Patchwork window seat
My dog Ollie loves to sit by the window to see what’s going on outside.
Last year soon after we got Ollie, I put a quilt on top of a box and that is what he has been using to sit by the window. But it wasn’t meant to be a permanent solution (and sometimes I need that box -- it’s full of my fabric scraps!)
My husband and I decided that we’d make something for him - a new window seat made out of wood, and upholstered on top. (Yes, he is a spoiled puppy, ha ha!)
I wanted to use simple patchwork instead of just using one piece of fabric, because I always like an opportunity to use fabric I’ve got, and showcase more of my favourite prints around the house. I decided to used the method from a tutorial by Elizabeth Hartman (Oh Fransson) for “Stamp Collection Blocks.” I had used this technique to make quilt blocks for a bee a couple years back and have been wanting to try it again. Since it requires the fabric to be fused to interfacing before quilting, I also figured it would be more durable for Ollie jumping and laying on it.
I lay out 2.5" squares on lightweight interfacing in the design I wanted, 8 by 12 squares. I actually drew out the grid directly on the interfacing with pencil before laying them out, just to make sure everything was lined up.
Then I brought over to the iron and secured them down.
After that I sewed the rows, as the tutorial describes ...
It seems super strange at first but then I got the hang of it! This piece started at 20 x 30 inches so it was a lot bigger than the block I made a couple years ago.
Then all the rows were finished ...
... And you have to trim the very tips of the back so you can press open seams. Note: it is definitely important to sew the seams open with this technique! I tried pressing to one side first and it did not work at all, it was much too bulky. Lesson learned.
When everything is pressed, the fabrics that all started as 2.5″ squares looks like little rectangles!
So then I sewed the other seams in the same manner as the first ones, to finish up the blocks, then trimmed seam allowances and pressed.
I'm pretty happy with it ... all the seams line up quite well with virtually no attention to nesting seams, etc.
I’m not sure if this technique necessarily saves time as compared to conventional piecing (because it does take some time to trim and press the seams open ), but it definitely made it easier to lay out, and was very straightforward to put together once the fabric was fused!
I am going to add borders and quilt it next, then I’ll figure out how I'll attach to the top of the wooden window box that my husband made. I’m looking forward to having this finished up soon so Ollie can use his new window seat!
