scrappy squares cushion


Last week I promised you a tutorial using half square triangle and square dies. Unfortunately some family things sidetracked me and that tutorial will happen next week instead. Sorry about that!

Instead I'm going to show you what happens to the scrap squares I cut using my 2.5" square die.
Mostly I seem to make pretty piles of these squares every time I have scraps leftover from a project. My scraps are always cut into smaller squares - either 4.5" or 2.5" depending on the size of the scraps.

144 of these little squares makes a great sized cushion...this is basted (using basting spray which if you've never tried you really should give it a whirl, it's fantastic. Especially for smaller quilts and cushions)

You can make the sewing together easier by making 4 blocks - each block 6 rows of 6 squares (36 squares) and sewing the 4 blocks together. Sewing 12 rows of 12 squares can get you a little tangled!

This will give you a cushion top of 24.5" before quilting - perfectly sized for propping yourself up in bed to read or for a floor cushion for a small child.

I need to quilt this now and finish it off with an envelope opening (because that's by far the quickest way to finish off a cushion). It might be a little early to think about Christmas, but these would make great gifts and the only fabric you would need to buy is for the envelope opening - so they're nice and cheap too!

You could also monogram them with appliqued initials of a favourite saying (like this that my teenage daughter is always using)

I printed off letters for this one using Word on my computer and traced them onto fusible web, but the sassy serif alphabet dies would make this job far easier (those dies are firmly on my christmas wish list - I would use them so much!)