Fastest Sew in the West!
Posted by Lori Lee Triplett on Sep 14th 2017
Instead of the fastest draw in the west, I’m writing to tell you about the fastest way to make a pillow. This title should not be confused—I'm definitely not saying I’m the fastest sewist! (Not that every time you make a pillow it needs to be the fastest and the easiest way. I recognize that sometimes slow and careful is important too. However, three seams and no handwork is hard to beat!)
Simply cut a strip of fabric 13" x 27" for a 12" x 12" pillow form. Leave the selvage on one end and iron under. On the other end, turn the edge under and sew a quarter-inch seam (that counts as one seam). If you’d like to add a decorative block, now is the time to add it. If you don’t want the decorative block, skip the next paragraph.
I used a fusible block kit from the Triplett Sisters’ Block-of-the-Month quilt, and ironed it onto a 9" block. This block is from the quilt featured in the book Pioneer Quilts: Prairie Settlers’ Life in Fabric • Over 30 Quilts from the Poos Collection. Next, take the 9" block with batting and lay the block on the strip of fabric 7 1/2" from the bottom. The strip of fabric makes the third layer of the sandwich. Then, simply quilt as desired, adding ribbon or trim around the outside to cover the edges!
Fold the rights sides of the strip together, bringing the bottom up to 6", and fold the top down with an overlap. Sew your two side seams up using a larger ½" seam. You are now done with sewing! Simply trim the corners of the pillow and turn inside out. Pull the corners out to create the 90° angles and press. Then simply insert your pillow form.
Beside speed, this method has other benefits too, since the form isn’t stitched in the pillow. It allows you to change the pillow cover seasonally, by holiday, or even change it out monthly. Another bonus: when you remove the pillow form, the pillow cover stores flat and doesn’t take up all the space of a full pillow. It also allows the pillow cover to be washed, and finally, if the pillow form wears out, simply buy a new pillow form for all your covers. You are now fully deputized to make the fastest pillow in the west. Go raid your stash for the perfect pillow fabric!
We're giving away a free ebook copy of Pioneer Quilts, so you can put your new super-fast pillow sewing skills to use with more historical blocks! You can enter the giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway.
