Make it Modern Pillows – June 2026 Tutorial

It’s Jamie again from Sew Brainy Designs! It’s year 5 of my Make it Modern Pillows series! I’m so excited and I have some fun designs in store for this year! In case you missed the previous pillow fun, you can click the links below. We also have a fun Facebook Group so we can all sew along together!

May’s block had some some mid mod squares!

June’s block has long half hexies!

For my low volume background, I went with the Seasonal Basics Stars White by Christopher Thompson for this one.

Since America’s 250th birthday is around the corner, I had to go patriotic on this one!

The little tossed stars in the background are so cute!

I used the Malachite pantograph by Patricia Ritter on my longarm for this fantastic texture!

This month’s pillow features some brand new Seasonal Basics prints with a 4th of July theme designed by Christopher Thompson.

Now let’s make a pillow!

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June 2026 Pillow Tutorial

Pattern Notes

• Please read through all instructions before beginning.
• Seam allowances are 1/4″ unless specified.
• Press all seams open (or in preferred direction).
• To avoid confusion, there is no FABRIC I.

Material Requirements

For the block (pillow top):

This pattern uses (1) BACKGROUND fabric [FABRIC A] and (8) ACCENT fabrics [FABRICS B-J]. Below are the requirements to make ONE 18″ block.

For the pillow body:

• (1) 22-24″ square piece of muslin or other fabric (for quilting the top)
• (1) 22-24″ square piece of batting (for quilting the top)
• (2) 13½” × 18½” pieces of backing fabric (for the pillow envelope)
• (1) 18″-20″ pillow form (my favorite one to use is the FJÄDRAR from IKEA!). I always use a pillow form that is one size larger than my pillow case to make sure it’s extra full.

Cutting Directions

From BACKGROUND FABRIC A, cut:

(2) 2¾” × WOF strips, subcut:

• (24) 2¾″ squares [A1]

From ACCENT FABRIC B, C, D, and E, cut:

• (1) 2¾″ × 9½″ [B1/C1/D1/E1]
• (1) 2¾″ × 3¾″ [B2/C2/D2/E2]

From ACCENT FABRIC F, G, H, and J, cut:

• (1) 2¾″ × 9½″ [F1/G1/H1/J1]
• (1) 2¾″ × 4″ [F2/G2/H2/J2]

Piecing Directions

1. Using your preferred marking tool, prepare the (24) A1 squares by drawing a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of the fabric as shown below. These squares will be used for STEPS 2-7.

2. You will be using the “STITCH-AND-FLIP” method to create A1 triangles on both ends of the B1. Lay out (1) B1 rectangle along with (2) A1 squares aligned RST on the corners as shown below. Stitch along the line of each A1 square, trim 1/4″ on the outside of the line, flip the triangles out, and press the seams.

3. Repeat STEP 2 for FABRICS C-J as shown below.

4. Again, you will be using the “STITCH-AND-FLIP” method to create an A1 triangle on the BOTTOM LEFT corner of the F2. Lay out (1) F2 rectangle along with (1) A1 square aligned RST on the bottom as shown below. Stitch along the line of the A1 square, trim 1/4″ on the outside of the line, flip the triangles out, and press the seams.

5. Repeat STEP 4 for FABRICS G-J as shown below.

6. Using the same process from STEP 4, create an A1 triangle on the TOP LEFT corner of the B2.

7. Repeat STEP 6 for FABRICS C-E as shown below.

8. Lay out all the units from STEPS 2-7 along with the A2, A3, and A4 pieces into EIGHT COLUMNS as shown below. Sew all (4) pieces in each row together and press the seams.

9. Sew all (8) columns together as shown below and press the seams.

10. Your pillow top is now complete!

11. Layer the completed block on top of the 22-24″ batting and muslin squares and quilt the pillow top as desired. When you are done, trim the block to 18½”.

Note – if you add dense quilting, your top may shrink a bit in size. Just trim it to the largest square that you can. You can trim the width of envelope backing fabric a bit in the next step if needed in order to match your actual top size.

12. Create a finished edge on the long side of each of the (2) 13½″ × 18½” pieces of envelope backing by folding 1/2″ of fabric over the wrong side TWICE. Stitch a seam near the edge to secure it.

13. With the square top facing up, layer the envelope pieces RST on top of it as shown below and sew a 3/8″ seam around the edge of the pillow top.

14. Trim the edges of the corners a bit to reduce bulk. Turn the pillow case inside out and insert your pillow form. Your pillow is now done! Enjoy your fun modern make!

I can’t wait to see all the beautiful pillows everyone makes! They can be very addicting! Be sure to share them on social media! #makeitmodernpillows #iloverileyblake #sewbrainydesigns.

If you check out my blog, I have some more color mockups and some freebie coloring pages you can download. Plus a sneak peek of a companion quilt pattern for this block that’s coming soon!

I’ll see you in July with some summer fun! Don’t forget to join us in the Facebook Group!

Until later, happy quilting!

Jamie