Have you started your Christmas sewing?

We are catching the Christmas in July summer sewing wave to prepare early for the holidays. Much of the Christmas preparations are spent making and buying gifts for loved ones, which we love to do but can’t forget to sew some specialty items for our own holiday home decorations, too!

That is why we started by making a Modern Cross Pillow in the treasured holiday classic colors using Mixology Jane fabrics. While a simple throw pillow design, it is striking with the white background and deeply saturated colored cross that easily stands out. The Modern Cross Pillow designed by Veronica Koh Eischeid is available for free download to decorate for any season by changing the fabrics, just like we reimagined for this Christmas project.

With the idea that the Christmas season is a time when we embrace traditional decor, it was an opportunity for us to reach into the Mixology Jane collection that so masterfully evokes a sense of sophistication with it’s striking color scheme. The fabrics are printed with an etched tonal design that we thought would make for a beautiful quilted throw pillow, like you see here using the colors Evergreen, Mink and Crimson on a White fabric from the Fresh Solids line.

The Modern Cross Pillow pattern instructions were easy to follow, with the tip for making 2.5” HSTs (half square triangles), and a directional diagram. After the center block was pieced, adding the border widened the top to a finishing size of 16” square. Here we kept the border matching the center block background but if you want to add a printed border that can easily be switched out for more color. Once assembled, the quilting was done in a diagonal matchstick grid with the lines measuring 1.5” apart. Simple, classic and always a great way to finish a quilted top. The back of the pillow is an envelope closure where the 16” pillow form can be inserted. Lastly, the pillow cover was bound with the matching Mink Mixology Jane print, a great nuetral to finish off the squared edges.

Find the Modern Cross Pillow pattern here to make your own seasonal throw pillow.