Pretty Pieced Poppy Pillow

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Freshen up your couch or porch swing with a cheerful throw pillow designed by Debi Schmitz. Featuring a bold red poppy design, this quilted throw pillow pattern includes a black button at the blossom’s center to add an interesting textural element to this spring pattern. Use rustic, colorful gingham for your background fabric to give your quilted pillow a charming country twist.

Materials:

Yellow gingham print: (3) fat quarters or 3/4 yard
Red print fabric: (1) fat quarter or 1/3 yard
Green pattern print: (1) fat quarter or 1/6 yard
Black print: (1) fat quarter or 1/4 yard
(1) 16” x 16” pillow form
(1) 1 1/2” yellow button
White thread
Yellow thread
Green thread
16” square piece of needled cotton batting
Pins
Hand sewing needles
Iron
Sewing machine
Cutting mat
Clear acrylic ruler
Rotary cutter

Cutting Instructions:

Yellow print:

1 1/2” x 3 1/2” (2)
1 1/2” x 4 1/2” (3)
1 1/2” x 2 1/2” (6)
2 1/2” x 2 1/2” (2)
2” x 2” (6). Will make (12) 1 1/2” HST.
3” x 3” (1). Will make (2) 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” HST.
3 1/2” x 4 1/2” (3)
2 1/2” x 3 1/2” (2)
3 1/2” x 3 1/2” (2). (1 for button cover)
2 1/2” x 4 1/2” (2)
17” x 17” (2)

Red print:

1 1/2” x 1 1/2” (5)
2” x 2” (7). Will make (14) 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST.
2 1/2” x 3 1/2” (1)
2 1/2” x 2 1/2” (3)
3” x 3” (1). Will make (2) 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” HST.
2 1/2” x 4 1/2” (2)
1 1/2” x 3 1/2” (3)
1 1/2” x 2 1/2” (5)
1 1/2” x 4 1/2” (1)
3 1/2” x 3 1/2” (2)
3 1/2” x 4 1/2” (1)

Green print:

2” x 2” (4). Will make (8)1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST.
1 1/2” x 2 1/2” (2)
1 1/2” x 1 1/2” (2)
3 1/2” x 3 1/2” (1)
2 1/2” x 3 1/2” (2)

Black print:

2 1/2” x 3 1/2” (1)
1 1/2” x 2 1/2” (1)
1 1/2” x 3 1/2’’ (1)
1 1/2” x 1 1/2” (1)
9” x 9” (1)

*All seams are 1/4” unless otherwise noted.

Press seams well after each step.

Make all HST (Half Square Triangles) before proceeding.

Red/Yellow: (8)
Green/Yellow: (3)
Green/Red: (5)

* Please follow Diagram 1 (Finished Pillow Front) and the individual blocks while assembling this pillow.

Individual Blocks or Diagram 1 with narrow break to show the individual blocks.

Piecing Instructions:

