ticker tape cards

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I should really call this post "down the rabbit hole". :) I had a lot of little scraps of fusible web (I use Lite Steam a Seam 2) leftover after making my waiting blocks. Since I have a hard time throwing anything away, I thought I'd use them up by making ticker tape cards.

It was great to attach the scraps with fusible web rather than to sew through the card stock. I used a pressing cloth when I ironed, to protect both the iron sole plate and the paper. They are a little putzy to make, but I think the cuteness makes up for it!

The last slivers of the original Flea Market Fancy and pezzy fabric are being put to use. Yay! Oh, and there is some Henna garden fabric in there, too. (It did occur to me when making these that I may have passed the point of no return, but I thought it was better not to dwell on that.) They sure are happy, aren't they?

Each card measures 4.25" x 5.5". These are scrap project #55/101.

 

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

waiting in progress

I seem to have a particularly bad case of quilter's ADD lately. I blame the weather, as a good Minnesotan would! I'm trying desperately to avoid the winter blahs by playing with bright springy colors. It's almost working.

I've had one test block hanging around since last December when I wrote my waiting quilt pattern. I made several more blocks this week so now it's an official WIP. I'm using scraps this time, of course. My plan was to use a variety of polka dots for the background squares, along with a few different solid whites so I could use my stash.

I thought it was a good idea, but after I made a few blocks yesterday I noticed that you can see the polka dots through the fabrics...even through the red! I was surprised and a little bummed.

I never thought that you would see the dots through the bright pink fabric, either. I slept on it and decided to go ahead with my original idea. It really isn't too noticeable unless you look up close. Besides, if the quilt isn't perfect to begin with (as if any of mine are) I'll be much more likely to use it. Gotta find that silver lining!

I still have to machine applique around the pieces, but even so, it's coming right along. I'm quite certain that this is going to be a favorite!

knit, crochet, knit

Over Christmas break I did a lot of sitting around while our extended family was visiting. That means that I had a lot of time to knit and crochet. I found that starting new yarn projects curbed the need to start new quilting projects, which is a good thing!

My first project was a knit hat. The pattern is called Tweedy Cap and I have knit it about 5 times or so. It's a favorite! This was supposed to be for a friend, but it ended up too small, so my daughter inherited it. (She wore it to school and has since lost it, which is a total bummer, but what are you going to do?)

I knit the hat again and this time it actually fit my friend. Hurray! She wasn't willing to model it (and I don't blame her) so you just get a flat shot. :)

I also crocheted my girl a new blankey. Her original blankey has seen better days and I thought I would be proactive and make her a new one before her old one was reduced to shreds.

I was skeptical that it would serve as a replacement, but I think it has. Hurrah! She really loves it! I'm thrilled because I had the yarn sitting around for years. It felt great to make it into something useful. And, it's in her favorite colors!

Now that all those projects are done, I need a new one. I've been wanting to knit myself a sweater for years and years. Since winter seems to be here to stay (insert long rant here) I think this is the year. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good yarn/pattern combo? I'd love a little direction if you can offer any. Thanks!

quilting for a good cause

 "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” -Mother Theresa

I've been thinking this over for the past few weeks and I shall procrastinate no more! :) I've decided to put 5 quilted pillow covers up for sale. The money will be donated to one of my favorite charitable organizations, Convoy of Hope. In a nutshell, their goal is to bring help and hope to those who are impoverished, hungry and hurting. They have feeding programs for kids in 11 countries and they are consistently one of the first organizations to respond to disasters around the world. They are doing great work!

The prices of the pillow covers are higher than if I were selling them to feed my own hungry children (hahaha!) but I believe that it's for such a great cause. I strongly believe that when we are blessed (and I have been blessed, so very much) that we are to bless others, not just be consumers of those blessings. Sometimes it's hard to know HOW to respond, but this has been on heart and mind for the past few weeks, so it's high time to follow through. :)

These pillow covers have not been used other than for display and photos. I have added fabric backings to the inside of each one so that they are safe to machine wash and dry. More details here.

Two more things! Thanks for all the birthday wishes for my sweet boy yesterday. He LOVES his sew together bag. AND...thanks for all of the comments on my daughter's quilt. Your kind comments are much appreciated by all!

