The Summer Scrap Elimination Project: Week 5

Happy Thursday Scraptastic Quilters! Can you believe it's week 5 of this project already?! The summer is going by so fast. Last week we mentioned making simple precuts 2 1/2" wide and 1 1/2" wide and we're going to use those same precut scraps again. This time we are making scrappy throw pillows to dress up the couch toss on a bed with one of your new quilts. I will give you cutting instructions for a 20" pillow to fit a 20" pillow form, but you can make the pillows any size.

For this project you will need:

2 squares of muslin or left over fabric measuring 22" x 22"

1 square of batting also measuring 22" x 22"

scraps in any width (I used both 2 1/2" widths and 1 1/2" widths)

~ 1/2 yard of backing material to finish the pillow.

a marking tool (pencil is fine)

a walking foot

(To make this pillow in any other size, start with 2 pieces of muslin and 1 piece of batting cut two inches larger than the finished size of the pillow.)

To make the pillow:

1. Begin by marking one of the muslin squares with 1" lines on the diagonal to help keep your strips aligned. I started by marking the longest diagonal from corner to corner and then marking 1" increments on either side all the way out on either side. I made my marks with a regular pencil. They will be covered with fabric later, so it doesn't matter if they wash out or not.

2. Layer the batting between the 2 muslin squares with the markings you've made facing up. This project will be quilted as you

assemble, which will save you time in the long run.

3. Attach your walking foot to your machine to make it easier to move through the layers. Then choose two strips from your

scraps that are as long as longest diagonal on your muslin square. with right sides facing together, pin the two pieces to the surface of your muslin sandwich. use the lines marked on your sandwich to align the first two pieces along the longest diagonal marking.

Stitch 1/4" from the first edge, stitching through all of the layers. This will create the first seam and begin quilting the pillow at the same time.

4. Press each seam and press toward the new piece.

Pin the next piece on the opposite side of the starting piece, stitch, and press.

Work outward on both sides, alternating left and right to work evenly across the piece. Choose each piece to be as long as necessary, meaning you can begin to use shorter pieces as you move away from the center. I alternated between skinny pieces and wider pieces at random, focusing more on what colors looked good together rather than what size they were.

I made two pillow tops at a time. I have so many scraps and I also have super old couch pillows, so this project was WAY over due. Now that my super hero husband has agreed that he likes the look, I'll be making a few more to replace our tatty 18 year old pillows.