Make it Modern Pillows – January 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!

December’s block had modern confetti garlands.

January’s block has some fun retro squares.

I’m still using low volumes for the background. I went with Dainty Daisy On Cloud Gray by Beverly McCullough for this one.

A fun Valentine’s Day vibe!

Blossom is always one of my go-to basics favorites!

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

This month’s pillow features the Blossoms basics line by Christopher Thompson.

There are so many good colors!

Now let’s make a pillow!

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January 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 (9) ACCENT fabrics [FABRICS B-K]. 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:

– Cut (2) 2” × WOF strip, subcut:

• (9) 2” × 4¼″ [A4]
• (9) 2” squares [A2]
• (9) 2” × 1¼″ [A1]

– Cut (1) 1¼” × WOF strips, subcut:

• (6) 1¼” × 4¼″ [A3]

From ACCENT FABRICS B-K, cut:

• (1) 2″ × 6½″ [B5-H5]
• (1) 2″ × 4¼″ [B5-H5]
• (1) 2″ square [B1-H1]
• (1) 1¼″ × 6½″ [B4-H4]
• (1) 1¼″ × 4¼″ [B2-H2]

Piecing Directions

1. Lay out all (1) A1, (1) A2, (1) A3, (1) A4, and (1) B1 as shown below. Sew the A1 to the LEFT of the B1 and the A2 to the RIGHT. Press the seams.

2. Sew the A3 to the BOTTOM of the unit and the A4 to the TOP. Press the seams.

3. Lay out the D2, D3, D4, and D5 with the unit from STEP 1 as shown below. Sew the D2 to the LEFT of the unit and the D3 to the RIGHT. Press the seams.

4. Sew the D4 to the BOTTOM of the unit and the D5 to the TOP. Press the seams. This is the SQUARE BLOCK.

5. Repeat STEPS 1-2 to create the remaining (8) SQUARE BLOCKS.

6. Lay out all (9) SQUARE BLOCKS into THREE rows as shown below, noting the direction of each block. Sew the THREE blocks in each row together and press the seams.

7. Sew all THREE rows together and press the seams.

8. Your pillow top is now complete!

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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 February with some 80s fun! Don’t forget to join us in the Facebook Group!

Until later, happy quilting!

Jamie