Do you know what you get from paper piecing? Scraps. Lots and lots of scraps. Last weekend I decided to crack open my full to bursting box of Noteworthy scraps and have a play around. Once I started pulling scraps out, I knew I wanted to make something for my grandmother Heather (Gran to me).
This is basically improv piecing - I just started with a piece of fabric and kept adding bits, trimming it down to a regular shape as necessary, until I had a decent sized block. You might be able to see that there are a couple of more deliberately pieced areas (the pink at the top and the bottom of the pillow), where I wanted to include some pink but all my scraps were too small to be able to add a single piece. This 16" square pillow is made up of four improv pieced blocks, stitched together and then trimmed down to square.
I wanted the quilting to contrast with the crazy and wonky piecing, so I quilted a reasonably dense cross-hatch grid (I marked at 1" intervals down each side of the quilt top and used a hera marker to mark each diagonal line before quilting). The 50 weight cream cotton thread I used just melts into the fabrics, so that the texture is the main feature.
Both the backing and the binding are from the same fabric collection - I was able to use a single fat quarter for the backing, with a simple envelope style pillow closure. I think I might need to get more of this bird on a wire print - it makes a really great binding.
This pillow will be in the mail to Gran this week - she lives in Auckland, otherwise I would deliver it personally. Hopefully she likes it!
Linking up with:
33 comments:
What a gorgeous cushion. I have a serious love for cushions!
How fun! I love your use of color and the diagonal design you used to quilt this. I've had my scraps out this week as well, but I have to say, this free-style of piecing them together is something I can't wait to try after seeing this!
A wonderful cushion - love the colors. I might have to get me some of that noteworthy fabric :-) I love working with scraps and you have done an amazing improv job.
Great pillow! I love the improve piecing and using up scraps!
I;m sure she'll love it-it's very pretty!
Wonderful pillow and love how you've quilted it. I've got 2 pillows lined up as gifts for later this month and I may just have to pinch your idea if you don't mind! Dropped by from Let's Get Acquainted :)
Bardzo mi się podoba ta poducha!
Pozdrawiam!
Great way to use up your scraps! The quilting sets it off so nicely too!
This pillow looks amazing and is such a great way to use up those scraps too!
The colours are so soft and the fabrics fun! I am sure your pillow will be loved!
The pillow looks fantastic.
This is lovely! Im sure she will love it. I can just about feel that texture!
This quilting is perfect with your wonky blocks - Love it!
It looks amazing!
Pretty cushion!! I am sure it will make her day to receive this!!
Such a lovely cushion! I love Noteworthy and am wishing that I'd added some to my stash...
It's lovely and I really like the fabric too! Visiting from Let's get acquainted! Thanks for sharing.
That's beautiful! I love your patchwork and the binding gives wonderful finish!
I love this. That quilting is just perfect, I love crosshatching and it really looks great on this cushion!
Pretty cushion! Lovely colors and great quilting.
You have made me want to make a cushion. I love this one!
This is fantastic! I love the improv paired with the straight lines of the quilting!
What a fabulous gift! I ADORE those colours!
Esther
Dziękujemy! Teraz, pracowałem się, jak korzystać z Google Translate, mogę odpowiedzieć na komentarze w języku polskim!
Thanks! I think the Noteworthy fabric is still around.
Thank you! I love the look of a bound cushion, plus it makes construction really easy!
Thanks so much Esther!
Love it! I have Noteworthy...wonder if I'll have extra!
Thanks! Hopefully!
Oh my heck: Darling! And your crosshatching creates wonderful texture and a controlled design element on a crazy patched top. Brilliant choice.
I do like the Noteworthy fabrics too. I recently made a bag using some of that range. I have just started to experiment with improvisational quilting. It's fun 'making' fabric. but I am an absolute beginner to it. Only made one block so far but keen to make more.
Such a sweet pillow and I agree that the birds on a wire is a cute binding:)
What a beauty!!! I hope your Gran loves it! The quilting looks perfect over your beautiful piecing.
Thanks for linking up to finish it up Friday!
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