Saturday, September 29, 2012

sequintastic!

Today is the big day for the Sequintastic September Blog Hop! (Can I hear a woop woop?) Also, my apologies for my lateness! I set this to auto-publish while I slept, and alas, technology failed me! BOO!


This should not have been that hard of a project, but it really was. I waffled like mad on the design, went back and forth between different fabric lines and ideas, perused sequin shopping sites like no girl's business, and got really flustered over the whole affair! I finally sat back and focused on things I really really like, and after a bit of perusal on flickr, I stumbled across this table runner and found myself mesmerized. I'm kinda obsessed with pinwheels, and I loved the sharp white against the green. My initial thought was, how do I get me one of these, and like yesterday? Except that white on my table was not gonna happen in my house. Not with my oldest kidlet's newfound love of peanut butter.

But! I happen to be working on this quilt for my bed...and I had some leftover fabric...and I thought to myself, why not a pillow to match? Of course, I should probably finish the quilt first, but this seemed like an excellent opportunity, and I can't turn my back on that! So, I went with it and came up with this:


Oh yes, Friends. Those are pink sequins in the corners. I probably could've gone all out and sewn the entire border, but as this was my first time working with any sort of quilt embellishment, I thought I'd take it slow. 


I was surprised by how easy the sequins were to work with! Yes, I spent 3-4 hours on these two small patches, but it was my first time, and I definitely picked up speed as I moved along. I also didn't draw out the design entirely in advance, so I would sew up a small section, then draw a bit more, and so on. I tried a few different stop techniques, including the Stop Bead Method and the Two Loop Method. I also did a bit of experimentation with layering smaller sequins on top of larger sequins, but my camera isn't known for its magnificent close-up photographs, so you'll have to take my word on it. 


I used an envelope back closure--a standard Audrey move--but I pieced the back panels because I ran out of fabric for some added interest. The fabrics are Kona in Snow, Bella Solids in Jade, Kona in Pomegranate, a few prints from Tula Pink's Parisville line, and I picked up the peacock feathers at Joann Fabrics. The pillow measures 20" square.


And because I'm kinda nuts and learning to embroider with sequins wasn't enough of a challenge, I decided that now was the time to try my hand at handquilting. I handquilted the white portion of the pinwheels and 1/4" around the perimeter of the teal square. And oh my goodness. I had so much fun! While I can definitely see the advantage time-wise in machine quilting, I really enjoyed the process, and I love the way it looks. I can see more of this (small-scale) in my future. (I followed this tutorial from Susan, FYI, and it was quite informative.)

Thanks for stopping by my humble abode! And super big thanks to Sarah for hosting this blog hop. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, as I hope everyone else did! If you're not stopping by from the hop, and you'd like to see more of this sequin business, check out Saturday Sequins for a full list of participants.

21 comments:

  1. That is the exact right amount of sequins on this project, just a pop to delight and amuse the eye.

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    1. Thank you so much! I really think they add some fun to it! :)

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  2. Wasn't it fun figuring out how to incorporate sequins into a project? This is the first time I've used sequins since grade school art projects.

    Loved hearing about your process - the sequins are a fun accent.

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  3. Audrey!!! I love it!!! Awesome job.

    I'm hoping this means more sequins in your future! Like... maybe in April if I decide to host another hop? :)

    Thanks so much for participating! It makes me so happy.

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  4. A wonderful pillow! I like the fact that you just embellished the corners, I really do.
    Ambra

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    1. Thank you, Ambra! I really considered doing more as I was worried it was too simple (and boring) but I really do like it just the way it is! :)

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  5. Wonderful!!! I love that you used them for a pillow and not jewelry.
    Nicole/Beadwright

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  6. Quilting is a talent I'm quite envious of. . .one day. . .maybe. For now I'll just have to admire the work of artists like you. I love the loopty loops you made with the sequins. I don't understand sewing speak so I've been trying to figure out if you used a machine to get the sequins on there or if you hand stitched them on. Either way, it baffles me. Nicely done!

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  7. Seeing your beautiful quilt work embellished with embroidered sequins is lovely! My sewing machine is broken, sadly, so I turned to hand-stitching for our sequintastic hop today. I love that you also tried hand-quilting! Your creations are gorgeous! I'm inspired :) thank you!

    rita

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  8. Beautiful way to use sequins, you have definitely done them justice!

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  9. Wow I would love to get into quilting.. But I have a hard time working my sewing machine.. the bobbin keeps popping out.. lol Great job.

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    1. Oh, you definitely should! I've tried a lot of crafty stuff, but quilting is definitely my favorite. That's sad about your sewing machine though! I waited to try quilting for several years because I didn't have a sewing machine, so I definitely understand what that's like.

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  10. That is a great idea! Love the embellishment.

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  11. Beautiful sequin scrolls! The pillow design and colours are so nice. The hand quilting looks great too. As a hand embroiderer that used to be able to use a sewing machine as a kid, I appreciate the work behind it compared to using a machine, but also know what a pleasure it is to work with just needle and thread -- and the results are often worth it!

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  12. I love the scrolls on your pillow! The pink sequins look great with the fabric.

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  13. Lovely colour combinations. The pink sequins pick up the fabric in the pinwheels beautifully.

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  14. I love your quilted pillow! It takes me back to when my mom and I made our first quilt together when I was a kid.... great memory!

    Great to "meet" you via this challenge! Can't wait to see more of your work!
    {Hugs!}
    Dawn

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    1. Oh, how fun! I love memories like that! The only crafty thing I've ever seen my mom do is embroidery, and I'm just getting started on that, so it's lots of fun.

      It's so nice to meet you! Wasn't this hop fun?
      Audrey

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  15. Very cute :) I love how everyone used the sequins in theit hobby :)

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  16. Very pretty! Love the colors and your quilts!

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