Tutorial for Tuesday - 4 Houses Cushion

Do you have some layer cakes squares left over or some fat eight's or even scraps that you want to use up? This 24"pillow/cushion project might just be of interest. I had great fun making this so thought I'd write it up as my first project based tutorial.

I used 12 layer cake squares and some background fabric to make this and have enough left over for another set of roofs to make a matching pair of cushions. If you go with matching roofs it's possible to do this with even less fabric squares.



I have downloadable piecing instructions here including how to make the half rectangle triangles for the roof. Otherwise step by step instructions are below with lots of photos!

I stacked the four layer cake squares together that I wanted for the houses and cut 3 rows 2.5" wide and the remaining 1.5" wide.

1. The first row is for the windows and doors. Sub cut two 2.5" squares and one 2.5" x 3.5 rectangle.
2. Sub-cut row 2 into one 2.5" square and four 2.5" x 1.5" rectangles for the window sashing.
3. Cut row 3 into two rectangles 2.5" x 4.5" long
4. Lastly take row 4 and cut 2 rectangles 1.5" x 4.5" long

Lay out as follows and mix and match windows and doors for a nice contrast

I chain pieced the sashing on either side of the windows first, then the top and bottom. There will be 2 of these House units per house.

 Sew the mantel to the door and sew a House unit on either side of the door unit.

For the roofs you will need 2 rectangles 5.5" x 6.5" in background fabric and 2 in patterned fabric matching or in the same colour way .

Place BGF and one of the patterned squares right sides together. Mark a quarter inch from top and bottom and draw a diagonal line from mark to mark.

Repeat for the second matching rectangles but the slope going in the opposite direction. This is important to get a left hand half rectangle triangle and a right hand one to make the roof.

Cut along this line through both rectangles. You only need one of each for each house.

Take a BGF triangle and a patterned triangle and lay them right sides together like this. Yes it looks wonky but this is correct!

Put the remaining aside for a second house or cushion if you don’t want matching roofs. Sew with a 1/4" seam along the long edge.

I chain pieced them to speed up the process.

Do the same for the opposite sloping triangles. You should have 4 of each kind. Press the seams and open.

Match up right to left hand triangles to make the roof.

These rectangles are oversized and will need to be trimmed down. I squared up the short edge where I am sewing them together and trimmed the whole roof down afterwards. It is easier to do this to keep the point at the roof top.

Trim to 10.5" x 4.5" keeping 1/4" at the top. Don't worry if this doesn't work out. I clipped points and the roof still looks great when its all put together.

Attach the roof to the House body. Don't do what I did and attach the roof to the bottom of the house! Dope that I am I did this and didn't notice until I had the whole thing quilted. It's my cushion and I can live with a wonky version! 

Attach 2 houses together to form a row - yes this is the house I sewed the roof to the wrong side! So now you know not to do it like me!

Cut 4 strips from the background fabric 9.5" x 2.5" and sew to either side of the 2 row of houses.
Cut 3 strips 25" x 2.5" for sashing between rows and top and bottom of the rows.

And you should have a finished cushion top measuring 24.5" square.

I layered with wadding/batting & utility fabric and quilted using this stencil pattern:

I made a simple envelope cushion with 2 pieces of fabric measuring 24.5" x 18" (instructions in the piecing pattern). You can trim to 24" if you want a plumper fit.  And here's my wonky version! Hope you like this project!

Finally a Finsh - Quick Baby Quilt

Well the pieced top went together in no time. This Strip and Flip design by Cluck Cluck sew really is a very quick quilt top to put together.  I bought gorgeous purple Moda fabric for the backing, basted it and then procrastinated on the quilting.

I originally had in mind a swirly pattern but then changed my mind to straight line quilting. When I first decided to make this quilt from the tutorial on Cluck cluck sew I had friends in mind expecting in the summer but as I was piecing it I was thinking of a different friend the whole time. So maybe that change of mind influenced the finish. I am very pleased with it and just happy to finally have a finish under my belt!

If only the Irish weather would co-operate I'd have better photos.  Supposedly going to be good this weekend.  Here's hoping.

Linking up to


and Finish it up Friday

Very Quick Baby Quilt

Have you seen Cluck Cluck Sew's Strip and Flip baby quilt?  It uses a jelly roll and is super quick.  I had this on my to do list for a while so today i decided to give it a try.  (I'm really procrastinating on cutting up my Bounce squares!  Still procrastination by making isn't all bad!)  

I broke into a jelly roll of Amelia fabric by Me and My Sister to finish off the Moda Bake Shop Jumbo Coins quilt I made for family as a thank you for letting us (and our two dogs) use their house in West Clare for a holiday last year.  WIP photo below.  I don't have a design wall.  I use the bed in the spare room!

I'm really regretting not taking any finished photos of this before I gave it away.  It used the same fabric range and the scrappy binding from the jelly roll was great.  So 3/4 of the jelly roll left and wondering what to do with it I stumbled across the Strip and Flip quilt and knew I had to try it.  I thought the Jumbo Coins was a quick and easy make but I have to say this is the quickest quilt top ever.  

I even managed to crank up the machine for full speed for the first time! 

 All 25 strips sewn together and held here by Gordon to whom I promised I would not show his face in the photo only the sewing.  I don't think he quite believed me from this pose - he's done a great job of hiding behind the first stage of the quilt top!

 The pattern advises to press seams open and not to the side as I usually do - another first.  Then make two cuts to the top and add a white sashing to the centre piece.

 Finally flip this piece around and sew quilt pieces to either side.  Really easy, fun and just so fast!  Look at him - still hiding!

I do like the scrappy look and am planning on using this for some Free Motion Quilting practice but I think the original design at Cluck Cluck Sew with the colours graduating from hot to cold and reversed makes a bigger impact.  If I make this again I'll rejig the layout.  Still very pleased and a brilliant design!

Linking to the small blog's link party at Lily's Quilts.