Girl’s Favorite Block, Pillow Cover with Zipper

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I love the Girl’s Favorite Block from the BERNINA Block of the Month. It was so much fun to practice quilting techniques! After I finished with my practice quilting, I decided it was the perfect block for a pillow. We will add a zipper in the back of the cover so the pillow form can be taken in and out of the cover easily.

Girl's Favorite Quilt Block, Pillow Cover with Zipper

Supplies to Create a Girl’s Favorite Pillow Cover with Zipper

6 fat quarters of your choosing (I used the Anything Goes fabric collection by Benartex Fabric)

Batting: Cut to 21” x 21”

Backing: Cut to 22” x 22”

2 fat quarters for the back of the pillow cover (quilt as you desire),

Batting and Backing for pillow back: Cut to the same size as the fat quarter

22 inch zipper to match the backing of the pillow cover

Zipper Foot #4/4D

Patchwork Foot #37/37D

Edgestitch Foot #10/10C/10D

Overlock foot #2/2A or BERNINA Overlocker

18” pillow form

Instructions to Sew a Pillowcase with Zipper

Piece the pillow top following instructions from Block 10 (Girl’s Favorite Block) from the BERNINA Block of the Month.

Quilt Block

I used the Anything Goes fabric collection by Benartex.

Create the quilt sandwich by layering the backing right side down, the batting, and the pieced block right side up.

Quilt the block following Nina’s directions, or using any quilting technique of your choice. I quilted this block using some of the built-in designs in Q-Matic and ruler work in the triangles. The back of the pillow was also quilted with Q-Matic using one of the building feather pantos.

Trim up the block and set aside while you prepare the pillow back.

Trim

To create the two back quilted pieces for the pillow, start by creating two quilt sandwiches by layering the backing right side down, the batting, and then the fat quarter. Quilt these two fat quarter sandwiches using any of your favorite methods. I quilted a feather design on mine on the Q 24 Longarm using Q-matic Automation.

Quilting with the BERNINA Q24

Quilted

Trim one side of each block straight and even. This is where you will be inserting the zipper.

Trim

Place the right side of the 22” zipper to the right side of one of the quilted pieces.

Place Zipper

Attach Zipper Foot #4/4D to the machine. With the zipper side up, move the needle position over to the side closest to the zipper teeth.

Stitch Zipper

Fold zipper and seam to the wrong side and press. Attach Edge Stitch foot #10. Position the guide of the foot along the fold. Move the needle position of the machine two or three positions to the left and edge stitch the quilted piece close to zipper.

Edgestitch

Place trimmed edge of the other quilted fat quarter next to the zipper.

First side

Place the right side of the second fabric over the zipper and pin in place. Pin from the zipper side.

Pin

With the zipper side up, move the needle position over to the side closest to the zipper teeth just as you did with the first zipper side.

Press zipper and seam to the seam side. Then fold about ¾ inch above the zipper edge. Press so that you can peek under it and see the zipper.

Press Zipper

Fold zipper

Pin the fold down to the other side. (These pins will need to be removed before stitching, but it will help to keep the fold straight when you are pinning from the zipper side.)

Pin fold

Turn the piece over and pin through all layers next to the zipper teeth. Remove the pins from the right side of the quilt sandwich before proceeding.

Pin Zipper Side

Use Zipper Foot #4/4D to stitch through all layers.

Stitch Zipper

This will be the second row of stitching on this side of the zipper.

Zipper Finished

 

Unzip the zipper part of the way across. This is so that you can turn the pillow cover when you are finished.

Unzip

Pin the unzipped folded area to the opposite side so that the back can be trimmed properly.

Pin

Lay the trimmed front block that you set aside earlier on top of the pillow back with the zipper, right sides together. I wanted the zipper to be closer to the top of the pillow back, so I placed the top of the block about 6” above the fold of the zipper.

Place front

Trim the pillow back to same size as the front block. Make sure you move the pins out of the way when you trim. Rotary cutters and pins are not good for each other! Cut right through the zipper at both edges. The zipper ends will be secured when you stitch this together.

Zipper ends

Trim all four sides even with block.

Trim sides

Attach quarter inch foot #37 and stitch ALL the way around the pillow cover.

Stitch Sides

Attach Overlock Foot #2/2A and use the one of the overlock stitches on your sewing machine, or use an overlocker to clean finish the seams ALL the way around.

Clean finish

Turn the pillow cover right side out through the opened zipper.

Turn right side out

Use a point turner if needed to make the corners square.

Front of pillow

Insert pillow form through zipper in back.

Zipper back

Congratulations, your pillow cover is finished!

Girl's Favorite Quilt Block, Pillow Cover with Zipper

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