Panda Bear

"Panda" Testing Helper

About a month ago, I saw that one of my favorite designers, Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts, had asked if anyone was able to help her test out some of her newest designs. Aren't they cute!!    Luckily,  I was able to give a bit of help to Lorna , by testing out  her upcoming "Panda" Quilt pattern !

Sew Fresh Quilts newest patterns... HERE
Photo by Sew Fresh Quilts

Now ,  there is something really cool about this pattern.  It has so many size options!!

You can make a mini panda block , as well as  a full sized panda block. And, Lorna has measurements to  make up a mini quilt... all the way up to a regular sized quilt!!  I love having  all of the size options.

Panda Block     design by Sew Fresh Quilts   {click HERE}
Mini sized block   approx 7.5" across x 6.5" tall

I  found this bright, forest-like background fabric first.  Then I saw my black and white polka dot fabric, and couldn't resist using that for this little panda!   (Lorna's designs are perfect with solids, and have a modern look!)

Next, I made up another little panda to be the buddy for the first bear. And of course, they had to have some foliage to munch on!

The pattern includes how to make the leafy rows.  ( I left out the center stems... giving it a more abstract background... like the pandas are  in a forest among the leaves. ) 

This cute pattern makes me smile... and reminds of when I saw the real pandas at the San Diego Zoo.  

Pandas and leaves     

As I put these blocks together, I thought they would make a cute pillow!

I simply added a 2.5" sashing around the block....

A Mini Panda Pillow         made by Susie's Sunroom

Panda Pillow size:   approx  17 " across x 16" tall

Quilting:   straight line  1"  quilting, vertically ,  in lime !   (for a modern look)

Panda Pillow        by Susie's Sunroom

I love black and lime colors together... and made a covered zipper for the back of the pillow.  (I learned how to make this covered zipper from the tutorial by Amy Made That!  {here}  )

Back of pillow        love the covered zipper

Keep checking  Sew Fresh Quilts  for the release of this cute Panda Pattern!  (It should be soon. )   You'll want to check out all of her adorable patterns, in her Etsy store, too!

(Remember my Dog Gone Cute quilts?  {  here  }  and {  here } )

A Panda-icious Pillow !!

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:                      Let's Bee Social  @ Sew Fresh Quilts   and
                                         Building Blocks Tuesday @ Quilter In The Closet  and
                                          Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story  and
                                          Fabric Frenzy Friday @  Fort Worth Fabric Studio  and
                                       Can I Get A Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and
                                       Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts   and
                                          TGIFF @  Chezzecook modern quilts

  

Bright and Bold

Bright and Bold in Bleak January

It is dark, rainy, icy and cold here today

I have found a way to brighten up a dark and dreary day in January....

Here's my formula:


1.  Make a cup of white chocolate mint coffee, and add the warm and foamy milk to make it a latte.

2. Pull out Bright and Bold colored fabrics to make a pillow.

3. Print out,  color code , and cut out the pattern pieces for the Triangle Block Pillow.

4.  Sew up  the nine blocks , using paper piecing foundation for each block.

5.  Put the  9 blocks together, and add a pillow back .

A bright and bold Triangle Pillow   by Susie's Sunroom
    Design by Janeen , from Paper Piecing 1/4" digital magazine issue 4

6.  Enjoy looking at my  bright and bold Triangle Pillow... that can warm up a  soggy and bleak day!


Here are the Triangle Block Pillow   details:

Pattern-          Triangle Pillow               designed by Janeen at Quilt Art Designs

                       Pattern  here  at  QAD Publishing  in Issue 4  (Jan -Mar 2015)

                { this issue has a dozen paper pieced patterns to create so many artistic and  fun  projects)

Pillow :      9  Triangle blocks made a 15 inch  square cover  (unfinished)

                I added 1 inch sashing to all four sides and made a back cover (16 in x 16 in)
                               
                Pillow insert-  16 inch sq pillow form

Blocks up close

Go ahead  and grab your sunglasses.... I'll wait for you!

This would make an awesome wallhanging, too!!

See the  border  fabric- black with brightly  colored mini hearts

                  The back - a 16 in square pillow cover , with a covered zipper 

                                 (free tutorial by Amy Made That!   here )

I love seeing the triangles all plumped up!

Now, what could be better than this??

Well.... maybe I could be  looking at my Bright and Bold Triangles pillow, while sitting on a beach chair,   with my toes buried in some sand and warm water....

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:  Sew Darn Crafty @ Sew Many Ways  and
                    Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts

Pattern provided by QAD Publishing

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Remember the Snow Star block I made in this post?

Snow Star    pattern  from Paper Piecing 1/4 " magazine   issue 3  here

I decided to make this 7 inch block  into a pillow.  I will enjoy looking at it for the remaining winter months.

A flat Snow Star pillow cover

A plumper Snow Star pillow

I added some borders, to make this a 12 inches x 16 inches pillow.

