TGIFF - Strong

Welcome to TGIFF @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge! If you're new to the blog, I hope you'll take a few minutes to tour around and leave a comment or two. I read every one! If you're not so new to the blog, you might have noticed a wee blip last week where I was hosting TGIFF. Nope. I'll chalk it up to computer error! I just wanted to reassure you that you're not reading double!

Shockingly, I pulled off another finish for this week.... and not just a pile of pincushions. Something a little larger this go round!

Regular readers will know how strongly I feel about extra love being sewn in to handmade items. It's why, when the shit hits the fan, I tend to get sewing. I can't change the situation, but I can give someone a warm, soft place to curl up under or lay their head on. This week's finish? Well, it's to remind a friend of their strength. Pure, unadulterated strength. Strength that has gotten them through 100% of their crappiest days to date.

I had so little in the way of a plan for this pillow. I just started sewing low volume scraplings together. I mean, low volume works in everyone's decor, right? Once the scrap blobs got big enough, I cut them into 5 inch squares and slapped 'em on the design wall.

Once I was happy with the distribution, I sewed them up. The recipient had told me her favourite colour was red, so I did my best to get those wee red polka dot scraps well distributed.

Then on to the quilting. I know, I know. What is that hideous lavender doing there? I use cast off FQs as pillow innards. Don't judge me. And I know I've been FMQ spiraling a lot lately.... like on this pillow. But I like it. So there.

I know what you've been wondering since the beginning of this post. HOW DID SHE DO THOSE LETTERS? Heat and Bond Ultra, of course.

And my new little friend, a Cricut Explore Air 2 (which I purchased a mere two weeks before the hype for the Cricut Maker started. Let's not speak of it.)

I haven't made much so far. I'm sort of overwhelmed by the possibilities. But this seemed like a great place to start. I used the design software to write the work and spent three days choosing the right font. Okay, maybe it wasn't three days. But it was a long time!

 I got a little worried when I saw this... the frayed edge and the cutting blade didn't get along so well.

But my trusty dental pick got that letter off smoothly and I was able to trim and re-cut the small area that had gone cattywampus.

The letters came off the sticky mat with ease. Sometimes the Heat and Bond paper was left behind, but that was no big deal. I was taking it off anyway!

 And presto. Ironed in place.

 Those swirls look fab on that low volume scrappiness... if I do say so myself.

I wanted to get just a little more red into the pillow top, so I outlined the red Cotton+Steel XOXO letters with a heavy red stitch. Given enough time, I think I might have liked to hand stitch around it with perle cotton. Try to contain your shock. I also did three horizontal and three vertical lines of stitching... representing the recipients three kiddos.

Oddly, my stash is short on reds. Dena @ No Frickin Blog yet is horrified. Gasping for air even. But it's true. But red was needed here, so I used a chunk of a cute Lewis & Irene fox print that's been curled up in my stash for some time and a piece of Kona Cardinal for the other side of the envelope closure. With such a scrappy front, two fabrics on the back won't hurt anyone!

  And there it is. Strong. Hopefully it gives a little comfort and strength to it's new owner.

Now it's your turn. Link up those fabulous finishes here and don't forget to tour the other blogs and spread the comment love! Please include a link and/or button for Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday! so your visitors know what this TGIFF thing is all about!

An InLinkz Link-up

Hope you'll come back soon! I've got more pincushions to show off and some back to school clothes in the works!

J

Hello? It's me...

Here's the good news... I have been sewing!
The bad news... I've kind of dropped the ball on the blogosphere.
As I feared, when I added Instagram to my social media, there was a shift for me. (Feel free to pop on over and follow me.. @quarter_inch_from_the_edge) But it's summer now, so I'm back to the blog. We'll see how it goes!

I'm back. Teal. FMQ. Pillow. Loved it so much I wanted to keep it!

But I couldn't. This little lovely was made to thank DT's wonderful caregiver, Mrs A. She's so incredibly patient and the kiddos have learned so much from her. She's their first teacher and she's got a well-deserved summer break!

Mrs A loves soft beachy tones. Off I went to my stash... no shortage of fabric to meet that brief! Knowing that I wanted to do some fancy quilting, I kept the piecing simple. Squares go together so darned quickly!

Rather than risking tracing right on the pillow (things can always go a little wild when DT are involved!), I opted to trace their hands on white paper. Then I positioned them where desired on the pillow and stitched through the paper outline.

Though it was tricky to make the curves, I used a short (1½) stitch length to make it easier to tear the paper away.

Once both hands were done, the pillow needed a little something more. I filled in space with FMQ spiral swirls.

 The quilting shows pretty well on the front and back!

I love those wee quilted hands. Well, one of them is wee! I might have to recycle this quilting idea for some more gifts!

 

  

 

Mrs A loved it and DT loved giving it to her!

I enjoyed the process of making it so much that I made another for a retiring colleague!

This time the colours are a little darker and there are no hands. But I'd still love to have kept it. Why are the pillows I give away so much fancier than the ones on my couches? ☺

I'm linking up with Main Crush Monday @ Cooking Up Quilts! It feels good to be back!

J

Friday Finish - Return of the Zissertwin!

Pillow, that is!

After finishing Daylily Daze for my parents, I really wanted to make a little thank you for the couple that created this lovely daylily, Zissertwin.

