Nancy Zieman's Pillow Challenge Entries: Please Vote For Me...

I'm sure most of my visitors are familiar with Nancy Zieman - she is the host and driving force behind the popular sewing program "Sewing With Nancy" (the longest running sewing program on North American television)...she is also an author, designer, and founder of  Nancy's Notions, a direct mail company specializing in sewing notions, supplies and accessories. I am one of the many that grew up watching Nancy on PBS, learning sewing skills and techniques from her extensive catalog of Sewing With Nancy programs...her books are in my collection...her catalog is one of my favorites...her sewing notions are in my studio...and her blog is in my daily reader...I am a fan!

Today, I am excited to share that I have entered three pillows in in Nancy Zieman's 2015 Pillow Challenge. A couple weeks ago, quilters and sewists were invited to participate in the pillow challenge by uploading photos and details on the Nancy Zieman Blog with a chance to win FABULOUS sewing and quilting prizes. 

I hope you will support my entries by voting...it only takes a second - you don't have to register - all you have to do is find my images and click on the word "VOTE" above each one - it is that easy - and you can cast FIVE votes! Here are the images of my entries:

Garden Girl

Bloomin' Beauty

Equilateral Elegance

There are MANY wonderful entries that deserve your votes, but I hope you will take a moment and vote for my three pillows...

• Visit: http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/sewing-2/nancy-zieman-2015-pillow-challenge-voting-begins/
• Find the images of my pillows shown above.
• Click the word "VOTE" above my images.
• You can cast FIVE votes.
• Voting is open March 7th - 14th.

Thank you so much for taking a few minutes to vote for my entries! While you are visiting the voting page, I am sure you will be inspired - there are over 200 images showcasing a wide variety of skills!

Triangular Tuffets

I am in model stitching mode today, but I wanted to stop by quickly and show you the finished chair cushions I made over the weekend. I have two wooden chairs in my studio - one at my desk and one at my sewing/serger machines....these are really not the most comfortable chairs, but like many of you, I work with what I have. So, I decided to make a couple quilted tie-on cushions - to make the chairs prettier and to make my hiney happier. I used the Tuxedo Collection by Doodlebug Design Inc. for Riley Blake, as it matches my studio nicely...and some black grosgrain ribbon with white polka dots for the ties. The top is pieced 7" equilateral triangles and the bottom is a 7" hexagon...both cut on my Studio Fabric Cutter using Nested Bullseye Dies by AccuQuilt. I was able to accurately cut all the pieces in just a couple minutes and started sewing right away...I fused a piece of Pellon SF-101 Shape-Flex Interfacing to the wrong size of each hexagon, to make the bases nice and sturdy. I quilted the tops with cotton batting and muslin, then filled the tuffets firmly with fiberfill - in fact, I over-stuffed them, because I knew they would flatten out after I sit on them for hours. I added the grosgrain ribbon to tie the cushions in place...and I think they turned out perfectly! It only took me a couple hours to completely make both cushions and they are such a nice added touch to my studio...

I am headed back to my stitching nest for a few hours, then it is back to work on my website...the sun is shining (I will try not to focus on the 45 mph wind gusts - ugh!), so I will be taking both dogs on good walks to the park today, as well. Enjoy you day!

Pincushion and Pillow Pizzazz

I must admit, I am a bit behind on my blogging...it has been difficult to find balance lately. Yes, I have been stitching my heart out and I will have some new Blue Ribbon Designs to show you soon...and I have started stitching my 2014 fundraiser piece for my Komen 3-Day walk (a little hint, it has an autumn theme!). I am also busy working on the new website...and I have been scheduling time to quilt and sew daily.

I finished a couple more equilateral triangle projects over the last couple days...both using the brand new Bullseye Equilateral Triangles Die Set (1", 3", 5", 7" Finished Sides) for the Studio Fabric Cutter by AccuQuilt. I wanted to try out the 1" triangle size (yes, I said 1" triangles!), so I made the cutest little pincushion...it is approximately 3" W x 4.5" H. I added several decorative pins, a piece of rose lace, and a little tag for gift giving.

I also did some piecing of 3" equilateral triangles...and I took a photo that shows the difference in size...

I am just in love with this pillow! It is made from the fabric collection Pom Pom de Paris by French General for Moda...and the accents and backing are from the Rouenneries Deux collection by French General for Moda. It is approximately 18" W x 16" H...and I made my own custom pillow form. I am just tickled with this pillow...it makes me happy!

