Zakka Cat

Zakka Cat;
linen and homespun

I made this cute kitty pillow for my mom for xmas.  It is sleeping comfortably on her bed right now!

The pattern is the design of Eva Hanusova, and is featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Stitch.

Orchard Pillow

I want to start by saying how hard I love this pillow, and also that the photos don't do it justice!

This pattern is the design of Krista Hennebury, who you can find blogging here.  The pattern was featured in the Spring 2012 issue of Stitch.

I knew when I saw the orchard pillow I wanted to make it, but it has a bear of a list of materials and instructions, so I held off. 


A few notes on my deviations from the pattern: I hand appliqued my pears, as I didn't want the stiff feel of a fusible webbing.  This took a considerably longer time than the fusible method.  Also in the original pattern, you place cotton batting behind the main front panel then top stitch around the pears (and through the cotton batting) so they puff alittle.  But since I hand appliqued my pears and wouldn't be top stitching them, I sandwiched some batting in between the pear and the front panel instead of behind it.
I had a lot of the dark grey fabric on hand, so I used it for the back as well as the front.

There are no pitfalls in this pattern, but I will stress, as I wrote above, that there is a long list of materials needed and even if you choose to fuse your pears, it's still a lengthy (but worthwhile!) project.

Field of Flowers Journal Cover

Journal cover front

 

This journal cover is featured in the summer 2012 issue of Stitch and is the design of Rachel Hauser. You can find Ms. Hauser blogging here.

It's high on the list of my favorite things I've made recently!  I love that I can use it over and over again. 

Journal cover back

The original design uses Liberty floral prints, but I thought it would work well with feed sack prints.  I have a pretty large stash of feed sack prints, left over from a quilt top I pieced and have, for some reason, never had quilted.

It took a good bit of time piecing each fabric scrap and then finally stitching them all down.  The pattern called for using an acid free glue stitck to anchor each piece, but I used steam-a-seam instead, because the only glue stick I had was not acid free, and I didn't like the idea of gumming up my sewing needle either.  It took a bit of extra time to cut out each steam-a-seam piece as well, but it worked out fine!

I want to (and probably will) make some more of these journal covers!

Facets Quilt

This quilt pattern is from the Fall 2010 issue of Stitch, and is the design of Blair Stocker.  You can find her lovely blog here. 

My quilt is made mostly of old blue jeans, but I didn't have enough pairs of dark wash jeans so I supplemented with some home decor fabric.  I like the results!   

The denim was of course very thick, and I had to sew really slowly.  After lots of rifling through my notions I could only find one heavy duty needle, so I kept removing it and sharpening it in my pin cushion.  It worked well and I was able to use the same needle through out the whole project, though I kept expecting it to break.

It's backed in a light weight navy gabardine (I think) that I had on hand, and bound in the home decor fabric.

I've never tied a quilt before, and it was more time consuming than I thought it would be (not to mention hard on the finger tips).

But, after a lot of hard work, I love my facets quilt!  It's just the right size and weight for a good snuggle. :)

Fabric and Beads Necklace

This necklace, featured in the Spring 2011 issue of Stitch, has a global feel to it.  It is the design of Carol Zentgraf.

I haven't made jewelry in years, and have never worked with wire before.  I liked making these to a point, but doing the wiring was a bear.  Probably because of my inexperience.

Lace Ruffle Tunic

This shirt was featured in the Spring 2010 issue of Stitch magazine, and is the design of Beki Wilson.  She is a talented clothing designer, and you can find her website here. 

It was easy to make and turned out pretty cute. 

Here's what I found when making this tunic:
It ran a little large, mostly because it is loose fitting.  The jersey fabric I used is a little too thick and didn't drape as much as I wanted.  The ruffle emphasized my bust too much, and I would probably omit it next time.  It was also a little short on me, and I would recommend checking the finished length on yourself with a measuring tape before you cut the pieces out.

If I make another one for myself (I probably will), I am going to make it longer, omit the ruffle and probably use a cotton voile or something lighter with a nice drape.

Stepping Stones Pot Holder

This cute trivet is featured in the Spring 2010 issue of Stitch and is designed by Kevin Kosbab.  You can find him online here.  Mr. Kosbab is a very talented man; I think his designs have been featured in every issue of Stitch! 
I worked up his 'plaid curves table runner' a few weeks ago and love the results.

My trivet is worked in wool rather than wool felt (I didn't have any wool felt on hand, but have a large supply of wool blazers and coats).  Since I used a plaid wool instead of wool felt for the main body, it left a slightly raveled edge that I didn't like, so I encased it with some linen bias binding.