Super Quick Quilting

The No-Focus-Needed Quilted Pillow

Stand up. Walk around. Eat a snack. Fill a few orders. Make a face mask. Pet the cat. Stare at the outside world, which seems so strange and distant nowadays. This is the dance I've done nearly every day since the start of the pandemic. And with this restless spirit comes a lack of attention. For nearly any project I pick up, I put it down in exchange for two new ones.

Besides being a project that I could focus on for a short amount of time, I also realized two other benefits of this small project. The quilted pillow is a great project to make when you just have to try out a new fabric or experiment with a new pattern. Or, it could serve all three purposes, like in my case!

I love the bold simplicity of these solid fabrics that I found in my stash and I used the pattern "Charming Chevron" by Karen Lewis from issue 43 of Love of Quilting and Patchwork. I've used chevron patterns before, like in my heart quilt, but love trying out new techniques to make some of my favorite things.

I also thought it would be fun (and encourage me to continue with the project) I've I changed up the backside of the pillow. Instead of doing a solid fabric backing for the pillow, I used the same fabric but a different layout! Here are the front and back pieces before being quilted.

Another reason I love a small project is the ease with which I can quilt them on my home machine. This project was done on my very basic Singer that my mom purchased in 1991 from Service Merchandise. Using a walking foot, I quilted these with a long stitch length and neutral colored thread, which is now available in our shop!

I love how I can flip my quilted pillow around every day to change something up in my house. I know this small bit of excitement might sound boring, but it's also helped me appreciate how joyful my craft truly makes me feel.