Another Day, Another Top

I finally pieced all (or mostly all) of my Colorblocks together. This is 90 blocks, with about 8 unpieced blocks worked in to make the top a little larger. I still have a few of these blocks put aside to do a few other things which are smaller. I have no idea what to use on the back, but I know it is not in my stash of fabrics! Perhaps a boldly colored stripe?... It'll finish lap sized at 55"x60".
...And another pillow cover. It's once again 14", and has a fun free-handed all-over pattern that I machine quilted. This pillow has the striped fabric (which was on the backing of the last one) as the ruffle. I totally detest gathering ruffles, but I really like how they complete the pillow.

The front fabric is a subtle tan print. Finding "subtle" or simple prints in my stash is a trick. I guess I generally find them boring and don't tend to buy them. This was a free FQ that Whittles sent me with one of my recent massive orders.

The quilting is in a sage green thread. It did exactly what I hoped for - made the pillow front appear more green than tan. I once again tried my hand at McMargaretting inside of the hearts. On day it will look better, but not so bad today. The meandering feather is free quilted. I think I may have marked the spine (hence, any lingering purple marks are my pen which will fade soon).

And one last peek at the leafy feathering variation I tried in the corners. I wanted to try something a bit different from the traditional feathers. This picture was taken of the inside of the pillow (just muslin) before pillow construction.

Not too bad, eh?!

Have a fun week!

Completed Quillows

One of the quilted pillow covers got the pink ruffle (to make it look larger than the 12" pillow that it is). Another got a piped edge, which conveniently I did not have to actually make. I had made a pillow cover 3 years ago which used that pink piping so I just had to pick ot off of that cover. Not fun, but recycled. And the last pillow (the 16") is without any edge treatment. I just LOVE them. They are girly and fun and pretty.

I used as many different coordinating fabrics just to add texture and variety. Here's a peek at the backs of them (which are not quilted). I did a slip opening with velcro closure on the back so that they can be removed and washed.

And...one final peek at the 2 quilts that will eventually be in my Princess's room (later this year or in the winter sometime). The new pillows are SO cute with both of her quilts. Not too shabby a digs for a little gal just turning three!

Girlish Quillows for my Sophie

The past 2 weeks, I have been puttering with three quilted pillow covers for my daughter's room-to-be. She doesn't actually have a twin bed in her room yet (probably it will arrive this winter). But that has not stopped me from making two quilts and now three pillow covers. OK, the pillows are not yet assembled, but the tops are all done and the pillow forms are on order, so assembly is immenent. I have pulled fabrics from the Girly Fun dress quilt (which is more old fashioned) and my Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend quilt (which is more bold and modern). Together they are just smashing! So long as Sophie doesn't change her mind and beg for blue & purple, we are golden (which brings up a future post about orange!).

Here's the 2nd one I made (yes, naturally Booger AKA "Blogger" put them out of proper order). It's destined to be 14". I plan to do a pink & white striped cording and the backing fabric remains to be seen.
I'm just MAD about that butterfly fabric (Free Spirit I think). Even with the brown, which has never really been my color, this one made up SO cute. I quilted around the flower & butterfly, then a vining border in the block border, and just loops in the outer border. The doggone inner pink border puckered a tad in one corner so I may pick out and fix that. I have just never been 100% pleased with my walking foot's performance. It never is completely flat unless I stipple the piece to hell and back before using the walking foot.

Here's the 3rd one I did. It is a 16" pillow. The center green star is all the old-fashioned small prints, except for the center diamond of Fairy Frost. Thanks to Emma who has supplied me with small amounts of MANY colors of this great fabric. The outer background is obviously a very mod print, but all together I think is is very nice.

I had an unusially nice quilting day with this one too. Nevermind the yellow bobbin thread - I was using up something I had on a bobbin since the inside will never show. Following Lisa's post about wonky/amoeba feathers, I cautiously showed the quilting of this one since I used feathers in the star points for a bit of variety. As I did them, I thought they looked a bit wonky, but when finished, I'm pretty pleased. I think I will add a covered button in the center of the green diamond too. Lastly, the first of the quilted pillows...

The border stitching looks a bit wonky-not straight at the corners. I blame this on my walking foot again. I have left it because I think when streached over a pillow and finished, it won't even show. I HAD to use some of this Fancy bird fabric I bought not so long ago. I have several other corresponding fabrics, but they all have too much brown to use in her bedroom. Since this is only a 12" pillow, I am adding a ruffled edge in one of the pink fabrics. That will make it look a bit larger. This is my least favorite, despite loving the bird. I think I just got more creative as the pillow making continued.

Other news...

Despite spending $2000 last month on my husband's now gone Audi, and buying him a new one 4 days ago, he has actually given me the go-ahead to get a long arm machine. I could have fallen off the couch in surprise! Secretly, he's probably just looking forward to me making $$ doing what I do most of the time anyhow, but whatever! In the coming 2-3 years, my time to sew will only increase as my last one approaches school age. I need to have another business to keep me busy. Going back to work 8-5 as an engineer is just not feasible with 3 little kids, the bus schedules, etc. I need the flexibility. I teach 2-3 college classes each year, and that will hopefully also continue. 25 years ago when I started college, who'd have ever imagined that I'd be the Thermodynamics teaching Quilter Skater! ...another one of my passions :-)

I'll post more this weekend, but my 2 neices from Italy arrived last night and we are off to a day at the beach ~ Happy surfing & sanding.