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday!
xo

birthday sewing

My little guy turns 11 today. He's been asking me to make him a sew together bag since before Christmas. I figured making one for his birthday was the next best thing. Deadlines are good! I'm so excited to surprise him with it after he gets home from school!

If you aren't familiar with the sew together bag it's a nifty little sewing bag that has 3 zipper compartments inside. (Pattern is available for purchase here.)

 

I used an assortment of colored zippers that I found thrifting many years ago. (I looked back, it was May of 2007. Hoard much?) I love the lime green pocket in the middle. I didn't have the right shade of gray to match the zipper so I went with a contrasting color instead. It ties in with the patchwork on the outside, too. It was fun to pick so many prints for one pouch!

It zips up into a nice little compact bag. I'm sure that my son will have fun filling it with all kinds of trinkets and goodies.

I didn't notice until I was photographing it for the blog, but his birth year, 2003, is printed on the green patch. I'm so charmed by that accidental detail.

It matches the one I sewed up for myself a few months ago. This is scrap project #54/101.

Last year was the year of the big pillows, and I guess this is the year of the sew together bag. I love that my kids love hand made (almost) as much as I do.

Happy Monday to you!

A's abstract finished

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Yesterday I finished my daughter's second abstract quilt. You can read more about the design in this post. Photo taken in the middle of the street (again), but this time in the middle of a snow storm. Fun times!

This is where one of my carefully pieced quilt backs ended up. It's been a long time since I stippled a quilt and it was actually fun and relaxing. (I know that sounds weird, but it's true!) For speed and durability purposes I finished the binding completely by machine. The elephant fabric was originally purchased for a different quilt, but it ended up on this one instead. It's a perfect tie in to the front (color wise) and my daughter absolutely loves it. The binding is Kona Azure. It was THE only fabric in my stash that matched. Thankfully she approved. :)

It was very fun to tuck her into bed last night with her new quilt. We are both very pleased with how it turned out! It measures about 66" x 62". And....this is scrap project #53/101.

