Stitch in the ditch AND grid quilting with the PFAFF IDT System – PERFECT!

This week’s been all about more – more colors and more stitches! The PFAFF performance icon helped me create a bold summer cushion cover that I’m already enjoying. In yesterday’s post, we sewed together the cushion cover top. I’ll admit that when I started this project, I planned to make it a mini table topper. Then I fell in love with the stitching and wanted to make it a cushion cover to see and enjoy!

Maximalist stitched cushion cover

Let’s finish our cushion!

To get the cushion cover top ready for quilting, layer it with batting and the 17½” square of backing fabric. Pin the layers together to secure them for quilting. I decided to not add any additional quilting to the stitched fabric as this is a small project and instead chose to stitch in the ditch around the nine patches. To do this, I used green thread and the Clear Stitch-in-the-Ditch Foot for IDT System. This foot makes it easy to keep the stitches in the ditch as it pushes the fabric out of the way to then move back to hide the stitching line. This foot also attaches to the IDT system which guides the layers of fabric evenly under the needle leaving no puckers or build-up of fabric at the end of a line of quilting.

Clear Stitch-in-the-Ditch Foot for IDT System

After completing the stitching around the nine patches, I changed my thread to red – it’s time to do some bold quilting! I used the red thread to stitch diagonally across the nine patches to create a grid. I tried out a new-to-me machine hand quilting stitch. To do this quilting, I switched to the standard presser foot which also attaches to the IDT System. If you haven’t seen the IDT System in action yet, check out the video, What makes it so perfect? PFAFF original IDT System, to see how it works.

Hand quilting machine stitch on a nine-patch square

I liked the stitch and used it in different places on each nine-patch. It’s subtle but does add some additional texture to the blocks.

Quilting grid complete on a nine-patch

Continue quilting a grid in each nine-patch. I used the Cut function button at the end of each line so the performance icon brought both threads to the back and cut them. Such a great feature! Trim the quilted cushion cover top to a 17½” square, if necessary, before layering to make the cushion cover.

Quilting completed on the cushion cover top

Hem the backing panels

I recently completed another cushion cover using the performance icon. To see how I hemmed and sewed the panels and cushion cover together, check out my post, A two-panel backing completes the quilted ‘Sunshine’ cushion (Easy).

For this cushion cover, I added a strip of 2½” squares to the top panel. I cut the top panel at 17½” x 12½” and sewed the row of squares to it. To make my row of squares long enough, I added a 2½” x 1” strip of the green panel fabric to each end. On the opposite side of the row of squares, I added a 2½” strip of the panel fabric. Then I added the hem.

Back of the completed cushion cover

I like how adding the row of squares made it easy to reverse this cushion cover.

PFAFF performance icon

The creative possibilities of the PFAFF performance icon continue to impress me. Seeing my ideas come to life makes it a joy to try new things on this machine.

This is part 5 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 4: On-point quilting: Where to start with cutting and setting triangles

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