Quilted Pillow From Leftovers
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.When you finish a quilt what do you do with the leftover fabrics? I decided to make a quilted pillow from leftovers!
Quilted Pillow From Leftovers
We were outside and Rusty jumped right up so I could take a picture of him with my new pillow. He is really shedding in case you notice the hair all over the cushion.
Meadow Lane Quilt and Pillow
I recently finished this beautiful quilt using my Twilight Dragonflies pattern and a jelly roll of Meadow Lane by Sara Davies for Riley Black Fabric.
You can find Jelly Rolls at Fat Quarter Shop.
Leftover Scraps
When you make quilt blocks using the strip method you will always have leftover fabrics at the end of the strips. Normally I like to cut up the leftover fabrics as fast as possible and add them to my scrap storage system.
I started with 2½-inch strips so my scraps would end up being 2-inch or 1½-inch squares so I decided to make a crazy quilted pillow with the leftovers.
Starting the Crazy Quilting
I cut a 16-inch square of a thin muslin that I am using as a stabilizer to keep the block from stretching as there are all kinds of bias edges. The pieces of the cream batik that I wasn’t going to use were cut up right away to add to my stash storage.
Continuing to Add Scraps
This was the first one that I did and I probably shouldn’t had kept everything so straight, you’ll she what I mean when the pillow is finished.
Two Pillow Tops
There were enough leftovers to make 2 blocks. I had a small pile of scraps, squares cut to sizes I keep and there was 1 jelly roll strip leftover that will go into my 2½-inch strip drawer.
Leftover Batting
Pillows are a great quilt project to make and use leftover batting. I used some of the leftover Hobbs Heirloom Premium Cotton Batting that I had used in the quilt.
I used my EverSewn Sparrow 25 to zig-zag the batting together. This is also the sewing machine I use to do applique.
Straight Line Quilting
I just did some straight line quilting on the pillow. I didn’t do any measuring, the quilting was just to hold everything together. I used a Schmetz Microtex 80/12 needle and Aurifil 50wt thread.
Adding The Zipper
Remember that I said I started with 16-inch muslin. Once I finished the piecing and quilting I looked through my pillow inserts and picked a 14-inch one so I trimmed the blocks to about 15-inches square.
I didn’t have any matching fabric for the back of the pillows so I just decided to add a zipper and sew both blocks together. After the zipper was attached, I sewed the sides together.
Finished Pillow With Zipper
Here is the finished pillow with a zipper. I forgot to mention that when I sewed the zipper and then the sides of the pillow, I switched to a Schmetz Denim Jeans Needle to go through all of the thickness’s.
Finished Quilted Pillow From Leftovers
This is the pillow side I like the best. I don’t have a tutorial for piecing this but here is my Angled Strips mug rug tutorial that you might like.
Back Of The Pillow
This is a better photo of the back of the pillow. I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I use the leftovers from a quilt project. What do you do with your leftovers?
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About Connie
Hi, I’m Connie Kresin Campbell, the quilter, writer, and photographer behind Freemotion By the River. I enjoy inspiring others with my quilt tutorials and patterns. You’ll also see my sweet adopted dogs from time to time.
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Good idea. How do you keep your pieces so neat? Mine are always shredding and after quilting I’m covered with thread!
Rusty is so cute.
Hi Janet, I try not to over handle the fabrics to keep them from shredding. I also use batiks most of the time and there is little fraying from them. Rusty thanks you!
Olá, Connie.
Adorei os projetos com retalhos.
O tempo aqui está nublado,mas quente. Como há previsões de chuvas, vou deixar tudo organizado.
Programei uma viagem a Portugal, Espanha e França.
Thanks Connie, Love your emails( always something new and fun)
My scrap piles are growing. I sort according to size and actually throw some of the tiny pieces. I also save long thin ribbon size strips for when I make my rope bowls and purses.
Right now I am sewing leftover strips and pieces into large pieces which I cut into triangles foe a wind mill quilt.
Pet the doggies for me and keep up your quilting tips and videos!
jc
Great ideas Jane!
Great idea! It would be fun to gift the quilt and pillow together. I like to make pillowcases that coordinate with my quilts too. Especially baby quilts where I make a travel size pillow top.
The quilt is lovely but the pillow is SO CUTE!! Thanks.
What a Beautiful smile Rusty has! God Bless him! Your pillows are gorgeous Connie! Have a blessed weekend!
Such a beautiful pillow and great use of scrap pieces.
I like how you used a zipper with this pillow. The straight line quilting is easy for those quilters like me who haven’t yet mastered free motion quilting.
Rusty obviously loves posing. It is a delight to see him with all your completed projects.
Thanks for sharing this great tutorial.
Thanks Robyn, I always like the look of straight line quilting. Rusty is so relaxed anymore, just love him!
There’s a line in “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” – Lucy makes a fist and yells at Charlie Brown, then stalks off. Charlie looks at his open hand and says “Why can’t you guys get organized like that?”
Your scrappy project looks like I might be having a Charlie Brown Day but I’ll give it a whirl! Really beautiful! Thanks!
LOL, thanks Joan!
Thank you, Connie! I love this picture of Rusty! Actually, I love all of his pictures. He’s getting to be quite comfortable with posing, isn’t he?
Love the pillow tutorial!
Thanks Pat! I think Rusty is becoming a natural at posing!!
Those pillows cover are a neat way to use scraps. I have a lot of scraps, sorted into different sizes 5″, 4″ ,3″ 2 1/2″ etc.,etc. and bigger sizes. The River Scraps is my favorite one. I used 2 1/2″ squares for that one. Now I need to come up with different patterns. My scraps are over taking me.
Thanks Linda, I know what you mean about too many scraps!
Rusty is learning his job to pose with the quilts/pillows. He is living the good life!
He is! He adds so much joy to our lives!
Thank you for the great instructions and photos for a good use of scraps
Thanks Sue
Most of the time my leftover strips/strings get put in a tub with hopes of using it later. Yesterday and today I am using some string blocks in the backing of table runners. I have blue pineapple blocks started and hope to make more this winter to use in a donation quilt. Your pillow was a great idea!
Thanks Vicki, if I throw the scraps in a tub…..I know I’ll never use them LOL. Making tablerunners like you do especially applique is a great way to use them up!
I save the most usable pieces in my scrap user “system” but I save all the small pieces for leaders and enders. When I have enough of those sewn together, I make hot pads. All the seams and all the thread make a good thick pad, but I also add Insul-Brite and a layer of thin batting. Basic quilting and binding are all that are required for a nice finish. I kinda enjoy the “I Spy” of seeing and remembering quilts I’ve made when I use them. I have a hard time discarding pretty pieces even if they are a bit small.
That is a great idea Chris and I agree that it is fun to see scraps and remember the quilts you made with them!