Thursday, November 15, 2012

Pillow Talk Process



Today I sent off my pillow cover for the Pillow Talk Swap on Flickr, just in under the deadline. This one was hard to send away. I really love it and hope it's what my partner was looking for. To me it totally feels like something you would find in Anthropologie, which is hopefully a good thing. 



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Originally I had a much different design in mind, but then I saw this photo on flickr and was instantly intrigued. I've never seen that kind of design in modern quilting before. I sketched out some ideas and decided to construct mine in long strips rather than blocks like this, so that it could have a scrappier look. 



Pillow talk swap 9- top done.

So each strip is made of five pieces joined together on the bias, and alternating between high and low value. Once all the strips were together, I staggered them by one inch to get the wavy zigzag look and joined them. They finish at 1" for an 18" pillow cover. It's so unlike me to not use any solids at all in a project like this, but I loved playing with the values here. 




Here's a close up of my quilting as I was working on it. The diagonal lines 1/4" apart switch directions a couple times. I love dense quilting on a pillow like this. Crazy cozy. 



On the back I used a bright yellow print from Indi, which looks so fun against the fairly neutral front. I put a zipper in the side seam using the great instructions in the new Modern Designs for Classic Quilts book. (You can still enter my giveaway for the book here!) The Indi collection by Pat Bravo was one thing that my partner said she loved a lot, so I started with a few of those prints and picked the rest from my stash. I'm so glad I got to work with this collection because I don't think it's something I would have bought otherwise, but the colors are so rich and pretty. 




It's on it's way now and I can't wait for it to get to it's new owner! Also can't wait to see what might be on it's way to me. There are always so many super beautiful pillows that come out of this swap, I was a little intimidated to sign up for the first time. But I'm glad I did. It's things like this that push you to do things you wouldn't have thought of otherwise, and just become a better sewist. I love when that happens. 




19 comments:

  1. This is fantastic! Love it! Color, style, quilting everything is perfect. Nice job! Toni

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  2. I really love this. I think it could be translated to a quilt, or used as a quilt block.

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  3. This is so beautiful! I'm sure your swap partner will love it.

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  4. This is really awesome. Okay now that I reread your last paragraph I am feeling the urge to sign up for a future PTS, even though I feel way out of my league with that group! Wow, guys. Amazing stuff.

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  5. Jessica, how perfectly quilty! I have this same image pinned. Your version is so good, now I can live vicariously through you and don't need to make it =) Hehe. Really cool black/white prints too. You have a great collection!

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  6. You know, I went back and pinned your pillow. Now what does THAT mean? Sheesh.

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  7. Oooh! I LOVE Delectible Mountains! I love your version of it. Super nice.

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  8. This pillow is really, really, really amazing!! Love everything about it!!

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  9. I really love this pillow! It looks so Anthro! :)

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  10. So nice!! I love how you drew inspiration from the quilt... you hit it dead on, and in very fun fabrics!

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  11. Love that you put the zipper in. This turned out really great. Love the pattern, love the colors. Good stuff.

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  12. Wow! I love that pillow! The pattern is so cute and upbeat :)

    xo
    summer

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  13. I love this so much. :)

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  14. Great job, love the design- the light and dark and zigzag! You inspire me ;)

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  15. Woo! I love seeing the picture of the top before it became a pillow. This one is super awesome, and I bet the recipient will be so pumped to get it!

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  16. I need to to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely loved every
    bit of it. I have got you saved as a favorite to check out new things you post…
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  17. And it's MINE and it is beautiful!! I absolutely love it. Thank you thank you thank you!!

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  18. Jessica, I'd love to use a picture of your pillow in a post today about using strip scraps in stacks. I'll link to your post! If you'd rather I didn't, just let me know and I'll remove it asap. Thanks!

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  19. Hi Jessica, i just saw this on Rachel's blog. Didn 't know it was inspired by my blocks!
    I just posted a link on how i made mine in the comments section of her blog.

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