Tutorial: Crossroads Pillow

The design for the Crossroads pillow has a funny beginning. I was looking down at the shower floor one night and the drain cover caught my eye. Since I am always looking for new quilt designs, I thought the drain cover’s design had some potential! I figured I could piece and quilt that. Therefore this pillow. I don’t know who designed the drain cover, but my thanks go out to this person - and I hope it’s okay for me to use it.

For the pillow I chose a white background, using Robert Kaufman’s Kona cotton solid PFD bleach white.
For the squares and rectangles I used Connecting Threads’ solid Pool and Mint fabrics and for the binding a matching fabric from my stash.
 
Finished size of pillowcase: 20” x 20”

Keep the following in mind:

• This is a fairly easy pattern to piece, but it is important to keep the seam lines of each row in line with the other.
  
• Begin with the middle row and work your way toward the outsides.
  
• Use a ¼” seam allowance throughout the pattern.
  
• I prefer open pressed seams, but if you like pressing seams to the side it’s fine.
  
• For the back of the pillow I used a simple envelope style pillowcase. You can certainly use a different method. Adjust yardage accordingly.
  

 
What you will need:

• ⅜ yard of background fabric + 1 yard for backing of quilt and pillowcase (back)
  
• ⅛ yard of color 1 (light)
• ⅛ yard of color 2 (dark)
• matching thread
• 22” square batting
• ¼ yard binding fabric
  
• 20x20” pillow insert

Step 1
Cut the following pieces:

• Background fabric:     
  
  • 6 - 20 ½ x 1 ½”
    
  • 4 - 9 ½ x 2 ½”
    
  • 4 - 6 ½ x 2 ½” 
    
  • 4 - 3 ½ x 2 ½”
    
  • 18 - 2 ½ x 1 ½”
    
• Color 1 (lighter color): 12 - 2 ½ x 2 ½”
• Color 2 (darker color):
  
  • 4 - 4 ½ x 2 ½”
    
  • 5 - 2 ½ x 2 ½”
    
• Batting: 1 - 22 x 22” square
• Backing: 1 - 22  x 22” square
• Back of pillow: 2 - 20 ½ x 14” rectangles
• Binding: 3 - 43 x 2 ½” strips 

Step 2
Starting with the middle row A, from left to right, sew fabric pieces together in the right order. Continue doing that with both B rows. Press seams.  

Step 3
Continue by sewing a white 20 ½ by 1 ½” strip on each side of row A. Press.

Step 4
Use a fabric marking pen and mark the seam lines on both sides of the white strips. Pin both B rows in place. Make sure that the seam lines of row A and both B rows line up. Sew together.
Add another white strip on both sides. Press.

Step 5
When you reach rows C and D, do both rows at the same time. Start by laying all the pieces out on a flat surface. Sew Row C 1, 2 and 3 together (see diagram at beginning of instructions). Then add D4. Press. Follow the same steps for the other three sections. Remember that the left sides are mirror images of the right sides. Once you have done this and pressed everything, you can add the middle piece, (5). Continue adding rows until you have finished the top of the
pillowcase.

Step 6
Before you layer the quilt, draw your quilt design of choice onto the fabric using a fabric marking pen or a hera marker. For this pillow I chose parallel lines, an inch apart.

Step 7
Layering of the quilt sandwich: spread the backing fabric (this is not the back of the pillowcase, but the back of the top) out on a flat surface (table or floor). Make sure it lies flat and is wrinkle free. This is very important and will save you a lot of frustration later. Tape the backing, using painter’s tape or masking tape, to the surface. Put the batting on top of that, again making sure it lies flat. Then add the pillowcase top on top of that. Using curved safety pins, pin the sandwich together. Now you’re ready to quilt.

A walking foot is essential when quilting through all layers.

Once you’re done quilting, remove the excess backing and batting.

Step 8
Once the quilting is completed, it’s time to finish the pillowcase. I made a simple envelope style pillow case for the back. Take two 20 ½ x 14” rectangles, fold one long edge over about one inch and then again another inch. Iron. Sew in place. Pin one rectangle (right side up) to the backing of the quilt. Baste ⅛” from the edge. Do the same with the other rectangle. They will overlap in the middle.

Step 9
The only thing remaining before you’re done is to add the binding. Use the three binding strips, join them together with diagonal seams, press in half lengthwise and bind the quilt your preferred way.

Simple and fun! I love the way this pillow turned out! Now I am ready to go sit and have a cup of coffee! For another version of this pillow, see this post.