napping at the zoo...

I am excited to share with you a FINISHED ufo! Can you believe it?! Last summer I pledged [well, sorta - maybe hoped is a better word] to finish work on my massive stack of unfinished objects before begining anything new. So... I definitely have started new projects since this summer, but I am still steadily working through lots and lots of un-done craftiness.

This blankie was started a several years ago for a baby who no longer needs a baby blanket. It's pretty simple: I just fussy cut the animal blocks and added borders around a teal flannel center. This is the point where progress stopped. Time at the 'zoo' stood still. It was really tough to pick it back up - how do you make that project that has been lying around [I've looked at it a million times] exciting and new? I decided to back it with some oh-so-soft baby lime green fleece and incorporate knotting and some long stitch quilting using perle cotton. I think the finished project is a very cuddly one. As an added bonus, finishing this project required not one trip to the fabric store - binding, backing, and perle cotton were all located using my stash.

Seeing as the intended recipient isn't in need of a baby blanket, it is in my etsy for another tot to try napping at the zoo :]

pillow expo...

It is always exciting when I can showcase a FINISHED item in my post, and today I have three! I can hardly believe it myself, but I followed through with making coordinating pillows for my wonky log cabin. In total, I made four pillowcases and three throw pillows. I love them!

Nope, can't take creative credit for this one either; but didn't it turn out well? (thanks cluck. cluck. sew.) I love the little nest in the center, and isn't it perfect to go with the wonky log cabin?

Remember this one from a post awhile ago? This one was the most time consuming - I made a template from a picture with the aid of photoshop. Then I traced the template onto wonder-under. Several hours of cutting, ironing, and zig-zag stitching later - this pillow finally emerged!


I love selveges... I didn't know that I loved them til everyone else began using them, but I do. Check out the selvege flickr group for more inspiration.

Update: The two larger (18") pillows are 'envelope' style, so the covers can be taken off. The selvage bolster is sewn closed.

wonky revelation...

So, here it is - the finished wonky log cabin; reveling in all of its glory. I must say I am a bit impressed with myself; this is the most expedient quilt project I have ever worked on! I really do love it! I finished coordinating pillowcases this weekend and plan to take on a couple of other pillow projects to complete the bedding. (namely the anthropologie pillow with the giant applique mum)

The next step is to have it quilted. I live to piece and hate to quilt, I am simply not patient enough. My thoughts are to have the center done with a diagonal grid and the outside border with a smaller diagonal grid. Should be simple enough; now to find a talented quilter who fits into the budget!

just another pillow post...

Continuing on with my affinity for beautiful, yet useless, pillows, I am again posting about my new favorites. These were listed over on the print and pattern blog. (if you love all things pretty, you should really check this blog out!) The pillows are from a store called John Lewis - maybe I'll pop in if I'm ever in London :) Personally, I think the bottom pillow would be way too cute recreated with yo-yos!

pillow people...

here's more... This one courtesy of Allison over at cluck, cluck, sew. I think the colors and the shape are just beautiful! And hey, I already have some of those buttons in my stash!

pillow fight...

Alright, so I am getting a little ahead of myself... I have started to amass a photo collection of someday pillows I want to make AFTER my wonky log cabin is complete.

Design and inspiration are funny, you have to strike while the iron is hot (haha, irony on a craft blog...) Thanks to quiltdad's flickr page, I have my first 'must have' pillows! They are from Anthropologie and a little pricey at $78 a piece (ouch - think of all the fabric you could buy for that :0) The bedding is also o-so-lovely in the first picture.

I am salivating a little thinking about using up the scraps of my prettiest fabrics all in one project! I enjoy how ecclectic these pillows are, using fabrics one might not readily put together. I am thinking that left-over log cabin strips would be wonderful for this pillow. I think that the pillow body could be muslin with strips sewn on the top, maybe even leaving the edges unfinished. More to come I'm sure...