Look what I made, PILLOWS!!
Some Countdown to Christmas pillows to go with my Countdown to Christmas quilt and Countdown to Christmas wall hanging.
I've been wanting to make some pillows to go with some of my quilts ever since I picked up this book. (still available, click here)
This is "Shams with Style" by Heather Mulder Peterson and Deb Mulder. I bought this book almost two years ago; and every time I finish a quilt I think, "I need to make some matching pillows". But I'm usually in a hurry to move on to the next project on my To Do list and tell myself, "I'll make them after I get the top quilted" or "I'll make them when I'm ready to put the quilt on the bed". Well that has yet to happen so this time I decided to make the pillows now, so when Christmas rolls around and I get my quilt out, I'll have the pillows ready to go.
I recommend the book, it has several patterns (no zippers required, yeah!), provides different size requirements for different bed sizes, and the instructions are well written with great illustrations.
I decided to go with 3 pillows to stretch across the headboard. Several of the techniques required to make the pillows were new to me so I decided to make one pillow start to finish, then tackle the other two pillows.
I had a free afternoon and figured I could whip out one pillow in a couple of hours.
hahaha
This was the first time I had ever quilted anything bigger than a mug rug, and only the second time I had ever attached binding to a project.
I did use this foot for the first time and it worked great. See that guide in the middle of that foot? All I had to do was line up that foot on my quilt pattern and sew. It took 2 hours to quilt both sides of the pillow!! Who knew machine quilting was so time consuming!!
Here's a closeup of the quilting and the ties.
I used white quilting thread on one side of the pillow and red on the other. I made all three pillows that way. I'm not sure which side I prefer, but it gives me the option to go all white, all red, two white one red, or one red two white.
Yes, ties! no zipper required.
It took me over 3 days to make these three pillows but I think it was well worth the time.
Not counting the shopping, decorating, cooking, and partying that comes with Christmas, I'm all ready!
