Quick-Piece Squares Pillow Cover

Ever since my friend Julia mentioned this awesome Quick Piece Squares tutorial, I've been wanting to try it. After a disappointing finish on a shirt (I'll share more about that later, after I make an attempt to salvage it), I needed a fun, relatively simple project- And it needed to be something that didn't need to FIT anyone! So I decided to try this patchwork and see what it became. I let my five year old daughter (She turned 5 last week! Happy Birthday Allison!) pick out the squares, and I think she did a good job! This didn't make much of a dent in scrap mountain (and oh, how it's grown since that picture!), but it was a lot of fun! They started out as 3" squares, and the trim is more of that awesome shot cotton, in Ginger.

Now, for some reason, pillow covers never go very well for me. I never get that nice tight fitted look. I started out making this for an 18" pillow insert and it was just floppy and weird. I happened to have a 20" insert as well, so I stuck that in there and it's a little better but... Meh, I just don't know. I am in a sewing slump and I need something to come out really really well, soon!

Here's the pillow, I'm happy with it, since I know it will primarily be used to break the fall when my girls launch themselves off the couch, or as a headrest for the pampered pup who rarely sleeps without her head on a pillow. And it's a bright spot of color, which is desperately needed as we head into the, "OMG is it STILL winter???" phase of the year.