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    Home » Quilts » Free Patterns

    Patchwork Beehive Pillow Pattern

    Updated: Apr 13, 2022 by Melissa Mortenson · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 1 Comment

    I hope you’re excited to see our free April pillow pattern! Each month this year, Amy Ball is sharing a free pattern for a patchwork quilted pillow! This month she has a free Patchwork Beehive Quilt Block Pillow Pattern.

    beehive pillow on wicker bench outdoors

    I hope you’re enjoying our “Pillow of the Month” series as much as I am. Amy Ball has outdone herself with the pillow patterns each month.

    Table of Contents
    • Pillow Pattern Details
    • How to Make a Beehive Pillow
    • Instructions
    • About the Designer
    • More Projects by Amy

    In case you missed it, here are the free pillow patterns we’ve shared so far this year.

    beehive pillow on wicker bench outdoors with other colorful pillows
    • January: Patchwork Plaid Pillow
    • February: Patchwork Heart Pillow
    • March: “Sleep” Bed Pillow Pattern

    woman holding colorful quilted pillows

    As the year goes on, I’m curious how many of these pillows she’s going to be able to hold at one time!

    Pillow Pattern Details

    The pillow pattern this month is perfect for Spring and Summer! It’s a bright and cheery Beehive quilt block turned into an 18″ pillow (or cushion as they call it in the U.K.)!

    You can make this pillow out of various yellow scraps of fabric like Amy did or from one fat quarter of yellow fabric.

    close up of free motion quilting on pillow

    Amy free motion quilted her pillow, but if you’d like to quilt it with straight line quilting instead, be sure to check out our beginning machine quilting tutorial.

    How to Make a Beehive Pillow

    As Spring has sprung and our friends, the bees are buzzing around again, making a quilted hive pillow seemed perfect.

    The simple patchwork piecing of this design makes this a quick to make, so I added some extra pizzazz by using lots of different free motion quilting motifs. If you choose a more basic quilting design, you can turn this into a super quick make!

    Instructions

    beehive pillow on wicker bench outdoors
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    4.5 from 6 votes

    Patchwork Beehive Pillow Pattern

    Turn a beehive quilt block into a sunny quilted pillow perfect for Spring or Summer!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Active Time2 hrs
    Total Time2 hrs 20 mins
    Yield: 1 pillow
    Author: Amy Ball

    Tools

    • Basic Sewing Tools
    • Sewing Machine
    • Cutting Mat
    • Rotary Cutter
    • Quilt Ruler
    • Binding Clips
    • Pins

    Materials

    • 7 pieces Yellow Fabrics Large scraps or 1 fat quarter
    • 1 piece Black Fabric
    • 1 Fat Quarter Background fabric
    • 1 Fat Quarter Light backing fabric
    • 1 piece

      Batting 19” x 19” 


    • ½ yard Pillow Back Fabric
    • 1 Pillow Form or Cushion Pad 18" x 18"

    Instructions

    Cutting:

    • From yellow fabric cut:
      14½” x 3½” (1),
      12½” x 3½” (1),
      6½” x 3½” (2 of the same print),
      10½” x 2½” (1), 8½” x 2½” (1),
      6½” x 2½” (1), and 4½” x 1½” (1).

      From black fabric cut:
      2½” x 3½” (1)
      
From background fabric cut:
      18½” x 2½” (1),
      7½” x 1½” (2),
      6½” x 2½” (2),
      5½” x 2½” (2),
      4½” x 2½” (2),
      3½” square (2),
      and 2½” x 6½” (2).
      From Pillow back fabric cut:
      18½” x 12” (2).

    Block Construction:
 Use a ¼” seam allowance unless otherwise stated.

