Hi. Remember me?

No excuses.  Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging.  That being said, here's my latest creation.

I like it.  A lot. 

It's a little, fox pillow.

A girl fox, as my Youngest would insist you notice. 

Because, clearly girls are better than boys. 

I machine appliqued it, using black thread to help it stand out from the bold turquoise back.

Threw on some fabric from my favorite new design house, Cotton And Steel (they're some pretty cool chicks over there).  And called it good.

Hope you like it, too.  My daughters are both fighting over who gets it.  Luckily their mama is a genius and is planning on making #2 tonight.

Thanks for reading!

Heather

Deers are Very Versatile

My house is being over-run by deers.  And yes, I know deer is the plural, but I like calling them deers.  More fun.

Pretty pillow.

On my Deer Quilt I used multiple strips of fabric for the deer head.  I love the look.

But, sometimes simple is preferred.  I can get this pillow sewn up in an hour, lickity split, using just one fabric for the deer.  Perfect to give as a gift.

I love deer for two reasons...at least.  I am sure I love them for more, but here's two reasons why I love them.

1.  My sister and I have a game called the Dead Deer Game...Don't judge.  I am from the foothills in deer country and if you don't hit a deer in the twilight, sometime in your life, you can't call yourself a Utahn.  So the game is this:  You watch for any sign of a dead deer on the side of the road or in the brush.  You call it by hollering: "Dead Deer!!!"  And you keep track of how many dead deer you see in a season.  Dead deer season goes from about November to March.

The kicker is, if you call, oh, let's say a piece of carpet, then you have to deduct two dead deer points from your tally.  You've got to keep an eagle eye.  It's tricky because you'd be surprised how many bushes look like dead deer.   How many discarded chairs look like dead deer.  How many mounds of just dirt look like dead deer.  And if, say, you accidentally call a dead coyote thinking it's a dead deer....minus two points. And, you can only call a deer once.  So, you have to keep careful track of which dead deer you have called and make sure to inform your sister that she CANNOT call the dead deer on the off ramp to Mom's house because, well, you already did. 

Oh yes, one more thing....stray dogs count as a dead deer.  But it has to be an actual stray dog and not a dog simply walking a few steps in front of its owner.  Again, if you call a stray dog and isn't a stray....minus two...well I think you get the idea.

2.  I grew up in deer country.   It is not unusual for a gazillion deer to be where you are.  I can remember one frosty, moon-lit night I was driving home at an unmentionably late hour and there was a herd of at least a couple hundred deer on the road and in the fields I was driving through.  It was so magical, I stopped and simply enjoyed the beauty of nature...until some jack-A honked at me to move.  

My children will have memories of being at Grandma's house, somebody shouting DEER, running to the windows and watching several deer, including fawns, wander through the yard on their way to greener pastures.  Oh and of having to watch where you step because of the pellets they leave behind.  Thanks, deer.

3.  I figured out a third reason why I like deer...sort of.  In the town I grew up in, they actually made it legal to hunt deer inside the city limits with bow and arrow.  Oh yeah!!  I can just envision the hunters now, tracking bucks between the picket fences and swing sets all decked out in their camo.  Good times.

Thanks for reading!

Heather

Easter Pilllows

I have been teasing about my Deer Quilt.  It's coming.  Soon.  This week.  I promise.  I did give a small glimpse when I was cursing out the internet for existing.

But first, it's almost Easter, so the only thing to do....make pillows.  Easter pillows.

I spent all weekend basically, mitering corners.  If you look at the borders around each Easter critter...that's a mitered corner.  They're more involved than your standard border.  They look classier, but they're a pain in the tuckus.  I love them.  But I hate them.  But I love them.  I have a complicated relationship with my sewing.

Mitered corners.  So pretty, so mean.

I'm particularly happy with how they turned out because while they are pure Easter, baby chick cute, they've got a little edge to them.

And when I say my baby lamb pillow is edgy, just nod your head and go with it. 

I also think how freaking awesome these would be as a baby blanket.  Minus the choke-hazard tail.

My favorite part, speaking of choke hazards....has to be their tails.  Ugggh.  Cuteness overload!  Fabric rosettes, it cannot be helped.  I am getting my Etsy store up and running, so if anybody is interested, shoot me a line.  I'll let you know when things are ready to go....aka when the husband gets it figured out for me.

Happy tails to you
Until we meet again.

