144 Buttons on the Wall: Probably Not a Pillow

Last year, I went through an intensive square period, cutting hundreds of little squares from solids or batiks, stitching them together, then (sometimes) adding embellishments. One of the pieces that came out of it is this.

Those are one inch squares. It's a wallhanging, but it could also serve as one of the world's most uncomfortable pillows. Another benefit: It cleared out much-needed space in my overflowing button boxes.

It started, as usual, like a game of solitaire. I made stacks of 1.5" batik scrap squares, then sorted them into color families, around the outside of a piece of posterboard. Then I started dealing squares from the piles to the center of the board.

Moving outward in concentric squares, I ran up and down color and value scales.

When I liked the arrangement, I gingerly carried my posterboard (don't trip!) to the sewing machine, and speed-pieced everything in position. Here's the top all sewn together: 

I added backing, batting, and did a simple pillowcase finish. Next I quilted in concentric squares, not quite in the ditch (next to the ditch?), with thick embroidery thread. 

All quilted. 

And then I sewed on a slew of buttons! Transparent buttons run all the way around the outer border, and colorful buttons are inside.

The middle of the middle: 

Earlier adventures with squares, include 25-36 piece small gifts; 24-scrap postcards, a heavily embellished 10" 100-square backwards wallhanging; and an indescribable 153-square backwards wallhanging. It's hip to be square! (I just wanted an excuse to write that!)