.: I love, you love pineapples :.

Do you know Justine Clarke's song 'Watermelon'?  We had Justine's 'I Like to Sing' CD on repeat when the girls were younger, so this song popped into my head when I was uploading my pineapple cushions pics - pineapples get a cameo in the song, it's not all watermelons all the time.  For your listening + viewing pleasure, I've popped a You Tube video of 'Watermelon' at the end of the post :-)

And back to the pineapples.  I made this pair of pineapple cushions to be a raffle prize in a recent mother + daughter school event - so figured they really had to be mother + daughter pineapples - totally makes sense to me.

The pineapple pattern is by Jackie Padesky, who is @jackiepadeskyquilts on Instagram, but she isn't otherwise online as far as I can work out.  It's a great little pattern - the mother pineapple is the actual pattern size, and the daughter pineapple is half-sized, so I popped it on a little shelf. 

Jackie's pineapple has become so well known so quickly in the land of Instagram, it's even made it onto its very own Stately Type t-shirt - of course I've bought one from Holly + David, it's arrived and I'm loving it. 

The cushions finished at just under 20 inches square, so I used 22 inch inserts so they'd be nice and plumpish.  For the backs, I used a cotton drill with big yellow spots from Spotlight, and a grey zipper.

Here's hoping the mother + daughter pineapple cushions will bring some summery awesome to someone's lounge.  As promised, here's Justine.  Have a great weekend.  xoxo cat

.: giraffe + cat + orange cushion :.

One giraffe + cat + orange cushion finished and ready to be gifted!  I really hope it will bring a little orange-y sunshine to my friend's daughter - click here for more about that. 

The giraffe is a paper-piecing pattern by Kristy from Quiet Play, and the cat is by Elizabeth Hartman. I really love it, but wish I had a one-size bigger cushion insert, so it would plump out just a little more.  The cushion front was 20 inches unfinished, and I used a size 20 insert - I'm thinking I need to pop out and get a size 22 if I can swing it in time. 

I'm really happy with the mix of oranges and blues.  I think if the giraffe was for me to keep, I'd have gone all-scrappy, including her face.  Or maybe that would be a little too scrappy, even for me!

For the back, I used big Spotlight spots, to keep with the orange colour-theme, sliced through with a navy zipper.

Hope you have all had a happy weekend.  Here's to a good week.  xoxo cat

.: Handmade Christmas - XO and #spellitwithfabric once more :.

Oh Christmas is over?  I know.  We've been away for a week at the beach, in a unit with no wifi, in a little town with very unflash internet coverage.  I took the laptop with me and was full of excellent blogging intention, but I barely kept up with instagram on my phone, and knew the dodgy internet connection would just drive me a bit batty with the computer. 

So, here we are on the 27th with yet more handmade Christmas goodies to share with you - all cushions, lots of pics, let's go. 

I posted some XO cushions recently and had been surprised I hadn't blogged about them - I'd gone searching the blog for them so I could remind myself of their size - and that was all because I was about to make two new sets of XO cushions.  This first set - all sewn from Cotton + Steel - follows the tutorial on Canoe Ridge Creations blog, with added borders to make the cushions finish at 18 inches.

These cushions have not yet been gifted - they're my Random Santa (as opposed to Secret Santa, since the results of the random name-draw are not a secret ...) pressie for my sister-in-law.  They're arriving at the beach from Sydney today - and we left the beach to come home this morning - so we'll arrange to meet up at some stage for a catch-up and pressie handover. 

The backs are made from two different Echino prints.

And this next set - already gifted to lovely friends + neighbours - follows the same XO tutorial, but with bigger pieces, so the XO are bigger, but the cushions still finish at 18 inches.  I was very intentional with my fabric selection for these cushions - I made them to match a couple of cushions I'd made for our friends a few years ago.  The Prints Charming Starbursts and black Echino cars are the same, but this time for a touch of red I've gone with Cotton + Steel lions (one of my favourite C+S prints, along with the navy arrows up above), and added the sweet Echino rabbit print on the back. 

And now the third - and last - set of cushions, for my nephews.  Mr C is four and loves the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Apparently he most loves the red one (interesting, since I've recently made a Mr Red Turtle cushion ... what's with the red turtle getting all the love?).  Mr C also loves Batman.  I had the Turtle fabric already sorted, but had to ask my lovely friend Tracy for some Batman scraps. 

