Decorative Pillows for my Living Room

Christmas Eve I had all my cooking done, bags were packed, house was cleaned. After all the cleaning I decided I wanted to make some pillows for the living room. The flowers and fruit are fussy cut from the same fabric used in my window treatments. They are fused, raw edges with decorative stitching around.

I had purchased a ruffler about a year ago to make Christmas trees that never did get made. So I broke it out of the package, found a YouTube to figure out how to use it since it didn't come with instructions. That is the coolest foot! It takes no time to make ruffles with it.

Another first making these pillows was using basting spray. I spray basted quilt batting to the background before stitching. Wow! the smell is strong. I had read many take it outside to use. I did and glad that I did! As I was stitching I had to clean my needle as it would collect the sticky from the spray. If I didn't it would snap the thread.  

The flower and plum branch were fussy cut several years ago with the intention of making a quilt jacket that never happened. Feels good to have finally done something with them! Now to do something with the pieced jacket backing - maybe another pillow? Anyways I used Heat n Bond from Therm O Web Products to fuse the applique to the background.

(1) Anyone every used a ruffler before, if so what did you make with it?

(2) Anyone use basting spray before, if so was it a good experience?

(3) Has anyone made any pillows before? I had gone shopping and couldn't believe the price of decorative pillows and decided I could make nicer ones for a whole lot less.
  

The new home for the pillows is on an antique love seat that was my paternal grandmother's. For many years it didn't have upholstery so when I moved to Charlotte I finally invested in getting it reupholstered.

The other two pillows are ones that I made a while back.

Don't my new pillows look lovely? I just love them and I am quite pleased how they turned out.

So glad you stopped by.










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It is Beginning to Look Like Christmas

While sitting in church this past Sunday I was inspired to create a mini quilt that would express Christmas. Pastor was expressing how our culture is loosing the ability to celebrate our holidays for what they originally had been established.

Thanksgiving has been given to "Turkey Day" associated with Black Friday and now Cyber Monday. Christmas is either Winter Holiday or Happy Holiday. I love all the things associated with Christmas, the tree, cookies, family and friends but I also love to remember the Christ child that was born unto us.

 Matthew 2:7-11 says, "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

The Eastern Star is paper pieced. I found the pattern several years back. At that time I reduced the size. For this quilt I enlarged the pattern. It is a free pattern and I felt fortunate that I found it again. It can be found here. Borders were added to give more color. The batting is ironed on fusible fleece from Therm O Web Products . I quilted the rays using yellow thread on the top and through the fusible fleece. The fleece gives the little quilt a bit of body. Next I added the backing and binding. Tah Dah another finished wall hanging quilt to celebrate the "Reason for the Season!"

This is a quick quilt that can be made in less than a day! Merry Christmas to you who do celebrate Christmas and Happy Holidays to those of you who don't. May your hearts be merry throughout the season!


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Great Progress This Weekend on a New Quilt

Twenty Blocks Stabilized!
It was so much easier the second time around. What was different?

I purchased a 15 1/2 " x 15 1/2" ruler. This simple ruler assisted me in making more exacting square blocks. It also helped me center the numbers and names. Before stabilizing I centered the ruler to the front or back of the shirt. With the rotary cutter I sliced slits about 1/2 inch away from the top and sides.  Next I was able to place the non-woven sheer weight fusible interfacing so the the top matched the top slit and the interfacing edges fit equally within the side slits. I pressed the fusible interfacing with a dry iron. The fusible interfacing was initially cut 17" x 17." Now with the fusible interfacing fused to the shirt I was able to center the 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" ruler and rotary cut around the square.

On my design board are the blocks for the first row. I am so happy how they came out! Each block has 3 frames, the first is Kona Cotton Ash, the second frame is Kona Cotton Red and the third row is the frame creating the shadow using both Kona Cotton Ash and Black. Each block is 21" x 21."

This baseball t-shirt quilt is for my oldest grandson, Tyler. When he saw the one I made for Caleb he asked his dad, Do you think she would make one for me?" Well you know I was sucker for that even though I had already intended to make him one. Funny the boys call me "Granny J." Sounds old doesn't it? But it is a title of endearment to me.

