Lone Starburst Pillow

I dove into paper piecing with my arrow project late in the spring, but took a class to make sure I learned the proper way to do it.

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I’d saved the scraps from this quilt and the second one I made just like it and they seemed like the perfect colors for a Lone Starburst block.  I was so excited when Anna chose to use this star for the class ; I’d found the pattern many months before and wanted to make it but didn’t have the courage to try!

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It turned out there were just enough scraps for a pieced border and a scrappy binding.

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I was thrilled to have the block come together fairly easily.   Trying paper piecing, especially the Lone Starburst block, was on my list of sewing goals for the year and I’m happy to cross something off!  And of course, it doesn’t hurt that the pillow looks beautiful on my couch!

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After running like a crazy woman for the past week, I’m hoping to catch up on some sewing goals this week.  What are you working on?

Jennifer

Whales!


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I wasn’t kidding yesterday when I said I’m loving the nautical trend, and that’s largely because it’s a style I’ve always loved.  I’m one of those girls who pretends that she lives by the sea even while surrounded by mountains.  I  like seeing the nautical trend reach farther than the coast because the coast is awfully far away from me!

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Last year I purchased the book Seaside Home , compiled by Susanne Woods.  It is full of sewing and embroidery projects that are all inspired by the sea.  I used the beach crab pillow pattern to make this chevron Christmas pillow for my sister, so this isn’t my first project taken from it.

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I used the Whale of a Pillow pattern to make these doorstops.  I stitched them on canvas material with DMC floss 311 (six strands) and backed them with a home decor weight nautical print I purchased forever ago.  I stuffed them with some batting and added what I had on hand to make them heavier – pea gravel, washed and dried.

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Now there are five of them, all stitched with a different colored star, waiting for the first hint of cool breezes when summer begins to fade.  I’m excited to have something to prevent all the doors from blowing shut when we throw open the windows.  I must also say that these whales bring a smile to my face.  They are a quick stitching project and I’m making more for something we have coming up.

What do you think of the nautical fashion/decor trend?  Is it growing on you?

Jennifer

Anchor Quilt Top


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A few weeks ago I went on a search for a pattern to piece an anchor quilt block.  It seems that nautical style is really trendy right now and I’m liking the look.   Everything I found was an applique pattern which wasn’t what I wanted.  I sketched an anchor, did the math, and created my own pieced anchor quilt block.

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Then I made 19 more, including one from Essex yarn died linen in black.

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I especially love that black block, the way it makes everything stand out.

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I’m giddy with excitement about this quilt top.  Each block is 14 inches square, so the entire thing measures approximately 56 inches across by 70 inches long.

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Lots of little seams.  A bit tedious, perhaps, but not difficult.  Tutorial coming soon!  In the meantime, I’m working on a backing!
*UPDATE:  Tutorial is finished!  You can find it here.
Jennifer Linking to Freshly Pieced

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