A gourmet finish for a quilted designer cushion

This week has been so much fun as we have learned how to express pretty words through quilting using the beautiful Gütermann Dekor rayon thread.

Yesterday we completed the background quilting to really make the letters and trapunto sections stand out. Now it’s time to complete our designer cushion.

Preparing your pieces

Trim the quilted cushion front to measure 18½” square. Set aside for now.

Prepare your machine with a new SCHMETZ 75/11 Quilting needle and the standard sewing foot.

Thread withGütermann 50 weight cotton thread in a color to match your backing fabric.

Fold under ¼” to the back on one long side of each of your backing pieces and press.

Fold under ¼ a second time to cover the raw edge and press.

Topstitch close to the inner fold.

Your backing pieces will now have one finished side and three unfinished.

Press and set aside for later.

Creating and attaching the cushion ruffle

Using a rotary cutter and ruler, square off the short ends of your previously cut 5½” strips of accent fabric.

Be sure to remove all of the selvedges.

Put a ¼” foot on your machine and change to Gütermann 50 weight cotton thread in a color that matches the accent fabric.

Using a ¼ seam sew the three 5½” strips together on the short sides so that you have one long piece.

Bring the two ends together taking care not to twist the strips. Sew the ends to create a large loop.

Press the seams open.

Fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press.

Take care that the raw edges are even.

Put the standard sewing foot back on your machine and lengthen your stitch length to as long as it will go.

Leave a long tail and stitch a row of basting stitches all the way around the loop about ¼” away from the raw edge. Stitch a second row of basting stitches just to the inside of the first.

By using a matching thread color I won’t have to worry about taking out the basting stitches later.

Using pins or your UNIQUE Quilters’ fast-fade marker, divide the ruffle piece into four equal sections.

Mark the center of each side of the cushion front.

Pin the ruffle piece in place matching the marks on the ruffle piece to the marks on the cushion front.

Take care not to twist the ruffle.

Pull up the gathering stitches until the ruffle is the same size as your cushion front.

Pin so that the ruffles are evenly distributed and all raw edges are even.

Make sure that the ruffle has a little extra fullness on the corners.

Machine baste the ruffle in place using a slightly shorter basting stitch.

The finish line

With the right sides together and the raw edges even pin the first half of your cushion backing to the cushion front. Repeat for the opposite side.

Your backing pieces will overlap in the center.

Take care not to catch the loose edge of the ruffle piece.

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Using a slightly generous ¼” seam and a normal stitch length stitch the backing in place.

I used my standard sewing foot but you can use a walking foot if you prefer.

Turn right sides out, press and insert the 18″ Fairfield Decorator’s Choice pillow form.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s project.

I hope you enjoy your new designer cushion quilted with Gütermann Dekor rayon thread.

I just know you’ll get many requests to say it with free motion quilting!