First Pillow - a few lessons learned

I decided to make a pillow for my secret partner in the For the Love of Solids Swap. I don't really know why since I've never made one before, but I dove in and went for it. I had a few parameters. Most were taken from my partner's sign up form with dashes of her mosaic mashed in:
- Ohio stars pattern
- make it improv/wonky
- include log cabins
- use blue, green, lime, aqua, grey, etc
- use only solids (obviously)
- make each block different in some way.

So here is the front:

Yep, my small item is a zippy pouch!

 For the back I used her mosaic as inspiration:
- abacus blocks
- use a berry colour + those above
I decided that I wasn't confident enough to attempt a zipper in my first pillow, so I opted for an envelope style adding binding to each flap sewed on with one of the machine's fancy stitches I rarely use. I found one with blocks (greek keys?) and went for it. Well, it adds to the wonky and a little character that's for sure. I think I'll need a bit more practice on how to get those stitches straight.

Here is the back:

Lots of wonkiness in these blocks

 Hubster helped me out with some photos so they would have decent lighting, but then the camera battery died and I haven't been able to find the charger. Sheesh. So these photos will have to do. Hopefully my partner will be a better photographer and share some photos with me.

Next up: the small item I made. You can see it in the collage of the pillow front. I made my second zippy pouch. Good thing I have had recent practice with the Mouthy Stitches Zip Pouch Swap.

Lessons Learned:

• You do have to have a game plan when making something a certain size. I was aiming for a pillow about 16" and ended up with it at 22" (I trimmed it down to 20")
• I'm not so good at teeny tiny piecing
• I'm an over presser. There are some seams where the threads show more than I would have liked
• I love solids, but I still need practice with values so I get them a little more varied
• I really need to plan out the placement of blocks for the pillow - the back on this pillow is where the abacus blocks needed to be centered a little better
• I spend too much time playing on Picasa, and should invest more time in taking better photos to begin with. I sense an online photography course in my future, or a search for useful info on blogs...I know I've seen a few recently. A light box will be in my future as well.

Well, maybe I'll still spend time on Picasa for things like this:

Love the neon filter

 Now I'm off to watch the red carpet coverage for the Oscars - lame I know, but it is a tradition. I need a Tim Gunn fix for the night.

Crushing on Kona Crush

I am loving working with Kona Crush fabric lately. I've used it for both swaps, and still have piles left. woo hoo. I actually bought it without knowing it was Kona Crush - I thought it was normal Kona Solids fabric. I'm so glad I made that happy accidental purchase from Pink Chalk Fabrics. Unfortunately it seems it isn't being restocked, which probably accounts for the wicked sales price I received. I'll have to find a new source with decent shipping rates to Canada. It doesn't come in as many colours as the straight up solids range, but they do have a few gems (I got Aqua & Red). I think Julie at Jaybird Quilts uses Crush in some of her projects. I really do love it. It's soft, and adds texture and interest. L O V E.

We will be hosting my father and sister in law next weekend visiting from Australia so I knew I needed to get a move on with the pillow. I was so gung ho I made the project a touch bigger than intended. I've ended up with a pillow that would measure 22 inches square finished. Hurumph. I was aiming for 16 or 18 inches.

I've popped a picture up on the Flickr group for feedback and asked if my partner would rather have it still be a *large* pillow or a wall hanging (something she did not ask for in her questionnaire) and I'm hoping she'll comment or the project might be on hold until the weekend after next. Yikes. I'm super happy with the results so far, but if my partner says its a no go I will just finish this as a wall hanging for myself. So win-win.

This shows a truer colour of the border, and teals/aquas in the blocks

These are truer colours in the blocks, but the border is actually aqua

I really should try to finish a project in the daylight so I could take a decently lit picture. Pshaw. I've tweaked it with Picasa to compensate. The colours are greens, aqua, teal, blues, greens, yellow and olive. Oh and touches of grey just because i put grey in everything for some reason.

It is Officially a Finished Pouch

So I'm going with the pouch being the finished product I'll be sending my partner in the Mouthy Stitches Swap. It is partly because I'm afraid of running out of time to make another since i need to switch focus to the solids swap, and partly because of the amazing support of my fellow swappers. I received so many lovely comments and words of encouragement so I feel better about it. My partner might even have commented to help me decide ;)

Can you tell I'm enjoying playing around with Picasa's different styles?

Now bring on the For the Love of Solids Swap. Sketches to come.

