I started out cutting fabric pieces and then realized I wanted to improv, sew as I go. For the quilt top, I didn’t use sewing pins. The fabric pieces were so tiny that skipping pins helped the time go faster.

I found the Clover Finger Presser tool very handy to use with this project. I used a ¼” seam allowance and I found this tool very helpful to pre-flatten the seams before ironing. I ironed each seam but pre-pressing the seams helped prevent burning my fingers during ironing (with the seam allowance being so small). If you don’t own this tool yet, I highly recommend picking one up.

With the process of making the quilt top, I really enjoyed the improv element. I like to think about ergonomics when it comes to sewing. A lot of times when I sew, I’m not sewing in marathon sessions with long stretches of time. More commonly (to fit sewing in my life) I’ll sew 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, etc. With this project, I enjoyed the movements of getting up after sewing each piece. I didn’t get strained or tired as I was constantly moving with each seam (to cut fabric for the next seam, iron, sew, etc.). It was also fun to look at the layout of the colors and prints to decide as I go.

One fun element of the fabric is that there are a lot of little details in each of the prints. Each little square or rectangle that went into the quilt top was unique (working with 10 prints in the fat quarter bundle).

Purl Soho Pillow Pattern:
I knew up front that I did not want to sew a traditional quilt with this project. I then decided to make a seat pillow that I could place on my sewing chair to enjoy. I have a little yellow wood chair that I sit on while sewing and it can get cold in the winter. I knew using wool batting would make the pillow warm with natural insulation.

For the final quilting portion, I debated about using the machine to stitch the sandwiched fabric and batting together. I’m so glad I decided not to and instead I followed the Purl Soho pattern to make X’s as little tufts in the pillow. I diverted from the pattern a bit in that I did not make as many X’s as the pattern called for. The result was that with each crosshatch, I knotted the end a few times, trimmed the thread and then restarted a new X with every tuft. This was a little more labor-intensive then the pattern intended but I liked the larger spacing in between the X’s. I used 100% cotton thread for this detail as I’m hoping they will shrink and give that nice quilted look as the cushion gets wear.

To be continued….

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