Fast & Festive: Log Cabin Quilt Block Pillow Tutorial
Learn how to make a quilted pillow for Christmas or any other holiday! This pillow uses a simple log cabin block, stitches up quickly, and makes a beautiful gift!
I’m going to share a tutorial with you for these little quilted throw pillows that I made for friends and family a few years ago as Christmas gifts.
This technique works for any quilted pillow, regardless of the fabric used. It doesn’t need to be for Christmas, but I thought you guys might enjoy a tutorial for an easy holiday gift, so I created mine from Christmas fabrics.
The pattern is straightforward, allowing me to create approximately ten quilted pillow covers in a short amount of time.
This project has been updated from a previous version. I’ve added additional instructions, more measurements, and a print button so you can easily make this project at home.
About Log Cabin Quilt Blocks
The pillows are a basic log cabin block. Usually, when making a log cabin block, you need to pay attention to where the light and dark fabrics are placed in relation to each other. Often, all of the light fabrics are on the right-hand side of the block, and the darks are on the left-hand side of the block.
Another layout features the lights in the center, with the darks on the outside. When you sew the blocks together to make a quilt, these principles become particularly important and can significantly alter the overall appearance of your quilt.
You can also make the blocks scrappy, and then you won’t need to worry about where the light and dark fabrics are. The scrappy improv quilt is an example of that.
But today, we are not making a big quilt; we’re just making pillows. Some of the pillows I made have all of the light strips around the center, while others have them randomly placed.
After I finished making them, I decided I liked them with the light strips in the center, so I kept the random one for myself as a mish-mash. Whatever you do, please take a second to see how you want them to be laid out before starting.
I realize that calling this a log cabin block is not entirely accurate, as most of those blocks have specific layouts for light and dark fabrics. Again, like I said, we are making pillows, and I am not as worried as usual about accuracy.
A Note About the Piecing Technique
Normally, when you make a log cabin quilt block, you precut all of your strips to a specific length and width. Since this block is intended for a quilted pillow and the size does not require as precise measurements as those for a quilt, we are using a “quick piece” method that is less accurate.
It might not be as accurate, but it is QUICK! Which is what we are going for with this tutorial.
The method involves cutting fabrics to the same width, but the length is trimmed as you sew the block.
When finished, these pillows are about 15 1/2″ square. You can put them in a 16″ pillow and have them super stuffed, or use a 14″ pillow form with looser stuffing.
You can also make them larger by simply adding additional strips of fabric.
EASY Log Cabin Block Quilted Pillow Tutorial
Equipment
supplies
- 1 piece Fabric; 4″x 4″ square for the center of the pillow
- 7-8 pieces of fabric 4″ wide strips in various prints
Instructions
Log Cabin Pillow Instructions
- All seam allowances are 1/4″
- Start by sewing one of the 4″ wide strips to the right side of the 4″x4″ square. Trim the piece to fit the square. Press. Pin another 4″ wide strip of fabric to the sewn fabric squares. Stitch. Trim and Press
- Work clockwise, trimming and pressing each strip as you go.
- Keep working and adding strips until you’ve sewn a total of 8 strips to the 4″x4″ square.
- That’s it. Pretty simple, huh! Since I wanted my pillows to have a “scrappy” feel, I just used random Christmas prints.
- When you’re done creating the log cabin block, quilt the pillow.
How to Quilt the Pillow
- Since these pillows are small, they are easy to quilt on your home sewing machine. Our machine quilting tutorial provides instructions for quilting the pillow.
How to Finish the Pillow
- There are a few different ways to do this. You can just cut a fabric the same size as the pillow front and sew them together. Sew a back on the pillow, making sure to leave a hole to turn the pillow right side out. Then insert the pillow form and hand sew the opening closed.
- However, I recommend using my Zippered Back Pillow Tutorial instead. That way, you can easily remove the pillow form and swap it out for the seasons. Use whatever method you like best to close up a pillow.
Here they are with my other Quilted Christmas Pillows. Can you sense a theme here? I think in one year, I’ll make a tiny pillow to round out the bunch.