Here's the back.....   I have added a covered zipper back.
The best tutorial for this is by Amy at Amy Made That !  

This fabric reminds me of a snow storm on the back.

This was a fun and quick project. I love making pillows and  paper pieced blocks.

See you in the new year.... stop by to see what our first Across The Pond Sew Along project theme is in 2015 !

I'm off to my sewing room!

Pattern provided by QAD Publishing

Linked up at:   Can I Get A Whoop Whoop! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict   and
                       Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio   and
                       Sew Cute Tuesday  @  Blossom Heart Quilts

Summer Gypsy Pillow

The Summer Gypsy Pillow

I have always loved seeing  projects using hexagons, but had only made 2 small projects using these little fabric shapes.

My first hexagon project... 3 hexies appliqued per side on an eyeglasses case

My second project...  the  Hexagon Eye Glasses Case:  design by Liesl Made blog
blogged here

I had a lot of fun making these hexagons, so I knew that I wanted to make a bigger project, someday,  that used hexagons. 
While looking for patterns and ideas,  I ran across this pattern.

It is called, "Summer Gypsy Pillow"      designed by   Helen   of Bustle and Sew blog , out of the  August 2013  Bustle and Sew magazine
                                              

Summer Gypsy Pillow is in this Aug 2013 issue

Helen writes that she was inspired by the English narrow boats, in which gypsy families lived and worked to transport goods.   She says this  about her pillow :    "  Combine bright colours and a cheerful scarlet geranium - pom-poms and hexagons to evoke something of the feeling of the old English narrow boats travelling up and down the waterways of middle England. "

A few days later,  I got this beautiful photo in an email:

Inside a narrow boat...  .photo taken by Amanda, The Patchsmith

My dear friend, Amanda , The Patchsmith, sent me this picture from a trip she made this spring, to the Cotswolds,in the UK.   I recognized the "narrow boat"  and  I took it to be a "sign" that I had to make that  cushion cover!

Some more  inspiration!      photo by Susie's Sunroom

And so  here is my version of the Summer Gypsy Pillow~

Summer Gypsy Pillow                       Susie's Sunroom

Summer Gypsy Cushion Cover         design by   Helen   Bustle and Sew magazine  Aug 2013

Fabrics:        Vintage Summer    by Little Yellow Bicycle

                Moda Essential Dots  Aqua      for backing

                Green felt-    leaves

                Ginghams-    from my stash  

Hexagons:    41 -   with  1 1/2 inch sides

Buttons:  61   from my stash 

(I left out the poms-poms.)

The pot and leaves-   fusible applique'  and machine stitching

After the leaves and the pot were ironed and sewn onto  the fabric, it was time to add the little  Geranium flowers.  I decided to try drawing them in , using my new Frixion gel pen (by Pilot).   I LOVE IT!!  My marks were simple to fill in with the satin stitch and embroidery thread.  How did I remove the markings?  Iron them off!  That easy ! 

 (Note:  I tested my fabric first!!  )  

(Confession:   I drew the whole design on at first.  When I ironed my leaves on... DUH....  the flowerettes disappeared by the heat!  I simply drew them on again and began to hand sew the little red flowerettes.)

The geranium flowers were hand embroidered ....  satin stitch.  The stems were added  by machine

Next,  I placed each hexagon around the central  potted Geranium plant and pinned them in place

Zigzag stitching around each hexi

In the directions, Helen hand embroidered the Feather Stitch  around each edge of the hexagons.  

I experimented, and found a stitch on my Viking Topz 30 that was similar to the Feather Stitch, and went with that!  I used a light aqua Rayon embroidery thread for this decorative stitching.  It blended nicely, and  covered up any gaps  slight imperfections between the hexies.

The cushion cover layout before feather stitching the hexies

After all of the hexagon sides were sewn, it was time to add the buttons!  

I sewed on 61 little buttons!!  (At this point, I split this task up into 3 days!)  They added such a nice sparkle to the cushion top.

The pillow cover is 16 inches square... I put an 18 in pillow insert inside of it

The back..... I made the Covered Zipper  , from the fabulous 
 Amy Made That! free tutorial

I just love this little bluebird with the flowers!!  from Vintage Summer fabric (by Little Yellow Bicycle)

I couldn't resist making one of the hexies in patchwork!!

I love my Summer Gypsy pillow....it makes me happy to look at it each morning!  I feel like I have a little touch of England in my home...

I'm off to my sewing room!

I am linking up at: 
         Can I Get A Whoop Whoop!  @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and   
           ASWCT Linky Party @ And Sew We Craft        and
          Inspire Us Thursdays @   The Inspired Wren   and
             Fabric Frenzy Friday   @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio       and
            Sew Darn Crafty @  Sew Many Ways                and
             Sew Jo Saturday @  My Go- Go Life