Hey everyone. Today you will learn how to turn one patriotic panel into a cozy panel pillow for your couch or porch bench.
Here we go. Let's talk about the fabric first.
The 1776 Independence Day Fabric Panel 3 is a fabric panel from QuiltingFabricPanels.com. It is proudly printed in the United States of America. For an Independence Day design, folks, that feels just right.
It is made with 100% premium quilting cotton. It presses flat, cuts clean, and feels smooth in your hands. A pillow front needs all three, because it gets handled and washed more than you expect.
This is a panel, not regular yardage. The picture is printed whole and ready to use. You build the pillow around it, and the artwork does the hard work for you. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
One honest note, y'all. Colors on a browser screen may differ in tone from printed cotton fibers. Look at your panel in good daylight first, then pick your backing to match what you see in person. Completely up to you.
The Project: Panel Pillow
A panel pillow is exactly what it sounds like. You use one printed panel for the front, add a simple backing, slip in a pillow form, and you are done.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? The panel stays whole, so no seams run through the design. The quilting cotton is sturdy enough for everyday use and still soft enough to lean on. It also finishes in an afternoon, which is real nice before a holiday gathering.
And hear me on this. It doesn't have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic. Take your time. It's not a race.
Materials List
- One 1776 Independence Day Fabric Panel 3, for the pillow front
- Backing fabric: about 5/8 yard of quilting cotton for an envelope back
- Optional border fabric: about 1/4 yard, to size the panel up if needed
- One pillow form, 16, 18, or 20 inches square — closest in size to your trimmed panel
- Thin cotton batting or fusible fleece, one piece cut the size of your front, optional
- Matching thread, 50-weight for construction
- A universal 80/12 needle
- Rotary cutter, ruler, mat, pins or clips, and an iron
Brief Steps
First, press the panel and square it up. Measure its width and length, and write both numbers down. Panels sometimes print a touch off square, so trim slow and check twice.
Second, size it to your form. If the panel is smaller than your form, add a simple border. Cut strips about 2 1/2 inches wide, sew with a 1/4-inch seam, and press toward the border.
Third, add a little body if you like. Layer the front over thin batting or fleece and quilt lightly. Stitch in the ditch around the panel edge, then echo about 1/4 inch out. Use a stitch length around 2.5 to 3. Slow down on the turns, or the needle can snap.
Fourth, make the envelope back. Cut two backing pieces, each about two-thirds the width of your front and the same height. Hem one long edge on each with a 1/4-inch fold, pressed twice. Overlap those hemmed edges by about 4 inches.
Fifth, sew it together. Place the front right side up, lay the backing pieces right sides down so they overlap, and pin all around. Sew with a 1/2-inch seam and backstitch at the corners.
Sixth, finish it. Trim the corners, turn it right side out, and push the corners out gently. Press lightly, then slip in your pillow form. Just like that, it is ready to use.
Practical Tips
Check your quilting before you sew the back on. I have had to pick out a wavy line more than once, y'all. Unsew that one spot, smooth it flat, and stitch it again. Nobody will ever know.
An envelope back is my preference here. No zipper to fight, and you can swap the cover out for washing. A zipper back is fine too. Completely up to you.
Keep your quilting simple on a panel. The artwork is the star. Heavy quilting can fight the printed design, so quilt the edges and let the picture breathe. Super duper cute, and super duper easy to finish. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 1776 Independence Day Fabric Panel 3 at Linda's Electric Quilters.
