever else your heart desires is as simple as sewing together a variety of different fabrics. It’s also a good way to unwind and de-stress.

What Exactly Is Quilting?

Quilting, if you’ve never heard of it, is the technique of sewing multiple layers of fabric together. Quilts can be used to cover pillows as well as beds, despite their common use as a bed covering. With two layers of cloth stitched together, quilts are often produced with a layer of padding in between.

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When it comes to quilts, their patterns and designs are used as the foundation for sewing.

What Is the History of Quilting?

Did you realize that the idea of quilting has been around since the medieval era?? Many quilt collections have been found in India, the Far East, and Europe. In Latin, the word “quilt” implies “cushion” or “bolster.”

Quilted Pillow Cover Supplies

  • For this guide, I’ll be using an 18-inch cushion insert, but you can use any size you wish. As an alternative, you can utilize the insert from an existing throw pillow.
  • If you don’t already have a rotary cutter (or scissors if you don’t), a ruler, or whatever to serve as a straight edge for trimming your cloth edges, you’ll need a sewing machine and thread.
  • The front of the pillow will be covered in this fabric. As a general rule, make the pillow top 1″ smaller than your pillow insert, whichever pattern you pick. This will guarantee that your pillow will appear full and luxurious. So, for example, my pillow top will be 17 inches square because my insert is 18 inches square. If you choose to use a solid piece of fabric for the pillow top and not piece it together, simply cut it to 17″ square.
  • In order to complete your quilted pillows, you will need batting. The batting I use is made entirely of cotton. Set aside at least an inch of batting for the quilting procedure. I’m going to cut my batting into 18″ squares to make it fit my quilt.
  • Using two pieces of fabric to make a pillow’s back is required. It’s recommended that the backing piece be 1 inch smaller than the insert for an 18-inch pillow, so I cut two pieces 9 inches by 17 inches each.
  • I used a 5′′ x 42′′ piece of fabric that I cut into two 2 12” x 42′′ strips for the pillow’s binding (step 5).
  • Zipper length: I used a 16″ zipper.
  • Pins or a Basting Spray.

Your Guide on How to Quilt a Pillow

Step 1: Look or buy some fabric

It’s preferable to have a strategy in place before you go out and buy fabric. There is no requirement to plan out the exact pattern on the fabric. Instead, opt for complementary colors. Here are a few instances of the color palette in use.

If you already have any spare fabric, you may use it to make a pillow cover. It doesn’t matter what shape and size they are. Set aside any fabric that doesn’t match up with the pattern you’ve come up with.

Step 2: Prepare your quilting tools and equipment

Additionally, you’ll need a large piece of fabric to cover the pillow’s back, which should be the same size as the cushion itself. The 20-by-26-inch sleeping pillow and the 16-inch square ornamental cushion are only two examples.

How to Sew a Puff Quilt {free tutorial} - SewCanShe Free Sewing Patterns for Beginners

Always leave at least one inch of excess fabric around the sheet’s perimeter. You must do this in order to join the front and back of the cover. Also, make sure you have enough pillow filling or a prefabricated form that is the correct size.

Your batting fabric should be at least an inch larger on both sides than the cushion size you’ve chosen. Prepare a backing fabric, such as muslin or some other leftover cloth, with the same proportions.

You can use a spray baste to lessen the appearance of puckering. Even if it’s purely a matter of personal preference, it can make a difference in terms of the final appearance. Sewing supplies including thread, needles, and basting pins should also be included.

Step 3: Cut your fabric according to the pattern you prefer

The alternating squares design is the most prevalent. Basically, different colored or patterned textiles are cut into equal-sized squares. You can, however, design your own pattern and create a unique pillow by combining various shapes and sizes.

You can make them out of checkerboards, perfect triangles, or any other random shape you choose. You might begin by searching for pre-made pillow quilting patterns. Using your own fabric or purchasing some based on the sample you choose, you may then replicate it.

Step 5: Quilt the pillow

You should first arrange the pattern for the pillow before beginning the quilting. After that, use your straight basting or safety pins to sew all of the material together. To begin stitching the strips together, proceed to step two only.

Spray baste the pattern onto the batting sheet after you’ve made it to limit the amount of puckering. Put the muslin or backing cloth down below it. Using your sewing machine, begin quilting the top once all layers have been properly positioned and secured.

The surplus fabric can be trimmed once you’ve completed all the quilting. Then stitch the quilted pattern on the back of the cover, hemming all sides to provide tidy edges.

Simple Quilted Pillow Tutorial from Nadra of Ellis & Higgs - Diary of a Quilter - a quilt blog

If you plan to use fillers, leave a tiny gap and then seal it up. Make it into a pillowcase if that’s what you’d rather do. Fill it with a form and then sew zippers together on one side.

Final Thoughts on How to Quilt a Pillow

It’s not as difficult as it seems to follow this tutorial on how to quilt a cushion. This is a fantastic place to start if you’ve never done anything like it before. You can also make extra pillows or other household items out of the leftover fabric from this project.