Make it Modern Pillows – February 2025 Tutorial

It’s Jamie again from Sew Brainy Designs! It’s year 4 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 2022 or 2023 pillow fun, you can click the link below. Last year we started a fun Facebook Group so we can all sew along together!

January’s block had some fun squares that give a funky mid-century modern vibe.

February’s block uses floating rectangles for a fun mid-century modern feeling.

This year I’m using low volumes for the background. I went with Sparkler White from the Sparkler Basics collection from Melissa Mortenson here.

I love these colors together!

And the sparkles definitely add some jazz!

I did a 1/2″ grid quilting with Aurifil 50wt. off-white thread for this fantastic texture!

This month’s pillow features Texture Collection by Sandy Gervais. The colors I used were Heather, Turtle, Deep Sea, Glacier, Green, and Sweet Mint.

Lots of pretty colors!

Now let’s make a pillow!

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FEBRUARY 2025 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).

Material Requirements

For the block (pillow top):

This pattern uses (1) BACKGROUND fabric [FABRIC A] and (6) ACCENT fabrics [FABRICS B-G]. 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:

• (12) 3½” × 2¾” [A3]
• (12) 1½” × 5″ [A2]
• (12) 1½” × 4½” [A1]

From ACCENT FABRIC B, C, D, E, F, and G:

• (1) 4½” × 3″ [B2/C2/D2/E2/F2/G2]
• (2) 3½” × 2¾” [B1/C1/D1/E1/F1/G1]

Piecing Directions

1. Lay out (2) A1, (2) A2, and (1) B2 as shown below. Sew (1) A1 on the left and right side of the B2 and press the seams.

2. Sew (1) A2 on the top and bottom of the A1/B2/A1 and press the seams. This is the RECTANGLE BLOCK.

3. Repeat STEPS 1-2 to create RECTANGLE BLOCKS for FABRICS C-G.

4. Lay out the (2) A3, (1) C1, and (1) D1 as shown below into TWO rows. Sew the (2) pieces in each row together and press the seams.

5. Sew the (2) rows together and press the seams. This is the LEFT FOUR SQUARE BLOCK.

6. Repeat STEPS 4-5 to create (3) additional LEFT FOUR SQUARE BLOCKS in the combinations below. These blocks will go in ROWS 1 & 3.

7. Lay out the (2) A3, (1) G1, and (1) F1 as shown below into TWO rows. Sew the (2) pieces in each row together and press the seams.

8. Sew the (2) rows together and press the seams. This is the RIGHT FOUR SQUARE BLOCK.

9. Repeat STEPS 7-8 to create (1) additional RIGHT FOUR SQUARE BLOCK in the combination below. These blocks will go in ROW 2.

10. Lay out the RECTANGLE BLOCKS, the RIGHT FOUR SQUARE BLOCKS, and the LEFT FOUR SQUARE BLOCKS as shown below into FOUR ROWS. Sew the (4) units in each row together and press the seams.

11. Sew the (4) rows together and press the seams.

12. Your pillow top is now complete!

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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 March with some random fun stripes! Don’t forget to join us in the Facebook Group!

Until later, happy quilting!

Jamie