The backgrounds for each cushion are Lizzy House 'Constellation' prints, and I framed each letter in solids - one red and one orange. 

My nephew Mr A is only six months old, so really, he's getting a cushion to match in with his big brother.  As the girls gave me the ok to not have to focus on the Red Turtle, I made sure to include the other three as equally as I could, so welcome to the blog blue, purple and orange turtles, one day I might even learn your names.

And since Mr A is only six months old ... I figured he wouldn't mind a little bit of Wonder Woman fabric in his cushion ... I couldn't quite stretch the Batman scraps far enough ... I'm really hoping Mr C has a bit of love in his heart for Wonder Woman, given that she's awesome and has an invisible plane and golden lasso. 

I went with red Echino rabbits for the back, plus a bit of Spolight big-spot print in orange.  We haven't gifted these cushions yet either - since Mr's C and A are the sons of my brother and sister-in-law who arrived at the beach today (the day we left) as mentioned above.   Cross your fingers for a bit of cushion-love. 

I hope your Christmas was relaxed, merry and bright and that you shared the time with people who make you happy.  'til next time xoxo cat

.: XO cushions :.

A really good way of realising you haven't blogged about something, is to go searching your blog for a post about cushions, so you can remind yourself whether you upsized the pattern or not, and if so by how much.

So.  That's how we come to today's post, and my realisation that despite being a slap-dash, unreliable blogger, I DO actually rely on this blog as a record of what we've been making.  Who'd have thought?!

I made these XO cushions for another school raffle prize earlier this term.  The pattern is by Megan at Canoe Ridge Creations, and looking at the size of the finished cushions, I think I must have made the X and O a little bigger than the pattern, but now of course I can't be sure. 

The lions are of course, Cotton + Steel.  And the background is Essex linen in natural. 

The backs are two of our panels, sliced in half and paired with a Spotlight big-spot print.

And now I'm off to make another two set of XO cushions, one set with the X and O a little bigger than in the other.  Have a great weekend.  xoxo cat

.: Handmade Christmas - #spellitwithfabric :.

In the second of my Handmade Christmas posts for the year, all I can say is - thank goodness for Moda's little 'Spell it with Fabric!' pattern book.  All the letters are very easy to follow, and quick to sew up.

First up is an 'E' cushion for my younger daughter's little Prep buddy at school.  I hope you are noticing, even if you have to squint, the fussy-cut red Ninja Turtles, since she told me that he (Mr Red Turtle) is her buddy's favourite.

Next are three enormous coasters/small table mats/mini quilts for teachers of my older daughter  - her French teacher, year adviser, and music/drama/homeroom teacher.  

Sewing up these three enormous/small/mini's coincided with the arrival of my Priory Square half-yard bundle from Pink Castle, so I have used it in each one.  I love all the prints I have used, and will most likely be looking to buy more.  

Here are the backs - two with Priory Square, and then the last with Kate Spain - though all three with Priory Square binding.  I do get a little immediately obsessed when fabric packages arrive in the mail.

And now last up, a set of coasters for the girls' violin teacher and his wife (since I figured it would be a little mean to just make one for him ...).  I half-sized the Moda letters for the coasters, and used Bonnie & Camille's new Daysail line for the letters, and my favourite print from their Bliss line for the binding - as well as the perfection Andover 'Love Notes' music print. 

And for the backs - come on, could I really go past violin fabric?! - since it exists?!

More sewing will be kicking off tonight, and will possibly be finished to share tomorrow but certainly by the weekend.  It's the last day of school tomorrow, which is just so completely fantastic, I can't even tell you.  Hope your week has been going well and you are gearing up for a great weekend.  xoxo cat

.: ++++++ cushions :.

Just popping in quickly to share a couple of cushions I've made for another school raffle ... this time it's to raise money for the Debating Support Group.  Woot, go debaters. 

I started with the Spoonflower texty prints - Doodled School Supplies by the always-fabulous Amy, and She Reads a Lot of Books by KellyW.  And then added in Amy's Risky Business glasses (how perfect is the design-name!), a couple of fab navy Cotton+Steel prints, V&Co teal/navy leaves and the fab red print from Tula Pink's latest line, 'Moonshine'.   The squares were all cut at 2 1/2".  The background is very neutral but very fabulous to sew with, it's a gorgeous fabric - it's Melange Cotton Yarn Dye from Lecien, bought from PolkaDotTeaFabrics.

