Patchwork Bench Pad

A gorgeous Amish entryway unit came to live with us last month, and my mom asked if I'd be willing to make a patchwork pad for the bench. Nothing seemed more appropriate than to pull out a stack of my favorite Denyse Schmidt prints and start sewing. After measuring the space, I decided that 3 x 4" finished rectangles would be a good choice for my blocks. I most often work with squares, but it was nice to mix things up a little this time.

As I mentioned in my progress photos on Instagram, randomly placed patchwork blocks may look simple, but it takes me hours to settle on an arrangement. I came back to my sewing table at least a dozen times to play with these blocks before I was done -- and even then I switched a few around while I was finally sewing them together. 

I used two layers of heavy batting to give this piece a little more padding and quilted it with a zig-zag stitch along the seams. I like the way it gives the cushion an old-fashioned look, making it appear slightly tufted.

The pad is backed in another favorite Denyse Schmidt print, and it's bound in yarn dyed Essex linen. Although technically this piece is reversible, I expect that we'll be keeping the colorful side up most of the time. 

Patchwork...it's the greatest.