Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

TJ90-3-2013 IMUS 7/CRA5064-Quilting Happiness W:8.5"XH:10" 175L 128gsm Gold East M/A Magenta

Copyright 2013 by Christina Lane and

Diane Gilleland
Project photography copyright 2013
by Potter Craft, an imprint of the Crown
Publishing Group, a division of
Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by
Potter Craft, an imprint of the Crown
Publishing Group, a division of
Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.pottercraft.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-inPublication Data

Lane, Christina, 1980
Quilting happiness : projects, inspiration, and ideas to make quilting
more joyful / by Christina Lane and
Diane Gilleland.First Edition.
pages cm
1. QuiltingPatterns. I. Gilleland,
Diane. II. Title.
TT835.L329 2013
746.46dc23
2012047886

POTTER CRAFT and colophon are

registered trademarks of Random
House, Inc.

ISBN 978-0-7704-3409-0
eISBN 978-0-7704-3410-6
Printed in China
Illustrations by Christina Lane
Tools and Techniques photography by
Sarah Costa

Project photographs by Heather Weston

Quilt journal image (page 18): Sarah
Costa, Sarah Costa Photography
Morning Seeing image (page 19): Pam
and Kirby Harris, Harris & Harris
Photographics
Inspiration Board image (page 27):
Hanna Andersson, ihanna.nu
Blackbird Fly quilt image (page 90,
right): Krista Hennebury,
poppyprints.blogspot.com
Diver quilt image (page 96): Kay Bailey,
fiberofherbeing.blogspot.com
do.Good Stitches image (page 119):
Nicke Cutler, kisskissquilt.blogspot.
com
Laid Back Ladies of the Block image
(page 134): Carol Porter
Cover photographs by Heather Weston
except back cover, top, by Sarah
Costa
Cover design by Laura Palese
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition

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Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

The

HAPHAZARD
CHEVRON PILLOW
FINISHED PROJECT SIZE: 12" SQUARE

Sometimes, I want to quilt a gift for someone but it doesnt make sense to create a full-size quilt.
Thats when I turn to this pillow. You can change its look by changing the fabrics; subtle prints create a whole other
eect than the solids Ive used here. Its a nice sort of blank canvas for customizing to the person Im quilting for.
DIANE: With this fairly improvisational piecing, too, each pillow you make is one of a kind. Thats a nice giftgiving touch.
CHRISTINA:

Skill Level:

TJ90-3-2013 IMUS 7/CRA5064-Quilting Happiness W:8.5"XH:10" 175L 128gsm Gold East M/A Magenta

SUPPLIES
Pillow Top Fabric: yard each
of two contrasting fabrics
Backing Fabric: 1 fat quarter of
coordinating print
Muslin/Lining Fabric: yard
Batting: 2 pieces, each
measuring 12" 12"
Pillow Form: 12" 12"

FABRICS USED HERE

FreeSpirit Designer Solids:
Arctic White
Robert Kaufman Kona Solid:
Black

CUTTING THE FABRICS

Pillow Top Fabrics (cut as
outlined below for each
fabric):
Cut the selvage off, rotate the
piece 180 degrees, and cut
off the fold of the yardage.
Youll have 2 pieces, each
measuring approximately
18" 22". Leave them
stacked together with
wrong sides facing.
Muslin/Lining Fabric: Cut 2
squares, 12" 12".
Backing: Cut 1 square,
12" 12".

Q U I LT I N G

92

Christinas Tips
Instead of using only two fabrics for

the pillow top, try incorporating

some print strips in the same
colorway. Go for subtle prints that
add a bit of interest but still maintain
a striking color contrast overall.
Incidentally, when you do the initial
cuts on your yardage for this project,
you end up with 18" 22" pieces,
which is fat quarter size. So you could
always purchase two fat quarters of
either fabric instead of yardage.
Youll nd a 6" 24" (or larger)
ruler handy for this project, since
youll be making a number of fairly
long cuts. Just make sure it has a
45-degree-angle line.