    • Take two yellow 6½” x 3½” rectangles and one black 2½” x 3½” rectangle. Sew one yellow rectangle to one long edge of the black rectangle. Then sew the second yellow rectangle to the other side of the black rectangle. Press.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Sew one yellow 14½” x 3½” rectangle to the top edge of the unit from step one then press.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Now take two background 2½” x 6½” rectangles and sew them to either side of the unit from step two. Press and set aside.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Take one yellow 12½” x 3½” and two background 3½” squares. Sew the background squares to either side of the yellow rectangle. Press and set aside.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Take one yellow 10½” x 2½” and two background 4½” x 2½” rectangles. Sew the background rectangles to either side of the yellow rectangle. Press and set aside.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Take one yellow 8½” x 2½” and two background 5½” x 2½” rectangles. Sew the background rectangles to either side of the yellow rectangle. Press and set aside.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Take one yellow 6½” x 2½” and two background 6½” x 2½” rectangles. Sew the background rectangles to either side of the yellow rectangle. Press and set aside.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Take one yellow 4½” x 1½” and two background 7½” x 1½” rectangles. Sew the background rectangles to either side of the yellow rectangle. Press and set aside.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles
    • Arrange the units from steps three to eight and one 18½” x 2½” rectangle using the diagram as a guide. Sew together and press well.
      diagram of beehive quilt block construction steps; showing yellow and black fabric rectangles

    Quilting:

    • Now it’s time to make a quilt sandwich. Place your light backing fabric square (right side facing down) with your batting on top, then add the patchwork pillow front with the right side facing towards you.
      Make sure all the layers are smooth and flat then baste the layers together using your preferred method.
    • Quilt as desired.
I have used a different free motion quilting motif on each section of the hive; loopy meander, meander, square spirals, ribbon candy, switchbacks, swirls, and square spiral chains.
      
Other quilting ideas: diagonal straight lines across the whole pillow front, vertical straight lines across the whole pillow front, or hand quilting.
    • Once you have finished quilting, trim off excess backing fabric and batting and square up your pillow block if required.

    Finishing:

    • Take one pillow back 18½” x 12” rectangle and hem one short edge by pressing the raw edge to the wrong side by ¼” then again by another ¼”.
      Press well and sew. Then repeat for the second pillow back 18½” x 12” rectangle.
    • Pin or clip the pillow back pieces to the quilted block, right sides together, all around the four side.
    • Sew around all four edges using a ¼” seam allowance, securing the start and finish with some back-stitching.
    • Trim the corners, turn the pillow cover the right way out, carefully poke out the four corners and then press.
    • Stuff with an 18” square pad and enjoy your new Beehive pillow!

    Copyright Notice

    ©www.polkadotchair.com – This is Copyrighted Content. You may NOT copy it, distribute it, sell it or package it with a kit. You may NOT teach a for-fee class using it. All items are for personal use only. No commercial use is allowed.

    About the Designer

    Amy Ball is a modern quilt designer and founder of Coffee Rings Studio. Amy regularly contributes projects to magazines and creates online courses and workshops for beginner quilters. Subscribe to Amy’s newsletter to receive your free ‘Guide to (near) Perfect Patchwork’ and follow her on Instagram at @coffeeringsstudio. Also, check out Amy’s digital and paper patterns in her Etsy shop.

    More Projects by Amy

    All About Sewing Machine Feet | Quilting

    All About Sewing Machine Feet | Patchwork Piecing

    The Ruler Rules: Online course – get the measure of your quilting rulers and learn how to use them with confidence and accuracy.

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    About Author

    Melissa Mortenson

    Melissa Mortenson is a blogger, designer, and content creator. She is the Polka Dot Chair blog founder and has been sharing fresh and creative ideas with readers since 2008. She is the author of “Project Teen, Handmade Gifts your Teen will Actually Love.” Her work and designs have been featured on HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, BuzzFeed, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other established publications. Her first fabric line, “Derby Style,” debuted in January 2015 through Riley Blake Designs.  Additional fabric collections have followed it in subsequent years. A mom of 3, she considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tonya Steele says

      April 15, 2022 at 11:32 pm

      Such a lovely site and I am learning. Will be a repeat.

      Reply

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    I’m also a Mom and a Maker. I am like most of you, just trying to do my best every day. Some days I succeed, many days I fail.  I find joy in creating, if you do too, then I hope that you find something here bring a little “happy” to your life.  Find out more about me here.

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