More Pillow Talk

It was my mom's birthday last week.  (I mention her a ton on this blog 'cause she's just so awesome.)  Anywho, this is what I made for her special day:

Front

Back

     I was inspired by this quilt at Diary of a Quilter (one of my earliest pins -- almost a year ago!)  I picked up the Sarah Jane Studio's Children at Play fabric quite a while ago; it's one of the few pieces I have that's bigger than a quarter yard.  This was also my very first zipper experience but it went pretty well.  The nylon zipper is ancient!  I experimented with some variegated thread (Coats and Clark, Dual DutyXP #9314) on the back which made it really fun to do.  Here's a closeup:

     Besides the main applique/fabric design mentioned earlier, I especially liked this tutorial at Pile O'Fabric for the back.  I added piping and quilted it using my feed dogs...no FMQ for this girl yet! The batting is Fusi-Boo (fusible bamboo.) It's quite thin and was easy to work with but I can't attest for washing/durability.  The insert is a twenty-inch square duck down pillow from IKEA for only $7.  I named it Mister Cuddlekins and intended to keep him but after many hugs, decided I shouldn't give my mother a pillow cover with no filling for her birthday.  Ah well, another trip to IKEA then.

Minnesota, Puppies, and Spring Time

Minnesota

If you haven't made the connection by my monicker, I live in Minnesota.  I was born in Montana and moved here when I was in middle school, then I married a guy from Montana...so depending on who asks, I have different answers about where I'm from.

I have nothing but LOVE for Minnesota.  While I've found every place I've ever lived or spent time or visited hospitable (which is a lot of places since I served for 9.5 years in the Army and Army National Guard), Minnesota offers a ton of things to do, all four seasons in full glory, and fishing year round.  I should offer up that I live near enough to the Twin Cities to enjoy restaurants, museums, and shows but far enough away that I can experience small town living and farm country commutes.  Even though the years whip by faster and faster, spending time looking at the sky and experiencing the weather is an incredible pleasure.

Here is yet another "Pin-spired" project (using a couple of tutorials: here and here.)  The nail art took about an hour on Thursday.  (We took a little road trip to Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma last Thursday through Tuesday.)   Since then, I've finished the two dachshund  puppies on the right.

Dixie and... "Moxie" or "Lee"? What do you think?

Our good friends (so good they let us get married at their house) have a miniature wiener dog named Max who is the softest, nicest, most cuddly dog in the universe.  Also, Cities 97, a local radio station that used to be "the stuff" (remember when "Alternative" music was all the rage?) issued a compilation CD in 1997--on which, my favorite song is "Dixie the Tiny Dog."  Those two things, as well as the fact that I just happened to find a McCall's 1810 vintage pattern at my local thrift shop as well as an "As is" brown velvet curtain at IKEA all came together to make this production possible.

You may have gathered, thus far, the random pattern of my process.  This is how I sew and how I do most things.

Curbside Cleanup and Covered Buttons

     One thing you will learn about me is that cheap or free pretty much guides my project production.  I grew up going to garage sales and auctions, even the dump and loved it all.  I love to collect (some people call it hoarding) and my parents and I treat thrifty acquirement as a sport.

     Every April, Bloomington Minnesota offers a city wide curbside cleanup.  We take a truck and prowl the streets with other "pickers."  Most of the home owners are friendly about it but some really resent people picking through their discards. I think of reuse as the best kind of recycling.  All of the cabinets and the workbench in my garage were torn out of Bloomington houses.  In fact, my sewing machine was picked up last year.  It's a Europro 8260.  My mom checked that it worked and gifted it to me this January.  We downloaded the manual for free online and with it, I've learned to sew.

     This year, I found a doll cradle.  I actually walked away from it the first time but then I just didn't want to leave it, mostly because I could envision the tiny quilt I would be able to make for it.  So I used this tutorial from Punkin Patterns to sew the mattress (my first experience with covered buttons and piping) and I love the results.  Now I have to decide upon the fabrics for sheets and blanket!

Good as new.

Projects Little and Big.

 Today I put together this little lunch bag from Pink Penguin's tutorial.  I have admired it on Pinterest and on several blogs...so I knew I had to try it.  I've noticed I seem to put yellow into everything I sew now.

Since I talked my mom into joining the Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild, I thought I better make a quilt fast so they don't know I'm such a poser.  These are granny square blocks from a tutorial here using a Moda charm pack of "Fairy Tale Friends" by American Jane. They are full of flaws but I love them more every day.