Christmas recap: Quillows

I liked this project so much the last time I made it that I decided to have another go and I made not one, but TWO quillows this Christmas, one for my mom and one for Aunt E.



Unlike the one I made for myself, I didn't want to overload these with pattern, so I chose one large pattern and one solid for each, with matching but complimentary striped fabric for the pillow.





I think they came out really well, though if you look at the close ups of the fabric you can see that I have some issues with the fabric pulling as I sew it. Along the way there are all of these unexpected darts created that I don't know how to deal with. Any ideas?





Overall I'm incredibly pleased with how they came out, and after a bit of struggling it's good to know that my old sewing machine is still an incredible asset. I might have to try some more patterns soon!

Sew Sneaky

I went to another class at Spool this weekend, my local hip fabric shop. They have the most gorgeous fabrics, and they cycle through inventory really quickly, so even though the shop is small, the selection is always changing.

And check out what I made! It's a pillow . . .



But what's that sticking out of the bottom?



It's a quilt!



Now what would YOU call something that's both a pillow and a quilt? Why, a Quillow, of course!

I can't give you the pattern because it's not publicly available on their website, but I found one here that's approximately the same.

I'm really happy with my quillow, I can't wait to take it with my on the looooooong bus ride I'll be going on soon (more about that in the next post!).

Tweety Tote

Here's the adorable reversible grocery bag I made at my sewing class! It took me at least 20 minutes to choose these fabrics because there were so many incredible choices at Spool. Now that I've made it I think that I should have chosen darker fabrics because these will get dirty so quickly, I couldn't possibly use it as a grocery bag.



The leaf pattern is "Lindy Leaf" from the Nicey Jane collection by Heather Bailey, and the birds are from Erin McMorris' Park Slope collection.



I am in love with those birds.

It took me less than four hours from start to finish (with lots of coaching in between). After I finished it I immediately called to ask my mom to find my sewing machine from high school which has been sitting neglected for quite a few years now. Hopefully I will follow through and dust that baby off for some springtime sewing!



And check it out - they have the grocery tote pattern available for free on the Spool blog.

Lovely Moss Ear Warmer

I bought this gorgeous moss-colored wool at the Davis Farmer's Market back in November 2008 and I've been dying to use it ever since. I only got one skein so I figured it would be a hat or something similar, but I ended up with enough yarn for a hat and an ear warmer (raveled)! (I'm not quite finished with the hat, so I'll post about that when it's done).

The reason I got so much out of it is because I used moss stitch (or seed stitch). I love the way it looks; the natural pattern of the stitch with the beautiful earthy color of the yarn was just what I wanted. And then I threw it all off by lining it with a bright beautiful flannel (!!) fabric by Amy Butler in her new "Love" collection.



Here's a picture of it turned inside out. I had to leave a bit open at the back so it could still be stretched over the head. These pictures make the fabric seem much more orange than it really is.



Here's the fabric in all of its glory - it's called "Paradise Garden" and I think it would be fabulous in a quilt! I got this gorgeous fabric at Spool, a fabric store in Philadelphia where I just started taking sewing classes. The fabrics they sell are totally delightful and it's right next door to a wonderful yarn store!

I'm so happy to have crafting back in my life, I was afraid I was getting too busy for it (the blizzards we've been having here in Philly have also helped me get ahead in my crafting). But now I have several exciting projects in the works, mostly knitting, and these sewing classes are really getting me excited for the spring - A-line skirts, here I come!