ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW QUILTING PROJECT FOR VALENTINE’S DAY? YOU’LL DEFINITELY FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS SCRAPPY HEART PILLOW COVER!
I admit, I might be a little in love with my new scrappy heart pillow cover, and I’m pretty sure you will be too! While I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day in general, I do love a reason to create new pillows.
There’s something about the dreary days of January, post-Christmas, that brings a lot of people down. This year, try to combat the holiday letdown with a bright and cheerful heart pillow!
SUPPLIES FOR THE SCRAPPY HEART PILLOW COVER
To start with, this is my first “scrappy” project and I’m not even sure it counts! I did use a collection of fabric to make this scrappy heart pillow cover. I adore the blend of pinks, reds and creamy whites. It’s soft and romantic, just the right feel for a cold January night. This pillow cover measures 16″ square when finished.
To make this pillow cover in the same design that I used, you will need the following:
Red Fabric:
Twenty (20) 2 ½” squares
Five (5) 3″ squares *
White Fabric:
Six (6) 2 ½” squares
Five (5) 3″ squares *
Pink Fabric:
Twenty-eight (28) 2 ½” squares
* The 3″ squares are used to create ten Half Square Triangles (HSTs).
You will also need backing fabric and binding to finish your pillow. To see detailed instructions on how to create an envelope backing for a pillow, you can check out my Reading Pillows post!
FABRIC + NOTIONS FOR EVERY PROJECT
From charm packs and jelly rolls to rulers and thread, Fat Quarter Shop is packed with everything a quilter or sewist could need. It’s one of my first stops when planning a project.
You’ll also want to gather up the following:
- Pillow Form – 16″ x 16″
- Batting – This is optional. If you prefer to have a quilted finish, you’ll want to add batting and finish in a traditional method. I chose to use a fusible fleece batting for my pillow.
- Rotary cutter and mat – You can absolutely use a good pair of scissors, but I do find that you get the most accurate cuts using a rotary cutter. If you are creating a true scrappy look, using a cutting system like the AccuQuilt is a great time saver!
- Quilting Ruler
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Iron and ironing board or pressing mat
- Pins or clips
Save yourself some time with every project when you keep all your essential supplies in a Portable Sewing Room!
Watch the Scrappy Heart Pillow Cover Tutorial
You can pop on over to my YouTube channel to see this pillow cover coming together:
Don’t forget to subscribe, so that you’ll be notified of any new videos! Continue reading below for the full instructions.
Scrappy Heart Pillow Cover Instructions
Start by cutting out your squares as noted above. You will need twenty (20) 2 ½” red squares for the heart, plus twenty-eight (28) pink and six (6) white for the layout shown here:
Laying out the pieces before sewing helps me make sure the colours are balanced and the heart shape stands out clearly. This part always feels like building a fabric puzzle.
You will need HSTs to complete the shape of the heart. Cut five (5) 3″ squares from the red and white fabrics.
I have a full tutorial here on creating Half Square Triangles.
Once your squares are cut and HSTs are sewn and trimmed, lay out your block, referring to the image above.
Stitch your rows together using ¼” seams. Press the seams from each row in alternating directions. For example, I press rows 1, 3, 5 and 7 to the right, and 2, 4, 6 and 8 to the left. This way, the rows will nest together nicely.
When your rows are complete and pressed, trim any threads and stitch your rows to each other, working from top to bottom. Press your horizontal seams in any direction, or press open.
Here’s the finished heart block for the pillow cover—stitched together from an assortment of red and pink scraps I had in my stash. I love how the mix of prints gives it so much texture.
Just like that, your scrappy heart block is complete! You can choose at this point to use this block in several ways. To make a pillow like I did, continue with the instructions below. You could turn this into a table topper for a small end table, which would be very cute. You could make additional blocks to create a wall hanging or table runner. You can choose to use it in so many ways!
If you plan to do any quilting on your pillow front, now is the time! I chose to use a fusible fleece batting and then did a simple stitch around the edges.
Once your quilting is complete, it’s time to sew the cover together. Cut two (2) pieces of fabric to match the width of your pillow cover, which will be approximately 16 ½”. I cut my backing pieces at 16 ½” x 11″, which was just the right size. Be sure to pay attention to any directional fabrics, as you may need to adjust your measurements.
On each backing piece, turn one long edge under ½” and press. Turn under again ½”, press and stitch.
~ Want the Printable Version? ~
Love this tutorial and want to keep it handy? You can grab a printable version of this post in my Etsy shop for just $3!
Perfect for saving to your tablet, printing out for your sewing room, or gifting alongside your handmade project.
*Please note – purchasing this printable blog post is optional. You can still complete this project using the instructions found in this post.*
Layer your pieces as follows:
With binding: The pillow front is wrong side up, followed by the lower backing fabric right side up, then upper backing right side up. Pin or clip the layers in place. Attach your binding with your preferred method.
Without binding: The pillow front is right side up, followed by the UPPER backing wrong side up, then the LOWER backing fabric wrong side up. Stitch around the pillow cover, clip your corners and turn right side out. All done!
However you choose to finish your pillow, give it a final pressing, insert your pillow form and enjoy!
Want to remember this? Save this Scrappy Heart Pillow Cover: Easy Valentine’s Day Quilting Project to your favourite Pinterest boards!