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 2/21/14

1.	Pat@ColorMeQuilty	74.	Lucy @ Charm About You
2.	a maiden hair fern	75.	Lisa J.
3.	Bunny Quilt @ cabinfibers	76.	Dee
4.	Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation	77.	The Inside Stori - Mary Stori
5.	Ann @ anniemacoriginal.com	78.	Crab Twist
6.	Ashley @ wasntquiltinaday	79.	Smiles Too Loudly
7.	Our Busy Little Bunch	80.	Belinda - Starfall Baby Qlt
8.	Vera @ Negligent style	81.	Celtic Thistle Stitches
9.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict	82.	Julie @ Quilty Sewing
10.	Jelly Roll Quilt and Giveaway	83.	Wool, velvet, embroidery - Karen
11.	Alycia @ Quiltygirl	84.	Libby@No Airplane Here
12.	Stitch Mischief	85.	Liz @ Shush I'm Quilting
13.	Quilt Paradigm	86.	Sue in WA
14.	Winterkist Quilt	87.	Cindy@What's One More Project
15.	Ruth@CBCraftyCorner	88.	Tubaville Quilts: Kite Quilt
16.	Kat @ Kat and Cat Quilts	89.	Andi's pixelated bunny
17.	Taryn @ from Pixels to Patchwork	90.	Shanna @ Sparrow In FLight
18.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	91.	Candace @ Saltwater Quilts
19.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie	92.	Marie @ Quilts with Personality
20.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting	93.	Modern Handcraft
21.	Kerstin@sunset sewing	94.	Every quilt: Pirate backpack
22.	Cecile@QuiltsHappen	95.	Alison@thechainpiecer
23.	syglad	96.	Jess @ Simple Crafty Life: Quilted Duffle
24.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	97.	Charlotte@GrammieQs
25.	Leigh Anne @ Ella's Cottage	98.	Anita @ Quilt in a not-Shell
26.	Terri Faust Quilts	99.	Jennie @ Porch Swing Quilts
27.	Summer Dream:A Finished Quilt	100.	Brigid @ OneHouseManyQuilts
28.	Geta	101.	Angie in SoCal
29.	Beth: Color wheel mini dresden	102.	Karen@CapitolaQuilter Pup Art Quilt
30.	Amy in UK and giveaway	103.	Anna (The Crooked Banana)
31.	Nancy@PugMomQuilts	104.	Michael Miller Belle Rose Laminated Wash Bag
32.	Sophie in Santa Fe	105.	Beth
33.	beth@lovelaughquilt	106.	Michelle @ Squeek Crafts
34.	Little Island Quilting	107.	SewMeSomethingGood
35.	Kate @ katiemaequilts	108.	Tessa @ The Sewing Chick
36.	Gunilla	109.	Alissa
37.	Mihaela@ abeeautifulday.blogspot.com	110.	Carolina @ Querido Crochet
38.	Sara	111.	Terri @ Quilting Nonnie
39.	My Pieced Life - Hometown Stacked Coins	112.	cathy@blueberrypatch
40.	Valerie @ Evening in the Garden	113.	Jasmine's Red Strings
41.	Shauna of Shauna's World	114.	Jasmine's Country Rose
42.	Eva-Bambi-johansson	115.	Jeni B Quilts
43.	Joanie	116.	VIcki
44.	knottygnome crafts	117.	Kathy@KayakQuilting
45.	Cynthia Brunz Designs	118.	Tanya quilts in CO
46.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	119.	Angela A @ betterndogbiscuits
47.	Melissa @ myfabricrelish	120.	Grateful Dona
48.	Jen @ Stitchified	121.	I Spy Quilt
49.	Val's Quilting Studio	122.	Kristin @ Gooba Designs
50.	tubakk, Norway	123.	Lights on my quilt @ Creatin' in the Sticks
51.	Mary @ SeeMaryQuilt	124.	Jess @ Quilty Habit
52.	Kelsey @ Everyday Fray	125.	Barbie @ thequiltingmill
53.	snips - with a quilt finish!	126.	Nicole @ Mama Love Quilts
54.	Esther @ ipatch - blocks	127.	Nevermore @TBZ
55.	Rugrat Rodeos - coming unstuck	128.	Morbo Thread Painting @TBZ
56.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	129.	Judith
57.	Esther @ ipatch - quilt	130.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table
58.	Jo's Country Junction	131.	Loop, Swoop, & Sew
59.	AmandaK@whatthebobbin	132.	Edige
60.	Brenda's four string quilts	133.	Zoe
61.	Barbara	134.	Alidiza
62.	Molli Sparkles	135.	Cristina @ All The Pretty Things
63.	Janet @ Simply Pieced	136.	Dewberry "Church" Bag
64.	KatyQuilts	137.	Dewberry Diaper Bag
65.	Busy Hands Quilts	138.	Melissa G
66.	Linda Hanafee	139.	HST Quilt
67.	Kris@SewSunshine	140.	Modern Winters Windows Quilt
68.	I QUILT FOR FUN	141.	Twiggy & Opal
69.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	142.	Deer Valley Cewberry Backpack
70.	cath@wombatquilts	143.	Pam
71.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	144.	Andy@ A Bright Corner
72.	Art Quilts - QADesigns	145.	Maria Shell@Tales of a Stitcher
73.	Stephanie @ Quarter Incher	146.	Anita @ Quilt in a not-Shell

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

back in the saddle

Last Friday I discovered that my Juki's bobbin winder quit working. That made me very nervous and it was the final push that I needed to take my machine in for a cleaning/service appointment. (It was way overdue. I think it had been since 2010!) I haven't quilted anything on the Juki in a long time, but as soon as went to the shop, I wanted to stipple ALL the quilts! (Of course!) Thankfully, I have another machine so at least I could sew something.

I pieced a few quilt backs, taking time and great care to line up the repeats. They aren't perfect, but close enough so the repeat doesn't jar the eye. I could have pieced in scrappy strips, but sometimes it's nice to have just one backing fabric for the whole quilt. (I go through phases....)

After I did it once, I thought I would try it again. It's very satisfying. I could see this becoming a compulsion!

