Small Things

It's that time of the month again... yep, that's right. Le-Challenge is open, and this month the theme is small. 

As I've got a few big quilts I really should be getting on with, I chose to go for a small make. I had a few scraps of Indigo Crossing collection, which I'd been planning on giving to the kids for collage,  and chose the lovely English Paper Piecing pattern from Mud Pies and Pins . 

I thought maybe It was a bit of a cop out trying the 3" butterfly, but to be honest the individual pieces were small enough for me - it really pushed my abilities. The stitches may be a little clumsy in places, but if you take a step back from it you really don't notice.

One of the nicest things about a small make was how little time it took  - the actual butterfly was done on a afternoon at my mates house while our pre-schoolers entertained each others. Bliss!

I appliqued it to a light blue polka dot, added my 2nd ever attempt at embroidery (please be kind!) then used a few larger scraps of the Indigo Crossing to make the back. Some stuffing a a bit of whipstitch later and my mini cushion was done.

The question now though, is what on earth do I do with a pillow that's 4 by 5 inches?


If you haven't already, consider popping over to Le Challenge and see what other lovely small things have been finished up this month. There are already a few cuties to see.

Feather

Well over 12 months ago, I won a cute selection of charms from Pile O Fabric (thanks Alyssa!) and had a go at an improv feather. Ever since then the poor thing's been sat at the bottom of a pile of half finished bits and pieces. 

Last week I had a good old clear out, and there it was, right where I left it, just a little more wrinkly. In need of a rescue. 

So, some starch, spray baste and a little hand sewing later and here it is. my feather cushion.

I wanted to keep the quilting simple (and quick) so it's got a double line of green around the feather, just incase that hand stitching doesn't hold, and some nice wavy lines following the horizontal lines in the background print.






The left over batting I used is a cheap and cheerful offcut from my first quilt, and the high loft has given a lovely bumpy texture, great for hugging




You might have noticed there are no pictures of the zip.....

All in all, I think it's safe to say I need a bit more practise here. It's not pretty. I definitely need better idea of what I'm looking for when buying zips, more consideration of colour and maybe a good tutorial or three to get me started.

Thankfully, the zip ugliness is nicely hidden from view when the cushion's resting in it's new home, so it won't be spoiling my enjoyment one bit.

Linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, and also Can i get whoop whoop  at confessions of a fabric addict. Thanks for the linky parties - knowing a few people might pop by and take a peek at what I've made keeps me motivated!




(the spaghetti sauce wielding other half failed to stain this one, but the 'it's a cushion' comment I got from him was distinctly underwhelming. Thank goodness for crafty friends and crafty online spaces!)

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