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Love Story {Pattern Testing}

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LoveStoryTitleI love Lilly Ella Stitchery‘s paper-pieced patterns ever since I tried her Butterfly Charm Blocks.  When Nicole sent out the request for testers of her new patterns, I seriously could not say no.  I didn’t even know what I was going to sew….all that I knew was that it was gonna be good!

PoetryCloseUpThen these beautiful hearts from Love Story appeared in my email….Oh my mercy!  How gorgeous, right?  The pack includes two patterns – Poetry (as shown above and below) and Prose (as shown in the title pic.)  Both square patterns come in 5″, 10″ and 16″ (finished) sizes.  You can find them over here.

NameTagLanyardMy first attempt was to make this 5″ version of the Poetry pattern.  The piecing in the heart was just screaming for a rainbow color palette.  The pattern and size were perfect for the Name Tag Lanyard Swap for my Central Ohio Modern Quilt Guild.  I used the Swapaholics tutorial and just raised the vinyl window up so the heart would not be obstructed.

ProseCloseUpNext, I tried out the 5″ Prose version.  Now this was a bit more difficult given the number and size of the paper-piecing.  There are more corners to match up and some bulk to contend with, but it’s all worth it!

LoveStoryPillowLastly, I used the 16″ Poetry pattern to make a special pillow for Valentine’s Day.  My house is lacking in the home decor department so I’ve been trying to add more handcrafted items in between all the ones I sell or giveaway.  I practiced my free-motion quilting by using some variegated red Aurifil 4668 in a simple loopy pattern.

LoveStoryPillowBackA border all around the pattern was added to fit the 18″ pillow form I had on-hand. For the back, I used Arrow Flight from Michael Miller to complement the V-day heart.  Having this in my stash paid off 😉  Since this is intended as seasonal decor, I made the pillow back in two pieces with a 2″ overlap and added KAM snaps to keep the pillow in place.  I’m set for Valentine’s Day now!

What would you make with these patterns?

 

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

 

Pattern was provided by Lillyella Stitchery for testing but you know projects, thoughts and opinions are my very own.

 

 

Fall Fabric Pumpkin Decor

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Fall Fabric Pumpkin Decor

I know I’m a little late…but it’s still before Halloween….so Happy Fall, friends!  From lattes to lights, you can find everything in pumpkin form this time of year.  So, how about some fun Fall Fabric Pumpkin decor?

Last year, I found this great tutorial from Fiskars to make a Pumpkin Pincushion on Pinterest.  I had a bunch of random JoAnn’s fabric scraps and wanted to have some new autumnal accessories for my home without having to buy them.  (Nice when that can actually happen, right???)

Fabric Pumpkin

Instead of using the 6″ circle pattern (4″ diameter,) I enlarged the circle to a 9″ diameter and then to a 12″ diameter.  This was a simple adjustment with a compass to draw up the circles.  TIP: You can use some household bowls that are roughly around the same size as templates.

Fall Fabric Pumpkin

Instead of embroidery thread (which I didn’t have on-hand,) I used good old fishing line with a large-eye needle to make the ribs.  TIP:  Start sewing from the top of the pumpkin.  There will be large knots from the fishing line which can be secured and hidden by the stem later.

Fabric Pumpkin with Ribbon Detail

For the stem, I hot-glued a 2″ x 4″ piece of craft felt into a tight rolled cigar and then set aside to cool.  With two different colors of 1/2″ ribbon, I created the “leaves” with loops; securing them with hot-glue in the center of the pumpkin.  The “tendrils” are just wound ribbon with small dots of hot-glue securing them directly on the fabric.  Lastly, the stem is glued in the center to hide the fishing line knots and the ends of the ribbon.

I have several of these pumpkins that adorn my mantle and dining room table.  They are so festive and it brings me so much joy that they are hand-made.  What decor do you love in the fall for your home?

 

Happy Stitching!

Cristy

 

 

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