The Month of the Pillow

Friday, September 30, 2016

As you may already know, I love Instagram. There is such a community of quilters there that are welcoming, encouraging, and creative. I find much inspiration and motivation from the people I "know" there!

This month, the Modern Makers Retreat is hosting a pillow challenge. All you had to do was create a pillow, post a picture, and use a few hashtags. There are some amazing prizes! And, if you know me, I can't resist a good challenge!

This led to "the month of the pillow."

It all started with an empty couch at church. It needed some color! So I pulled out some aqua scraps and made two 16" pillows. I just sewed strips of fabric together and quilted it with my walking foot 1/4" on either side of each seam. Every pillow I made this month has an envelope back - because that's fast and effective!

Strip pieced aqua quilted pillow
Strip pieced aqua quilted pillow



Then I made the pineapple selvage quilt and had some selvage triangles leftover just begging to be used. I used them to make a dinosaur pillow - that both of the boys fight over! The dinosaur is sewn onto the background using raw edge applique. I just tucked the triangles under the edge before sewing it down. I put binding on the edge just like a quilt in order to bring some color to the outer edges. I should probably make a second one...


Selvage triangle dinosaur pillow
Selvage triangle sinosaur pillow


While sewing for the Henry Glass & Co. Desire to Inspire challenge, I stitched up a few hexies. I initially planned a table runner, but once I started laying them out, I had no where near enough! Pillow it was!


Sew Bee It fabric modern hexie quilted pillow
 
I've been wanting to try fabric weaving for quite awhile, so I decided to try it out for the Henry Glass & Co. Desire to Inspire challenge too! I stuck with a hexagon theme for the challenge, so it was only fitting that I turn the weaving into a hexagon pillow! This one has a 2" foam insert instead of a pillow form. I tried it as a regular pillow, but the sides pulled the weaving out of shape. This pillow is unquilted and only sewn down in the seams of the outside edges. The weaving is what holds it all together!


Henry Glass & Co. Sew Bee It fabric weaving pillow

A scrappy pumpkin pillow has been on my want-to-make list for at least a year, if not two. I've had the orange fabrics set aside forever! I sewed up some half-square triangles and squares to make a pumpkin. I quilted it using straight lines 1/4" on either side of each seam - my favorite quilting method!


Scrappy patchwork pumpkin quilted pillow


The final pillow I made has been in the WIP pile for far too long! I originally made the paper pieced bat when pattern testing for Nicole of Lillyella Stitchery last October. I quilted it using 1/4" vertical straight lines. For this pillow, I added black binding to help frame the bat. This one is 12" x 16".

Midnight Bite paper pieced bat quilted pillow

I've loved all these fast finishes this month! Seven different pillows! I think I need to invest in some more pillow forms! Have you made any pillows lately?

1 comment:

  1. Wow! 7 pillows! Love the weaving one! And you will definitely need to make a second dinosaur, too cute!

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