Happy tails to you
Keep Smiling until then...

Thanks for reading!

Heather

I could only be just a SMIDGE more last minute...Valentines Pillows

If you are a giant fail at Valentine's decorating (like me), then join in for one tiny attempt at showing the love.

Fun and easy conversation heart pillows.

Raw edges.

Simple embroidery.

Quick, easy and fun!

1. Make a heart template out of paper

2.  Trace heart shape on fabric and cut out two hearts. 

3.  Mark lines so you can write your message straight and even.  Use an erasable pen.  I went straight down the middle and across where I wanted the words to be.

4.  Write your words

5.  Embroider words.  I used a back stitch and, wait for it...yarn!!!  I wanted my words to really stand out.  Had to use a giant needle.

6.  Pin both pieces of fabric together.  You'll rarely see these words on this blog, but Wrong Sides Together!   Raw edges, baby!

7.  Using a walking foot, stitch the two hearts together using a 1/2" seam allowance.

8.  Make sure to leave a space, about 2 inches wide for the fluff

9.  Pink the edges.

10.  sorry, no pic.  Stuff with fluff until you feel it is fluffy enough.

11.  Sew the gap so the fluff cannot escape.

Make a bunch because they're so cute and easy!  And fast!!  And easy.  Best kind of last minute craft.

My kids have been sleeping with them, so I haven't even been able to use them in my non-existent Valentine's decor.

Tell your kid to lay on the pillows like she does at night and this is what you'll get.

No, with your head, like you do at night...

Close enough.

Happy Valentine's.

Heather

Quick and Easy: Truly Thankful pillow

I am one of those people who doesn't really have a favorite holiday.  Lame, I know.  I have some I like more than others, and Thanksgiving is one of them.  What is it about Thanksgiving?  The family, the feast, the tradition, having a day devoted to talking about what you're grateful for.  It's all part of it.  So I made a little pillow that expresses how I feel.  I am, truly thankful.

I've been on, what could be called a Dresden Plate mini quilt kick this year.  I would go so far as to say this is the year of the Dresden.  So, the only thing to be done, was make a nifty Thanksgiving pillow using my Dresden Plate tutorial, and I think it's pretty sweet.

Threw on a little embroidery to express my feelings and add a little Thanksgiving flavor.  No, not pumpkin pie or mashed potatoes and gravy.

I really like the goldenrod fabric on the back and all the....what I would call, Fall colors for each of the spindles.

The back, using my pocket pillow tutorial, using a pillow case that I decided we don't use anymore, so the only thing to do with it....is make something else.  Think it matches the front pretty well, don't you?  Don't tell The Mister, it was actually his pillow case.  But to be fair, I made it for him, so I'm pretty sure that gives me dibs.

Thanks for stopping by!

Shared here:
CSI Project

Heather

See ya All Hallow's Eve...onto turkey time.

How fast can I get the turkey stuff up once I take the spooky stuff down?  Because these pillows have to make their appearance.  I must say these are one of my favorite items I've ever sewn. I really enjoy the play on texture, the burlap, buttons, embroidery as well as the quilting.

Here's how it came together:  I made a quick sketch...and thought....yeah, that's about right.  From my initial sketch, I broke it up into pieces for iron on transfer, because it's quick and painless.  So, I had my buttons and pleather and burlap....let's figure out how to put them all together into a cohesive piece.

1. Cut burlap into rough shape of hay bale.  Stitch on roughly.

2.  Cut all your shapes using fusible web.  With the pleather, I found that I could use the iron on transfer at the beginning, so on the back of the fabric.  But, hear me now.  Do not try and iron the pleather onto your fabric...you risk messing the heck out of your iron.  And it won't stick.  I may have tried.  But, the reason I tell you to do it on the back of your pleather, is so you can cut out the shape perfect!  But, you can really just wing it if you want to.

3.  See, just pin it down in the proper place, and then you can remove a pin if needed to iron the feathers in place as they're tucked behind the body.

4.  Arrange your tail feathers as you like.  Do this on your ironing board so you don't have to juggle this from your work table, as I did, and then have to rearrange them because they slipped and moved.

5.  Iron everything down...making sure to be cautious of the pleather then stitch around everything with your sewing machine.  Add in a beak and gobbler thingy.

6.  Aaaaahhhh!!!  Stitch on button eyes.  If you're like me, you will stab them with pins to know approximately where you would like them placed.  Disturbing, I know.