I have also been working with 7" equilateral triangles and 7" hexagons to make two new chair cushions with ties for my studio...more on those in a future post.

So, as always, it's been a productive and creative week...thanks for visiting!...I'll be back with more projects and stitching posts soon...

Sewing Stars

Today I am back to share another sample I created for AccuQuilt - the Bullseye Mosaic Triangle Quilt....along with a table runner I put together yesterday in the same style. Both the quilt and the table runner use Bullseye Hexagons and Bullseye Equilateral Triangles, cut with the Studio Fabric Cutter...using these two shapes and piecing in rows, completely removes the need for inset seams, making the piecing much easier than expected. Plus the Bullseye Equilateral Triangle dies have dog-eared corners allowing the cut shapes to line up perfectly!

Here is a close-up look at the two sets of Buyllseye Nested Dies needed for the quilt and the table runner. In the back in each photo, you see the Foam Boards (without blades for spacing)...and in the front you see the Blade Boards (with blades for cutting). Mix and match these two sets of die boards to cut a variety of shapes and sizes. You can read all about these Bullseye Nested Die Sets and see videos that show exactly how they work by visiting this link:
http://www.accuquilt.com/cutting-dies/studio-bullseye-nested-dies.html

Photo courtesy of AccuQuilt.com
Bullseye Equilateral Triangles-Odd-1", 3", 5", 7" Finished Sides for Studio

Photo courtesy of AccuQuilt.com
Bullseye Hexagons-1"-7" Finished Sides for Studio

....and here is a look at the Studio Mosaic Triangle Quilt that uses these two die sets...oh my goodness, how I love this quilt....it was so difficult to ship it to AccuQuilt - after it was complete, I REALLY wanted to keep it in my personal collection...in fact, I may have to make another, just for me! You can currently find this pattern for free on the the AccuQuilt website. It measures approximately 39" W x 48" H...and it does take a while to correctly piece all the equilateral triangles, but it is straight forward piecing with no inset seams! Having a design wall is quite helpful to make sure you keep all the pieces lined up correctly...

Bullseye Mosaic Triangle Quilt Pattern for Studio

For my table runner, I simply used one complete star row from the quilt pattern...I used 4 hexagons (3" finished) and 72 equilateral triangles (3" finished). I wanted a nice cheerful table runner to brighten up my living room coffee table and this size fit perfectly. The fabrics are from the retired line Oz by Sanae for Moda.

My schedule continues to be quite full, but I am doing my best to finish up a few more sewing/quilting projects. I also have new needlework designs I will be able to share with you soon, along with a plethora of other projects...and yes, I am still working away on my new website design with tons of new features...it should be another productive week!

Shades of Black

I have been doing my best to make more time for sewing and quilting...and setting aside a little bit of time to try out the newest AccuQuilt dies - specifically, the dies in the fall "stash buster" collection. There were twelve new GO! dies in the last release and one of these dies is the GO! Equilateral Triangle (4.5" sides - 4.25" finished). It seems equilateral triangles are currently 'all the rage', so I was excited to have a little time at my sewing machine to play with this versatile shape. Last night, I decided to grab some black and white fabrics from my stash (Shades of Black by Me & My Sister Designs for Moda) and started cutting triangles...I was cutting without a particular project in mind, but quickly decided on a pillow cover. I cut 42 triangles, but ended up only needing 32 for my pillow cover...the rest I will use for another project. The GO! 4.5" Equilateral Triangle die makes things extremely easy by cutting off the dog ears and placing notches on two sides to quickly line up your pieces for sewing.

I was able to sew the triangles into rows with lightning speed...and in no time, I was quilting my patchwork. I used fusible fleece instead of batting...and using my presser foot as a guide, quilted zig-zag lines about a 1/2" apart, covering the entire piece - giving the quilting a chevron look. I then used a fun floral print (Sun-kissed by Michele D'Amore Designs for Benartex) to make an envelope back with a Velco closure.

....and the results were exactly what I wanted - a beautiful pillow cover in just a couple hours. I used a 14" pillow form, although the cover was slightly larger (I didn't want to cut off the tops and bottoms of my outer rows of triangles). This die is definitely a winner and I can see using it for TONS of future projects! I am just thrilled with the results and plan to send this beauty off to a good friend who LOVES black & white color combinations...

As I have a chance to work with the other AccuQuilt GO! dies in this collection, I will be sure to share the results with you...I have a plethora of fun ideas and hope to do a little more fabric cutting later today...fingers crossed....