Patchwork Blocks
for
Cushions or Quilts

Traditionally patchwork blocks for cushions or quilts are made from scraps of leftover material.

In this process lots of bits of old fabric from clothing, curtains or other soft furnishings that may be worn or marked in places are turned into new fabric that depicts a picture, shapes or items.

This process is done by cutting the good parts of the fabric into squares, triangles, rectangles or any other geometric shape that has straight sides.

These shapes are then formed to blocks or squares to be ready to be sewn into a quilt or cushion cover.

These blocks look really complicated and if you read through the instructions you may see that most of the sewing is a straight stitch.

Some Patchwork Blocks for Cushions ideas

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Blocks and pictures to come 

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The fabrics for all the above blocks are completely your choice. There is no right or wrong way.

In the picture at the top of the page is a quilt I made years ago and decided I wanted a blue theme so all the fabrics had blue in them or were a shade of blue. I kept the fabric for all the blocks of the same type of patchwork in the same order to help me in the making.

I feel I did make a mistake by not having the same type of fabric or the same weight but as I said it was when I was first learning and starting out.

When choosing the fabric for your patchwork think about the item to be made.

Patchwork Fabrics

The different blocks can be made with different colours of fabric but there should be an overall theme and many traditional patchwork quilts will have fabrics that blend together.

Modern ones will have colours and patterns that clash but look well together, these  make a very bright and vibrant quilt. As with all sewing the design is in the makers mind so the result will be perfect for them.

It is all about the makers choice.

The best type of fabric to use is 100% cotton or a cotton mix as this does not stretch as much and are easily sewn. Try to keep to the same weight so the seams aren't pulled with a heavier weight fabric pulling a lighter weight one.

One example of this is corduroy next to a cotton lawn fabric both in different weight categories.

If the fabric is not new and remnants are used then it is best  to pick fabric of the same weight. It is also best to wash all the fabric before you sew them to make sure they don't shrink or their colours run.

If the colours do run then wash that material a few times until it stops or decide to change to a different fabric.

Tools for patchwork 

There are a lot of tools that will help in getting the patchwork fabric the right size, shape and length.

1) Cutting Mat

The first is cutting on a good base without scratching any tables or worktops and for this a self healing cutting mat is ideal. These usually have a square ruled pattern on them, I have one that is numbered centimetres on one side and numbered inches on the other to help with getting the right size. They can also have diagonal lines shown over the grid which will help in doing a diagonal cut.

2) Sharp cutting edge

This can either be a good pair of sharp scissors or a rotary cutter.

3) A large ruler to help cutting

Although the mat has a ruled pattern this large ruler is for matching up the lines to get a straight cut on the fabric. It also is good for making sure the fabric has a straight starting line.

I have an Amazon Storefront with all the things I have used and find a great help.

Preparing to Sew a Patchwork Blocks

When sewing patchwork it is really important to be as accurate as possible with all the cutting out, getting the measurement right and having the same seam allowance for everything.

This will ensure that the block pieces fit together well at the end to give a nice complete block of the same size.

The preparation of measuring and cutting will take a fairly long time and this is a craft that can't really be rushed or else the seams will have to be re-done a few times and depending on the size of the item a small mistake can be amplified if the block is to have a frame around it.

Patience is really needed with this craft but end result is worth it.

Differences in some
patchwork blocks for cushions

Once all the different shapes have been cut out, these are sewn in stages until you have the complete block.

Some blocks are first made into a nine patch block such as the Ohio Star. The nine separate smaller squares are made first and then joined in groups of three to create the nine patch block.

With other patterns the fabric is made into strips and then cut out like the Roman Pin Wheel design.

You can also make up your own by experimenting with different shapes.

Enjoy making many patchwork blocks.