Finishing the quilted umbrella cushion with a zipper

This has been a fun week of play and discovery. I hope you have enjoyed creating a somewhat whimsical reminder of the change of season with the quilted umbrella panel and then traipsing through your stash of scraps to find fabrics for the patchwork panel (I hope it was a fruitful search!) In yesterday’s post I quilted the patchwork panel using decorative stitches, called Handlook Stitches, built into the PFAFF quilt expression 720 remember there are over 400!! Today all that’s left is to put the cushion together! Let’s go!

To create the cushion I decided to use a zipper and found a yellow 18″ one in my stash. I simply cut it to the size I need which is 16¼″ long. 

I also squared up both of the cushion panels to the same size and ended up with each being 16¼″ square. Not to worry, my pillow form will still fit!

I attached the available extension table to the PFAFF quilt expression 720 because of the weight of my quilted panels; I wanted the panels supported while I sewed them together.

Take the zipper and pin it in place, zipper side facing down, along the right side edge of the patchwork panel.

Then you’ll need to attach the zipper foot – one of ten presser feet included with the machine – which can be attached in different positions to let you sew close to both the left and right sides of the zipper.

The panels face each other to join the zipper to the other panel. I put the zipper on the left side of the umbrella cushion front. Pin the zipper edge and stitch in place.

At this point, I used a zigzag stitch to go back over the seams of the attached zipper to help prevent fraying when washed.

Next, remember to unzip the zipper about halfway and then line up the remaining sides of the panels, Right Sides Together, and pin to secure.

Sew around the three remaining sides of the cushion with ¼″ seam (I’m a quilter after all!) Again use a zigzag stitch over the seams.

Turn the cushion out through the open zipper and check for any openings in your seams. Restitch if necessary. Then clip the corners and completely push the cushion out flat.

Close the zipper to make sure it closes flat. Then you can open and insert your pillow form to enjoy! I thoroughly enjoyed my time creating with the PFAFF quilt expression 720 – from the Patchwork Program to the Handlook stitches to the zipper foot – the features of this machine helped me enjoy the process and to be proud of the results. Here’s to more creating!