Having completed the top of my first quilt, I found myself with enough material to make three left over nine-patch blocks. I couldn’t possibly let these go to waste and so I came up with a solution – matching quilted cushions!

My first quilted project was a cushion (see my earlier blog here) and so I felt confident that I could tackle a second cushion. This time I used a 30cm x 30cm cushion pad and designed a pattern to fit around the nine-patch block. I pinned the quilt sandwich together for the front of the cushion; set about quilting the nine-patch block with some diagonal quilting lines; followed by cutting and sewing the border fabric to each side of the quilted block to make it up to size.

Close-up quilted cushion

Patchwork quilted cushion by Mrs D

Now for the reverse side. My favourite method of making up a cushion is the simple “envelope” style. Why? Three reasons:

• it is so straightforward;
• all the work can be done by a sewing machine (I avoid time-consuming hand-sewing wherever possible); and
• if you ever have a tea/ chocolate/ red wine disaster on/near your lovely handmade cushion, you can easily remove the cushion cover for a spring clean or some crisis management!

To jazz things up (rather than stick to the same front border fabric), I chose to highlight one of the quilted fabrics on the reverse.

Butterfly envelope close-up

Corner reverse cushion

Butterfly envelope close-up

Butterfly envelope cushion by Mrs D

I think this fabric is so pretty and could quite happily pose as a cushion cover in its own right. So I have ended up with two cushions in one – a quilted front and a simple but lovely envelope reverse which means that I can change the look of our living room sofa whenever it takes my fancy! Happy days!

Patchwork quilted cushion by Mrs D

Close-up quilted cushion

Cream and coral quilted cushion by Mrs D

Mrs D xx