Stitch (1) red/green 1 1/2”x 1 1/2” HST to (1) red 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” square. Stitch (1) green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” square to the other side of the HST. Stitch (1) green 2 1/2” x 3 1/2” to the piece. Stitch (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 3 1/2” to one end of the piece. Stitch (1) 1 1/2” x 4 1/2” to the left side of the cluster. Block 1 complete.
Stitch (1) red/yellow HST to (1) 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” red block. Stitch (1) red 2 1/2” x 3 1/2” piece. Bottom half of block complete. Set aside. Stitch (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” piece to (1) green 1 1/2” x 2 1/2”. Stitch (1) yellow 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” to the piece just stitched. Stitch this top half of the block to the bottom half of the block. Block 2 complete.
Stitch (1) yellow/red 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” HST to (1) red 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” square. Stitch this piece to the long edge of (1) 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” yellow piece to the other. Block 3 complete.
Stitch (1) red/yellow 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) red 1 1/2” x 1 1/2”. Stitch (1) 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” yellow piece to the other side of the HST. Stitch this completed strip to (1) 3 1/2” x 4 1/2” yellow piece. Block 4 complete.
Stitch (1) red/green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) red 1 1/2” x 2 1/2”. Stitch this to (1) 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”. Stitch (1) 1 1/2” x 4 1/2” to left side of all. Block 5 complete.
Stitch (1) red 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” to (1) black 2 1/2” x 3 1/2”. Stitch this piece to (1) red 2 1/2” x 4 1/2”. Block 6 complete.
Stitch (2) red/yellow 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST together as shown. Stitch this piece to (1) red 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” square. Stitch (1) black 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” to piece just stitched. Stitch this bottom half to (1) red 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” piece. Block 7 complete.
Stitch (1) red/yellow 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) red 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” square. Stitch (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” to the other side of the red/yellow HST as shown. Stitch this sewn strip to (1) yellow 3 1/2” x 4 1/2” fabric piece. Block 8 complete.
Stitch (1) red/yellow 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) red 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” square. Stitch (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” to the side of the piece just sewn. Stitch (1) 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” red square to the other side of the initial strip. The top half of block is complete. Set aside.
1. Stitch (1) red 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” to (1) yellow 2 1/2” x 3 1/2”. Bottom half of block completed. Sew the top half and bottom half together. Block 9 complete.
Stitch (1) black 1 1/2” x 3 1/2” strip to (1) red 3 1/2” x 3 1/2” piece. Stitch this sewn piece to red (1) 1 1/2” x 4 1/2”. Block 10 complete.
Stitch (1) red/green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) red 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” piece. Stitch (1) black 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” square to the opposite end of the strip. Sew the strip to (1) red 3 1/2” x 4 1/2” piece. Block 11 complete.
Stitch (1) red/yellow 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” strip. Stitch (1) red/green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to the end opposite the other HST. Left side of block complete. Set aside.
1. Stitch (1) green/yellow 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” square. Stitch (1) yellow 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” square. Stitch this fabric cluster to (1) yellow 2 1/2” x 3 1/2” piece. Stitch to the strip that was set aside. Block 12 complete.
Stitch (1) red/yellow 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 3 1/2” strip. Stitch the completed strip to (1) 3 1/2” x 4 1/2” piece. Block 13 complete.
Stitch (1) red/green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) yellow/green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST as shown.
1. Stitch (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” strip to the other end. Right Side complete. Set aside.
2. Stitch (1) red 1 1/2” x 3 1/2” strip to (1) yellow 3 1/2’ x 3 1/2” square. Stitch the piece just sewn to the right side of the block from above. Block 14 complete.
Stitch (1) yellow/green 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” HST to (1) green 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” strip. Stitch to (1) green 3 1/2” x 3 1/2” square. Stitch (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 4 1/2” strip along the bottom. Block 15 completed.
Stitch (1) yellow 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” strip to (1) green 2 1/2” x 3 1/2” piece. Stitch this cluster to (1) yellow 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” piece. Block 16 complete.
Trim all blocks to 4” square. When trimming, be aware of seams that need to match. Trim evenly around, if possible, not from just one side.
Stitch Blocks 1-4 together. Continue with Blocks 5-8, Blocks 9-12, and Blocks 13-16 to complete 4 rows of the pillow. Refer to Diagram 1 at the beginning of the instructions to attach the blocks correctly. Be sure to match the seams.
Stitch the 4 rows together for a completed pillow front. Be sure to match the seams.
Baste the quilt front, batting, and (1) 17” yellow print fabric together as a sandwich. Wrong side of front piece to batting. Quilt as desired. Debi quilted the yellow background with white thread in 1/2” straight parallel lines. The flower petals were quilted in a spiral that started on the outside and worked to the center with red thread. The leaves have green thread veining stitched into them. The black fabric is not stitched.
Cut a 9” circle of black fabric. Stitch long stitches around the outside and then pull the gathers tight to make a yo-yo. Stitch this fabric yo-yo to the center of the black fabric rectangle in the center of the flower. Cover a 1 1/2” button with the yellow print according to the package instructions. Stitch the button in the center of the yo-yo.
With front and back of pillow, right sides together, stitch around the entire pillow, leaving 6” open on one side.
Clip the corners diagonally up to the stitches. Do not cut the stitches. Flip the pillow cover inside out and shape the corners. Fold the pillow insert and work it into the pillow cover. Hand stitch the opening closed.