Hourglass Charm Pack Pillow Tutorial

Wondering what to do with your charm pack squares?

This pillow cover is a fun project you can finish in a weekend! If you're not familiar with precut quilting fabric just yet, "Charm pack" refers to a package of precut 5" squares. The term charm pack was coined by Moda Fabrics, although other fabric companies use their own nicknames for these precuts. Each pack usually has (42) squares and contains an entire fabric collection. 

What is an hourglass quilt block?

If you have a charm pack or 5" squares in your scrap stash, let's use them up and make this hourglass pillow cover! If you've never made quarter square triangles (QSTs) before, I'll show you how. The type of QSTs that we're making are made using only 2 different fabrics, so they are often referred to as "hourglass blocks". These are fun to sew together, because when sewn in a row, they give the illusion of a square set on point.

The pillow cover will measure approximately 21" square, and you can pair it with a pillow form anywhere from 20" to 24" square. This pillow cover requires (18) 5" squares, so you can make two coordinating QST pillows from one 5" precut pack plus background fabric! Read on to see fabric and batting requirements for one hourglass charm pillow cover. 

Fabric & Batting requirements

• (18) 5" charm pack squares (or (18) 5" squares from your scrap stash!)
• (18) 5" background fabric squares
• ⅝ yard fabric for envelope pillow closure 
• If using the same fabric for the background squares and the envelope pillow closure, you will need approximately 1 ⅛ yards total.
• 24" square quilt batting or fusible fleece
• 24" square of scrap or muslin fabric as backing for the pillow front 
• Although this isn't 100% necessary, I highly recommend backing your pillow front panel in case you ever want to machine wash your pillow cover. 

Cutting 

• Background fabric squares: cut (3) 5" x WOF, then sub-cut (18) 5" squares
• Envelope pillow closure: cut (1) 21.5" x WOF, then sub-cut (1) 18" x 21.5" rectangle and (1) 21.5" x 12" rectangle.

We are going to start the project by making (36) quarter square triangles (QSTs). We are starting with 5" squares, but by the time we're finished, the QSTs will be trimmed down to 4" square. The type of QSTs that we're making are made using only 2 different fabrics, so they are often referred to as "hourglass blocks". 

How to make quarter square triangles

• First, make 2-at-a-time HSTs

• On the wrong side of each charm fabric square, draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner.
• Pair each charm square with a background fabric square and place the squares right sides together.
• Sew 1/4" away from the drawn line on each side of the line. 
• Cut along the drawn line. You will now have (2) half square triangles (HSTs). 
• Press the seam of each HST towards the same fabric (either the background fabric or the print fabric). 
• Don't trim yet!

• Next, use two HSTs to make two Quarter square triangles (QSTs)

• Pin two identical HSTs right sides together with opposite fabrics facing one another. 
• The seams should nest because we pressed the seams of each HST in the same direction.
• On the wrong side of one of the HSTs, draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner. 
• Make sure the drawn line runs perpendicular to the HST seam.
• Sew 1/4" away from the drawn line on each side of the line. 
• Cut along the drawn line. You will now have (2) quarter square triangles (QSTs). 
• Press the seam open and trim to 4" square. 

• QST trimming tips:

• You can accurately trim QSTs by using either a slotted trimming ruler or a regular straight quilting ruler to accurately square up your QSTs. 
• If you are using a regular quilting ruler, line up the center point of the hourglass block at the halfway mark of the finished size you are trimming to. (For example, we are trimming to 4" squares, so we want to line up the center point 2" from the ruler edge). 

Making the pillow front

• The pillow front will be made by sewing (6) rows of (6) hourglass QSTs. See the diagram below for reference. 
• Lay your hourglass blocks out in the desired orientation. 
• Sew each row of (6) QSTs together.
• Alternate pressing direction by row, so the seams nest together when the rows are sewn together. The arrows in the diagram below indicate pressing direction. 
• Press seams between rows open. 

Quilt the pillow front

• Baste the pillow front panel to your batting and scrap fabric or fusible fleece.
• Quilt as desired (walking foot recommended). I quilted my pillow cover in a diamond pattern by sewing a quarter inch away from each seam line. 
• Trim your quilt sandwich to 20 ½".
• Sometimes, quilting causes our quilt sandwich to shrink a bit. If you can't square to 20 ½", that's okay. Square to 20", then trim the long edges of your backing rectangles to 20". It will all work out!

How to make the envelope pillow closure 

• Prepare the backing rectangles
• On each rectangle, fold one of the long edges ½" towards the wrong side of the fabric. Press and repeat once, so the raw edge of the fabric is enclosed within the fold. Pin or clip in place, then secure by sewing a seam, close to the edge of the fold, to hold the fold in place. 

• Place each rectangle RST with the pillow front panel, as shown in the graphic below. 
• Make sure that all edges are aligned and that the folded (finished) edges of the rectangles are oriented towards one another.
• The rectangles will overlap by several inches, and this is desired so that our finished pillow case will not have a gap at the back once the pillow form is inserted. 
• Pin in place, and sew around the entire perimeter of the square using a quarter inch seam allowance. 
• Turn the pillow case right side out through the envelope opening. 
• If needed, use a pointed object, such as a pencil, to gently push the corners of the pillow case out. 

Tada! You did it! Now go make another...

Fabrics I Used

The prints are from the Spring Canyon collection by Ash Cascade Design for Cotton + Steel, and the background/ pillow backing is Robert Kaufman Essex Linen in Roasted Pecan. 

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Keep creating!