Tyler is in his second year of college and doing quite well being on the Dean's List. Baseball didn't work out for him in college for various reasons. He played ball all through elementary, middle and high school. He was a darn good player where scouts were paying attention to him. He played on college showcase baseball teams.

My son Ty created and established the non-profit organization "Rebels" as you can see across one of the blocks above.  By word of mouth the organization grew because parents heard how the coaches were interested in perfecting each team members area of talent. No screaming was permitted! I have several t-shirts in my own wardrobe with "Rebels" adorned across it. I am proud to wear them!

This quilt is going to size out to 84" x 105", a nice size quilt wouldn't you say?

I had planned on adding sashing but with the large blocks this would make it humongous!  This was one time I was grateful for my design board where I noticed that the shadows would show well with the adjacent blocks being Ash and would help show off the shadowing.

I am contemplating quilting it in segments, possibly by rows. Caleb's quilt was such a back breaker free motion quilting it on my domestic machine because of the weight and size. I can't fathom the idea of doing it again. Ditch stitching in the frames and free motion quilting the centers and outlining the numbers and letters should be a sufficient amount of quilting.

My lamp makes a perfect place to hold all the strips for the frames.

My weekend was completed with more happiness when by surprise opening up my client's mail finding a gift for me from a short-term missionary. She had traveled to Italy to immerse herself in Italian language school. It is the most beautiful oriental silk scarf with variegated shades of red. I had to wear it to church this morning. It was perfect as it was quite chilly this morning.

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Thanks for visiting! I hope you have been inspired!

No Quilts but Darling Raggedy Ann and Andy are Done!

Just finished up with the minute details on this pair of 15 inch traditional Raggedy Ann and Andy!

 They are for a friend and actually the Executive Director of an entity that I do accounting and administrative work for. Hopefully she will not visit my blog before sending them to her.

We have been working together for about 16 years. She actually commissioned me to make them for her granddaughter. I just can't find my way to charge her when she has given me shoes, clothes and jobs. 

I love the idea of gifting them to her. She doesn't know it yet. I am just going to pack them up and send them to her in Winston-Salem. 

 


Anyways for years I have been following the McCalls' version when making these dolls.Then I started looking at storybook versions of them and realized Ann usually was in a blue dress with flowers and Andy had a white collar on his shirt. McCalls' pattern shows Ann wearing a red dress and Andy's shirt collar the same fabric as the shirt. 

I have another 15 inch set (modern) that I put in My Etsy Shop this evening. Now I will have sets in 3 different sizes - 15", 20" and 25". I have a pattern for 10". Making the 15" especially the clothes had a degree of difficulty due to the smallness. Can't imagine going any smaller. So what do you think?

Here's modern Andy flirting and

 letting you know how much he loves you!
Every Ann and Andy has a heart
that says "I Love You"
 embroidered on them.

Well looky here Andy is working his arm around Ann. And look he is smiling about it too. Ann looks quite pleased about it, wouldn't you say?

This is the set that is now listed in "My Etsy Shop." Just click on the tab above or the hyper linked words. Great ideas for Christmas presents.

Also newly listed is the St. Louis 16 Patch quilt.

This is the first time in a long while that I don't have anything on my design board quilt wise. Hopefully I can rectify that tomorrow if time allows for it. I have 3 quilts that I want to begin of which one I would love to ideally have completed by Christmas.

I began washing the fabric for it. I had the nicest surprise when opening up the package of Kona Cotton this morning that I had ordered from JoAnn Fabrics online. I received almost another yard free of cost because it was slightly less than one yard! If I were in the store they would have offered it to me for 50% off.

Another nice little surprise was when I visited my local quilt store about one week ago. The quilt store owner said, "Oh I was going to call you today. You won the prize for guessing my age several weeks ago." She was celebrating her birthday. So what did I win. Seamingly Scrappy Quilt Book. You can look inside Seaming Scrappy at Amazon.com here.