Quilters Statement Pillow -

Hello Quilty Friends, it’s Rachel from Stitch With Rachel.

Today I wanted to chat with you about my latest project using Lori Holt’s latest collection – Farmers Daughter. The fabrics are just divine so I had to use all of the prints in the range. This brand new collection blends classic florals, vintage-inspired prints, and cheerful colors that echo the simple joys of farm living.

The cushion panel required over 100 squares cut at 2.5″ so for speed I decided to use the grid interfacing method where you arrange your pieces onto a piece of fusible grid interfacing and press to secure them in place. Fold seam row together and stitch with a quarter inch seam. This makes for quick, easy and accurate patchwork. You can find a video tutorial on this method here.

I quilted the panel prior to adding the applique with a teal colour thread. For the back of the cushion, I used lovely fabric from the Bee Cross collection, this is one of my favourite blenders.

To create the applique lettering, I used a set of templates that were included in the Missouri Star Jenny’s Countdown to Christmas advent box. However other alphabet templates are available on the market or you can simply free hand you own lettering. I used fusible heat n bond on the back of the letter and then stitched around them using a blanket stitch. If you’d like to make something similar, a tutorial on this style of applique is available here.