Here's a quick rundown of how I did it. First off, I worked on the floor, so the fabric was well supported and wasn't hanging off the ironing board. I creased the fabric by hand, pressed it with an iron, then ran a thin strip of white glue to hold things in place. (I don't have a special glue tip or anything.) Press again. Glue the entire length of the pieces together. Then, open up the seam and sew as carefully as you can on the crease/fold. I trimmed off my selvages afterward, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. It worked very well! It's just advisable to watch where you place your hot iron. Berber carpet melts under a hot iron. (It was very minor thing...it could have been so much worse!)

Anyway, I got the quilts basted, and I picked up my machine yesterday. I'm so thankful that it was a speedy repair because I have a lot of quilts to finish. It feels so good to be back in the saddle again!

nap like an Egyptian quilt top

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I did some power sewing yesterday (and this morning) and managed to finish up this quilt top! Yes, those are tire tracks in the snow. I took photos of it in the middle of my street. :)

Pattern: Nap Like An Egyptian from Sunday Morning Quilts
Block Size: 12" finished
Finished Size: 63 1/2" x 72"
Fabrics: RJR Solids (love them) and Anna Maria prints (I'm pretty sure she's a genius!)
I did a lot of pinning and held my breath a lot while sewing the blocks together. Some of the points turned out pretty fantastic. 

Some of the points are what I'd classify as pretty good. I'm not sure where to draw the line at perfectionism....but that's nothing new. I'm actually excited to baste this one and quilt it up!

Now it's your turn. Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday! Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day! xo

