New Pillows for Spring

We are seeing signs of spring and me likey!

It's been time for new pillows for our living room for a while. I ordered a bunch of fabric that I liked, but really wasn't sure how it was all going to come together. And I have to say i'm liking the results! Our couches are dark leather brown, so we really needed something light and colorful!

Here is the result...
So...Two fantastic blogs are both hosting pillow contests this month. Stitched in Color and Sew Mama Sew (both must reads)!



For Stitched in Color's Blogger's Pillow Party, i'm entering the linen pillow with the vine applique. And for the SMS pillow contest, i'm entering both in the 'Pieced Pillow' category.


I started with the blue pillow with the strip of yellow fabric, and wanted to coordinate the other pillow with that.


I used mostly coordinating Heather Bailey fabrics from her Nicey Jane collection. Love the cutesy modern feel of these fabrics!

And because I think linen is the cat's pajamas, had to use it. Couple books that I've been reading lately (Applique Your Way and Sew Liberated) helped with the inspiration of the applique and the chain stitch embroidery of the vine. I used fusable web in where I sewed the leaves in placed, but wanted to keep the edges natural and loose from the pillow, to add more texture.

I made both pillows as slip covers, so I can easily switch them off when fall and winter roll around. And so I can wash them easily, since I know Louie sneaks up on the couch when we aren't home!

Oh Lou.

Amy Butler spotted at Homegoods!

As if Homegoods couldn't get more awesome, today I spotted sheets and comforter sets from Amy Butler! Not exactly my bedroom colors, so I took a pass, but it was still fun to see.

Then I saw this comforter in twin size by Cynthia Rowley. Love it. Got me thinking about Melody's room, when It's time to move her out of her crib. I think we have a long time still (which i'm totally fine with), but It will be fun to make her a big girl room.

And after reading a Prudent Baby post last week about making your own twin comforter, I realize I will probably end up purchasing something. It's an undertaking with ALOT of fabric, and at $9 a yard, I don't think so. Absolutely love her little girls new comforter though! Check out the tutorial here!

Amy Butler fabric of course!

Baby's M's New Pillow! - Bloggers Pillow Party Entry #1

I was super psyched that my girlfriend asked me to make the nursery accents for her little girl that is to arrive in just a few short weeks! Her vision for the nursery is exactly what I would have done, so making the pieces to fit in the room was cake!

She picked out coordinating fabrics from It's a Hoot by Momo for Moda. And...did an awesome job picking it out on her own! We all know how overwhelming fabric stores can be, I can't imagine how it would be for someone who doesn't sew!

So here is the final piece for the room, an accent pillow for the rocking chair! Please excuse the terrible pics, I'm only through chapter one of Nikon D90 for Dummies (One of my New Year's Resolutions)!I decided to make it a slip cover to put over a pillow form, so it could be easily washed. The insides are surged, so it just lays flat. No hand sewing or awkward topstiched edges. I'm thinking I'm liking this technique!
And the fun part was adding the details. The appliqued owl was an afterthought, because I actually missed part of the polka dot strip after I sewed it on. So the owl is a band-aid! I had a couple other coordinating fabrics to throw in the flower, to give it layers.
A few weeks ago I saw on Noodlehead's blog that Rachel over at Stitched in Color was doing a pillow contest. She's calling it Bloggers Pillow Party (cute name huh?). So - I thought this was good timing since I wanted to make a pillow for my friends nursery. And my 'Post xmas, I'm over the cold weather' project is new pillows for our livingroom, so this is the perfect motivation!

If you haven't checked out Noodlehead and Stitched in Color, do so! They are super talented mamas!

This is a fun way to check out others blogs. There are a ton of cute pillow entries already!

Resolutions - Finally!

So I'm a goals type of gal. Short term, long term, daily to-do's, you name it. I've been walking around in a bit of a fog since the start of 2011. Yes it's only been 13 days, but I've had this urging desire to get 'my list' down, so I can start the year! And now I can reference it, when I get sidetracked.

It's amazing how fast the weeks go by, leaving only the weekends for catching up on household things and spending time with my family. And you mix in weekend trips and the occasional visitors, that doesn't leave much time for all the projects that I'm dying to do! I really want to design more clothes and continue my Etsy shop. I really want to capture my projects and post tutorials, so everyone can be creative! I really want to blog more. And I really want to learn how to use my freaking camera! The list goes on.

Lots of to-do's in one year. So this is how I've decided to prioritize my free-time:

1.) Learn how to use my camera. The basics FIRST. I'm notorious for overcomplicating something. I do it with sewing too. Once I learn how to use my camera (hopefully this year. That's the point of a resolution right?), then I can start playing with PS and editing tools. Thanks hubs for pointing this one out to me. Duh.

2.) Home projects. Need new pillows, etc. I like doing this sort of stuff, but haven't made time for it.

3.) Sew for myself. This includes things I want to make for Melo, gifts, one-off projects etc. I keep thinking of things I want to design, sell, etc, that I get so overwhelmed, and end up doing none of it. With resolution #3, I (if it so works out)I would like to capture these projects with patterns, pictures, and tutorials, and post to my blog.

Doesn't seem like much, but I know it wont be 24 hours until I start getting ahead of myself on any of these!

In time I will add to this list my desire to selling and making patterns and clothes. Whew! Feel better already!

I'd also love to get more involved with the bloggy-blog world, since there are so many incredible ladies that I turn to for inspiration and tutorials. I'm in marketing, so I know exactly how to market myself, just don't have the time to do it. So for now I don't mind talking to my 10 readers :-)

Who else has some crafty resolutions?!

Wristlet Pincushion

My mom got a sewing machine for xmas this year, so I thought this would be the perfect gift! I used some Jessica Levit fabric I already had, and it worked so well for the size of the flower! Turns out the wristlet pincushion is every bit as practical as it is adorable!

Little Jems

I made these cute little coffee sleeves for gifts this year! They were super fun to make, and I love all the fabric combo possibilities!

Way cuter than the paper sleeves from 5Bucks!

Reversible Jacket

Love this pattern from Bettsy Kingston pattern that I found on Etsy. I made this jacket ironically right after I got my serger, and since this is completely reversible, there were no exposed seems, so the serger got no use!


I used Anna Maria Horner's fabric from her Good Folks collection. I just love her fabric so much, having a hard time getting sick of it.



And I can't resist. Here is the little chipmunk face again. Sporting her jacket on Thanksgiving.