Quilting a cushion top on the PFAFF creative icon 2 | hands-free stitching!

I love all my tutorial projects, and I always try to turn them into something finished and useful. Yesterday I shared how easily the PFAFF creative icon 2 pieces flawless patchwork blocks in the hoop!

Today, I’m stitching the blocks together to create a cheerful cushion, sharing with you two more standout features of the PFAFF creative icon 2: one is that you don’t need to press a foot control while quilting, and the second is how beautifully it handles perfect tension with small pieces. These features really take the pressure off, letting you focus on the fun part, creating!

So, are you ready for one more creative day with the PFAFF creative icon 2?

Materials Needed for Your Cushion Project

Let’s gather our materials for the cushion to make four perfect blocks trimmed to 8″ x 8″ for a finished cushion size of 18″ x 18″.

materials

fabric

• 1½” x 1½” – 1 piece
• 1½” x 8” – 4 strips
• 2” x 16” – 2 strips
• 2” x 19” – 2 strips
• 19” x 19” – 1 piece for lining
• 19” x 19” – 1 piece of batting
• 13½” x 18¾” – 2 pieces for cushion backing

Note: All fabric measurements include the ¼” seam allowance.

other

• PFAFF creative icon 2
• PFAFF Universal Needles Size 80/90
• PFAFF Quilting Needles Size 90/14
• PFAFF 6D Dynamic Spring Foot
• PFAFF Elite Hoop 260 x 200 mm
• PFAFF Tear-a-Way medium weight stabilizer
• PFAFF ¼” Quilting Foot for IDT System
• Mettler 40wt polyester thread
• Odif 505 Temporary Adhesive

Setting Up Your PFAFF creative icon 2 for Quilting

We’re all set to begin assembling our cushion top!

On the welcome screen, tap the Sewing mode. Check the bobbin and re-thread the machine if needed. Attach the PFAFF ¼” Quilting Foot for IDT System.

Assembling the Patchwork Cushion Top

Lay out the top pieces as follows:

• block + 1 strip (1½” x 8″) + block
• 1 strip (1½” x 8″) + 1 square (1½” x 1½”) + 1 strip (1½” x 8″)
• block + 1 strip (1½” x 8″) + block

Fold the pieces right sides together and stitch them with a ¼” seam allowance. When stitching with small pieces like these, the PFAFF creative icon 2 Sewing and Embroidery Machine shines. The moment you lift your foot off the pedal, the presser foot automatically pops up halfway, giving you the perfect amount of space to pivot, adjust your seams, or sneak a pin out of the way.

This makes piecing both faster and more enjoyable!

Using the IDT™ System for Perfect Seams

And it gets even better! The creative icon 2 handles even the tiniest fabric edges without pulling them into the machine. Thanks to the incredible feeding and the IDT System, you can sew with total confidence, no matter how small the pieces are; every stitch is smooth, precise, and right where it should be.

This is a huge advantage when assembling patchwork!

Next, take the two 2″ x 16″ strips of sashing and stitch them to both sides of the cushion top. Then, grab the last two strips, measuring 2″ x 19″, and stitch them to the top and bottom to finish off the piece. Give everything a good press.

Make a quilt sandwich! Layer the finished cushion top with a piece of batting and a lining fabric underneath. A quick spray of temporary adhesive will help hold everything securely in place, no shifting while we quilt!

Attach the PFAFF 2A – Fancy Stitch Foot, and load the Essential Stitches #2 menu. I chose a stitch that matches the style of the quilting we did earlier at the hooping stage. And now comes the best part: no need to press the foot control while stitching! This feature is absolutely perfect for free-motion quilting and stitch-in-the-ditch techniques.

Here’s how to make the most of it: check the needle position, switch on the projector for extra precision, and then simply press the Start/Stop button. Sit back, gently guide the quilting top as needed, and enjoy completely foot- and hand-free stitching. It’s smooth, easy, and a real game-changer!

Final Cushion Assembly and Finishing Touches

Once the cushion top is completed, trim it down to 18¾” x 18¾” to get it ready for final assembly.

Take two backing pieces, each 13½” x 18¾”. On each piece, fold one long side over by ½”, press, then fold it over again by another ½” and press well. Switch to straight stitch #1. Stitch close to the inner fold to secure the hems.

Next, place your quilted cushion top right side up. Layer the two backing pieces on top with right sides facing down, overlapping the folded edges by about 4½”. Pin everything together around the edges — we’re almost there!

Stitch around the entire cushion using a ⅜” seam allowance. Clip the corners to get rid of extra bulk, then turn the cushion right side out. Gently pull out the corners for a nice, sharp finish and give it a good press.

Now for the final touch — attach the PFAFF OA – Standard Presser Foot for IDT System, select Essential Stitches #2, and stitch as close to the edge as you can all the way around the cushion. It’s a quick step that gives your project a clean and professional finish!

And just like that, our cheerful cushion is ready! It’s always so satisfying to see all the little pieces come together into something finished. The Integrated Dual Feed Technology (IDT™ System) provides precise, even fabric feeding, eliminating fabric slippage or distortion, which is a common issue on standard machines; the Automatic Hands-Free Stitching enables quilting without the foot pedal, allowing you to focus on fabric handling and precise alignment, significantly reducing physical fatigue, and the Advanced Precision with Small Pieces is specially designed to handle tiny fabric pieces without pulling them into the feed dogs, maintaining tension and accuracy, this is particularly advantageous for intricate quilting.

I hope you love the process as much as I do! But we’re not done yet. In the next post, we’ll explore more creative possibilities with the PFAFF creative icon 2, using the Mirror feature and Stitch-out Progress tool to add new twists to our in-the-hoop patchwork.

See you there!

This is part 3 of 4 in this series

Go back to part 2: How to create perfect patchwork blocks with the PFAFF creative icon 2