finish it up Friday, 2/14/14

1.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	76.	Charlotte@GrammieQs
2.	Mary @ SeeMaryQuilt	77.	Sue in WA
3.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	78.	Origami Fabric Bag - Karen NZ
4.	Ashley @ wasntquiltinaday	79.	Brenda@ wieldingwildWISPS
5.	Kim @PersimonDreams	80.	Cathy@Sane,Crazy,Crumby
6.	Michelle @ Squeek Crafts	81.	alidiza
7.	Kat @ Kat and Cat Quilts	82.	Jessica @ Pesca Presents
8.	AmandaK@whatthebobbin	83.	Sarah @ Georgia Girl Quilts
9.	Celtic Thistle Stitches	84.	busybeequilts
10.	Simply Pieced: Flying Geese	85.	Augustsnow
11.	Simply Pieced: Sunrise	86.	Elena - Cosiendo sueños
12.	Linda Hanafee	87.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
13.	Nat @ Made in Home	88.	Kate
14.	Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts	89.	Stacy @ Freshly Handmade [ Plus Quilt ]
15.	Taryn @ from Pixels to Patchwork	90.	Tina @ Seaside Stitches
16.	Julie @ Quilty Sewing	91.	Susan@noscrapstoosmall
17.	Heather P	92.	Emily @ Sew E.T.
18.	Pat@ColorMeQuilty	93.	Lee @ Lala's Lovelys Quilting
19.	Vera @ Negligent style	94.	Jess @ Quilty Habit
20.	Jen @ Stitchified	95.	Naughty Valentine Apron @ Creatin'
21.	Terri Faust Quilts	96.	Kris@SewSunshine
22.	Little mouse baby quilt	97.	Orphan Blocks for Street Children
23.	Allison @ flip flops & quilt blocks	98.	My Fabric Formula
24.	Julie @ Creekside Quilting	99.	Alissa
25.	Kathy@KayakQuilting	100.	Melinda in CT
26.	syglad	101.	My Pieced Life - Joy Fire Escape
27.	Karen @ BadlandsQuilts	102.	lisa @ In The Boon Docks
28.	Marla @ SewHungry	103.	Debby @ Gladrox Quilts
29.	Shannon @ Modern Tradition Quilts	104.	Chunky Cabled Scarves @ CreativeChicks
30.	Angie in SoCal	105.	Rachel @ Piece At Last
31.	Kim @ TiesThatBindQuilting	106.	Janeen K
32.	Lynn	107.	Confetti Quilt @Snug Harbor Quilts
33.	Jehnny@Jehnny and the Boys	108.	Clair
34.	Deb @ asimplelife Quilts	109.	Every quilt
35.	Fabadashery	110.	Madeline from Sweet Bamboo
36.	Cindy@WhatsOneMoreProject	111.	Jeni B Quilts
37.	Cyndy @ Cynthia Brunz Designs	112.	Tricia - Handmade Whimzy
38.	Lucy @ Charm About You	113.	Val's Quilting Studio
39.	Nancy@PugMomQuilts	114.	Chelsea @ bumblingquilter
40.	Sophie's hearts	115.	Vicki @ A Quilter's Mission
41.	Nicole @ Mama Love Quilts	116.	Alison@thechainpiecer
42.	Lin Marsh	117.	if you give a 5 yr old some fabric :-)
43.	Audrey @ Hot Pink Quilts	118.	Duke Says Sew What
44.	Mara	119.	allison
45.	Selina	120.	Sarah C.
46.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	121.	Nesta @ Ella & Nesta's Little Room
47.	Quilt Paradigm: SIS Finish	122.	Amanda @ Everyday Fray
48.	Kristin @ Gooba Designs	123.	Katy @ KatyQuilts
49.	Anneliese @mail from the cheeky monkeys	124.	My Bucket List Quilt and Giveaway
50.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	125.	Stephanie @ Quarter Incher
51.	Shauna of Shauna's World	126.	quilt made from Orphan blocks
52.	Katie @ Good Golly Ginger	127.	Crafty Ashley B
53.	Jayne @ Twiggy & Opal	128.	Simple Crafty Life: Softie Octopus
54.	Debbie Hamilton	129.	Lena: Swoon Baby Quilt
55.	Logan @ Chocolate Dipped Quilts	130.	beth@lovelaughquilt
56.	Little Island Quilting	131.	Turtles and Waves@Crazy Town Creations
57.	Here We Are	132.	Mtn Mama in OK
58.	The Office Olympics	133.	Happy Cottage Quilter
59.	ChristaQuilts MQG challenge finish!	134.	Kate @katiemaequilts
60.	Dee	135.	cutie quilts
61.	finished Marcelle Medallion!	136.	Grandpa's Travels @ LoGoQuilts
62.	Becca @bryanhousequilts	137.	Sally with Sally's Angelworks
63.	Maria Shell@Tales of a Stitcher	138.	Rachel
64.	Stitch Mischief - up up and away	139.	Melissa @ Baby Steps Quilts
65.	Melissa G	140.	Aylin
66.	Beth @ Hello Quilty Lady	141.	Melissa @ Scrappy Stitches
67.	Greg @ Grey Dogwood Studio	142.	Christina
68.	Andy @ A Bright Corner	143.	Georgi @ The shy one sews
69.	Valentine's Pillow, CityHouseStudio	144.	Cheaper by the Dozen
70.	LisaAnn @ Making It Up As I Go Along	145.	two.hippos
71.	cath@wombatquilts	146.	Harleigh @ Cutie and Co Star Wars Quilt
72.	Patch the Giraffe	147.	tubakk, Norway
73.	Vicki in MN	148.	Penny G
74.	Darcy @ Modern Cozy	149.	If you do stuff, stuff gets done
75.	Gail in Ontario

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

for my kiddos

Yesterday a friend asked if I had Valentines ready for my kids. I kind of started to panic because the answer was no, and I didn't even have an inkling of a plan. (Don't you hate that?) This morning I picked up a few treats while I was at the grocery store. This afternoon (in less than an hour!) I sewed up 3 little thread catchers to hold their goodies. I didn't have any Valentine fabric, so I just used pink and red. (I have plenty of those in stock. Plen-ty.) So now I'm ready for Valentine's Day. A few days early, too. Sweet!

Two out of three of these used scraps, so I'm counting them as scrap project #52/101.

(I'm almost afraid to admit this, but I'm starting to wonder what I'm going to do when I hit my goal of 101 scrap projects. I have had so much fun with this series. I guess I still have a few to go before I really need to worry about that, right? ;) )

a new WIP

I've been starting quilts like crazy lately. So many that I've decided that (for a short time) I will quit counting my WIPs. It's a slippery slope!

