Thursday, April 7, 2011

Day #31 - Squeezing a lot into a couple of hours

Good morning, everyone!
A balmy 22 degrees here in sunny New Hampshire (tongue slightly in cheek...).  To get us rolling this morning I ran across an absolutely hysterical YouTube video, or at least I thought so, since I'm from New England, born and bred!

It's called: Yoga for Yankees!  If you are one, know one, or want to poke a bit of fun at us, check this out!
 

Okay...I LOVED the "downward scratching dog" and "mosquito in the bedroom" myself!

So, quick congratulations to Joni - she joined us in our first Fruity Fun "create a block and swap" (for want of a better name yet!)  Can't wait to see what she whips up!

Three days a week I work at the Peterborough Historical Society as the Education Coordinator ~ a "wicked fun" job for an ex-classroom teacher!  But it does cut into my studio creating time!  (Lol...hey, Michelle, I have to be honest!!)  So days like yesterday require me cut squeeze my time in between work, making dinner, "chores" and sleep (which is really overrated ~ I wish I could get by on less!!!!) 

Last night I finished up my April Blogger's Pillow Party entry.  It was outside my box, AGAIN!  If you know me, I am not (by the stretch of anyone's imagination) foofy!  (Is that a word?  I'm going for pink and fluffy here...)  But, I am trying to stretch my horizons, sooooo.... I went foofy on this pillow!  The design is the third one I've done in the Antique Botanical set from Embroidery Library.  It's an image of bleeding hearts, done in pink and raspberry colors.  So, I went soft, pastels!  I built as I went (ie: "hmm... I like this color...wonder what it will look like if I make this sort of block?" that sort of thing!!) and make heart shaped blocks across a border on the bottom.  Bordered it with the same fabric as the hearts (a Timeless Treasures fern) and backed it with the rest of that fat quarter.


Then, it was all about the trim. "What should I use???" I am attempting NOT to buy more things and repurpose as much as possible because let's admit it: I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!! So, that being said, I found a scarf in a bag of treats my mom had given me ... gathered it a bit, pinned the pillow top to the front and back and viola: a foofy pillow!!




Completely outside my normal color palette and style, but my youngest loved it! It will probably go to her, once I photograph it for the pillow party, so shhhhhh...don't tell her!

Finally, I was working on two of my Bottled Rainbow blocks kind of at the same time because they are both similar color families, a pink and a raspberry. I am finding working on these a lot like doing a puzzle. You start out with a pile of colors, decide which goes where and then re-arrange to make the best fit! We are big puzzle makers here in Whitt World! Here are the results so far:

Raspberry block scraps to start...

Raspberry block, post-glue and pre-sewing.
Pink block scraps

Pink block post-glue, pre-sewing

What do you think? I am having a bit of fun with these!!  Want to give it a try?  Pop over to the blog and check it out!  I am listing packets of the scraps as I finish with a color on Etsy, if you need any additional ones to round out your colors!

Off to post my pillow at the "party" and then heading to work!  Chat later, folks ~ enjoy the day,
Carrie






2 comments:

  1. OH MY! Thank you thank you! I'd like to thank the academy and all the little people who helped me get to where I am today......no no wrong speech....thank you for having the Fruit Square project, and I am looking forward to putting the squares together, I have wanted to make a "fruity" summer/picnic tablecloth for over a year, and now I have the perfect squares to get it started!!! Will post pictures when I get it done, though I am not nearly the speedy soul that Carrie is and talk about it one day and have it done the next!!! ;-) But with summer on the horizon, I have the perfect time frame to get 'er done, as my sister Letty says!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for joining in on the Pillow Party! You're right, Bottled Rainbows are so much like a puzzle. I've always loved puzzles!

    ReplyDelete