Nine Patch Pillow with Machine Embroidery Designs

Today, I’m sharing this nine-patch pillow I made from our free pattern. 

Our Nine Patch Pillow pattern is perfect for a beginner sewer. There are no zippers, just a Velcro closure in the back. The original pillow can be put together in about one hour.

The nine-patch pillow pattern was released in 2019 and can be used to make a pillow using feature fabric, panel blocks, orphan blocks, or just nine different fabrics.

If you use feature fabric, fussy cut the 7” blocks to get the featured images in the center of the blocks.

I decided to machine embroider designs in the blocks onto white fabric for my version of this pillow.

So, even if you don't have an embroidery machine, you can make a nine-patch pillow!

I used a new garden sketch machine embroidery designs from Designs by Juju in the blocks for my pillow.  I fell in love with these designs and thought they would look nice on a new pillow for my family room.  Then I thought of Annette's nine-patch pillow pattern, and the ideas blossomed!

Please find a link to the machine embroidery designs at the end of this tutorial after my signature.

You can learn more about how I made my nine-patch pillow with embroidery designs by watching our video through the link below or reading this page.  A link to the original pillow pattern is below also.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Machine Embroidery Designs to fit within the 6" x 6" blocks: Sample used Designs by Juju Garden Sketch patterns
• 5/8 yard - Main pillow squares and pillow back fabric
• 1/4 yard - Front accent pillow squares fabric
• 15" piece - 3/4" hook and loop tape
• 18" square pillow form
• Sewing Machine
• Scissor
• Rotary cutters, mat and ruler
• Thread
• Straight Pins
• Iron and ironing board

INSTRUCTIONS to make the machine embroidered nine patch pillow

This page will explain the Nine Patch Pillow pattern changes needed when using machine embroidery designs.

Please refer to the free Nine Patch Pillow pattern for the full step-by-step instructions for making this pillow and use the changes below.

STEP 1: Cutting machine embroidered blocks

Cut the fabric 8" square instead of 7" square to machine-embroider the squares.

By cutting them larger, you won't need to get the embroidery design exactly in the middle of the block.  The blocks can be centered and trimmed after they are stitched.

STEP 2: Stitch Embroidery Designs

Stitch each block with the embroidery designs.  Any embroidery design less than 5" square can be used.  I used a tear-away stabilizer on the back of my designs.

The designs I used came in 5x7 and 4x4 sizes.  I used the 4x4 size, and they fit very nicely.

STEP 3: Trim Blocks

Once the blocks are embroidered, use a square ruler and trim them down to 7" square.

STEP 4: Finish the Pillow

Assemble the pillow top by following the directions on our Nine Patch Pillow page by clicking the link.

Below is a photo of my pillow top with all the embroidered blocks ready to be sewn into the pillow top.

Photos of the Finished Pillow

Below are some photos of the finished pillow, including closeup photos of the embroidery designs.

The back of the pillow has a hook and loop closure.

The Garden Sketch designs by Designs by Juju stitch quickly since they are not dense designs.

Use the colors in the fabric to help you select thread colors for the machine embroidery. 

I picked thread in maroons, purples, pinks, and greens that matched the fabric colors. This way, the embroidered designs would complement the fabric used in the other blocks.

Other thread colors were also used. Just be sure to pick the shades that match your fabric for some of the thread colors.

Other Pillow Patterns you may be interested in:

• DIY Reading Book Pillow with Pocket - Create a fun reading pillow and encourage the love of reading.
• Animal Pillow - Create a cute pillow with some applique designs by Kreative Kiwi
• Envelope Pillow Cover - This quick and easy pillow cover is perfect for featuring some fabrics.