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Puff Patchwork
Puff patchwork can be very tedious, so start off with a small project first to
see whether you have the patience to go on to something big. A cushion cover
is a good way to go as it doesn't take that long to finish. For which ever
project you choose you will need patterned material, patch backing material
in a neutral colour, and material in one of the background colours for the
cover (if it's a cushion) or backing (if it's a quilt), wadding if wished for a
quilt.
First decide what your colour scheme is going to be. Usually in puff patchwork
the pattern is 4 co-ordinated colours going on a diagonal. ie: 4 different
coloured blue/greens (pale, light, medium, dark) with small floral print. The
pattern would go; first row: 1st patch pale, 2nd light, 3rd medium, and 4th
dark to the end of the row. Second row: 1st patch dark. 2nd pale, 3rd light,
4th medium to end of row. Third row: 1st patch medium, 2nd dark, 3rd pale,
4th light to end of row. Fourth row: 1st light, 2nd medium, 3rd dark, 4th pale
to end of row. See diagram 1 (if you are making a quilt with tram lines [see
below], you will need app. 2.5 metres of 2 of the patterned materials, as you
don't want joining seams in the tram lines, and cut the tram lines first. Also
1.5 metres of the other 2 colours [this allows room for error]. For the backing
of either quilts it's best to wait until after you finish the patchwork to see how
much you'll need, the same with the wadding).

Decide how big the item is that you are making ie: for a cushion you don't
want patches that are 3" by 3" after they're complete. For a cushion the
squares from the patterned material should be cut about 2" by 2" and the
backing material about 1 1/2" by 1 1/2", for a quilt 3 1/2" by 3 1/2" for the
material and 3" by 3" for the backing. (Of course this is just a guide you can
make them as big or as little as you wish). Make a cardboard template as a
guide. Each of the squares of the patterned material must then have a 1/4"-
1/2" fold put in each side, tacked as seen in diagram 2.

Once the folds have been done each puff square is then tacked onto a backing square (wrong sides together). For extra puff in the quilts a small piece of stuffing about the size of 1 cotton ball can be placed inside before the last side is tacked. Then each square is hand sewn together using back stitch in the pattern described in diagram 1. See diagram 3. (*W.S. = wrong side)