Free Project Friday #4 Gemstone Paper Pieced Pillow

Scrappy Foundation Pieced Gemstone Pillow 

Spider Web designs have caught my attention of late. Making a scrappy one out of Shimmer while adding a touch of turquoise appealed to me. I had lots of cut up scraps from the projects we were making already for the lookbook so I started to play…which is what I love best. Foundation piecing by stitch and flip is so fun. I don't even care if my seams aren't 1/4".  Pillows are quick and rewarding and this process is freeing!

The antique quilt below is a gem from Roderick Kiracofe's collection which is so wonky, fresh and full of movement that I used it as inspiration for my approach. Interestingly enough, this quilt dates from 1940-70 made in Hard Bargain, an African American community in Franklin Tennessee. In addition to the 20-30 strips of Shimmer Fabric I had on hand, I added strips of black and charcoal Kona cotton and 5 shades of turquoise with a few pops of lime.

Antique spider web quilt - Roderick Kiracofe

Basket of scraps

Selecting scraps and strips to work with 

Strips for the first triangle

Beginner / Intermediate Project. Great way to use up your scraps!
Finished pillow  23 x 23 (all measurements are in inches, 1/4 seam allowances)

Materials List :
• 1 yard total of 1" - 3" width x 1" - 6" length of strips in Shimmer, lime and turquoise prints. Kona black, charcoal and turquoise
• 2 Fat Quarters of Shimmer AJSP 14250-15 Ivory, 14249-15 Ivory 
• Borders- 3/4 yard of Essex  Y/D Linen in Olive
• Pillow form 24" x 24"
• Foundation Paper such as Carol Doak's Foundation Paper
• Velvet Trim- 3 yards of 2 1/2" strips Artemis moon dust
• Backing- 3/4 yard or 24" square of  your favorite Shimmer print
• Nylon zipper beige 22"
*** SHIMMER  has been wildly popular and many shops  were backordered. Please know it's been reprinted and many shops have fresh stock now! (Hawthorne Thread, Cotton Patch, Fabric Depot, Fabric.com, Cabbage Rose ) If you are a store and also have collection stocked yet not listed here, please let me know. 

Directions and Cutting
Create a trapezoid template out of graph paper or your favorite material. Cut one 8 1/2" square of template material. Cut the square in half diagonally (yielding 1 Isosceles triangle 8 1/2" x 12"). To make center trapezoid template measure and mark 2 1/2" down from top point of triangle. Mark center point on long edge of triangle. Mark 1/4 inch on each side of center mark. Draw line to connect the 1/4" center base mark to the 2 1/2" top of triangle mark. Cut along lines to create your trapezoid template. Shown in left photo above. Cut 8 ivory trapezoids from fat quarters of Shimmer. (It's Ok if they are not perfect. Adds to charm and note in antique quilt that star points are wonky) 
To make your blocks, cut four 8 1/2" squares of foundation paper. Cut each square in half diagonally (yielding 8 Isosceles triangles 8 1/2" x 12")

Tack ivory Shimmer trapezoid with glue stick to foundation paper and start to sew down strips right sides together one at a time. Turn and press. Repeat.

Let strips be uneven. Adds to the charm of finished block. Be sure last fabric covers point of triangle.

Continue until the the tip where you will end with turquoise (center gem once assembled).

My favorite part….Cleaning up the block! Looks great! Rip out the paper backing.

Assemble triangles together to create four squares. Assemble squares to one another as shown above and note that center of block is important to match so "turquoise gemstone" has center point. This is the only area in entire block that matters to match points.

Above trimmed finished block measures 15 1/4" square. 

Cut 4 strips of Essex Linen Olive 5" by wof. Trim down to 24" . Sew borders using the  You Tube mitered instructions on Fons and Porter. 

Double velvet trim and with raw edges together, machine baste onto back pillow square.  Pin pillow top with right sides together. Sew in 22" zipper. See  zipper tutorial for assistance. Add pillow insert, fluff, and you're done.

Enjoy your sophisticated pillow and please refer to other blogs when needing more specifics on technique. My blog is more inspiration based than step-by-step technique. That wraps up the pillow section of Free Project Friday!! Day and Night and  Fly pillows are posted on previous blog dates.

Until Next Time,
 SHIMMER - It's in our Nature.