Sunday, May 6, 2012

Blooming Measuring Tape
Pillow #5


My man very seldom makes any comments about what I sew.  However, this piece caught his eye.  Most  likely because of the measuring tapes...guys use them too.  His comment was:

 "Somebody got mad at their tape measure and cut it up."

I always thought I was to blame for mis-measurements but I can see now that the tape measure is the culprit and can be punished with scissors!

My tape measures are a download from Digital Collage Sheets that I printed to fabric (quite a while back) and cut apart.  I thought I had Wonder Under fused to the back of these but when they didn't "stick" when I ironed them in place...well, surprise!  So I had to tack them down with a glue stick. Then made them stay put with circular quilting. 


That was all I planned to do but I felt like it just needed a little something more.  Glass beads seem to be doing the trick for me.


I was a bit disappointed to use the same red fabric for the binding, but nothing else worked.  Another simple back with a few of the glass beads hanging from the zipper pull.


This was simply a fun wild design idea that popped into my head and I had to put it to play.  (I don't kid myself.  I'm sure this has probably already been thought up and done somewhere in the universe, but I haven't seen it.)  I think #5 looks fun next to #2


What I want to know is why is it that I really like some of these pillow covers while I'm working on them and when I put a pillow form inside them they don't look so wonderful anymore. Why is that?...why is that?

Just do it!
Annie

17 comments:

  1. I know exactly what you mean-sometimes the pillow cover as a mini quilt looks better. Love the measuring tapes!

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  2. LOVE this pillow! How fun! And the zipper is pretty clever!

    Pretty soon you will have a passel of pillows.

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  3. Clever use of the tape measures! And I love the unusual placement of your zipper opening. Smile!

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  4. LOL, you showed that tape :-). Love the pillow and I have never seen it before either!

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  5. Love this idea and it turned out wonderful. If ever I end up with tape measures that get stretched or otherwise ruined for their original purpose, I'll save them and send them your way.

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  6. Probably the same reason that some clothes look great on a hanger but not so once you try them on! :'( I think you could have bound it in solid black, but I love the tape measures. Do you just use regular printer ink to print on your fabric and how does it hold up to washings?

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  7. Fantastic and creative pillow! Love the diagonal zipper placement too!

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  8. I think all your pillows are awesome.! And this one is just so fun...love the measuring tape and beads! Can't wait for next month!

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  9. I love this idea and I think I just might make some of these to take to school for my reading group. I just started blogging and would love for you and your friends to join me at www.sewcraftykathy.blogspot.com

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  10. Ha ha! That is so clever! Good for you for just making it happen! I scrap so many ideas that I should just try, cause they might turn out awesome like your measuring pillow!

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  11. I love that comment about clothes looking good on a hanger and then, not so good looking once you get them on. Probably the same with pillow coverings. Who'da thunk? In my case, it's probably the chunkiness of the formee just like the pillow. lol

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  12. This is a great design - and I agree...it looks great with #2 there! LOL Love your circle quilting, too!

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  13. Oh my gosh, this is such a stunning pillow!

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  14. These cushions are making a wonderful series, with your unusual ideas. Love the way you make the openings different at the back. I think they look pretty good as cushions.

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  15. This one is great too! I think you are probably used to working in the two dimensions of a quilt and the contours throw that off. Next time make the 'flat' space smaller to fit in the center of the form or try to use the contours of the pillow to make the design stand out. Easier for me to say than do, but I think it might be fun to try and use the shape of the pillow to enhance a 3d effect.

    As I've been thinking about it, I keep imagining the contours in a field that curve with the land to hold the soil in place. Not sure how that translates to a pillow top...

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  16. What a clever thing to do with your measuring tape...love it!!!

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