Peppermint Pillow

Inspired by: Peppermint Party from designer Heather Briggs of My Sew Quilty Life

Project tester: Diane Tomlinson

Finished size: 16" square

Finished block: 12" square

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

• 9×21" piece (fat eighth) each red print and white print (block)
• 2/3 yards brown print (block, border, pillow back)
• 16-1/2"-square batting
• 16-1/2"-square muslin
• 16"-square pillow form

Cut pieces in the following order.

From red print, cut:

• 2—5" squares
• 4—1-1/2 ×  2-1/2" rectangles
• 4—1-1/2" squares

From brown print, cut:

• 2—10-3/4 ×16-1/2" rectangles
• 2—2-1/2 ×16-1/2" rectangles
• 2—2-1/2 ×12-1/2" rectangles
• 2—2-1/2 × 9-1/2" rectangles
• 2—2-1/2 ×  7-1/2" rectangles
• 4—2-1/2" squares
• 2—1-1/2 ×  2-1/2" rectangles
• 6—1-1/2" squares

From white print, cut:

• 2—5" squares

1. Sew together a red print 1-1/2" square and a brown print 1-1/2" square (Diagram 1). Add a brown print 1-1/2 × 2-1/2" rectangle to left-hand edge to make Unit A. The unit should be 2-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make two A units total.

2. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each white print 5" square, remaining brown print 1-1/2" squares, and remaining red print 1-1/2" squares.

3. Referring to Diagram 2, layer a marked white print 5" square atop a red print 5" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching 1/4" on each side of drawn line. Cut pair apart on drawn line. Press open to make two triangle-squares. Trim each triangle-square to 4-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four triangle-squares total.

4. Sew together triangle-squares in pairs (Diagram 3). Join pairs to make a Pinwheel Unit. The unit should be 8-1/2" square including seam allowances.

5. Referring to Diagram 4, align brown print 2-1/2" squares in top left-hand and bottom right-hand corners of Pinwheel Unit. Noting orientation of red print squares, align A units in remaining Pinwheel Unit corners. Mark a diagonal line on each brown print square and A unit. Sew on drawn lines. Trim seam allowances to 1/4". Press open attached corners to make a Peppermint Unit. The unit still should be 8-1/2" square including seam allowances.

6. Align a marked brown print 1-1/2" square with one end of a red print 1-1/2 × 2-1/2" rectangle (Diagram 5; note direction of drawn line). Stitch, trim, and press as before to make Unit B. The unit still should be 1-1/2 × 2-1/2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second B unit.

7. Reversing direction of drawn line, repeat Step 6 to make two C units (Diagram 5).

8. Align a marked red print 1-1/2" square with one corner of a remaining brown print 2-1/2" square (Diagram 6). Stitch, trim, and press to make Unit D. Repeat to make a second D unit.

9. Sew together one Unit B and one brown print 2-1/2 ×7-1/2" rectangle to make a Side Unit (Diagram 7). The unit should be 2-1/2 × 8-1/2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second Side Unit.

10. Sew together one brown print 2-1/2 ×9-1/2" rectangle, one Unit C, and one Unit D to make a Top/Bottom Unit (Diagram 8). The unit should be 2-1/2 ×12-1/2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second Top/Bottom Unit.

11. Lay out Side Units, Top/Bottom Units, and Peppermint Unit in three rows (Diagram 9). Sew together pieces in middle row. Join rows to make a block. The block should be 12-1/2" square including seam allowances.

12. Referring to Pillow Top Assembly Diagram, sew brown print 2-1/2 ×12-1/2" rectangles to opposite edges of block. Sew brown print 2-1/2 ×16-1/2" rectangles to remaining edges to make pillow top. The pillow top should be 16-1/2" square including seam allowances.

1. Place pillow top right side up; top with batting and muslin squares. Quilt as desired.

2. Turn one long edge of each brown print 10-3/4 ×16-1/2" rectangle under 1/4"; press. Turn same edges under 1/4" again; stitch in place to hem. Each hemmed rectangle should be 10-1/4 ×16-1/2" including seam allowances.

3. Referring to Pillow Back Assembly Diagram, overlap hemmed rectangle edges by 4" to make a 16-1/2" square. Stitch across overlapped edges to make pillow back.

4. Layer pillow top and pillow back with right sides together. Stitch 1/4" from edges to make pillow cover. Turn right side out through opening in pillow back; press.

5. Insert pillow form through opening to complete pillow.