Scrapbuster Modern Cross Pillow {a tutorial}

I’ve been quite focused on using scraps and making pillows the past few months (just look at how many of my blog posts have been about pillows!).  I thought I’d share how I made the most recent pillows, which fit 18” pillow forms.

Supplies:

• 45- 2.5” squares (rainbow, monochromatic, whatever you like!)
• 4- 6.5” square solid squares (I used Kona silver)
• 1 piece of muslin bigger than 18.5” square
• 1 piece of batting bigger than 18.5” square
• 2 backing panels measuring 12.5” x 18.5” if you want to do an envelope closure backing
• 18” pillow form

Directions:

Decide what kind of color scheme you want to use, then lay out five 3 x 3 grids of 2.5” squares for each of the sections of the cross.

Sew the squares together in rows.  You can nest your seams (alternate the direction you press them for each row) or press open.

Sew the rows together.  Press to one side or open.

Now lay out your pillow top.  Sew the sections together the same way.

Here are my two pillow tops waiting to be quilted.

That’s all there is to making the pillow top!  Quilt as desired.

Flowers and teardrops for the rainbow pillow.

Ripple stipple for the purple pillow.

Create an envelope back for the pillow with the two 12.5” x 18.5” backing panels or use an alternate method for making the back.

Bind or serge to finish.

I think this block would be awesome for a bee!  I might even have to make my own rainbow quilt. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Dreamcatcher {a finished quilt}

This quilt was made with Kate Spain’s new Daydreams line from The Intrepid Thread.  The colors are deep purple and pinkish corals with a hint of orange thrown in for good measure.

I modified the Criss-Crossed Quilt from February to make this quilt appear to have wonky 4-patch blocks, like this:

Or wonky crosses like this:

I don’t know which one my eye sees better when I look at the quilt.  But either way I like it!

What do you think of the texture of the quilting?  This double loop pattern came straight out of Angela Walters’s first free motion quilting book.  I never was able to do loops on my domestic machine, but I practiced on a drawing pad and then drew a diagram on an index card which I taped right on the front of my longarm machine.  After a few minutes I was able to take the index card off.  My brain knew what it was doing (for the most part).  Of course my quilting is nowhere near as good as Angela’s, but not too shabby for a first try!

The back is pieced with leftover gray fabric and pink striped fabric long forgotten but re-discovered to finally fulfill its destiny as the back of a quilt, along with a big section of Arcadia in Scarlet.

Arcadia features hummingbirds, rabbits, butterflies, and roosters and has such a fanciful feeling.  One thing is for sure, pieced backs always take longer.  I put this one together with four girls running amuck through the house this past Saturday and, for the hour or two it took, questioned my sanity several times, but the effect is worth the effort in the end…right?

I framed the cloth label in leftover purple and coral.  This quilt is for Veronica so I will write her name on there with an indelible fabric marker and date it.

She loves the quilt and even volunteered for a photo using it.

It finishes at 70” square.  The binding is Kona Punch.  The lattice is Kona Silver and the background is mostly Kona Shadow, but I ran out and had to improvise with some other grays from my stash.  I owe one to Bea for coming up with the idea of ombre.  How did she even know that word???!!!  I tried to cluster the darks in the bottom corner and have the color attenuate into light gray.

What do you think?  Would you classify this as a modern quilt?  Wonky with an edge?  I loved every part of making this quilt and hope it shows.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Fort Worth Fabric Studio on Friday. 

Two Pillow Finish

This past week I’ve finished up two Christmas pillows. 

Katie of SwimBikeQuilt posted a modern Christmas tree wall-hanging/pillow on the Free Spirit blog this week.  The tutorial was easy to follow. 

It was amazing to see how the texture of the straight line quilting changed the total look of the Christmas tree.  I decided to bind the pillow after adding the envelope back.  This gray polka dot fabric is one of my favorites. 

This Ho Ho Ho pillow is straight from the book “Pretty in Patchwork Holidays” by Quilt Dad.  I am giving away a copy of the book and 16 fat quarters here, and there are a few more hours to enter the giveaway.

The fabrics are mostly Connecting Threads and a few favorites from my stash thrown in.

I used Finca Presencia Perle thread size 8 to quilt around each letter.  I didn’t have an embroidery hoop at first, but I bought one after doing two of the letters and it made the stitching a lot easier.

The Santa buttons were the perfect finishing touch!

The pattern suggests using linen for the back, but I substituted this cute bird fabric I’ve had in my stash.

So now I think our living room is sufficiently decorated for the holidays!

What have you been working on?  Any Christmas projects?  Linking up to Finish It Up Friday on Crazy Mom Quilts.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Giveaway Winner!

Warning:  this post contains a gratuitously cute baby photo.

Congratulations to commenter #238,  Barbara, who won the Sew Mama Sew giveaway!  I have emailed you for your address and will get the jelly roll of Christmas fabric out to you this week.

I finished up another quilt this weekend, dubbed the “Knitting Sheep.”  It is for my sister-in-law who has knitted tons of hats and accessories for my kids, keeping them warm and in style!

I quilted it in fmq squiggles with light gray thread and machine bound it with a Moda Pampered Pooch black, red, and white plaid fabric.  The batting is Warm and White, which is my favorite to use.   The back is semi-pieced and has a custom fabric label.  I am pleased with how this quilt looks.  It is one of my better attempts at making a modern-looking quilt.

Lastly, my littlest girl Veronica turned one last week.  We had her party yesterday.  Here’s a photo of her taking her nap yesterday, still my little baby.