How can I finish this quilted pillow? Please, help
 

Dear friends,

I've been making a scrappy quilted pillow cover for a child.

I usually quilt only the front, and build the back with 2 pieces of fabric with a zipper, then I bind.

But this time I wanted to use more scraps so I decided to quilt both sides of the pillow cover (what I was thinking?), and now I don't know how to finish it.

I have 2 quilted panels: One for the front and one for the back.

If I put a zipper, I can't sew the binding... but if I want to bind, then I can't sew a zipper and the owner won't be able to wash the cover :(

Common sense tells me to choose the zipper and forget the binding but I really want to sew a contrasting binding around the pillow cover because I see it 'plain'...

Is there a way to do what I want?

What about adding the zipper and use prairie points for the edging rather than binding? That would add a decorative element.

Edited to add: oops didn't read all of the previous post🙄

How about putting the zipper off center on the back? Maybe a 2" strip to one side of the zipper. Then you can still add your binding

Since it's for a child, I'd go with the zipper and just do a pillowcase edge.

This is also what i would do

Thank you all.

The ruffle or the prairie points would be great, I had not thought of that.

Sorry, I'm not sure if I understand what you say. For putting the zipper off center I have to cut the panel which is already quilted... or I am wrong?

The panel is quilted and trimmed to the size I needed to become the back of the pillow cover. It's just for that reason that I'm asking for help; I don't want to cut the panel...

Do you have to have a zipper? My thought was to make an envelope back for the pillow. To do this, all you would need to do is add some plain fabric to the middle of the pillow back. The fabric would be tucked underneath the other quilted back piece. You could add a button or a little velcro to the center to keep it closed.

This my thought, too, Prism99.

Sorry, English is not my first language and I guess I haven't explained well the problem, or I'm not understanding well the answers.

Do you mean that I must discard the quilted back of my pillow and use a plain fabric instead, and just do a normal 'envelope style' pillow?

I usually have no problems putting zippers, or buttons... or doing 'envelope style' pillows, this is not the problem. But this time I did a mistake (I quilted the back panel too) so now this is not possible to do. I can't sew a zipper unless I cut the panel in two (not even if I cut, because I wouldn't have margen for seams).

I'm really sorry for not being able to explain better...

Silk, can you put a zipper at the edge of the pillow, at one of the seams? At this point, that's what I'd do. Put the two pieces right sides together & sew around 3 sides of the pillow; then, add a zipper on the fourth side.
If it seems too plain, what about adding some piping? Or you could add some faux binding -- just cut your binding strips to be 1.5" (3.8cm), fold in half & attach to each of the quilted pieces before constructing the pillow. Then, sew the pieces together with a 1/2" (1.2cm) seam allowance & you'll still have a 1/4" (0.6cm) faux binding showing on either side of your pillow. I'd do an invisible zipper to all you see is clean edges.

Thank you very much, Bree123!

Yes, I like this idea, faux binding or piping; tomorrow I'll give it a try! Thanks again :)

I don't understand why quilting front and back changed being able to finish the pillow like you'd like to.
I would put the zipper in as usual and the put the two pieces (front and back) wrong sides together and
bind it. Sew to the top side and the whip it to the back.

Why not do the back in an envelope style and forget the zipper. You could still bind it if you want.

Sorry, I didn't realize you want to keep the back as one piece. My thought was to cut it in half, sew a plain fabric to one side, then bind the other side. The plain fabric would be tucked underneath the bound side with perhaps a button or velcro to secure the binding to the edge of the other quilted side. If you do not want to cut the quilted backing, though, this will obviously not work.

You can split the back, even though it is quilted, insert a zipper, and it will not ruin the back. You may have to sew an unquilted strip on each side of the cut, but you should be able to get the zipper in okay.

this is what I thought.

I would do the split to look like it is very near the edge. But don't cut it. Sew a narrow strip of matching fabric to one edge of the zipper, then fold the quilted piece to cover the zipper. That way you would lose only about one half inch of your quilted panel. The narrow strip on the zipper tape would be caught in the binding seam.

Or forget about the narrow strip of fabric. Just fold a little of your panel to cover the zipper. Sew that down onto the zipper tape. Then use the other side of the zipper tape as your seam allowance as you sew the two panels together.

Let me know if you need more clarification.