Do you ever wonder where to place your blanket when it's not in use? Maybe you wish you had a pillow instead of a blanket at times. A creative solution to these problems is the quillow, a combination of a quilt and pillow all in one. To explain the concept very simply, a quillow is a quilt with a pillowcase attached to it. When the quilt is not in use, simply fold it and place it inside the pocket, creating a pillow.
Laura Ann Coia hosts a YouTube channel, SewVeryEasy. She posts two videos a week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. The Tuesday videos focus on tips and tricks for sewing and quilting, and the Thursday videos are project-oriented tutorials. Check out Coia's step-by-step video below for creating a quillow.
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Coia uses fleece for the blanket in her quillow but points out that any type of material can be used, including a quilt. She likes the fleece because the edges don't need to be sewn to keep it from fraying. You will also need fabric for your pillowcase. You can use one type of fabric or choose several to piece together for something with a little flair.
In order to keep the material from bunching as it's stitching, Coia recommends using a walking foot on the sewing machine. The other tip to remember is to attach the "pocket" to the raw edge of blanket when it's folded up. If you get this part done correctly, the pocket is perfectly placed for tucking your quilt into the pillow. Coia also points out that you want to position the pocket for the pillow 1-inch from the edge of the blanket. This is especially true if you are using fleece as this material is somewhat fragile and can tear if too much stress is placed on it.
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Once your pocket is attached, you refold your blanket and tuck it into the pocket. Turn the edges of the pocket out, and your blanket is completely protected inside your pillow. You can either use the quillow as a pillow or easily transport your quilt to wherever you need it next. The quillow is a great multi-purpose piece.