Simple Patchwork Cushion Cover for New Sewists

Patchwork is one of the gentlest introductions to machine sewing you can give yourself. You are not wrestling with darts or curved facings, you are simply joining squares in straight lines, and the fabric does most of the decorative work for you. This cushion cover uses twenty-five 10cm squares, which makes a panel that finishes at 42cm square and becomes a snug 40cm cover once it is sewn up. Most sewists can make one in an afternoon, and the leftovers from a curtain hem or an old shirt will happily supply the fabric.

What You Will Need

• 25 squares of cotton fabric, each cut to 10cm x 10cm — a mix of leftovers is ideal
• Two rectangles of backing fabric, each 42cm x 30cm
• A 40cm cushion pad
• A sewing machine with a universal needle and a neutral cotton thread
• Fabric scissors, or a rotary cutter and cutting mat
• Pins or sewing clips
• An iron and ironing board
• A ruler, plus a pencil or fabric marker

Choose woven cotton, cotton poplin or quilting cotton for your first attempt. Slippery fabrics such as satin and stretchy jersey will fight you, and there is no need to make life harder than it already is. If you are cutting with scissors rather than a rotary cutter, draw round a 10cm card template with a pencil so that every square is identical. Accurate cutting matters far more than fast sewing.

Choosing and Cutting Your Squares

Wash and press your fabric before you cut, because cotton shrinks and you do not want your careful patchwork to pucker after the first wash. Press out every crease, then lay the fabric flat and cut with the grain rather than on the bias, which keeps the squares from stretching out of shape.

Now for the fun part: lay all twenty-five squares out on the floor or a table before you sew a single stitch. Aim for a pleasing scatter rather than a strict pattern — mix lights and darks, plains and small prints, and stand back to check that no two identical squares end up side by side unless you want them there. Take a photograph on your phone so you can remember the arrangement once the squares start moving about. A five-by-five grid is easy to keep track of, and you can always shuffle a few squares around if the balance looks heavy in one corner.

Sewing the Rows Together

Work in rows. Take the first two squares of row one, place them right sides together and pin along one edge. Sew a 1cm seam allowance, backstitching at both ends to lock the stitches. If you are unsure about your seam allowance, stick a strip of masking tape on the machine bed exactly 1cm to the right of the needle and line your fabric edge up with it every time.

Join the pairs into rows of five, then sew the rows to one another. When joining rows, nest the seams by pressing one seam one way and the next the opposite way, so the bulk sits flat and the corners meet neatly. Do not pull or stretch the fabric as you feed it through; let the machine's feed dogs do the work. Once all five rows are joined you will have a 42cm square panel with a wonderfully scrappy look.

Pressing and Squaring Up

Press after every seam, not just at the end. Set the seams first by pressing them closed, then open them out or press them to the darker side, whichever reduces bulk. A hot iron with a little steam is your best friend here. When the panel is complete, press it flat from the front, snip away any loose threads, and trim the outer edges so the panel is a true square with straight sides. This step is what makes the finished cushion look properly made rather than homemade.

Envelope Back and Neat Corners

Take your two backing rectangles. Along one long edge of each, turn under 1cm, press, turn under another 1cm and stitch close to the fold. These are your envelope openings and they will not fray once hemmed.

Lay the patchwork panel right side up. Place both backing pieces right side down on top, overlapping in the middle, with all raw edges matching and the hemmed edges facing inwards. Pin generously all the way round. Sew a 1cm seam around the whole square, pivoting at each corner with the needle down in the fabric.

Now the corners. Trim diagonally across each one, cutting close to the stitching but never through it. Turn the cover right side out through the envelope gap, then use the blunt end of a pencil to push each corner out firmly from the inside. Press the whole cover, pop in the pad, and stand back.

Ways to Ring the Changes

Once you have made one, the variations come thick and fast. Old shirts, worn bed linen, tea towels and remnants of curtain fabric all cut beautifully into squares. Corduroy and linen mix add texture, though they fray more, so overlock or zigzag the raw edges first. Add a couple of buttons to the envelope opening for a bit of detail, or quilt the front panel with a layer of wadding and a few straight lines for a softer, plumper cushion. Scale the squares up to 20cm and you have the beginnings of a floor cushion for a garden bench. Make a pair, and you will have used up a satisfying amount of your fabric stash in a single weekend.