I will be glad and a little sad when the swaps are over. Glad for getting my time back with less time at night on the computer, and sad to lose that focus on a project with a deadline. i think i work well under pressure - it's just like being back in school.

Finished Pouch or Practice?

I finally got some photos together of the pouch i finished with the intention of sending it for the Mouthy Stitches Swap. Now after seeing the perfection of other projects I am tempted to just call it a practice and do another one, but I will have to make sure I don't run out of time. Decisions decisions.

If I do a redo pouch i would focus on the pattern specifics and getting all of the blocks to be shown as I intended. i think it would involve more planning and less improv - things i'm not usually known for. I'm waiting to see if my partner comments on it and go from there. I still have time to finish another pouch, though I might have to go a bit smaller given the scraps i have left of these fabrics.

I need to get my scraps together for this swap too. I want to give them some of the leftovers from the pouch because i know she likes these colours, and i have a few more things in mind.

Now on to my For the Love of Solids creations. I'll try to get my sketch scanned tomorrow and up, but i know i'm unlikely to get any sewing done until next weekend. silly day job getting in the way of my crafty pursuits. maybe i should check those lottery tickets - i think someone won the jackpot after all.

FTLoS Assisgnment Received

I am so excited about my swap partner - i just checked out her mosaic which is one I really liked when I was looking at everyone else's ideas. Yeay!
It is a secret swap so I can't say who the partner is but rest assured I am going to make sure to take loads of pics for this project.

FTLoS Swap - Woo Hoo!

I'm an the list!
I'm so excited!
Great start to 2012 crafting.
I can't wait for more information.
I just squeaked in to the group too - number 98 of 100. Phew.

Thank you so much Susan for putting the information on your blog or I would have missed this!
http://canadianabroad-susan.blogspot.com/2012/01/for-love-of-solids.html

For the Love of Solids Swap

I'm keeping all of my fingers and toes crossed that I am accepted into my first ever swap. I'll understand if I'm not since part of their rules state you have to have been active in other swaps, but I thought it might be worth a shot - you've got to start somewhere.

I've been thinking of joining a swap for ages and finally took the plunge. Now on to coming up with an inspiration mosaic for the swap.

 Here are the things involved in the mosiac ( I think I'm missing some):
1. 2-tone drunk love - Denyse Schmidt
2. Birds of a Feather by Red Pepper Quilts
3. Michael Miller Violet, Lagoon, Meadow, Charcoal, Clementine
4. Solids Cabins - Ellison Lanes
5. Fish Baby Log Cabins - A Stitch in Dye
6. Flying Farfalle Quilt - Film in the Fridge
7. Gees Band Quilt 1945
8. Improv Block - Knit One Quilt Too
9. Improv Quilt - My Patchwork
10. Pint Sized Swap Quilt - badskirt
11. Prism Quilt - Fresh Lemons
12. Number Signs Quilt - Quilt Story
13. Chevron Quilt - my own
14. Scrappy Triangles - Film in the Fridge
15. Everything Coming Up Rainbows - Spotted Stone

I realized when I was looking at the blog that I never photographed my Getting Comfortable with Colour course wall hanging. It is still just a top basted to the batting - no finish on this yet because I can't decide how to finish it off for binding. The colours didn't photograph all that well, but here is a photo anyhow:

I did dazzle it up with my Elvis pin from my trip to Graceland - this photo gives you a better idea of the background fabric true colour:

It was the best class I've ever taken - I think I like theory classes much more that project classes. There is a huge age gap at the quilting shopd around my hometown so I am usually the youngest by decades at the classes I've taken which can be fun, but usually involves the other ladies rolling their eyes at my fabric and colour selections. The best is when Ki takes classes with me - we laugh together and I don't feel so out of place. Of course her stuff is always more amazing than what I can produce.
Here is her colour class finished product:

That's Ki's mum Jennifer holding the wall hanging. Ki & I were the first people finished in the class - we did these in less than an hour while everyone else was still having trouble not using rotary cutters and making perfect lines. Sometimes it pays to be different :)

I also really like Kiley's quilting, and how she does her signature:

As a bit of a side note: she makes these amazing scarves and hubster & I love love love ours:



She made our save the date and wedding invitations (inside) and cake toppers - I told you she was talented! Check out her work at her k-doodles blog.








I'll keep you posted if I'm accepted in the swap, and on my progress. Fingers & toes crossed.