Postcard Production

My larger projects are all in the gathering the fabrics and supplies stages or just plain taking too long, so I've been in the postcard production mode. Ideas for them are coming to mind faster than I can create them.  But I love that cause I hate it when I run out of postcard ideas.

First off, where did the cards go from my last post? 

This Scrappy Swirl was mailed to my dear friend Carol, (mamacjt) as another thank you for sharing this fat eighth collection with me.  She said she wasn't tired of receiving my postcards. :-)

...and she loves button embellies!

The Bluebirds have also flown the coop.

Bluebird Postale  will be winging his way to Pamela Nees of Stitches In My Lap

Bluebird in the Garden will be winging his way to Caroll, West Michigan Quilter

Now, of course, Jacque (aka Snoodles) of Lily Pad Quilting has been playing along with my postcard giveaway, but I knew I was going to have to have a particular card design for her.  So I made Froggie.

Are you familiar with her little green mischievous assistant, Padsworth?

I sometimes make a card that I just can't send away.  So it looks like this Red Daisy card is for me.

Another style of art that I absolutely love and am quite fascinated with is Steampunk.  I'm trying to figure out ways to add a bit a steampunk to my postcards.  This is my first step start.  I went out into Man's workshop to scrounge around for the flower center.  The best I could surface with was this washer.  But, it's a start!  I've been to the craft store jewelry departments since and now have a supply of flower centers.

I have a couple of cards waiting to be mailed for private swaps, so can't show those yet.

As it turns out, I did not mail out this Scrappy Swirl after all.

So, if you'd like it to come to you, let me know!

Wishing us all a good mail day!

Annie

Modern Plaid Bright
Pillow #7
I've finally jumped the half way mark on my personal pillow challenge!  happy, happy!

I just can't do a plain ole scrappy squares anymore.  Even though it looks bright enough and I figure the quilting will add texture and dimension...

...adding these 1/4" sashings just brings these fabrics and the design to life, for me!

Comments were made on the last pillow of this design about the number of seams there must be...yeah, lots!

But they're sewn in strips.  It's not like actually having to sew all those 1" seams!...these pillows would not exist if I'd had to sew that many little tiny seams.

I'll be revisiting this pillow soon because I don't like the finished style that I "thought" was going to look really fun.  But I don't think it works.  So, first chance I get that I'm bored and don't know what to sew next, I'll be taking this one apart and redesigning it to the standard simple pillow I like.

This pillow is also an added project to this fat eighth fabric collection challenge that can be seen here as a flickr set.

While working on this pillow, I stumbled onto the blog of bohemiannie art  She was making the most unique baby shower invitations I've ever seen.  And their scrappyness was so inspiring to me, I had to immediately make a couple of postcards after I finished the pillow piecing.

I got so side tracked with postcards and inspiration, that when I got back to finishing the pillow, I totally forgot to add some batting and quilt it!  But it was going to look ok anyway.  I'll be able to add the quilting when I take it apart.

The two postcards above are going out in the mail soon.  Do I hear disappointment that you don't have a chance at them?!  Not to fret, I have a couple of bluebirds you might like.

Bluebird Postale

Bluebird in the Garden

If you aren't familiar with how my postcard giveaway works, you can read about it in this post .

While I wait to hear from you, I have more postcards I want to make.  More happy, happy!

Annie

The simple how-to of my

Modern Plaid

Pillow #6

I used a charm pack and cut the 5" squares into 2-1/2" squares, arranged them and stitched them all together.

This was my simple original plan for this pillow, but it turned out so blah looking that I had to come up with a plan B.  I cut some brighter strips of red, white and blue.  These strips are 3/4".

Next cut each row of blocks in half (1" from the sewn seam) and sew a 3/4" strip between the blocks.  I did this one row at a time.

I liked how it was progressing.

I continued and did the same pattern in the other direction.

Now it had the visual impact I was hoping for!

So simple, isn't it!  I'm so anxious to do this modern plaid in some brightly colored fabrics.

Have fun,

Annie

Modern Plaid
A Pillow for July

Pillow #6

I won this Prairie Paisley II charm pack from Just Carol's blog last April.

 

How perfect for a July pillow is what I thought.  That's such a cute little tag Carol made to add to the charm pack.

I am really happy with the outcome of pillow #6

The back is from scraps and I feel just so clever for hiding the zipper in the design in the back. (2nd red stripe from the left).

   When I started this project, I actually thought it would be pretty easy to choose a pattern or design, stitch it up and love it.  It hasn't turned out to be that easy.  So when one turns out well in the end, it makes me really happy.

 

I want to make another pillow with this design in a different color...that's how happy I am with it!  Off to decide on what next color!  :-)

Annie