Thursday, May 26, 2022

Pillow Talk: Rainbow Petal Pillow Tutorial

 


My latest Pillow Talk tutorial is up, and this is definitely the pillow I've been most excited about sharing! 
This pillow was inspired by the sequin pillows that are so popular, although thick seam allowances mean that this one doesn't "flip" directions. 


I used a 10" square pack of Cotton Shot fabrics from Benartex. It has 42 different rainbow shades in it; I selected 23 prints to use in my pillow. (If you count in the photo below, there are only 21; I added in two more as I assembled the pillow.)

The video tutorial on YouTube shows you how to make the pillow; here are the numbers to get you started:

You'll Need:
(23) 10" squares in a rainbow of colors (we'll use half of each square to make two petals, so if you're pulling from scraps, you'll need a total of (23) 4" x 8" pieces)
3/4 yard gray fabric
12"-long zipper

Download the half-circle template here

Cutting:
From the gray:
(1) 13" x 17" rectangle for backing
(2) 2" x 17" strips for top/bottom borders
(10) 1-1/2" x 17" strips 

Making the petals: 
The video shows two different ways to cut and sew the petals. You'll need at least 45 - but if you sew a few extra, you'll have some options when it comes to color placement to created the gradated rainbow look.









Hellooooo, rainbow!


The finished pillow:

This Rainbow Petal Pillow is my fourth tutorial in the Pillow Talk series.
Find the other tutorials here


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(You'll receive a free pattern for my Diamond Drama quilt (below) as a thank you!)

Monday, May 2, 2022

Jungle Baby projects

Today over on Thermoweb's blog, I'm sharing my jungle animals appliques. These cuties have a long history - I originally designed a quilt for my oldest son's nursery using them, back in 2008 (scroll down to see). I've long wanted to turn that baby quilt into a pattern, and so I've created two different layouts for the appliques. (Pattern coming soon!) 
Which do you like better? 


Close-ups: 
I had a lot of fun quilting these two quilts. 


And here's the original version: 


My mom and I each stitched two patchwork animals. They are adorable and I will keep them forever, but I will probably never stitch anything like these again! I prefer 2-D sewing projects. :) 


I also used the applique shapes with a little Mod Podge on canvases to create wall art. 

All of this nursery decor has been packed away for many years, so it was fun to have this little walk down memory lane! 

Here's the bright plaid applique version I started as part of my tutorial. How do you think I should finish it? Pillow? Wall hanging? The start of a new baby quilt?