Olive Corduroy Pillows

The last of the pillows are done. I really like these. They are nice and big. My 18 inch inserts fit very nicely.

I don't have the best shot of the back, but it is a simple envelope style closure. There is one reverse applique circle on it for a touch of oomph. A touch of oomph? Is that a real thing? It should be.

The inside lining is a minty green like the print in the applique.

Now I just need to decide whether or not to wash them before I photograph them & list. Being corduroy with raw edges, there is lots of fluff that keeps finding its way elsewhere. I suppose it couldn't hurt. After all, whoever buys it will most likely wash them at some point. I just know there are lots of people who don't like their new things being, well, not so new by being washed before they buy it.

Finished Off the Ginger Dot Pillows

It took more than the weekend to finish off these pillows. Not much more, just a couple days. A couple days home with a little boy who had an upset tummy. Poor little guy.

They turned out cute. The pics don't quite capture the colors, but it is close. Taking pics of some yellows and reds don't work well in my home. Maybe it's the green walls?

Anyway...they fit the 14 inch inserts pretty well. I did have to adjust one to fit better.

And bonus with those couple extra days...I came up with some solids ideas for the leftover circle cut outs. I'll get those photoed and edited for tomorrow.

Question for you: Do you prefer your pillow covers with a zipper or envelope style?

Ginger Dot WIPs

I started back up with some more pillows. Actually, I started back up to finish off the remaining pillows I had cut a while back. Either way - I am sewing again :)

These are not yet complete, but I should be able to get to them this weekend.


The lining is a nice spring yellow. And looking outside right now, it looks like Spring...wet and dreary :P

And did you notice the closure? I decided to go with a zipper this time. Why? Just because.


And now for one of the reasons why it is still a WIP (work in progress)...it started out having stacked circles appliqued (kind of) to the front. But it just did not look right.


So now I have these stacked circles. The question is, what will they become? I am leaning towards hair stuff (headbands most likely), accents for a table runner edge or a cute decoration for the front of a burlap fabric basket.

Any other ideas or opinions on what the could morph into?

Blue Pillows

I finished the blue pillows. I am still on the fence about this first pair. I love the Federal blue color and the Brandon Mably's fish lips print underneath. So I am not sure just what it is that makes me go "eh". Maybe it's the cut outs. Or maybe just because I had so much trouble with them. The sizing was not quite right. The 16 inch pillow I had was too fluffy. I think all I need is a more solid pillow with less puff.



This second set of Federal blue pillows was fun to make. Making the overlapping kaleidoscope circles to match the kaleidoscope print underneath took quite some time, but so worth it.


The backside still needs the piece with the snap for closure. Or maybe it doesn't? I do like the clean lines. Hmmm....what do you think?

Now I just need to decide whether or not I am taking the pillow covers to the Riverside's December Holiday Art and Crafts Sale. I do not have enough inserts for all of them. Between allergies and personal preference for pillow fillers, I figure less than half of the people would need one. But still, very bulky to have sitting out. Maybe I just keep them home & put them in my shops online. Which means photo shoots. Hmmm....

Paler Pink Duo

More pink pillows. This time a duo. These are for 16 inch pillows. I can't wait until the inserts arrive so I can see how they look full.

I went back and forth on what to do for the decorative stitching. I like where I settled...little bursts to match the print.


The bolder pink pillow I made last had that small concern of enough fabric to cover the backside, so I added the strip of print. Well, I really liked it, so I did it again.

Once in the middle of one panel...

And the other on the edge of a panel...

Next up...blues!

Pillow WIPs...Circle Cut Outs This Time

I have started on another batch of pillows. I loved the olive circle applique one so much that I decided to make more with the round cut out.I also varied the sizes, some as large as 20 inches. I love big pillows, so cozy.

There will be blues...

Pinks...

And olives...

I decided to use the cut outs on some of the pillows as well. In the end there will be solid pillows with print peek throughs and print pillows with solid color circles appliqued to the front. I hope. In my head it looks great...we'll see.

I'll be making the hair WIPs alongside the pillows since the machine will already be threaded with the right colors. Yes, lazy can determine the order of getting things done. But I prefer to call it efficient.

Circular Applique Now

Same idea. Different shape. And I love the swirls! The fabric in the circle cut out is one of my faves. I just love red and black. Throw in the green swirls and I am a happy camper. I made my cousin a diaper bag with this fabric a while back and luckily I still had some leftover.


I had fun with the swirl & circle stitching too :)

The Last Diamonds...For Now...

Orange this time. And I thought I'd use it for something Halloweeny. Nope.

And a smaller version in purple...which I still need to make the insert for. I seem to have no problem making the cover for the forms, but the reverse needs some work. I am on my second try to get the insert to fit.

Pink Diamond Pillow

Yes, more diamonds. This time in hot pink. Um, nothing more to say...on to the pics...

Blue and Green Diamond Pillows

More diamond reverse applique pillows. These two were made with Matelasse like my first yellow one. The green one has pink and yellow stitching, although the yellow is difficult to see in this pic.

And the back...

The blue...with a too bright flash that washed out the color. Darn me for finishing the pillow at night :P

And the back side...

I like how these close ups show the stitching. I semi-randomly chose the stitch paths. I like how they run into the other diamond sometimes.

Lime Green Pillow Post-Wash

I made a smallish diamond applique pillow the other week & have been flip flopping on washing it to see how the raw edges react. Well, I think I like it even better now. I know that rag quilts & such need that washing to get the fun fuzzy look, but I was still nervous to try it on my pillow. Why? Dunno. But I like it.

The backside was never quite lined up correctly, so I am not entirely sure if the cover shrunk. But I do not think so. Now I am left with the same question as the blue stripey pillows...to pre-wash or not to pre-wash. Which do you prefer? Washed or unwashed raw edges?

Ocean Blue Stripey Pillows

I made two of these pillows last week using the leftover strips from my drapes. I love the shade of blue for the pillows. I may need to trim down the size just a scooch though. Or not. I suppose it depends on whether or not people prefer tight fitting or loose pillow covers. Well? Opinion anyone? Thanks :)

And this is the backside. I kept with the coordinating cover piece that snaps the overlap. The other pillow has a slightly smaller piece with only 2 strips.

You can see a the window behind the sewing machine that I took the idea from.

Given that the strips had raw edges, I thought I should toss them in the wash to make sure everything held together. I knew I ran the risk of destruction, but I did not want to risk destruction happening to someone who buys it :P I still need to trim the edges, but they turned out great. Well, I like them. But then again, I love the raw edge look.

This is a close up of the rawness. The color is off, but the edges show very well.

So now the question is to pre-wash or not to pre-wash. Perhaps I will not pre-wash and just use these pillows as examples of what the pillow would look like post-wash. And let people decide from there what they want. Depending on how the pillows would be used, they may go ages without a washing, especially if they were more for show than actual use. How often do you have to wash your throw pillows?

Pillow WIPs

I made a couple diamond reverse applique pillows the other week and decided to make some more. The pink, blue, green & orange will be for a 14" square pillow form while the purple is for a smaller rectangle. Remember that oops of a pillow size I made last time? Well, the purple will be using the first mis-sized pillow form :)


I had some strips leftover from the window coverings I made and decided to make a couple pillows with them. The blue pillow base flows better in person than it does in the pic. Crossing my fingers that once the strips are sewn on that it gives the effect I am picturing in my head.


And lastly, I plan to use this red print for a reverse applique on the olive...but in circles. I think have enough to make matching coasters & a table runner too. Those will come later.