Box Quilt Block Pillow Tutorial

Last week I shared the tutorial for the Box Quilt Block and today I’m showing you the beautiful batik pillows I decided to make with my blocks. These will match our new sofa perfectly. I hope you enjoy the Box quilt block pillow tutorial.

Each pillow is made with 4 of the box blocks and I’ll give you the cutting directions for one pillow. Don’t forget to refer back to my block tutorial for instructions on sewing the blocks.

Purchase an ad-free printable PDF version of the Box quilt block tutorial in my shop that also includes the table topper and pillow directions. The photos have been reduced in size and the tutorial is 10 pages long.

Cutting Directions:

• Dark Brown – 2 – 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares, 4 – 2 ½” x 4 ½” rectangles, 2 – 2 ½” x 6 ½” rectangles
• Light Brown – 2 – 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares, 4 – 2 ½” x 4 ½” rectangles, 2 – 2 ½” x 6 ½” rectangles
• Cream – 12 – 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares, 2 – 2 ½” x 12 ½” (border), 2 – 2 ½” x 16 ½” (border),  2 – 9″ x 17″ (backing)

Be sure to look at the block diagram and photo below for the layout.

When I completed the 4 blocks I sewed them together and then added a 2 ½” border.

I like to add batting and a backing to my pillow front.

Quilt as desired. Trim your pillow to 16 ½” x 16 ½”.

There are all kinds of ways to finish a pillow, most of the time I do an envelope style but I was almost out of the cream batik so I decided to add zippers to my pillows. I just happened to have a couple of cream zippers in my stash that were long enough to use.

Take the 9″ x 16 ½” cream pieces – fold and press ¼” on one long side.
I used an Elmer’s Washable Glue Stick to temporarily attach the zipper to the fabric.

I laid the fabric on top of the zipper and then stitched a narrow seam. Do this on both sides. My zipper was longer than the pillow and I trimmed it off when I sewed the pillow backing to the front.

The pillow back is larger than the front, I like to do this to make it easy to sew the front to the back. Pin the right sides together, notice my pins are not close to the edge – I’ll show you why in the next photo.

Don’t forget to open the zipper partway.

Stitch the front to the back using a ¼” seam allowance and then trim.

My pillows finished at 16 inches and I could have bought pillow inserts but I like pillows that aren’t real firm so I usually make my own pillow inserts.

Do you like firm or squishy pillows?

I took a picture of the pillows out on the deck, natural light is so much better.
Pillow on the Sofa with way too much sun coming in the windows.

Purchase an ad-free printable PDF version of the Box quilt block tutorial in my shop that also includes the table topper and pillow directions. The photos have been reduced in size and the tutorial is 10 pages long.