Folded Fabric Pillow

I made this pillow for a challenge in the local quilt guild.  At the beginning of the year, we swapped a fat quarter and were challenged to use it to make a pillow or pillowcase.  The fabric I received is the center orange.

When I brought my fabric home, I immediately pulled several coordinating fabrics from my stash.  I was amazed at how well things went together!

Several months later I took a class on folding fabric - and I knew what my pillow was going to look like!

I used a folding method from Fantastic Fabric Folding by Rebecca Wat as the center square and at each of the four corners.  Around the center, I stitched a form of log cabin along with folded squares.  The center edge of each square was curled back and blind stitched into place.  Similar to the cathedral window block.

Around the edges, a long strip was folded and curled back in the same fashion.  I then added a simple flange and backing.  These last two techniques were from Tucks & Textures Two by Jennie Rayment.

This project was pretty easy to do.  I was amazed at how neatly the little pinwheel shape formed . . . just the way the book said!  There is an awful lot of hand stitching though.  Not good for a last minute project!

Wednesday WOW - November 18

One quilt bound and the second ready for the handwork part of binding.  These two are going to Quilts of Valor this week.  You have seen the tops before - here.

A Peek at Our Batiks

My doll club had a challenge this year.  We exchanged 1/8 yard pieces of batik fabric and challenged each other to make a doll using all twelve fabrics!

Here is what my doll looks like:

Meet Yolanda . . . or Yoyolanda, as I like to call her!  As I pondered how to use 12 different fabrics, I thought of using yo-yos.  The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.  I took a head from my "basket of heads" and re-worked the eyes a bit and then started looking for a body pattern.  I found one by Sherry Goshon in Soft Dolls & Animals magazine (Heather in Aug/Sep 2003 issue) and it suited that head perfectly!

From there Yolanda pretty much built herself!  She did not want a lot of bling, and she told me exactly how to make her "real" yo-yo (two shank buttons wired together with perle cotton wound around the center). 

As happy as I am with Yolanda, I was blown away by the dolls made by my fellow club members!  People, we have to have the most talented doll makers in the country right here!  In my humble 0pinion, of course.

These are just some of the finished dolls.  They are all wonderful!  I think we did an outstanding job of choosing batik fabrics, too.  The colors really complemented each other and make for an outstanding collection!

Good job, ladies!  What's next?

Wednesday WOW - November 11

Today I actually started on Christmas projects!  It's not even December yet! 

Before we start celebrating, though, I must emphasize - it's just a START!  But, oh my.  It does feel good!

What is it with Me and Finishes?

I have a terrible time with getting projects finished.  I really don't know what the problem is.  My cupboards are full of projects that are almost done . . . and quite a few that are not even close!

I know that I am easily distracted (can you say short attention span?), but I wonder if something else is at work here.  So, I am going to start studying why projects are left undone.  As well as try to finish some of them!

Creative Box Making from March 2009

  I took this class from Sue Bleiweiss last spring and did pretty well for the first four (out of five) lessons.  As I look back at the calendar and this blog, I noticed I was involved in several swaps in April.  Then I took a quilting class in May, we had water come into the basement, . . . and it appears that life began to get in the way.  

I'm thinking, too, that the Lesson 4 box was not exactly my style (see above and right).  It is a game box and I can't think of a reason to make another one.  We are just not big gamers at our house.

Which is a shame, because I really love the boxes in Lesson 5!  And this week I finally completed that lesson.  A seven month recess - not bad!

The first container was a teapot - for holding tea, of course!  No, not the liquid stuff - tea bags!  Deviating somewhat from Sue's directions, I dribbled fabric paint onto a plate and then scrunched used Shout Color Catchers around in it to come up with a background for motifs cut from a tea box.   I am already using it to store the collection of tea bags near my worktable.

 

For the last box, I made a pyramid container.  I needed to make a collage piece for postcard backgrounds and just increased the size to include this.  The box is about 6 inches tall and 4 inches wide at the bottom.

 

 

When you look on the bottom, you can see that I used a "reject" doll arm in the collage.  Interesting idea.  I will have to do that again sometime!

 

And the box is just right to hold thumbtacks or paperclips or perhaps coins. 

So how come I waited so long to make these?  And why wasn't I working on the challenge due next month?

Wednesday WOW - November 4

What a mess!  This is what creativity looks like!  Yes, that is a doll over there on the left.  I think you are going to like her!

Wounded!

In my ongoing battle against the Evil Scissors and its army of sharp things, I have suffered a grievous  slight wound!

It has been many years since I last encountered the Scissors directly.  These quiet times have lured me into feeling I had successfully controlled the enemy.  I was wrong and they attacked me in a moment of inattention!

My first thought, of course, was to insure the safety of the fabric I was working on.  Thus, I stuck my finger in my mouth, carefully arranged the last piece of fabric, and headed for the first aid box.  I was half way up the stairs when the pain hit me.  Fortunately, Sarge was prepared to come to my aid (he said the little whimper alerted him) and had my wound dressed in no time.  I could have done without the laughter, though.

I do believe I'm feeling faint.  Perhaps I should lie down now.

Evil Scissors = 1, Liz = 0