Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Seagull Drop Cloth Pillow


I found this seagull quilt block pattern on Etsy by Nadia Ridgeway of ellisandhiggs.com
When I printed the purchased pattern download and saw the bazillion little fabric pieces I would need to cut, I had the idea to change it into a paper piecing pattern...which I did.


A ways back in time, Selina of Selina Quilts blog, sent me a drop cloth.  She had made a tote and it inspired me to make something with it (that did not happen.....yet).  Last week I pulled out the drop cloth to try it out as a base fabric for a pillow.



I found a great little strip of selvedge dots in my selvedge stash to add into the sand.

Now it was time to begin the pillow cover construction.  I started with putting the zipper in the back piece(s).  The cloth can wiggle some, but it was the raveling that just about ended it for me.  I wasn’t even sure I would finish making the pillow cover.  But as I worked, I learned that as soon as I cut a piece or strip to sew, I immediately took it to the serger and serged all the edges.  Once I did that it was great to sew with.



It has a great texture for the pillow and a more organic look to it than if it were made completely from cotton quilting fabrics.  There are interesting imperfections that appear occasionally throughout the cloth.  I added another selvedge strip to the back for interest.  The fabric the selvedge came from was called World Maps.  Seagulls are all over the world so it fit.



Then I added my little signature tag and a made with love charm to the zipper pull.

The pillow is a 14” square form and has gone to live near the Pacific Ocean.



He’s the quietest seagull I’ve ever met.  I never once heard a peep out of him but I could hear the piercing keow of his relatives in my head all the while making him.

16 comments:

  1. What a lovely cushion Annie and such a cute gull pattern. I am interested in the fabric as I dont know what drop cloth is! One of the big differences about living here is that we get lots of gulls! We are about 30 minutes from the nearest coast but they seem to like it here. xx

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  2. Your Seagull Pillow is wonderful! I love the little details you added with the selvage strips. Using the drop cloth added such nice texture, too. Great finish!

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  3. Annie that is so cute! I like the texture of the drop cloth but sounds fussy to work with. I probably wouldn’t have thought of using the serger. I thought of fray check but then you must wait for it to dry. Love how you incorporate selvedges in your work! Well done!

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  4. Now, isn't he just adorable 😍 I love th drop clothes texture and look. At one point in my daydreaming I had thought of redoing our sunroom in whites and tans. I swa that some people use drop cloths at curtains.. I definitely thought it looked great... Alaa, that room is still a hodge podge and on the back burner. Lol but this little seagul is adorable 😍

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  5. OMG he is A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E!! Ya I know I am shouting, but he is so stinkin' cute!! Never thought of using a drop cloth for anything but painting.

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  6. You are just so clever Annie! This is absolutely beautiful and the attention to detail is amazing!

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  7. Your sewing skills are amazing! This is perfection

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  8. This is so beautifully made and I'm glad I came ever to your blog to see more of this adorable seagull. Your sewing and choices of fabric is impeccable. I love his little red spotted legs and the selvedge strip of dots.

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  9. sooooooooooooooooooo adorable....

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  10. Nice job on altering the pattern to suit yourself, Annie. LOVE that you used the drop cloth fabric that Selina sent!! I've been dreaming of a drop cloth project lately. Thanks for sharing that tip about serging immediately after cutting and I will definitely keep that in mind (should I move forward with my idea.)

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  11. I really love him. I also think that the selvedge dots are a wonderful look to have added to the sand. I don't have a serger so I never thought to do that to stop the fraying. It's a wonderful idea. I think I generally try and use as much of the finished edges of the drop cloth as I can and then zig zag. I bet my machine has some kind of a stitch that would work almost as well. I need to do some searching. Thanks for tagging me.

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  12. Such a gorgeous cushion Annie! I love the gull!

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  13. Wow, what a stunning project! I love the seagull design, you created it so beautifully πŸ˜€. Happy and creative wishes! Hugs Jo x

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  14. Cute cute pillow. You're right Seagulls are not quiet. Just returned from a beach trip with girl friends last week and we saw lots of noisy gulls. Popped in from a mutual friends blog. It's always fun to meet new bloggers/crafters. Do swing by for a visit.

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    1. Thanks so much, Sandy. Sometimes the gulls don’t even care if there is a large body of water nearby. Many are seen inland too.

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