H Pillow

I finished up this pillow last week (or maybe the week before that--yikes!) and I'm so happy with its cuteness!

A few years ago, I made an L pillow for one of my sons' friend's birthday. And apparently, Miss L's little sister was so enamored by the pillow that she kept asking when she would be getting her own H pillow.

Her mama contacted me to see if I could knock one of these out for her birthday, and how could I say no? It especially doesn't hurt that Miss H is a serious cutie patootie.

The construction wasn't terribly complicated. I cut a 14.5" square panel out of that fun chevron print I bought ages ago with plans to use it for my niece's quilt. It didn't work out with my plans for my niece, but this is a super awesome use of it! I basted it, and FMQ'd it all together. I almost never stipple, but this seemed like a fun time to use that particular FMQ pattern. After that, I cut out two H's, sewed them together, leaving a space along one of the sides, then turned it right side out. It needed a good press, then I topstitched it down to the panel, using a turquoise thread because I thought it would add a bit of flavor.

The back is an envelope closure, in keeping with the L pillow I made a few years ago.

I'm so excited to pop this in the mail for Miss H! Happy Monday, Friends. I hope your last few days of February are stellar!

FF: Star Pillow

A few moons ago, I made a quilt for my dad with the aid of the lovely ladies of Stash Bee hive 8 from 2015. I wound up with one extra quilt block, and as I knew my dad intended to hang the quilt I made for him on the wall, I didn't want to put it on the back where it would never see the light of day. The solution? A pillow cover!

This block, by the way is the Glorious Autumn Star block from Fresh Lemons Quilts.

Over the course of a couple of weeks, I slowly added two borders to the original 12" block. I'm not gonna lie, this is a LOT of white for me. (I find this really amusing because I know a lot of people would be totally comfortable with this amount of white, but to me, it's intense. Terrifying, even. What kind of quilting dare I use? Can I handle the white? Most important: can I keep it away from my children??

I decided pretty early I was going to FMQ this bad boy, but it wasn't until I sat down and started sewing that I figured out what kind of designs I wanted to use. The pebbles in the center star seemed smart, but I have had a messy time with pebbles in the past, and did I really want to go through that again? I decided to give it a go--aren't pillow covers meant to be a good testing place for FMQ?--and I'm happy to report that it went well. Then came some infinity loops, and I finished off the outer white border with straight line quilting. I briefly considered doing feathers there, but the border is only 2", and I wanted a bit more space to do them justice.

Here's the weird thing: the more time I spend on actually quilting my stuff, the more I LIKE it. I used to DESPISE the quilting bit. Straight lines, echo quilting, get it done, baddaboom. And when I first started FMQ, I was so depressed. It looked horrible! I'm not saying it looks genius now, but it looks a whole lot better than my first attempts, and I guess I have to 'fess up that when peeps say it will get better with practice, they're telling the truth.

(And can I just say that the texture of this cushion is amazing? It just feels so cool!)

I backed this pillow cover with a simple envelope closure using a leftover striped sheet of my dad's. I'll be sending it off to him as a super late Christmas gift. Also, this is finish #1 from my Q1 FAL list, and I'm excited to report that I have not one, but TWO more finishes to share with you. Woo!

FF: Star Blossoms 2 Cushion.

I am thrilled to have this one complete, especially as it's a super late birthday present for my sister. It's the same pattern as my own Star Blossoms project--a table topper that I turned into a cushion--modeled from the awesome Star Blossoms tutorial from Stitched in Color.

A loooooong time ago, I made my sister a quilt for her living room. Her house is mostly tans and chocolate browns with pops of yummy turquoise. It's stunning, and I was so happy that the quilt I made fit into the decor scheme. While I've since used up almost all of the fabric scraps I had from that project, I did have a bit of the turquoise batik left. Team that up with a couple of other turquoise prints, an aqua B&C print for the center hexagons, and this tan w/ gold metallic fabric that I've had for ages, and this cushion cover was born.

