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. 

Bejeweled Pillow

This pattern, featured in the Spring 2010 issue of Stitch magazine, it is simple to execute and visually it pops!  The design is by Blair Stocker; you should check out her awesome blog here.

I didn't have any swarovski crystals, so unfortunately my pillow is not bejeweled.  I just used a graphic cotton print for the circle and let it speak for itself.

My Mom had given me about 4 yards of this bubblegum pink corduroy- what a great fit for the main body!  I layered some cotton batting and quilted some uneven circles. Simple envelope closer back. 

I wish I had 5 or 6 of these in different colors lining my couch!  Or maybe use the same pink corduroy for the main and change up the cotton prints..

Little Peep Magnets

This fun pattern is designed by Stephanie Smith.  It is featured in the Stitch Spring 2012 issue.

I have a huge collection of magnets.  When I saw these cute birdies, I couldn't resist stitching up a half dozen of them!  I'm definitely keeping one or two, but maybe I'll part with a few..

They came together very easily.  I used thicker home decor fabric for the bodies, and wool taken from blazers and other second hand garments for the wings.  Rare earth magnets make these strong enough to hold a grocery list, even with the weight of the bird.

'Plaid' curves table runner

The front!

The back!

This turned out very nicely.  The plaid fabric used in the original design was a bit too masculine for me, so I went the opposite way: very pink! 

The design is from the very talented Kevin Kosbab, who can be found blogging here.  He has contributed many times to Stitch magazine, and I always like his designs.

Only one pitfall, but it was a doozy.. the templates were printed slightly wrong!  After carefully cutting out all the pieces for the fans and sewing them together, I realized the curves were not correct!  I had to take all the pieces back apart, re-cut them, and reassemble them!  I should have know better. 

The good news is, of all the hundreds of pattern templates printed in Stitch, this is the only one that has ever been printed incorrectly.  If you want to make this runner for yourself, the revised templates can be found on Stitch blog.

Passementerie Pincushion

I whipped up this cute pin cushion today after I finished the hot pockets (the potholders in the post below, not the frozen pizza concoctions). 

This pattern, featured in the spring 2010 issue of Stitch, is designed by Eva Hanusova.

The most time consuming part of this pattern is the decorative stitching on each trim.  The assembly is straight forward.  I backed mine with silk dupioni. 

Hot Pocket

I love this hot pocket pattern!  It is the design of Penny Layman, and you can find her blogging here.  It is featured in the spring 2012 issue of Stitch magazine.

When I saw this pattern, I knew I wanted one for myself (my potholders are in a sad state), and one for my grandmother (who is probably my biggest cooking inspiration).  She can (and has) thrown a party for a hundred, at her house, and made it look easy!

So, this pattern was pretty straight forward, though a little time consuming.  As long as you follow the directions, it should come together without much trouble.  The funnest part was, of course, picking out the patchwork fabric!

Here is mine- I love the binding!

The backer and the binding work well together, I think

Inside is just as pretty as outside!

Here is my Grandmother's- her kitchen is done in shades of green

Pretty Petals Clutch

This super cute and easy clutch pattern is designed by Rebeka Lambert.  You can find her blogging here.  The pattern made the cover of the spring 2010 issue of Stitch. 

When I first got the magazine, I stitched up a clutch for myself, complete with buttons on the flap. 

This year for the holidays, I worked up six clutches for each lady on my list.  They were a big success!  Instead of buttons on the flap, I added a faux leather piece, which I accented with variegated thread stitching. 

I used some beautiful linen fabric in bright saturated colors.  You might recognize the linen from this post. 

The clutches worked up really quick, and were fun to make.  I added fleece interfacing because I wanted the purses to have a little more structure. 

Sashiko Coaster Set

This coaster set is featured in the Spring 2012 issue of Stitch magazine, and is the design of Rachel Hauser.  You can find her blogging here. 

This is my first project featuring sashiko embroidery, and I quite enjoyed it!  I opted for a saturated color palette instead of a muted one, and used linen throughout.

These coasters are small in size, but embroidering each makes this more of a weekend project. 

Elf Baby

He came together pretty quickly!

I made this cute little doll as a xmas present for my nephew,  who is known by his nickname, 'Seaweed'.  He's a boy on the move; he hates to sit and play, so I thought the shape of the doll's head was perfect to grab and go! 

This pattern is from the Stitch 2011 gift issue, and is the design of Jessica Beaudet.  She has a blog, which you can visit here. 

I stitched 'Seaweed' on the back

The original pattern used felted wool sweaters, which
is a great idea.  I went with a soft flannel and fleece
combo.

Party Lanterns

These cute party lanterns are from Stitch spring 2012, and are designed by Stephanie Smith.

I caught up on a few online episodes of Craig Ferguson, and before I knew it they were ready to hang!  The lanterns hold their shape very nicely with just the interfacing, though some fiddling in necessary to get them pushed out just right.  I also added some hand stitching around the tops.

I have them hanging in my craft room; I like how they sway with the ceiling fan.