Well, this long-running project is finally complete! I started this quilted ottoman after seeing a similar patchwork one without quilting in a boutique here in Dallas (it was $300). I balked at the price but considering how long it took me to quilt it and assemble this, that price tag is looking a little more reasonable.

I’d planned this as a Moda Bake Shop tutorial but I think it’s a bit too difficult and the materials would be quite pricey, as well.  I may do a smaller version that uses only one jelly roll, though.

I combined three Moda lines – Lush Uptown by Erin Michael, Collections for a Cause – Historical Blenders and Collections for a Cause – Love. There are some very traditional fabrics in there with pops of modern prints. I had three jelly rolls to start and there’s probably enough left to make a nice throw quilt for my sofa.

I added piping to my version  – and a zipper. There’s an inner cushion that’s filled with fabric scraps and polyfil. I wanted to be able to at least machine wash the outside since I do live with dogs and kids.

It’s a really large ottoman – 20″ square top/bottom and 13″ high. It’s quite hefty filled with all of those fabric scraps. I’ve left the inner cushion seam open so I can add a bit more filler as I cut fabric for some more quilts this year.

Sewing layers of quilted fabric, piping, and especially that zippered edge was not fun (the zipper is tucked between two rows of piping). And of course now that I’ve put it together I want to serge the seams inside so it’s nice and tidy. But in spite of the two broken needles and sore shoulder, this was a fun project. I love the colors and it’s an unusual but useful piece for my living room. Plus, it feels really good to have finished it!