I did finish this cover a bit differently than my own. I used an invisible zipper instead of an envelope closure. My own pillow's closure gapes horribly, and I didn't want that business on this gift. I also didn't put a binding around it. I really like that aspect of my own--it frames it rather nicely--but I didn't have enough of any of the fabrics to negotiate that, and I didn't feel like introducing a new fabric for binding was the right call, so plain Jane it is.

Plain Jane or not, I feel like she's lovely in her own right!

One last photo of this baby before I pack her up and mail her off! I do hope my sister likes her!

Oh, and this is my first finish from my Q3 FAL list, woohoo! Q3 list, I told you I was going to dominate you, and this is the right kind of start.

Snuggle Pillows

Our big move is drawing closer, and I haven't had much free time to sew. Even still, I knew I had to finish two snuggle pillows before we left town.

I have a good friend here who has two kids I've watched grow up. One I call my baby BFF (even though she's three) and the other I call my youngest's BFF because they're so close in age. These are important kiddos to me, I see them often, and I'll miss them when we leave. And while the baby may not feel the same sort of loss, I know my baby BFF will miss me too. So I thought I'd make her a snuggle pillow that she can squeeze when she misses me.

I really enjoy the way these two turned out, especially since they both used orphan blocks I had hanging around. Now, I just need to deliver them!

These are my last project to finish before the move, so I may not have much to show around here for a few weeks. Think happy thoughts for me--things are getting wild at my house!

A Birthday Pillow.

Yesterday was my friend S's birthday. And as I was terribly overdue for giving her a Christmas gift too, I knew her birthday gift had to be extra special.

So I made her a Hazel the Hedgehog pillow. I used a bunch of fabrics from stash, including a bit of my favorite tree batik print for his eyes and nose. The background is a white on white stripe that came into my collection at some unidentified point. I can't remember purchasing it...yet, there it was...

The back doesn't quite match the front, but I like it. (It reminded me of some of S's handpainted fabrics too.) I used an envelope closure, but I like the binding finish on the panels that the pattern suggested. I do a lot of envelope closures for my cushions--usually because I don't have the right size zipper on hand and I can't be bothered to go to the store or wait--and I think I'll start adding the binding. Time will tell.

This is finish #3 of 14 off my Q2 FAL list, woo! Now, to get those other eleven done!

WIP: Fava.

Yesterday, I started my third kidlet's baby quilt. As I type this, he's kicking around in my tum-tum, giving what I'm taking as acceptance of the final plan, even if the plan isn't exactly...um...final.

I pieced two arrow shafts and two arrows from Sarah's magnificent arrow pattern. I'm working up the courage, little by little, to tackle the feathers. Man, this is definitely the tiniest paper piecing I've done to date. But I think it'll turn out nicely in the end. Or rather, I hope so because I always forget how much fabric paper piecing takes, and I only have a limited amount!

I've decided to do a medallion quilt for Fava, and I've got sketches of the outer rings, but I can't quite figure out what I want to do for the center medallion. I did know that I wanted the arrows to have a navy background, so I figure I'll tackle them and see where I am upon completion.

And I managed to finish my daddy's birthday present, though I don't have any pillow forms to model the covers, so your imaginations will have to work a bit. Simple 18" churn dashes in red and navy, backed by a sheet that matches his bed set. So easy peasy, and yet I really dragged my feet getting them done. Peeps, I chose to wait on hold with my insurance company yesterday rather than piece them. You know the procrastination is bad when you willingly make that kind of phone call!

Up on the to-do list are three quilt tops, patiently waiting to be quilted, GW May blocks, a bee block, and I've got to get started on yet another baby quilt. One of these days my to-do list will be smaller, right? Either that, or it will get to be late summer, and Fava will arrive, and that will probably put a screeching halt to my productivity (or lack thereof). Better get back to piecing arrows, right?

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced! 

FF: Another Pillow Post.

