Red Pepper Quilts: Lighthearted Kansas Dugout Pillow Cover

Friday, April 10, 2015

Lighthearted Kansas Dugout Pillow Cover

Non-Quilty Sewing.

Lighthearted Kansas Dugout Pillow Cover

Fabrics Used for the back ~ both are medium weight home decor fabrics:
Folk Modern by Ellen Luckett Baker in Black
Text Fabric by Kei Fabrics in Red

My fat quarter bundle of Lighthearted by by Ayumi Mills has finally seen some sewing action. These fabrics are adorable! I especially like the "I Spy" prints which I thought would make a great feature print for a small scale traditional Kansas Dugout patchwork block.

I reduced the size of my previously used Kansas Dugout block templates so that the finished block measures just 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches. The small block size and the many inset seams (Y-seams) turned what was to be a quick project into a challenging project but I didn't overly mind for I enjoy both small scale piecing and repetitive sewing tasks.

Although the process and the technique for piecing this block is the same as for a larger size Kansas Dugout block I don't recommend this small size block for first time inset seam practice. Start with a larger size block and once you are comfortable with the technique tackle the smaller blocks and shorter seams.

This is also my first attempt at adding piping to a project. Piping is a great way to add a trim and draw attention to an edge or feature. Although not perfect I am pleased with my piping efforts and will definitely try this again; for which I will invest in a piping foot for my sewing machine as well as use a thicker piping cord. Both will make the task easier with hopefully a neat result.