With everything going on in the world at the moment, I’ve been really loving smaller makes that I can finish quickly. It just feels so good to finish something right now!

With lots of people staying home right now with more spare time, I thought it was about time I shared a free pattern with you all! This is a super easy make that’s suitable for everyone, even beginners or (supervised) kids, and will add a colourful pop to any room guaranteed to make you smile.

Lets go!

Details

• Finished size 17” x 17” - perfect for keeping an 18” cushion nice and plump!

• Envelope style back so no buttons or zipper required

• Block techniques

  • Half-Square Triangles (HSTs)

  • Quarter-Square Triangles (QSTs)

Materials

• Charm pack or forty 5” squares from your stash (I used a Crescent charm pack by Sarah Watts of Ruby Star Society)

• Plain fabric for the back - 18” x 11”

• Lining fabric - one 20” x 20” piece and two 20” x 13” pieces

• Binding/facing material - 40” strip (or two 20” strips)

• Batting - one 20” x 20” piece and two 20” x 13” pieces

• Thread (I prefer Aurifil cotton for piecing and quilting)

Making the blocks

Step 1

With right sides together, pair up 40 of your charm pack squares. Have some fun playing with different combinations to mix and match your fabrics!

Step 2

Make 40 Half-Square Triangles (HSTs) -

• On one side of each pair of squares, mark the diagonal using tailors chalk or another removable fabric pen.

• Sew 1/4″ from either side of the line as below and cut along the marked line. Press the seams to the darker fabric. Do not trim!

Step 3

Make 40 Quarter-Square Triangles (QSTs) -

• Using the HSTs you have just made, pair them up again. Take care to nest their seams neatly to give you lovely points!

• On one side of each pair of HSTs, mark the opposite diagonal (you’ll have a big X across the square) and follow the HST instructions to make your QSTs.

• Press the seams open and trim to 4” square.

Making the cushion panels

Front panel

• Sew five rows of five QSTs and press seams as shown -

  • Rows 1, 3 and 5 - press to the left

  • Rows 2 and 4 - press to the right

• Sew the rows together, nesting your seams to give nice neat block joins. Press seams open.

• Make a quilt sandwich with 20” x 20” lining and batting and quilt as desired. I made the most of suddenly having lots of spare time to do some straight line hand quilting. Trim to 17 1/2” x 17 1/2”.

Back panel one (top)

• Sew three rows of five QSTs and press seams as shown -

  • Rows 1 and 3 - press to the left

  • Row 2 - press to the right

• Sew the rows together, nesting your seams. Press seams open.

• Make a quilt sandwich with 20” x 13” lining and batting and quilt as desired. Trim to 10 3/4” x 17 1/2”.

• Bind or face the bottom edge using your preferred method. I went with facing because I just love the smooth transition it gives here!

Back panel two (bottom)

• Make a quilt sandwich with 18” x 11” plain fabric, 20” x 13” lining and 20” x 13” batting and quilt as desired.

• Bind or face the top edge using your preferred method. Trim to 10 3/4” x 17 1/2”.

Assembling the cushion

• With right sides together, sew the front panel and back panel one (top) together along the top edge using a ¼” seam. Seam along the sides of the back panel, back-stitching over the bound edge to make it nice and secure.

• With right sides together, sew the front panel and back panel two (bottom) together along the bottom edge using a ¼” seam. Seam along the sides of the back panel, back-stitching over the bound edge.

• Turn the cushion right-sides out and press the seams carefully to give lovely crisp corners and edges.

And you’re done!

I love seeing your makes so share a picture using #charmedcushion and tag me on Instagram @caitlisledesigns or share them to my Facebook page @caitlisledesigns - whichever is your jam :)

Stay safe everyone x