WIP: Cheer You Up Cushion

Last week I decided on a bit of a whim that Paul would like a big cheery cushion to have in Raleigh when I'm not there. It would make the place cosier and might give him a smile when he sees it. I don't know.

Initial fabric pull.

However, I'm not the titan of sewing you'll find on other blogs. I just about finished the front of the cushion before I left. So this is relegated to work in progress status. However, I tried out a new block, used non-white, low-volume (I guess?), backgrounds, and cut into some Alexander Henry Calaveras Alegres fabric for the first time!

First ever wonky star!

I wasn't sure the low volume backgrounds to the wonky stars (I used The Silly BooDilly's tutorial) was going to work. The skulls are so vibrant, that I started and then thought, oh god they need really punchy, contrasting stars, I should have just done pure white and black backgrounds, and solid, clean colours for the stars. But then, I had no white fabric.

Using the back side of fabric for better contrast.

As I made more of the stars, I started to realise that, to my eyes (and possibly addled brain), they were bringing a comic book element. Do you know when the character's clothes are coloured in on the cover with a lot of little dots for texture, and the like? And after that, I started being reminded of the paint with water books from when I was a kid.

Still amazes me how much blocks shrink with seam allowance loss.

Paul really liked the stars all the way through, which I think is all that kept me from freaking out and starting over right at the beginning. But I really like them now too, so all's well that end's well? Plus, I've learned to give my brain some time to adjust to things. And there isn't just one right answer. I don't know, I'm jetlagged, if any of this is going in and staying in I'll be amazed.

One cushion front - sewn together mere hours before my plane! Success!
(no one was looking for a finished cushion, right?)

Before I left I pulled all the other pieces I needed to make the back and insides of this cushion. I'm going for a really big one, I love sitting up in bed with a big cushion behind me. So this is for a 24" form. Now all I have to do is get back to Raleigh and finish it! Who knows, maybe I'll talk Paul through the end of the process over skype...??? Shall we take bets?

Flowery Skeleton Phone Cover

I got up way too early today - 4am. Jetlag makes me hungry about every two hours, and not just hungry but 'holy shit, I'm starving!'. I've had the overwhelming urge to organise and catalogue and plan and clean since we got back yesterday. Yesterday I mostly felt lost in just how many things require attention, but clever (annoying at the time) Paul pointed out that I should just focus on one bit at a time. So today is laundry, and lists, and small bits of block designing thrown in to keep me happy - along with regular feedings.

I've been thinking about my lack of finishes so far this year, and then I realised that I have finished one very tiny little thing. I made a pocket for my new fancy phone - slightly less fancy since it planted itself face first onto concrete, but the scuffs are small and ignorable, and not on the screen - whew!

Ta-dah!

When we got here, and I set up the machine first, I realised I needed a small project, something quick, and happy. So I broke into a pile of skull fabrics I won from Made with Moxie last year - they're my favourite, and quite precious. Then I decided that playing with my FMQ/darning foot for the first time ever was also in order. I tried something akin to a spiralling fluffy cloud/chrysanthemum (the latter only if you squint, really). It worked, and was fun, though I need quilting gloves if I'm going to try it again.

Why quilt it once - when you can quilt it twice?

I decided the stitches got kind of huge in places, so I then did a diagonal cross-hatch in golden yellow - very Chanel (reaching!?). It's lined with some golden yellow voile from Anna-Maria Horner's Pastry Line from Little Folks. Another very favourite and much-guarded fabric.

This jovial fellow got some rather large stitches.

When I made this, I completely over-estimated the size of fabric I'd need. In the end though, it left me with this awkward off-cut, which is going to become a key-fob, once I track down the right doo-dah to attach to it!

Other side, with the happy lady!

I'm hoping for more finishes soon, but I'm taking a new tack of just doing what takes my fancy for a while - so who knows. I'll keep you all updated as I potter along. First up, however, is organising and building my new sewing space. It's in quite the mess right now!

There's a proto-design wall in the bottom-right corner!