It feels good to be working my way through my sewing to-do's.  Hope your week has been a good one, and you've managed to draw a line through a to-do or two.    xoxo cat

Vee gets reacquainted with her sewing machine

Can't leave Cat to have all the fun now can I!?  

After 2 1/2 years of Graphic Design Studies over I now have time to get reacquainted 

with my lovely Singer sewing machine.  

Had a lovely weekend spent (nearly all of it in my jammies) 

gardening, sewing and designing.  

These two little gems have gone across to our etsy shop for as my husband says

"NOT another bloody cushion……"

…..sound familiar?

Happy Monday and have a lovely week. xxx vee

Pineapple cushion with deluxe feather insert

Priscilla Cockatoo Cushion with deluxe feather insert….yummy!

.: hello sunshine! :.

Oh hi, what's been happening, how have you been, what have we missed?  We've been here all along, really, just not online much at all these last couple weeks.  

Big news to share - Brisbane finally has its very own Modern Quilt Guild!  I went along to the first meeting last Sunday, with a group of fabulous ladies, and we'll very soon be up and running and have a blog button and everything!  So very exciting.  Vee is very kindly creating the designs for our social media headers - wahooo!! 

A couple of sewn-things to share this week.  First up - Vee's cushion made from our 'hello sunshine' pineapple panel, which we've submitted to be considered for QAGOMA's upcoming Harvest/Fallen Fruit exhibition.  Doesn't it look fantastic with the pom-pom trim?  We did a bit of backyard styling this morning with the ever-handy felt-ball garlands, just to fun things up a bit. 

And here's a behind-the scenes pic!  I kept having to duck inside to grab another couple of books to prop the cushion up, and move the cushion to a safe spot each time so it didn't topple over onto the wet grass ... or dog poo - gah!!  All good though, no scary incidents to report, oh the relief.  

And now, my May blocks for Leanne, for our Care Circle of doGoodStitches.  I LOVE these blocks.  the pattern is Nested Churn Dash by the very clever + lovely Jane - who is kicking off a quilt-a-long with this block on the 1st of June.  Jane's full block is 24 inches - which is another whole churn dash beyond the biggest size here.  Leanne asked for a 16.5 inch and a 8.5 inch block.  Jane's pattern is excellent - all the cutting instructions are there, along with great sew-together graphics, so it's really quick to chain-piece and sew together.  

I had a bit of a rabbity theme going on for the middle squares ... not sure why, I just had them both handy and had to use them.  The red one is so sweet, and I just love this little green one, which I just received from the lovely Frances. 

Hope your weekend is a good one.  My oldest daughter's netball team had its first win of the season today - wahooo!! - and now it's finally time to do some quiet pottering about after a really busy week.  'til next time.  xoxo cat

Wowsers! We are now offering custom-made cushions.

Overdue we know!  

We've discriminated against those who can't be naffed sewing for long enough.

We are now offering a custom made cushion cover service using our

digitally printed panels from our etsy shop.

Some kind of wonderful?  Yep….we think so.

So here's how it goes….

ONE Choose a 45cm cushion panel design in stock from our store

TWO Add to cart and we will custom make you a zipped back cushion cover

And whilst you are waiting for your little masterpiece to arrive you can pop yourself off

down to the shops and pick up a cushion insert or two.

Easy as Bro. (said in Vee's kiwiana accent).

xoxo 

.: Finn McTrickster + Pandamonium say hi :.

Just popping in to share a couple more cushions I've made recently as pressies.  

Finn McTrickster and Pandamonium have already gone to live with the Bela Hoo cushion I made over the hols.  Fun times to be had, with a fox, panda and owl joining forces ...

[I do so love Mo Beddell's seahorses!]

That's all for now - I'm off to join the rest of my little family for our weekly 'dinner + movie night' - which is really dinner on the lounge in front of the telly, watching a movie chosen by one of us in turn.  It's my youngest's turn tonight, and she's refusing to tell us what the movie is ... oh the anticipation ... Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  xoxo cat