New Halloween Pillows

Do you watch as many home decorating shows as I do?  I just love seeing the makeovers and getting tips on how to update a room on a budget.  Its true when they say one of the easiest ways of adding a pop of color is to bring in pillows!  And you know how I love to make pillows.  My living room is rather dim, so I took these outside to get better light.

This past weekend I made these two.  The larger print pillow is just a simple envelope style pillow cover.  I love this print.  It's really nicely detailed and has all the essential Halloween motifs - black cat, spider, raven, bat, the words RIP and Boo.  Mwa ha ha ha.

This one is a re-designed version of my Halloween pillow from a couple years ago.  I cut my cat out in felt and appliqued her onto a woven cotton I found at the quilt shop.  Its softer than burlap, but not as tightly woven as muslin or quilting cotton.  I like the look of it, but I want to try quilters linen next.  My original pillow was in fun prints, but this one feels a little more sophisticated and doesn't scream Halloween.

Do you update pillows with the holidays?  I'm thinking a Halloween quilt needs to go on my to-do list!

Lovely Finish

Lovely by Sandy Gervais of Moda has been out for a while now, but it just makes me smile every time I see it!  The coral, turquoise and yellows are so cheerful and perky and they scream spring.

This is your basic Dresden plate that I appliqued onto my favorite white on white leafy fabric.  I used pinking shears on the center of the plate, which mimics the petals and makes it look alot like a flower.  I used coral perle cotton to hand quilt around the plates too.  I love that look!

Its available in my Etsy shop.  These fabrics are so cheerful I think I'll make a table topper too!

What have you been working on?

A New Pillow

This has been a super fun project for me, and its a good skill booster too.  Using a load of half square triangles (HSTs) I made a modern pillow cover.  It was good practice for the HSTs and I improved my accuracy on quarter inch seams.  

Using advice I read somewhere on the internet, I remembered to press the seams on each strip in the opposite direction so that they fit together more neatly. It has an envelope style closure on the back with the most mod looking of the patterned fabrics.

I quilted it with teal thread that is a little darker than the solid teal and I like how it turned out. I did alot of quilting on the teal target band but less on the remaining solid and patterned bands. Its bound in solid teal and I'm just tickled with it! I might do another in a different colorway and create a tutorial.
Any good ideas for a name for this puppy?  I'm thinking "Off Center" or "Off Kilter" but those are fairly boring.  It will go in my Etsy shop soon.

Linked up with Ruby Jean, Sew Many Ways' Sew Darn Crafty Party, Creation's by Kara's Look What I Made Linky Party, Beyond the Picket Fence's Under $100 Party, Sew Happy Geek's Manic Monday Linky Party and Serenity Now's Weekend Bloggy Reading.  Check out all the awesome projects on the links, and thanks for letting me share, ladies!

Blooming Heart Pillow

The heart pillow is finished and now available in my Etsy shop!  It was a fun project, although it took more petals than I expected.  Even though I am in sunny Florida, it felt like a great spring project - I was making blooms no matter the weather!

I'm not so much of a heart person, but I like this alot.  Its red and ruffly and sweet for Valentine's Day.  It would be cute with a monogram in the middle, or maybe even initials like you'd carve on a tree? 

Have you done any projects for Valentine's Day?