I'm teaching a few classes up in Fargo next month and I need to make a class sample. This pattern is Nap Like an Egyptian (by Cheryl) from Sunday Morning Quilts. I had the hardest time deciding on a color scheme, but I finally settled on these fabrics.

It's a lovely selection of solids (from RJR Fabrics) and prints by Anna Maria Horner. I had to give myself a few pep talks before cutting into them. It's all just fabric, right? (Maybe someday I will actually believe that!)

almost there!

I've been working on my "oh my stars!" quilt with intention lately. I started it way back in April of 2011. I am so excited that I am on the home stretch! Finally! I have 5 stars left to join to the main piece. Only 5! And 4 of those are already pieced.

I have talked to other quilters and it seems to be a common thing to go through a phase of dislike for each quilt at some point during the making process. I've been through several bouts of dislike for this quilt already. Hopefully I've got that all out of my system now.

I've got a brilliant plan for the border (thanks to Mary) and I'm excited to show you how that comes together. I think it's going to be fabulous!

One funny story associated to this quilt. The other day I told my husband that I hadn't had a chance to sew all day long......get this.......as I was hand-stitching a block together. He just looked at me with the strangest expression on his face. I think I'm about ready for my room at the looney bin. But to his credit, he didn't start packing my bags. :) I'm blaming my memory loss on this looooong cold winter. (I can do that, right?)

Happy Monday to you!

just one more

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Guess what? I made another pillow! Ha!
(Sorry, I'm getting loopy over here....)

I just finished this pillow cover and to be honest, it isn't my favorite. I redid the center swirl at least 8 times and finally I decided "it is what it is". The end. Maybe I'll like it more after I have some time and space from it? (I hope so!)

I do love the back. It's a fabric called running stitch by Michael Miller. It's a nice compliment to the front. The pillow measures 20" square.

It's made from scraps, so it is project #51/101! That's half way!

Thanks for everyone who joined me on my pillow week adventure. It's been a lot of fun to read your comments. So, thank you!

Now it's your turn to link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 2/7/14