HAPPINESS

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Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

ASSEMBLING THE PILLOW TOP

Your first cut should be 13" long, so slide your ruler

1. Work with your darker fabric first, with both

to one side until the measurement lines on the right

18" 22" pieces stacked together (wrong sides

edge show that you have 13" of space between the

facing). Cut the stack into strips of various widths,

bottom and right edges of the unit. Cut here to

between 1" 22" and 3" 22". You decide what

remove a corner of the unit and discard it.

combination of widths to usejust make sure that

4. Rotate the unit so that the newly cut edge is verti-

together, they total about 10". (The sample pillow

used these widths: 3", 1 1 2 ", 2", 1", and 2 1 2 ".) The

cal and facing left. Align the cut edge and your

reason the total width is important is that youll

ruler with a vertical line on your cutting surface.

need this much to create a 12" height for the pillow.

Now, cut the unit into several strips, with widths

between 2" and 3" (varying the widths as you like).

Since youre cutting through two layers of fabric, youll have two pieces of each width. So, sepa-

Narrower strips here will create a more visually

rate the strips into two identical piles. Repeat this

complex pillow. Wider strips will create a bolder

process with your lighter fabric. You should now

one.
Keep cutting until you get to the other corner

have four piles of strips: two lighter and two darker.

of the unit, and stop cutting once your strips fall

2. Working with one pile of darker strips and one pile

below 13" long.

of lighter strips, sew them together, alternating the

color and varying the widths (Diagram A). Press

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4
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2
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1
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the seam allowances toward the darker fabric

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uneven, square them (see page 159). Repeat this

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20

strips. If the top and bottom edges of this unit are

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strips, arranging them as you like, to create a sec-

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process with the remaining piles of light and dark

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5
9

ond unit.

6
7

2
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2
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3
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1
1

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DIAGRAM B

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 with the second strip unit,

but this time, rotate the ruler so its angled 45
degrees in the opposite direction (Diagram C).
Align the 45- degree line on your ruler with the top
edge of the unit. Start cutting at the right side of
the unit with a 13" cut. Then rotate the unit so the
newly cut edge is vertical and facing left, and cut
DIAGRAM A

strips of varying widths.

6. Arrange the cut strips on your cutting surface,

3. Place one of these units on your cutting surface.

alternating strips from each set to create chevrons

Lay your ruler on top, aligning its 45-degree-angle

(Diagram D). Keep the strips aligned with the verti-

line with the bottom edge of the unit (Diagram B).

cal guides on your cutting surface, and keep add-

Q U I LT I N G

94

HAPPINESS

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DIAGRAM E

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9. Make a second quilt sandwich for the back of the

DIAGRAM C

pillow: layer the backing square with the second

piece of batting and the other piece of muslin and

ing strips until the overall width is roughly 18". The

baste them together around all four sides. Dont

strips will be of different lengths, so do your best

quilt this piece.

to keep them roughly centered to one another. The

Pin the pillow front and back together with right

finished piece should be at least 13" tall, so make

sides facing. Sew around the edges with a 1 4" seam

sure your strips are positioned to allow that. Trim

allowance, leaving a 9" opening at the bottom for

the top and bottom edges of the strips square.

stuffing (Diagram F). Trim all four corners at a

45- degree angle. Now, turn the pillowcase right
side out, using a pencil or ruler to push the corners

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TJ90-3-2013 IMUS 7/CRA5064-Quilting Happiness W:8.5"XH:10" 175L 128gsm Gold East M/A Magenta

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out from the inside.

DIAGRAM D
DIAGRAM F

7. Sew the strips together. Because these strips

were cut on the bias, they can stretch, so pin them

10. Press all four sides of the pillow, especially at the

before you sew to minimize stretch. Press each

opening. Make sure the raw edges at the opening

seam allowance open. Trim the finished pillow top

are turned in 1 4". Stuff the pillowcase with a pil-

to 12 1 2 " 12 1 2 ".

low form, gently pushing the corners of the form

into the case and making sure the form is evenly

ASSEMBLING THE PILLOW

distributed. Sew the opening closed with a ladder

8. Layer the pillow top with one batting piece and

stitch (see page 155).

quilt it as you like. (The sample pillow is quilted 1 4"

on either side of the vertical seams.) Place a muslin
square on the back of the pillow top and baste the
layers together around all four sides (Diagram E).

Q U I LT I N G

95

FOR OTHERS

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