Sampler Pillow:
Sample swatches are a lot of fun to knit when you're trying out new stitch patterns or trying to get gauge for a new project, but it can be frustrating trying to figure out what to do with them once you have a collection going.
If you have just a few swatches (I used nine, but you could need more or fewer based on the size and shape of yours) you can whip up this cute Swatch Pillow in just a few hours to show off small bits of your handiwork.
Materials:
- a 14-inch square pillow form or size of your choice
- enough knit swatches to cover at least the front of the pillow (or you can cover both the front and back with knitting)
- a 15-inch square piece of coordinating cotton fabric
- lightweight, light colored yarn for sewing swatches together and a yarn needle
- sewing machine and needle and coordinating thread (or sew all by hand if desired)
Instructions for the Pillow Top:
- Lay out your swatches in a manner that pleases you and forms a square of around 14 inches or the size of your pillow. I hunted around in my swatch stash until I found nine swatches that made a pretty good square; you may need more or fewer to fit your pillow.
- Using lightweight yarn and a yarn needle, sew the swatches together. Depending on the stitch patterns used, you may be able to use mattress stitch, or just hold the pieces right sides together and sew a basic sew as if you were handsewing fabric.
- When all the pieces have been stitched together, you may wish to block the square so that the edges are even.
Finishing the Pillow:
If desired, complete the steps above for the back of the pillow and stitch the two pieces together by hand, leaving a gap in one side to get the pillow form in. Place the form and sew the gap closed.
If you'd rather use fabric on the back of your pillow, pin the fabric and the swatches right sides together and sew with a straight stitch close to the edges of the square, by hand or machine.
Stitch three sides, trim any excess fabric, then stitch part of the fourth side, turn right side out, insert the pillow form and sew the rest of the seam by hand.
Making Your Swatches Work:
Remember if your swatches are not exactly the size and shape you need for the project, you can always stitch them so they'll work with the extra knit fabric hanging off the edges. Once the back and front are securely sewed together (which they will be if you used a sewing machine) you can unravel the excess yarn and no one will ever know it was there.