I don't really think of myself as a girl who sews with themes, but man, I really do tend to group things together. This week has been the pillow week. It's also been birthday sewing week. (And also the fabric cutting week because OMG, do I have some quilts to get done.)

I actually finished this one last week, but it was certainly down to the wire. Our neighbor turned four, and I decided to make her a pillow for her birthday. (Bet you can't guess what her favorite color is.) I finished this literally a couple of hours before we gifted it, and sadly, it almost bit the dust when I made the foolish error of allowing my oldest to carry it to their house. He nearly dropped it in the muddy melty snowy gunk that is currently lining my street. Thankfully, my husband was a peach and caught it. I used heat n' bond for the first time, which was good practice for some applique t-shirts I'll be making this weekend.

My BFF will be here for a visit in just a few weeks, and I've made her a pillowcase for her stay. Just to clarify, I do not do this for all of my houseguests. In fact, I don't do this for any of them. I suppose you have to reach BFF status to get this sort of treatment.

And the first of my kidlets' birthday pillowcases. My youngest's birthday is next week--hence the weekend job of applique t-shirts--and I'm pretty sure this is the most last minute I've ever been. I realized yesterday that we've yet to buy his birthday gift. We've yet to even decide what we're getting him. Yikes. In my defense, I have been planning him a rocking birthday party, complete with two sets of out of town houseguests, but the actual birthday. Wow. Do better, Audrey. Do better.

Also, note to self. Don't pull out the pillowcase IN FRONT OF the recipient before he gets it. What is wrong with me? What was I thinking? I'm not a novice to this kind of thing! I know better! But in my muddled Friday state of mind, I thought it would be a good idea to snap a few photos in front of him. Of course, he promptly started freaking out and screaming "CONCRETE TRUCK!!!!" which I'm guessing means he likes the pillow, but still. No need to do that again.

One more pillow to go for my oldest's birthday, and I'm done. WOO. 

I'm linking up today with TGIFF hosted by M-R at Quilt Matters. I'm pretty sure you should too.

FF: Patchwork Pillows.

These pillows were holiday gifts for my kidlets, which I finished before the holiday, stowed away in a closet, and forgot until three days after Christmas. (Mom of the Year!) They stand 20" square, and I made one for each kidlet so they'd have something squishy to lay on/sit on/lounge on while watching a show or listening to a story. My oldest especially is very particular. He likes a Mama blanket and a pillow, and I think he'll really enjoy having his own special pillow.

I made the blue one first, and boy, was it evil. See that brown thread? Well, I inherited it from my mother, and it was absolutely horrible evil awfulness, probably because it was manufactured before I was born. (Okay, I'm not entirely sure on the age of the thread, but it was a bit old.) It snapped about every three seconds, and I kept quilting. Why would I do that to myself? Because I didn't have time to go out and buy more chocolate brown thread. That's why.

I switched to a different, newer type of thread for the second pillow, and everything was smooth sailing. However, I'm still not totally pleased with this one because the brown solid is very dark, and I feel like it steals from the yellow print.

In the end, I remind myself that my children (boys prone to sticky hands and muddy clothing) will be using them, and they're not very particular about that sort of thing.

I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF at Quilt Matters. Happy Friday!

FF: Supermassive Black Hole.

Hello Friends! I think most of my January 2014 finishes are technically December 2013 finishes, but I couldn't show them off until after the holidays, or in today's case, after a birthday.

Photo used courtesy of W. John MacMullen.

Some moons ago, my friend John gifted me the most amazing mini quilt for my birthday. I don't remember when I first started scheming John's birthday gift, but it was probably before my birthday because I knew his gift had to be fabulous. (He's a quilter-enough said.) I had the idea to use a ton of different solid black fabrics in differing textures and weights to create a pillow of awesome. I knew I wanted it to be improv-y and randomness. I knew it had to be awesome. So when I was flipping through my bookmarks and stumbled across the Bloomin' QAYG panel tutorial at Let's Eat Grandpa, I knew I had found the one.

