Tutorial -- Love Thoughts - Valentine's Quilt Pillow cover (revised pattern)

10 years ago, at this time, I posted on the blog a pattern dedicated to Valentine's Day. 

I revised it and I share the new version of it with you today.

Overview

To sew this block, we use the Sew & Flip method.

Materials

Fabric Options

Quilting cotton, thin denim.

- Solid colors and non-directional prints work best.

- Wash and press the fabric. Starching cotton quilting fabric and thin fabrics helps achieve accurate edge of the pillow cover.

Cutting

- fabric A (accent fabric) - (1) 6" x 9½" and (1) 6” x 15”

        - fabric B (background) - (6) 6"; (1) 9½" squares

                                               -  (2) 1½” x 15”; (2) 1½” x 17” (border). 

Assemble the block

Place the 6” x 15” piece of the accent fabric right side up. Align over its right edge one 6” square of the background fabric wrong side up. Draw a diagonal line onto the background 6” square from the up left corner to the down right corner (see the dashed line). Stitch on the diagonal marking.  Follow the marked line as accurately as you can, in order to get a neat finished piece. Trim the corner off 1/4” away from the stitched line.

Flip the triangle open and press seam allowance toward A fabric rectangle. Align over the triangle of B fabric, another 6” square wrong side up. Mark a diagonal line from the down left corner to the up right corner. 

Stitch on the diagonal marking. Trim the corner off ¼” away from the marked line. Flip the triangle open and press the seam allowance toward the corner triangle. 

Repeat for the second unit.

Sew together the 6” x 9½” unit and 9½” B fabric square with ¼” seam allowance. Place them like in the next images. Press the seam allowances toward the B fabric square.  

Sew together this unit with the first unit with ¼” seam allowance. Press the seams toward the latter. Press. The block should measure about 14¾” - 15”, depending on the accuracy of how you sewed. Add the border pieces. Now, the unfinished block should measure 17".  

Quilting

One of the most beautiful ways to finish a patchwork project is by quilting it. 

Layer:

- at the bottom - 19" x 19" backing fabric, right side down

- in the middle - the 19" x 19" piece of batting

- on top - the block, right side up.

Baste the layers together and enjoy quilting your preferred design. I used a temporary glue spray for basting.

Finishing

Wash the quilt with cold or lukewarm water and mild detergent. 

Lay the quilt flat to dry, smoothing it gently. After drying, press it on the back side, only if needed.

While it dries, prepare the pillow back.

Trim the quilt to 16½”. 

Sew the quilt (which is the front of the pillow)  with the back together.

You're done!

Your Valentine pillow cover is complete. 

As Valentine's Day is a holiday when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts, don’t stop. Sew this pattern in pairs of pillows.

I hope you'll enjoy making these cuties as much as I do.

If you need other patterns for quick and easy modern quilts or bags, 

It takes you to my Etsy Shop.

All orders made during February 2025 will receive as bonus the quilt pattern Love Thoughts in PDF format.

Have a beautiful sewing day, my friends!

Thank you for your support!

How to finish the quilt - The facing method

The face binding method hides the quilt's raw edges while freeing the quilt design from the visual binding's frame. It is very useful for the wall hanging quilts, but it can be used for any type of modern quilt. It also reduces bulk in the corners, and provides nice clean turned edges.There are several ways of doing it. I will show you how I did it.

Facing the quilt with hanging corners

I used the same tools I use for binding.

1. I trimmed the quilt. I measured the length and the width of the quilt (approx. 85" x 102). 

2. For each of the four quilt edges I prepared four strips of fabric 2 ½" wide and 3" shorter than each side of the quilt. In my case – (2) 2 ½" x 82" and (2) 2 ½" x 99" (you might keep the strip uncut and trim it when sewing, right before you get to the quilt corner). For each corner of the quilt I cut four 5" squares. 

3. I folded in half lengthwise right side out the four strips and pressed them with iron. I folded each square diagonally in half right side out to make triangles and pressed them. 

4. I placed the quilt on a flat surface (floor) with the top facing up. I pinned the four triangles in each corner of the quilt with the raw edges of the triangles aligned with the raw edges of the quilt. I stitched the corners in place with ¼ " seam allowance.

 

5. I centered and pinned the four folded strips along each corresponding side of the quilt, on top of the triangles, with the raw edges aligned with the raw edges of the quilt, leaving a 1 ½" gap at each corner of the quilt. 

