Vintage Happy Pillows and More Zippers...

Wow.  Can you believe that it's almost the middle of September?  Already?  

The one good thing about that is...the new season of television shows is just a few days away!   YAY!  With my DVR, I do not miss any of them, either.  I catch up during the week while knitting or doing some type of hand work.  

I had a few days this week when I did absolutely nothing.  Yup.  Nothing.  At.  All.  

But, I did manage to do a few things on the other days.  I made two 12" pillow covers...with scraps/leftovers from my Vintage Happy quilts (scrap jar star and large granny square).  The back is an envelope closure made with Kona Cotton Solid in White.

They bring a smile to my face.  

I put together two more little zippered pouches.

And, I did work on another project...but I want to wait until it is completed before I show you.  Hopefully, that will be very soon.  

It is in the high 30's this morning.  Nice walking weather...but that's about all I can say about it.  Not looking forward to colder weather. 

Not sure what I'll be doing this weekend.  Any sewing I do will involve linen, though.

Here's a blurry photo of Tag and his shadow out for a morning walk.  Taken at 5:22 this a.m....hence the darkness.

 Have a wonderful weekend!


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

A Story in Photos...

 Me Mum's new bed ensemble...

one 23" pillow cover

two 12" pillow covers

three pillowcases

one bed quilt.

 

 

 

 

   

Me Mum loves it all!

 *With love, from her 4 J's.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

And, She's Off!!!!

I have been off my game these past days.  Not sure what's going on...not really sick sick, but certainly not feeling well.  I feel okay today, though.  And, I am happy about that, for sure!  I did manage to eek out a few hours of sewing here and there.  Doing things that took little time, energy and brain-power.

I bought a new doll dress pattern, so I did some sewing on two outfits...

need to make bloomers, yet

mottled pink will be bodice.  need to make panties, too.  see the birds?

I quilted 4 pillow covers...

quilted on each side of horizontal and vertical seams

quilted on each side of horizontal, vertical and diagonal seams

quilted in diagonal lines inside and around middle piece

quilted on one side only of horizontal and vertical seams

I need to buy backing fabric and pillow forms, yet.  I didn't go much of anywhere this past week.  Am hoping to get to Hobby Lobby sometime in this next week.

Sharon (my cohort in quilting the Snow Days quilt), has been hard at work piecing her stitchery blocks to her pieced blocks.  If you have a moment, you really should pay her a visit and see how wonderful her quilt is looking!  As for me and my Snow Days quilt?  I have some serious catching up to do, as there is nothing going on with that right now.  It's at a point where I need to think...and we all know that there are days when thinking is really difficult for me!  ~grin~  Besides, I am totally distracted with/by a few other projects right now.

And, that's about it.  No knitting, no quilting, no nothing else going on.

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Did you sign up for the giveaway?  It ends tomorrow, so you still have time to enter the drawing!  Find the post here. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

One More Pillow Cover...

Did you sign up for my giveaway?  See the previous post.

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I have written time (and time again) that I cannot do 'random'.  Did you miss those posts?  See them here and here and here and here...you get the idea, right?

Well, I DID it!  And, I think I am okay with it.  

I had some small strips laying around from the pillow covers I already made, so I cut them into 2" squares and started laying them out.  Well, that can take forever for me.  So, I gathered them all up and dumped them next to Naomi Janome...telling myself that I was going to put the cover together in a RANDOM way. 

And, I did.  YAY!  I think I am okay with it.  

Okay, truth be told, those 4 white squares that are in a row did bother me, but I decided to leave them as they are...especially since I noticed that the 8 prints in a row right next to them didn't bother me.  ~grin~  I think I did 'random' okay. 

I am done making pillow covers.  With these fabrics, anyway.  I have not decided which of them will make it to the finish line, but I'll start with my faves...get them quilted and the backings made.  Then, I need to buy a few pillow forms...I am looking forward to seeing them together on my sofa!  

On to more projects!  

Hope your day is good.


  


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Happy Heart Day!!!

found on Pinterest

Happy Heart Day to you all!

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As you read earlier this week, 

I've been bitten by the 'pillow' bug.

I happened to have six 1/2 yard pieces

of Parson Gray Seven Wonders

by David Butler...

with nowhere to go.

So, I started putting some

pillow cover tops together.

Here's what I have so far...

 

  

I like some of them better than others.  My faves are the last three...the half square triangles, the split rail fence, and the simple patchwork.  The pillow covers range in size, so I'll have several pillows of the same fabrics in different sizes (16, 18 and 20 inches).  I'll quilt them and make the backing with a solid fabric.  I will probably make a few more and decide which ones I like best to finish.  

What are you all working on?

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psssssst....

My birthday is coming up

and what better way to celebrate

than to have a small giveaway?

If I can decide what to give away,

that is. 

Stay tuned.

edited to add:  I did it!  I put together a fun little package...kinda red/heart-themed...what with my birthday's proximity to Valentine's Day! 

 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Something New and Something Else...

First of all, the something else.  I think I mentioned in a different blog post that I had sent the pillow covers I made for my nephew, Tony, to Alaska (where sister Joyce lives and where Tony is stationed) so that Joyce could pick up the pillow forms and give them to him and his fiance as a wedding gift from me.  {geez, take a breath, would you?}

 Well, Joyce got the pillow forms and I wanted to show you how they looked.  I think they look so much different now...as pillows, rather than just flat pieces.  Ya know?!

I see more pillow covers in my future!

(the fabrics used for these pillow covers are taken from the fabrics I talk about below.) 

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As for the something new...just cuz I have nothing else to do (but, actually, I needed a purpose for these fabrics!), I joined Amy's (of Amy's Creative Side aka Park City Girl) Simple Sampler Quilt Along! 

This will be a great way to use the fabrics...and belonging to a quilt along will keep me on track.  Oh, the fabrics?  I had originally purchased them to use in my lqs's BOM for this year, but dropped out.  Remember these? I think they will work out just great!  I don't have a photo, but I have a few more pieces that I had gotten online that aren't in this original batch.  So, I think I have the makings of an awesome quilt! 

Have a good night!

Sunday's Stuff...

I talked on the phone with my BFF Janer for 3 hours this afternoon.

And, I finished my nephew's wedding gift!  Here are the photos...

pillow cover 1...

pillow cover 2...

the backs look like this...

After I redid the one pillow top this morning, I decided that I wasn't going to quilt them...that not all things need to be quilted.  Right?  

So.  To cover the raw edges of the inside seams, I lined each pillow cover with a piece of muslin.  Then, I continued on as I normally would.  Made an envelope back (each half is a piece folded in half, so a double layer), and decided to round the corners.  I sewed around each cover twice, then trimmed the corners, zigzagged the edges (my serger isn't working), ironed them and they are done!  woohoo!  Size:  18" square...I am very happy with them.  I'll get them into the mail to Joyce in Alaska...she's getting the pillow forms to insert.

I got my slacks hemmed, too.  I may get another postage stamp quilt block done tonight.  (update:  YES!  I did...10 down, 6 to go!)  

There's still tomorrow to get more stuff done!

Have a good night.

Rearranging...

I was bothered by this pillow top.  Kept looking at it and it wasn't making me happy.  Not sure why.  Maybe because the colors don't flow...perhaps because the lightest strips stick out like sore thumbs.  Whatever. 

I tore it apart and re-did it.  Here's the old...

And, here's the new (sorry, it's laying on a pile of other stuff)...

I feel much better about the way it looks.  It's okay if you don't agree with my thinking. 

Okay...that is enough thinking for the day.