Monday, April 20, 2015

Busy Girl Sews Tour

Brass Ring Pillow

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Heidi Staple's new book Sew Organized for the Busy Girl. I have been following Heidi's blog Fabric Mutt for the longest time. She is talented and creative so I knew her book was going to be good and it sure is.


Heidi's book features both tips for being organized to maximize your sewing time and also 23 lovely projects. I love the mid-century modern graphic design of the book too. 

I am still absorbing the tips, from both Heidi and a number of bloggers and friends, about how to use the little sewing time that I have more efficiently - they are excellent ideas. Many of the projects in the book are also designed to make your more organized and I will be making several of them I am sure.


When Heidi asked me to pick a project for the blog hop, I knew I wanted to make the Brass Ring Pillow. The photo above is from the book - Heidi designed such a pretty understated pillow of light colours and low volume background fabrics, I could not resist it. However, I wanted to make a version that could live in my family room or perhaps with my teenage boys.

Brass Ring Pillow

I've shared work in progress photos of this pillow here and on instagram already. I decided to use fabrics from April Rhodes' lines Wanderer and Arizona and added in several low volume favourites. I matchstick quilted the pillow front. I am sure pleased with it - I kept the scrappy low volume design while added a south west flare.

Brass Ring Pillow

For the back, I pieced strips of the same fabrics and then quilted them with straightish lines unevenly spaced but not matchstick, maybe 1/8" to 3/4" apart.

Brass Ring Pillow

My one adaptation on the Heidi's easy to follow directions was to use an invisible zipper.

Brass Ring Pillow

I love the back, it is such a nice compliment to the detailed piecing on the front and adds a bit of colour to this low volume pillow.

Brass Ring Pillow

It is hard - at least for me - to photograph a low volume background so that you can see the prints, so my photos are a little darker than normal to show it off as best I could. Those subtle prints add a lot of interest when one gets closer to the pillow.

One of the nice things about Sew Organized for the Busy Girl is that Heidi has added several ideas for variations on the patterns. For this pattern, she suggests the cutest baby quilt, and I might just have to make that too, we shall see.


I highly recommend Heidi's book! Every Monday for the next few months, different bloggers will be showing off projects, here is where to follow the blog tour:

March 30 - Lynne of Lily's Quilts (Tour Kickoff & Book Giveaway!)
April 6 -      Jodi of Tales of Cloth & Angela of Cut to Pieces
April 13 -     Lindsay of Craft Buds & Debbie of A Quilter's Table
April 20 -    Leanne of She Can Quilt (that's me)
April 27 -    Fat Quarter Shop
May 4 -      Erin of Why Not Sew?
May 11 -      Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts
May 18 -     Svetlana of SOTAK Handmade
May 25 -    Lucy of Charm About You
June 1 -       Maureen of Maureen Cracknell Handmade
June 8 -      Becca of Bryan House Quilts
June 15 -     Beth of Plum & June
June 22 -    Jessica of Quilty Habit
June 29 -    Caroline of Sew Can She
July 6 -       Heidi of Fabric Mutt (Tour Wrap!)

Best,

Leanne

13 comments:

Debbie said...

Very nice! Your quilting just makes a good design and lovely fabrics all the better!

Hilary said...

Very pretty!

Heidi Staples said...

It's just gorgeous, Leanne! Thank you!!!

DeborahGun said...

Just gorgeous. I can't wait to get my copy of this book!

Farm Quilter said...

Absolutely adorable!!! Love the quilting too!

Julie said...

Both pictures are so cute. I couldn't pick a favorite today, but you're pieced and quilted back is a wowser!

Julie @ Pink Doxies

Susan said...

Both cushions are lovely! And how great to have a baby quilt version available! I have some new Maze And Vale prints that would be perfect for such a project! Thanks for the inspiration!

Michele said...

I like, I like.

Diane Beavers said...

Leanne, Arizona has been one of my favorite collections since it debuted last Spring, and still is along w/Wanderer too. I have Fat Qtrs waiting on me to make pillows or table toppers. Wow your matchstick quilting is so cool. I'm a novice, have not ventured beyond straight line quilting...I shall try your method.
I'm excited to see the rest of the blog tour every Monday. Thank you for sharing:)

FlourishingPalms said...

Your quilting really enhances the pillow. That's a QuiltCon-worthy project if I've ever seen one. Really pretty!

Archie The Wonder Dog said...

It's stunning!

Vera said...

It turned out so well and I like your choice of invisible zipper which made it double sided! Perfect!

Anonymous said...

I am in awe of how much beautiful work you do Leanne! Love he color palette (and of course matchstick quilting) on this one. Gorgeous

Hillary