Twist & Turn

Designers: Betsy Shannon and Melissa Lewis

From the Winter 2007 issue of Quilts and More magazine.

• 1/2 yard green-and-brown hexagon print (pillow top)
• 1/4 yard pink print (ruffle)
• 1/2 yard backing (pillow back)
• 18" square muslin (pillow top backing)
• 2 -- 18" squares batting
• Polyester fiberfill

Finished pillow: 11" diameter (at widest point including ruffle)

Quantities are for 54/56"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/2" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut pieces in the following order.

From pink print, cut:

• 2--3x42" strips

From green-and-brown hexagon print, fussy-cut:

• 1--14" square

Referring to Cutting Diagram 1, cut one 14" square, positioning hexagon motif at center of square for pillow top. (After quilting, pillow top square will be trimmed to the size of the hexagon, plus 1/2" on all sides, and used as a pattern for cutting pillow back.)

1. Layer pillow top square, two layers of batting, and muslin backing; baste.

2. Quilt as desired. Using variegated green thread, machine-quilters Betsy Shannon and Melissa Lewis outline-quilted each motif on the hexagon print and filled the open areas with stipple quilting. They straight-stitched long lines at the edges of the centered hexagon.

1. Referring to Cutting Diagram 2, trim quilted pillow top square following the hexagon shape printed on fabric, adding 1/2" on all sides.

2. Using quilted hexagon shape as a pattern, cut one pillow back piece.

3. Join pink print 3"-wide strips at both ends to make a circle. Press seams open.

4. Fold joined strips in half wrong sides facing and matching raw edges. Press.

5. Measure strip; divide and mark in six equal sections.

6. Using a long machine stitch, sew a gathering stitch 1/4" from raw edges, stopping and starting at each mark.

7. Aligning raw edges, match each mark on ruffle with one corner of right side of quilted pillow top. Pull up gathering stitches in each section, pinning ruffle in place as each section is completed. Sew ruffle to pillow top about 1/4" from edge.

1. Layer quilted pillow top and pillow back; pin. Sew around all edges, leaving 5" opening along one edge, to make pillow cover.

2. Turn pillow cover right side out through opening. Stuff firmly with fiberfill. Hand-stitch opening closed.