Checkerboard Pillow

Inspired by King Me! from designer Kathleen Williams

See a video of this project here.

• 8--2-1⁄2×21" strips assorted yellow, green, blue, pink, and gray prints (pillow top)
• 5⁄8 yard dark gray print (pillow back, binding)
• 16-1⁄2"-square muslin
• 16-1⁄2"-square batting
• 16"-square pillow form

Finished pillow: 16-1⁄2" square

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width. Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in the following order.

From dark gray print, cut:

• 2--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 2--16-1⁄2×11-1⁄2" rectangles

1.     Referring to Diagram 1, align long edges and alternate colors of eight assorted print 2-1⁄2×21" strips. Sew together to make a strip set. Press seams in one direction. Cut strip set into eight 2-1⁄2"-wide segments.

2.    Referring to Diagram 2, sew together segments to make pillow top. Press seams in one direction.

1.    Layer pillow top, batting square, and muslin square. Quilt as desired. For this project, a diagonal grid was machine-quilted through the center of the gray squares.

2.    Press under 1⁄4" along a long edge of each dark gray print 16-1⁄2×11-1⁄2" rectangle. Press same edge under an additional 2" and topstitch in place to make two hemmed pillow back pieces.

3.    With wrong sides together, pin pillow back pieces to pillow top, aligning raw edges and overlapping hemmed edges. Sew pieces together along all four outer edges to make pillow cover (Pillow Assembly Diagram).

4.    Bind with dark gray print binding strips. Insert pillow form.