1.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	79.	Sarah Schraw @ Sarah Quilts
2.	Stitch Mischief	80.	Class Quilts 2014
3.	Sherman's Baby!	81.	syglad
4.	Darcy @ Modern Cozy	82.	Sarah C.
5.	Heather P	83.	Gemini Jen NZ - FMQ a BOM
6.	Vera @ Negligent style	84.	Easy Scrappy Nine Patches Tute
7.	Alycia @ Quiltygirl	85.	Cathy Tomm
8.	Cristina @ All The Pretty Things	86.	Mary @ SeeMaryQuilt
9.	Quilt Paradigm	87.	cath@wombatquilts
10.	Carin @ Margarets Hope Chest	88.	marianne @ Sew Paint It
11.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	89.	Angela A @ betterndogbiscuits
12.	Geta	90.	suzy @ rugrat rodeos
13.	Candace @ Saltwater Quilts	91.	Charlotte@GrammieQs
14.	Lynn	92.	Augustsnow
15.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	93.	Simple Sewendipity
16.	Belinda aka BGMom1	94.	Kathy@TheModernThimble
17.	Cristina@ Pretty Little Quilts	95.	Molli Sparkles
18.	Valentine's Gifts	96.	Val's Quilting Studio: Batik
19.	Maja	97.	Debby @ gladroxquilts
20.	Moneik Quilts	98.	Karisma
21.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	99.	refashion - two shirts now a skirt
22.	Samantha @ Diary of a Madfabriholic	100.	Terri Faust
23.	Kat and Cat Quilts	101.	Tula Pink Squirrel Zipper Pouches
24.	Kelly @ Blue Bird Sews	102.	Lina @Smultronbopieceful
25.	Linda Hanafee	103.	Megan @ Crooked Tail Crafts
26.	Stephanie @ Quarter Incher	104.	Julia in Mississippi
27.	Ginger @ Weeknight Quilting	105.	Ruth@cbcraftycorner
28.	Adrianne @ On the Windy Side	106.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses
29.	Lobstervb - houndstooth baby	107.	Jennifer @ Glinda Quilts
30.	Top of the Lake Quilt	108.	Reia @ My Patchwork Home
31.	Wendi	109.	jennifer@yellowhouse72
32.	Tubaville Quilts	110.	Kate @ katiemaequilts
33.	Melinda in CT	111.	DewberryCrush hst baby quilt
34.	tubakk, Norway	112.	Elaina@LotsaStitches
35.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	113.	Mara
36.	Erin @ Why Not Sew?	114.	Madeline from Sweet Bamboo
37.	Karen@CapitolaQuilter Lotus Tile Pillow	115.	Kristin @ Gooba Designs
38.	Brigit @ brigitgail	116.	Jess from Simple Crafty Life
39.	Vicki	117.	Single scrappy swoon baby quilt
40.	Liz @ Shush economy block cushion	118.	Lucy Beth Greene
41.	Audrey @ Hot Pink Quilts	119.	beth@lovelaughquilt
42.	Samantha @ Making Life Prettier	120.	Tricia ~ Handmade Whimzy
43.	Ashley @ wasntquiltinaday	121.	Patch the Giraffe
44.	Our Busy Little Bunch	122.	Kelli @ Small Town Stitcher
45.	Quiltin Jenny	123.	My Pieced Life
46.	Jennie @ Porch Swing Quilts	124.	picket fence quilt top
47.	Esther @ ipatchandquilt	125.	Lisa
48.	Cabin Fibers - Virtual Quilting Bee	126.	Sara
49.	Leigh Anne @ Ella's Cottage	127.	Cheryl
50.	Kim @PersimonDreams	128.	Cheryl
51.	Little Island Quilting	129.	Rachel
52.	Lucy @ Charm About You	130.	Lisa J.
53.	Gunilla	131.	Rugrat Rodeos
54.	Chevron #3	132.	Audrey@piecingitalltogether
55.	Nancy@PugMomQuilts	133.	Handprinted Baby Romper -Ruffle Butt
56.	Kate	134.	Monkey Needle
57.	Valerie @ Evening in the Garden	135.	Katelyn @ Sing While Crafting
58.	Michelle @ CityHouseStudio	136.	Tanya Quilts in CO
59.	Cindy - What'sOneMoreProject	137.	Blue Moth: Glitzy Pouch
60.	Jean @ Putting the Pieces Together	138.	Dancing 9 patch
61.	Laura @ Salmon and Souvlaki	139.	Australian Pixel Quilt
62.	Taryn(forkandneedle)	140.	Edige
63.	Rachel @ Snippets of Sweetness	141.	Edige
64.	The Colorful Fabriholic	142.	Freddie
65.	Botany Quilt Finish @ Antstosugar	143.	Sew happily ever after
66.	promised pictures	144.	Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts
67.	One Wee Bird	145.	Trina @ willcookforshoes.ca
68.	Shauna of Shauna's World	146.	Nesta @ Ella & Nesta's Little Room
69.	Dee	147.	not afraid of color!
70.	Anita	148.	Kathy@KayakQuilting
71.	Julie @ Quilty Sewing	149.	If you do stuff, stuff gets done
72.	Kerry @ ModernMaterialGirl	150.	Sally with Sally's Angelworks
73.	Rachel @ The Life of Riley Mini ArtQuilt	151.	Kris@SewSunshine
74.	Amy Wong Futuama Quilt Panel @TBZ	152.	Sew Rodeo @ Creatin' in the Sticks
75.	allison	153.	Melissa G
76.	Greg @ Grey Dogwood Quilts	154.	Tablet or Kindle Zipper Pouch
77.	Crochet cardigan a la Doris Chan	155.	Mosaic Quilt along
78.	KatyQuilts	156.	Cyndy @ Cynthia Brunz Designs

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

contact print pillow (a tutorial)

Today I am happy to be a part of Amy's Pillow Collective blog hop. (This is what triggered the idea for pillow week in the first place. That, and my deep love of pillows, of course!)

 

For my project, I'm going to share a tutorial on how to make a contact print pillow. This pillow is a nice way to spruce up your couch. (IF you have room, that is!)

I originally designed this pillow to use a mini charm pack, but you can easily cut squares from your scraps or stash. I dug out some of my precious scraps from the original Flea Market Fancy line along with some hoarded Katie Jump Rope fabric. My background fabric is Essex linen.