 

It's named for DT... another one of their aliases! The block features colours pulled from the Zissertwin daylily using Play Craft's Palette Builder 2.1. I added an asymmetrical border in foliage greens. 

For the quilting, I used a green thread and went for the classic wavy organic lines. I think it softens the hard lines of the 16 patch.

If only there were a few daylilies blooming to keep this pillow company. Alas, it's still a little early for blooms my part of the world. A couple more weeks to go!

 

This pillow's already made its way to its new home. I'm linking up today with TGIFF @ Celtic Thistle Stitches, as well as with Finish Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts.

J

P.S. This is one of my goals for Q2 of the 2016 Finish Along.

Monday Finish - Three of Nine!

Dasher, Dancer, and Rudolph! The rest of the gang will have to wait for another year! 

I love the way these Christmas pillows look on the couch. DT seems to prefer that they decorate the living room floor. But that's sort of why I made them to begin with! You can read more about the making of this pillow here.

I kept the quilting simple. It lets the reindeer be the focus (and was it was quick to do!) Thanks to the expert assistance of Q-B, I managed to insert this zipper. I knew that an envelope back wouldn't work for this unusually shaped pillow.
I wanted to use the green C+S print on the back, but there just wasn't enough. Time for a pieced back!

This lovely little project was an intro to next year's focus.

All the fabrics came from my stash. Many of them, like the brown print on the back, have been hoarded for some time. Time to use those lovelies instead of letting them languish! Stay tuned... I've made my Declaration. The Manifesto is coming soon! Perhaps you want to start drafting your own! ☺

J

P.S. I'm trying something new today and linking up with Main Crush Mondays @ Cooking Up Quilts!

Dino-tastic TGIFF!

Happy Friday and welcome to TGIFF @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge! If you're new to the blog, I hope you'll take a few minutes to look around.

This week's finish has been hanging out in the Quilting Protection Program for some time under the name of Project #2. My fingers are crossed that I can get these delivered to a certain dino-lovin' gal before she sees this post. She's not a quilter so I'm likely safe!

When I saw Lizzie House's Natural History, I was smitten indeed. And I knew that the above mentioned gal would love, love, love these blue and purple dinosaurs.

I wanted to use the Dino Exhibit print on the back to get maximum dinosaur impact,  but I ran short and had to use some Twinkle Twinkle and some Kona Midnight.

They're made using the Jaybird Quilt Jaw Breaker pattern. I so enjoyed making the Christmas version last year that I just had to make them again. (And I've got a major WIP on the go using a similar method... but that's for another day!)

The Deets

Title:  Dino Jaw Breaker

Size: 18 by 18 inches 
Pattern: Jawbreaker by Jaybird Quilts

Fabrics Used: Natural History by Lizzie House - Dino Exhibit in Navy, Hall of Gems in Sapphire, Twinkle Twinkle in Midnight Blue
Konas Used: Astral, Deep Blue, Midnight, Niagara, Nightfall, Sky
Quilting: ¼ inch echo on each hexagon, navy Gutterman thread
Backing: Pieced from Dino Exhibit, Twinkle Twinkle, and Kona Midnight
Favourite Part(s): A fun housewarming gift for a dynamic and dino lovin' Girl Guide friend

Now it's your turn... link up your finish (finishes only please!) and link back to the TGIFF party so your readers can find us and link up too. Don't forget to spread the bloggy love and visit some other Finishes!

An InLinkz Link-up

J

TGIFF is here!

It's Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday! If you're popping over to link-up and have never been here before, welcome to A Quarter Inch from the Edge! To learn a little more about me (and enter a giveaway ☺), you can visit my post on the recent Meet Maritime Modern Blog Hop.

But enough about that, let's get to this week's finish! 

This 16 by 16 inch pillow is a design of my own creation. It combines my love of selvages and Kona solids. Since I struggle with quilt math, sketching things out really works for me!

It's based on a little wall hanging in my studio that doubles as a bulletin board when my other one is too full!

I do love a good selvage! It was tough to part with these, but I'm sure they'll go to a good home when it gets swapped with the Edmonton Modern Quilt Guild in a couple months. And it's not like my selvage stash is hurting!

So many memories of fun fabrics I've worked with and friends that have passed their selvages on to me! And some lovely Kona Silver to let those bright colours pop!

For the quilting, I continued the visual lines created in the selvage chevron. I varied the distance between the lines, ranging from less than ¼ inch to almost 1 inch. (I used different parts of my presser foot as guidelines!)
I carried the grey onto the back... and the chevron feeling too... by using a Dear Stella chevron print.

I took a page from Scrapmaster's book and opted to use the selvage edge instead of finishing the edge of the pillow backing. It seems only fitting given the selvages on the front!

A few more money shots of the quilting... 

 

I can't say it won't be hard to say good-bye to this one...

This week, I'm really saying thank goodness it's finished, since it was touch and go whether I'd get anything completed in time for today! Thank goodness for visiting grandparents too! Have you finished a project this week? We'd love to hear about it. If this is your first time at TGIFF, the rules are simple:

•    Post your finish using the linky tool.
•    Point your readers back to TGIFF with a text link or button.
•    Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

And don't worry if you've never linked up before, just click the "add your link" button and follow the directions. Easy peasy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Again, thanks for stopping by!

J