7.  Sew on a 1.25" teal border.  Around that stitch a large white border...to fit the size of your pillow of course.  I have 20 x 20 inch pillows...so my finished front was 22 x 22 inches.  I like my pillow cases to be a touch loose, not sausage casing tight.  Personal preference.

8.  I gave mine some wheat stalks on either side to balance out the button heavy top.  And did little cross stitch embroidered stalks.  Back stitched the turkey legs on with orange.

9.  Sew on buttons til your heart's content.  Here's the back, I wanted to show you that I individually sewed on each button.  I did this for a reason...I find that sometimes when you stretch thread from one spot to another, it tugs and pulls the fabric and then you have a crease or a divot...or other unpleasantries.  So, stitch on a button, tie it off and snip your thread.  Begin again.  It takes longer, but especially where pillows get squished regularly, you'll be happy you did when you don't pop a button off.

10.  The back.  I used my Pocket Pillow tutorial and it worked very well thank you very much.  Cute backside fabric, huh?

Make two.  Or as many as you want.  So cute.  I have to say that I am extremely pleased with how this turned out.  Sometimes you create a vision in your brain...and you work on it...and what was in your mind definitely is not what turns out in real life.  This case though...it worked.  I am in love. 

 It's because of this pillow that I love decorating for Thanksgiving.

Thanks for reading!! 

Heather

shared here:

Candy Corn Spider Web Pillow

Halloween is nigh upon us.  If you haven't gotten your decorating done, time to get on it.  I had to whip up a pillow for Quilt Guild the other night.  I seem to struggle getting there due to The Mister's school schedule.  Insert sigh here.  We are so close to being done.  I will sacrifice Guild for his schooling.  But it was fun to go.  Of course that meant I had to make a pillow case fast fast!

A little string quilting later and I had half a web.  I had run out of time to complete the other half, so I used a little fusible web, attached it to the black fabric, cut out a nice web-y shape and appliqued it on with florescent green thread.  It was too plain, insert white widow also attached using fusible web and neon thread.

I quite like how the color scheme came together.  I knew I wanted gray and cream as part of the web, but then I was inspired to add the candy corn colors in.  Cute, fun and different from other things I've seen.

If you need a little quick inspiration for some holiday decor, check out my Homemade Halloween for Everyone series I did last year:

Halloween Candy Jars

 Candy Filled Disembodied Floating Hands

 Creepy Crawly Flower Vases

Thanks for reading and happy decorating!!

Heather

 

It's gonna be a Ghastly Halloween

Because of this...my favorite Halloween fabric, ever.  And my favorite go-to project when I want to make something quick, spur of the moment and experimental....pillows.

I figured my Ghastly Wallhanging needed some companion pillows.  Of course my camera was d-e-d dead when I was putting them together, so...there's basically no construction shots.  Except of the back.  It's all good.  I pretty much did a Log Cabin around the square with the complementary fabrics.  I think it's cute.  I will admit to having a slight bit of trouble trying to figure out what colors go with Old Lady Mauve and Grandpa Gray....and find it slightly odd that I am decorating an entire month out of the year with these colors...but hey, when it's love, it's love.

I have chronicled pillow making many times...here, here, and also here...sorta.  So here's a quick update.  Ghastly style. 

Cut lace to fit.  But only buy enough to do the horizontal and not vertical sides of the pillow.  Hey, it is what it is.  If I don't have enough of something, but want to sew now, then I just make do.

Remember, for a pocket pillow case, you want to cut the back pieces so they overlap enough that when you shove a pillow in, it doesn't have an unsightly gap.  My front panel is 22 x 22 inches, so I cut my back pieces 22 x 14 inches.  Also remember to put front sides together.  This is my favorite thing to forget.  Luckily I remembered this time before I actually started sewing...this time.  Sew.

Make sure to hem the edges that will be visible.  Normally I would say get out the hem measurer thingy...but this time...I eyeballed it.  Approximately 1/4".  This turned out just fine.

Here's a very important trick...one that I also forget almost every time I make a pocket pillow.  You want the top flap to be on top of the overlap. So, this means you have to place the top flap down first front sides together.  How many times will I say that...probably a lot.

Now sew along both sides.

Flip it right-side out.  Poke out the corners and put a pillow in.  Enjoy.

Thanks for reading!

Heather