To be honest, when I went fabric shopping, I didn't even note the type of fabric I was grabbing. I knew I wanted linen, corduroy, and lace, but everything else was up for debate. The only quilting cotton I used was to back the panel. I grabbed fabrics based on appearance and feel, and when I took them to the cutting counter and asked for a miniscule amount of all six, the girl looked at me like I was a nutcase. When I explained my plan, she was totally on board and looked like she might get grabby with the pillow if I brought it back for show and tell, so needless to say, I didn't.

While I admired the finished product, I knew that if John didn't like it, then I had no idea what he liked after all. And when I delivered it, I think John liked it okay. Just kidding! He loved it! The pillow's title is a nod to Muse's Supermassive Black Hole, but I'm sure y'all know I didn't name this pillow. John did! I would have titled it Black Pillow of Awesome or some other nonsense.

I kind of really want a pillow like this for my couch. But in hot pink. Or in Tula. OR BOTH.


I'm linking up today with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF hosted this week by Quokka Quilts.

WIP: The Numbers Edition.

After looking at today's WIP list, I have a feeling I'm going to have a hefty Q4 FAL list!

54 Tula Pink City Sampler blocks.

20 Sisters' 10 BOM blocks. (Yes, I pieced October early. I'm too impatient!)

3 Baby Quilts in the works (one basted, one in the middle of quilting, one flimsy) and 1 more in the planning stages.

2 Cushion Covers patiently waiting. Just kidding. These are DONE. Thank goodness.

1 Queen-sized quilt being prepped for the long-armer.

1 Finish, which I'll be sharing more of on Friday.

And 1 Naomi Dress, which is my selfish sewing for this week!

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. You should too!

Pillows.

There are some things I've been meaning to show you, but I've been a bit lazy. Today, let's fix that! I have a bunch of pillows and pillows in progress to show off.

I've used my January Lucky Stars BOM block to make a cushion cover for an upcoming birthday present.

I've done a bit of handquilting in the dark blue star and gray border. I realized after making three blocks that I was not digging the fabrics I had pulled for the Lucky Stars BOM. I was dreading these stars, and I was not excited with the end results. So, I have abandoned that fabric stack and will use the three blocks I have made for other awesome projects--like this! But don't fear, I'm excited to pull another set of fabrics, this time, a stack that's not convenient but one I actually love, and I'll tackle another LS quilt sometime in the future.

I love this pincushion! (It's a baby pillow, right?) I made it for a bloggy friend who was sweet enough to send me some lovely Tula fabric. It measures 6" square, and it was fun to piece little tiny HSTs and flying geese, though I was a little paranoid and trimmed very, very carefully.

This was my first block for the MSBHQAL. I have big plans to make a hot pink broken herringbone block--blocks?--but my fabrics weren't placing nicely over the weekend, and I couldn't decide on the exact sashing fabric I wanted to use, so I set them aside and made up this rainbow block instead. It was just what I needed. I used fabrics from my rainbow Northern Lights quilt top--which I basted a few nights ago, woop woop!--and I'm going to turn this into a pillow cover and send it along when I finish the top.

And this churn dash block, destined to be another pillow. My mother's boyfriend has a very patriotic quilt, and for the holidays, I'm making a set of pillows to match the quilt. The fabrics are not my first choice. (I feel horribly unpatriotic saying that, but truth is truth.) I was really stuck searching for ideas for these pillows, when I say a lovely churn dash quilt and thought the design would work well with the fabrics. The covers will measure 18" square--that's a lot of churn dash to love!--and looking back, I wish I had paired one print with one solid as these are a little busy, but I think they'll like them, and that's what counts, right? Right.

 
Oh! And before I forget, Fiona from Finding Fifth was sweet enough to let me host Sunday Stash this weekend, and it would be lovely lovely lovely if you'd join me by linking up some lovely fabric stacks of your own! See you on Sunday!

