Scrappy Log Cabin Pillow

I am finishing all my WIPs before the year end so I can start 2017afresh.

Here is a scrappy log cabin pillow I started already in May, hence the happy colours.
I met with a friend back then who wanted to learn how to quilt. So we each sewed a log cabin pillow. Mine just took a lot longer to finish. But here it is:

The overall size is 23 x 23'' (65 x 65cm). The blocks are randomly pieced and I intentionally made them in different sizes.

I used red cross hatch fabric for the back, this is a great contrast to the white sashing and let the blocks really pop.

I quilted the individual blocks in straight spirals. I did this method before and had quite a lot puckering. I think this worked a lot better now.

I used Aurifil variegated thread for all the blocks which coordinated very nicely with the scrappy fabrics of each block.

I'm very happy this pillow is finally finished!

Linking this to Crazy Mom Quilt Finish Up Friday! 

How to - hem a pillow filled with feathers

Two years into sewing and quilting I feel confident enough to give a bit advice on how I do things. For a long time I was the one, who needed guidance and input from tutorials and other quilters (and I still do).
But I have decided that I am adding a section to my blog called  'Tips & Tricks'. I don't dare to call it 'tutorials' (yet).

So, here's my first tip: what to do when you just finished a beautiful pillow case and your pillow is too big?
 

I was really disappointed as I realised that fact and thought, oh no, I need to find a new pillow. I searched the internet and all I could find were pillows in the size I had already.
And then it suddenly dawned on me: I can sew! I can hem the pillow... can't I?

Well, mine was filled with feathers but that didn't stop me.
So, that's what you need to do:

1. Establish by how much you need to hem the pillow. Mine was 65x65cm/ 25x25 inches and needed to be 60x60cm/ 23.5x23.5 inches.So that is 5cm/ 2.5 inches on two sides too big (e.g. bottom and right side)
2. Shake the feathers away from the two edges you want the pillow hemmed.
3. Mark the pillow at e.g. 5cm/ 2.5 inches from the two edges.

  4. Place pins another 1cm/ 1 inch away from the marked line (this is in order to fit it into your sewing machine).

5. Sew along the marked lines all the way at both sides securing the stitch at the beginning and the end. 

6. Get your vacuum cleaner. This is where it gets a bit messy...
7. Cut the hemmed fabric with scissors at approx. 1cm/ 0.5 inches away from the marked line (Do not use your good fabric scissors, you will cut through some remaining feathers). I would also recommend doing this on the floor, and not, as I did, on your cutting mat.

8. Now vacuum clean the feathers away making sure you clean out the cut fabric of the pillow.
9. Sew along the cut fabric using a cross stitch. Ta-da, finished! 

The reason why I left 1cm/ 0.5 inches over besides the marked line is that I thought anything smaller will feel hard when it's hemmed due to the dense stitching. That way the left over bit is soft and just folds inside the pillow case.

The pillow looks quite 'stuffed' due to the same amount of feathers in a smaller pillow but this pillow was a gift to my Mum and she really likes having this pillow in her back while sitting on the couch. All good.

I haven't tried hemming a pillow with a polyester filling, but I guess that kind of works the same way.

So, I hope you enjoyed my little trouble shooting advice.

Linking this to Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish up Friday  and TGFF

My first pillow!

I am still in my 'easy fixes stage' where I need quick results. So I made a pillow.

As I've seen the beautiful fabric by Joel Dewberry 'Antler Damask' for Free Spirit I immediately knew I had to make a pillow out of it. I did some fussy cutting in a big scale.

Since the pillow is only made from one fabric I thought I give it a bit of 'pep' with bright red piping.

For the back I used the cross hatch fabric by Carolyn Friedlander in curry, a real favourite of mine right now! I followed this tutorial for the invisible zipper, that worked quite well.

The pillow is 25 x 25 inches big and my husband has occupied it for himself. That's fine with me, I love it when self-made things get used a lot.

Linking this with Crazy Mom Quilts 'Finish up Friday'!