Bugs, bugs, bugs

Summer pillowcases for the 2 oldest grandkids - with tons of bugs.  All 4 huggable kiddos will be here on July 3 to spend a few days while we all attend a family reunion on my husband's side of the family. Can't wait for everyone to get here.

Traveling Star #41

This is block #41 in this collection.  My regular readers know that I'm making star blocks out of the 6" fabric squares shared by our guild members when they travel somewhere.  I have a wonderful collection of colorful star blocks from the past two and a half years. And I can't wait to put them together into a big quilt.  

Traveling Star #40

The photo is a bit blurry, but the block itself is a definite winner.  A leftover piece from my South Dakota table runner was just perfect for a Traveling Star block.  #40 - I am close to having enough for a large quilt.

Flannel dinosaurs

A co-worker's daughter is having her first baby in a couple of weeks and the ideal quick gift is a self-binding baby blanket.  I just love these because they are so easy but turn out so cute.

There are so many cute flannels available these days.  I could go on a buying spree.

This blanket and a book for the new little guy will be my gift.  I need to look for a cute dinosaur book to match.

Pillow construction

I had a question about yesterday's post about this pillow, dealing with how I constructed it. Did I use batting and a backing?  And the answer is - it depends!

On this scrappy pillow I wanted it to be sturdy and washable, so I did an envelope.  The front is hand quilted through the scrappy top and a piece of cotton batting.  I didn't put a back on this one because the stitching is all inside and I stuffed it with a pillow form.  I can pull out that pillow form to wash the outside.  I used the same envelope technique in my granddaughter's big floor pillow. Just make sure you have enough overlap in the back to prevent any gaps.   

This Cathedral Windows pillow I made for Christmas will not get washed and because of the star buttons I don't imagine anyone will lay on it for long. It is only decorative. This one was constructed with no openings at all and I put a layer of batting under the front and the back before stuffing the whole pillow. Then I just sewed the seam shut with some hand stitching.  I like using the batting layer when stuffing a pillow because it makes a smooth outer layer and you don't feel any bumps from the stuffing.

A scrappy pillow

I finished up my scrappy pillow and used an envelope back so I didn't have to add a zipper or any other type of closure.  This fits a 16" pillow form just perfectly.  I did a little hand quilting on the top by outlining the white sections and criss-crossing the squares and triangles. And it will end up on my living room sofa.

Check off one more UFO.  Yay!

Saturday Sampler blocks

We're nearing the finish line with the most recent Saturday Sampler and these are this month's blocks. I have been loving the colors and the combination of batiks with civil war type fabrics. This block has a pretty pink and a green. But I keep thinking the cream background triangles pointing toward the center just look out of place. However this is exactly what the pattern looks like.

I'll be linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.