Quilted Sunshine Cushion Cover

A cheerful applique cushion cover welcomes any season with the phrase “Let the sun shine in.” This post walks you through making this cheerful cushion cover with appliqued letters, a radiant sun, quilted sunbeams, and a tidy two-panel back that slips over a pillow form.

materials

fabric

• 18″ [45.7cm] square of white background fabric for the cushion top
• 18″ [45.7cm] square of backing fabric for the cushion top layer
• 3″ [7.6cm] wide fabric scraps, up to a fat eighth each, in blue, orange, and pink for the letters
• 16½″ x 12½″ [41.9 x 31.8cm] fabric for the upper back panel
• 16½″ x 10½″ [41.9 x 26.7cm] fabric for the lower back panel, adjusted to fit your own pillow form
• 18″ [45.7cm] square of batting

thread

• white or neutral sewing thread
• quilting thread to match the letters, in blue, orange, and pink
• orange thread for the sun applique

notions

• 16″ [40.6cm] pillow form
• fusible web for machine applique
• lightweight tear-away stabilizer, about 4″ x 8″ [10.2 x 20.3cm]
• fabric scissors
• fabric marking tool

Prepare the applique letters

Cut the letters from the free letter template here using fusible web. Iron them onto scraps of blue, orange, and pink fabric. Back each shape with a lightweight tear-away stabilizer before cutting it out. This keeps every letter crisp and easy to handle once it’s time to stitch.

Stitch the sun with a radiant stitch

Layer the background fabric with batting and a backing piece, then pin the three layers together. Draw a simple arc along the bottom left corner using anything round as a guide. Pin a small stabilizer piece underneath the arc. A built-in decorative stitch traces the arc to form a half sun. A specialty presser foot with a red guide mark keeps the stitching lined up on the drawn line. The machine stitches forward, pauses, then reverses to build each ray of the sun. This back-and-forth motion continues until the whole half sun is complete. Orange thread matches the sun shape and ties the whole design together.

Quilt sunbeams with stippling stitches

Two sizes of a built-in stippling stitch quilt sunbeams across the background fabric. The smaller stitch uses a specialty foot and produces tight, symmetrical curves. The larger stitch spreads wider and needs a different foot built for bigger motions. Working the stitches on every third ray keeps the spacing even across the whole cushion top. Once the quilting is done, trim the cushion top to a clean 16½″ square.

With the top trimmed, lay out the fused letters. Use a quilting ruler to line up their top edges across each row. Aim for an even margin of about 1½″ [3.8cm] on either side. Adjust each letter until the spacing looks balanced. Then peel the backing and press the letters in place.

Applique the letters with a blanket stitch

A blanket stitch appliques each letter onto the background fabric. A specialty presser foot with its own guide mark keeps the stitching accurate around every curve and point. A needle-down function holds the fabric steady while pivoting at corners. A quick-cut button trims the thread cleanly between letters, speeding up movement from one letter to the next. For one word, mirroring the stitch flips the little ticks to the outside edge of each letter. This gives that word a slightly different texture from the rest, helping it stand out on the finished cushion.

Finish with a two-panel back

Two overlapping panels form the back of the cushion, which makes inserting and removing the pillow form simple. Fold and press a quarter-inch hem twice along one edge of each panel. Stitch the hem down using a specialty foot designed for accurate quarter-inch seams. Layer the finished top right side up. Place the hemmed panels on top, with the hems overlapping in the middle of the cushion.

Pin around all four sides, then stitch the edge using a guide foot that keeps the seam allowance consistent at every corner. Finish the inside seams with an overcast stitch so no raw edges fray after washing. Trim the excess fabric from each corner at an angle for crisp points. Turn the cover right side out and push out the corners. Slide in the pillow form, and the sunshine cushion is ready to enjoy!

Original series by Sarah Vanderburgh on QUILTsocial.com. Photos by Sarah Vanderburgh