FF: Banzo's Pillow

Some time last week, I finished this pillow for my oldest son, Banzo. I had originally intended the circle of geese to be used for a bee block, but my paper piece pages were printed a bit too small, and the block finished at 12" square instead of 12.5". Lame! So, it sat on my wall, waiting for its moment. (I used this free template for the circle of geese, and I bordered it in Kona Charcoal.)

I decided to make the block into a pillow, when I gave it to him, Banzo immediately hugged it and went about finding the perfect place on his bed. Later, he told me, "You made me my pillow because you love me, Mama." Then I got a big hug out of the deal. Yes, I melted from the sweetness!

I'm linking up today with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF hosted this week by Lynette at What a Hoot Quilts.

FF: Marie in Pieced Glory

While it was awesome to show off a finished Le Mille quilt last week, it inspired me to get to work on Marie, and maybe, just maybe, I could finish her before my husband got home. The man went out of town and left me with the kidlets for seven days, and thankfully, I had a whole bunch of pals rescue my evenings by coming to keep me entertained and routinely checking my sanity levels, but I still had a bit of extra time to fill, so I turned to my sewing machine for comfort.

There is simply no way to get a full shot of her, but here is Marie, laid out on my bed. *Squee!* She's everything I hoped for and more! The pattern is Tula Pink's Snowglobes made from mostly Tula Pink's Parisville line, though I did sneak in some Prince Charming. The solid is Bella solids in Jade. This is the queen-sized version, and yes, I did learn a lot from making a queen-sized quilt!

And while I spent last week trying to finish piecing her, I realized she weighs a ton, I've got a small sewing space, and my FMQ isn't where I'd like it to be to quilt her myself, so I think I'll be sending her off to a long-arm quilter. (It's time to start saving my pennies!)

I have a high school chum with a birthday on Tuesday. We graduated high school, moved to different states, and for nearly 10 years, corresponded by letter and email. Until! She started a Masters program at the same university at my husband, and it has been so lovely to have her near. She'll be graduating in May, and I wanted her to have a nice gift to take with her wherever she moves next, so I made a cathedral windows pillow cover for her. With the exception of the pillow form, this entire project came from stash and scraps, including the awesome upholstery material backing my friend John recently brought me. Of course, I forgot to take to take a picture of the back, but whatever. Trust it looks ah-mazing.

That's it for today! I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF at Never Too Hot to Stitch!

WIP: Zippy Edition

This week, I worked on conquering my insane fear of zippers, and I think I may have inched closer to neutral status. (I'm not sure I'll ever love zippers, but I'd like to not break into a cold sweat whenever I come near them.) Four zippy pouches. Woo! I did them assembly line style, and I used this tutorial, which was totally awesome.

I also finished the binding on a mini quilt I'm working on for a gift this holiday season. I threw it across the room a few weeks back because the inverted corners were driving me crazy, and my thread snapped, and I couldn't make them look pretty, and I decided I needed to step back and breathe before I destroyed all of the work I'd put into it. (I won't be working with inverted corners anytime again soon.) All I can say is, thank goodness it's finished, and I really like how it turned out, even if the corners and the back binding look like junk.

Just a peek!

As to works in progress, well, I decided to jumpstart December's HST BOM by making up my own so I could get to piecing the top. I've decided to give it away, and if possible, I'd like to be able to have it done as close to Christmas as possible. I'm planning to attach a very scrappy border, and I've already picked up backing and binding fabric. I probably won't get the quilting done before I move, so it will be yet another quilt top I'll be moving back. (That's three, friends. Three.)

I also pieced together my BOF blocks with a 1.5" finished sashing. I'm going to make a really long tablerunner! Woo!

And I am putting together a few blocks from the Super Mario QAL over at Cut to Pieces. I'm not planning to do the entire quilt--though I'd love to have one for myself--but I thought I'd take a couple of the blocks and make them into pillows for more gifts.

And that's what I've been up to this last week! What have you been doing? I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.