To make this pillow cover you will need:
One mini charm pack (or 35  2 1/2" squares)
1/3 yard background fabric
22" square of cotton batting
quilting thread
3/4 yard backing fabric

From the background fabric:
cut 2 strips 20 1/2" x 3 1/2"
cut 4 strips 20 1/2" x 1 1/2"
cut 30 strips 2 1/2" x 1 1/2"

Select (or cut) 35 2 1/2" squares. Layout the squares in a pleasing arrangement...7 across and 5 down.

Place the 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" background pieces between the squares to create horizontal rows.

Sew the pieces together to make rows.  Each row should start and end with a square of fabric.

Layout the pieced rows with the remaining background pieces as shown. The 3 1/2" x 20 1/2" pieces go at the top and the bottom.

Sew the rows together. Press well. The piece should measure 20 1/2" square. You can hang it up, take a pretty photo and leave it there as wall art for several weeks. (That's what I did. It works!)

But, if you actually want to finish it......place the patchwork on a 22" square of thin cotton batting (such a warm and natural). Baste with a few curved safety pins. Backing fabric is optional...I rarely use it.

Quilt as desired. I quilted this piece with my walking foot using horizontal lines 1/2" apart.

 

Trim the quilted piece to 20 1/2". Finish with an envelope backing. (Tutorial here.)

For the back I finally managed to cut into this pretty vintage-looking print from Denyse Schmidt's first line for JoAnn's....from 2011. (Sheesh!) Turns out it looks better sewn up rather than folded up and tucked into a drawer. Who knew? :P

 

Insert a 20" pillow form. You can either purchase one or make your own.  

Stand back and admire your work!
For those of you following my progress, this is scrap project #50/101. I'm pretty excited about that!

I made this pillow last December using the same pattern. I used white kona cotton and a mini charm pack of Potluck by American Jane for Moda. I really love this one, too! You can see/read more about it in this post, if you'd like.

 

If you make contact print pillow, I'd love to see it!

how to make an envelope backed pillow

Well, I wasn't kidding when I said it was pillow week here! Today I'm going to show you my favorite way to make an envelope backing for a quilted pillow cover. As always, this is just one way to do it.

First off, let me talk just a bit about the front of the pillow. Make the patchwork, then layer it on a piece of thin cotton batting (warm and natural or something similar). You could use a square of muslin or some miscellaneous fabric for a backing, but I don't bother.

Quilt the patchwork, then trim down to size. I shoot for 20 1/2" square.

Gather your supplies...the quilted pillow top and 3/4 yard quilting cotton for the backing fabric.

From the quilting cotton, cut two pieces 26" x 20 1/2".

Fold each piece in half so it measures 20 1/2" x 13". Press the fold line well with a hot iron.

(I LOVE my vintage iron, by the way! Isn't she a beauty?)

Sew near the fold line using an 1/8" seam allowance.

Place the pillow top right side up. Place the backing pieces on top of it, as shown in the photo above. The raw edges of the backing should line up with the raw edges of the pillow top. Folds should be in the middle.

Flip the pieces down into place. There should be an overlap of about 5"-6". (See pin placement.) Pin the layers together around the perimeter of the piece.

Use a walking foot to sew around the ENTIRE piece. I use a 1/4" seam allowance. (You can use a 1/2" seam allowance if you prefer, just be sure to adjust your measurements accordingly.) Reinforce the stitching several times where the backing pieces overlap. These will be the stress points when you are stuffing your pillow form into the cover. The reinforced stitching helps a lot. Trim the corners. Turn right side out. Poke out the corners with a blunt tip scissors.

 The backing looks nice and tidy. No finishing stitches required!

Stuff your pillow form inside and you are done!

I love the way this looks....so crisp, clean and tidy! The double layer of quilting cotton is a nice weight for the pillow backing. I've been using this technique for years and they have stood the test of time. If you want to see the pillow front completed, I shared it in this post.

I hope you find this tutorial useful! If you have questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments.

Go forth and make pillows!
(Lots and lots!) :)