6. I stitched all the way around the edge of the quilt with a ¼' seam allowance, overlapping the corner seam lines. 

If  you use a continuous strip, trim it right before you get to the quilt corner

I clipped the four corners avoiding the seams.

7.  I flipped the triangles to the back and, with a pen with the cap on, I carefully pushed all the corners out to give them a nice finish. I pressed the triangles in place. I pressed the strips away from the quilt. Then I folded, pressed them with steam to the back side of the quilt, having about 1/16″ of quilt front showing on the back.

9. Keeping the quilt with the top up, I stitched by machine all the way around at 7/8 of an inch away of the quilt edges (the facing strips are 1" wide) to secure the strips to the back of the quilt. If you want that the stitching to be invisible on the quilt top, stitch the strips to the back of the quilt by hand.

I hope you find this post helpful. 

I used this method to finish a quilt made from old jeans and men's shirts, following the instructions of "Meeting with friends" quilt pattern.

Have a beautiful sewing day, my dears!

TUTORIAL - How to install invisible magnetic snaps on a bag

 

Overview

    The pronged magnetic snaps (standard magnetic snaps) are a very easy and fast closure for a bag, but when your bag needs a clean-looking, flat profile, hidden from view magnetic closure, a practical variant is using invisible magnetic snaps, known also as sew-in magnetic snaps. They are very useful for many types of bags, for wallets or pocket flaps. 

    These invisible magnetic snaps are composed of two parts, like the standard magnetic snaps, but both parts are flat discs, encased in a soft, clear plastic pad that is easy to sew through with no special needle. Anyone can do it.

   They come in different dimensions and in sets. One set includes two magnetic pieces, a positive and a negative. Depending on the manufacturer, some of them have the positive piece marked with a "+" in one corner of the plastic pad and the negative piece marked with a "–". 

Dimensions of my magnetic snaps: 

– magnet 3/4" diameter 

– plastic pad 1 ¼ " square. 

Positioning the snaps

    To see which is the front and which is the back of the two magnets, bring them close to each other. The right position is, of course, that in which the two magnets have the greatest strength of attraction. Mark the back of the snaps with a permanent marker - you will need this later.

    Place one bag panel wrong side up. Measure one side of the magnetic snap pad (usually it is a square). Mine is 1 ¼" and the following instructions are based on this.

Mark 1 ¼"  and 2 ½" down the top edge. See the horizontal orange lines. Mark the center of the bag panel. See the red vertical line.

 If your pad has other dimensions, draw the first line at a distance equal to the side of the pad, and draw the second line at a distance equal to the side of the pad x 2.

    Fold the top edge over. Press and pin or use clips to keep it in place. 

Installing the snaps

    Center one snap (doesn't matter which one) back side up, over the folded edge. Use clips to keep it in place.

     Top stitch as you wish: close to the magnetic snap or close to the pad edge. Use a zipper foot if you prefer. Use matching thread.

    I recommend placing a piece of fabric or vinyl, or cork etc. between the snap area and needle plate (the orange piece in the photos above), to weaken the strength of the magnet while sewing. Just be careful to keep it away from stitching.

    You might secure the seam either by back stitching at the beginning and end of the seam or by burying the ends of the threads in the panel folds. The latter gives a cleaner look.

    Place the bag panel wrong side up. Fold the top edge over one more time. Press and use clips to keep it in place. Now the snap is tucked between folds, front side up.

    If you use fabric straps, now is the time to attach them. For this bag, I used leather straps and I attached them after the bag was assembled, as the last step. 

    Sew a seam on the bottom edge of the folded side and one seam at about 1/8" down from the top edge of the panel.

    Repeat for the other bag panel.

  

  As you can see, the invisible magnetic snaps closure looks so good and provides the same security as the standard magnetic snaps. 

    Almost nothing to see on the inside. Only a fine stitched square that is barely visible.

    Nothing on the outside.

    If you have already a pair of invisible snaps in some drawer and want to use them, you have the right project here 

    The bag in this tutorial was made following the instructions of this pattern, which allows so many variations.

When ordering Unlined shopping bag with removable interior pocket Pattern, leave me a message if you want to save this tutorial and I will send it to you as a .pdf file.

                                                     

 To remember, pin this for later.

   

    Other ideas and tutorials you may find HERE, on my blog. 

    Have a look to my pattern shop www.etsy.com/shop/1BeautifulDay for more ideas too.

    Have a beautiful sewing day, my dears!