Cathedral Windows... Easy Peasy!

I'm terrible giddy over the fact that The Pillow Talk Swap has started up again for round 2!! I've been trying a bunch of new techniques in preparation for this round... but call me crazy... I think my (secret) partner would not mind a cathedral pillow coming their way... hehehe...

So... I thought it would be a bit silly not to show you all just how easy they are! Now let me be completely clear... in no way did I make up this strategy, pattern or am I an expert... I'm just showing you how I roll with it ;)

Now my fav tutorial for this pattern... is this beauty...

http://hyena-in-petticoats.blogspot.com/2007/08/cathedral-window-quilt-tutorial.html

And my most helpful friend Lisa was very clever in her cathedral Window block starting measurements to allow for various pillows sizes... {Per Lisa - I went with 9" squares... my pillow was probably a 16 x 16. For a perfect 18" pillow, you need 13.5 squares to start with. (The final square size is about 1/3 of the starting square.) 9 of those will get you an 18" pillow.} Yes... a very clever duck she is... indeed!

So here we go...

I wanted a 18 X 18 inch pillow for my partner, so my template (made from poster board) is a 13.5 inch square



Then I cut my Kona (coal) into 15 X 15" squares about 3/4 inch past my template (for my overage to wrap around my template... BTW - I cut them into strips { 15 x 44 inches when working with yardage } so, I can make more squares at one time :)



Then I stacked the strips ( 15 x 44 inch ) together, placed my template on top and cut squares (again with about 3/4 inch overage, so each side will have the same amount of overage) or you can simply cut 15" cuts, but remember when wanting your ending squares a different size... you're going to want the 3/4" overage...



This left squares... see... super easy so far (wink, wink) Now... no worries that it's a bit wrinkly... just give it a quick iron job ;)



Okay, next place your template on top of your Kona (with your sides even of overage or as even as your cut will allow... if it's off a bit it's still okay) and iron your corners down over the template... this will hold your template in place!



Then fold over the sides of the overage on each side & iron them





Then take out your template



Fold it in half & iron it



And in half again & iron it... see.. still easy!



Here comes the fun part... now, open it back up! Does this remind you of those fortune tellers in grade school??? LOL



Fold one corner inwards toward your square & iron it



Repeat that step all the way around until you have a smaller square



Then do it again!... always ironing your folds



You're left with this... a perfect little folded square (not really perfect, but it won't make a huge difference, so don't worry if the corners are not mitered perfectly)



Now you just need 8 more of these for the front of your 18 X 18 inch pillow! See... this pattern is more origami than anything else!

I'm off to go buy some more Coal colored Kona! This is the first stage of the Cathedral Pattern... once I have my 9 prepared squares... I'll show you how to sew them together... and please no one get nervous... it really is this easy all the way through!

XO, Heather

Keeping it real.

Today I had a thought… what are blogs??? I’ll keep it real… I had no idea when I started one! I think they are supposed to be an outlet for yourself and a tool for communication with an immense virtual world full of compatible people… I still don’t really know. I think many people use them for a variety of reasons… some personal, business, social maybe??? Well… I think I want mine to be a bit more than just for crafts I make and it’s taken me almost a year to figure that out. LOL

I realized my dearest blogs are the ones I connect to on an emotional level as well as a creative one… So I’m personalizing mine. This is me in all my glory ;)

Fun facts:




I HATE cougars… not like anyone would love them, but I just moved home from 4 years in Central Oregon and I was completely convinced that I would get attacked sooner or later.

I’m a candy addict… only the sweet and sour ones.



I’ve been married to my husband for 11 years and with him almost longer than with my parents… He’s my BFF!

I call him my { boy toy }!

There is no place more magical to me then the beach.

This is the second home I’ve owned.

I read every night without fail.

I'm a Sci-Fi junkie!



I have two sons and my youngest has autism.

I’m a HUGE activist and pro-Charity individual.

I believe a person either grows bitter or understanding… being a Mama with a child with special needs… I choose understanding.

I ALWAYS give someone the benefit of the doubt first... until they prove me wrong.

I live by the golden rule.

I’m a generation X and proud of my Alternative roots.

I’m a hippy at heart and have a serious crush on VW’s even though my husband has always worked for Mercedes.



I have a long haired Chihuahua… named Georgia.

I’m a smart mouth who suffers from extreme sarcasm disease.

I truly adore my virtual friends.



I LOVE my family!!! My bestie Sissy-in-Law, Carrie!!

I have 3 tattoo's and ones on my toe.

I also hold a real estate license and a CPR certificate... which means I can save your life after you have a stroke from sticker shock on a home.

This is my hobby not my job.

Take me or leave me… I will always keep it real with all my friends and I hope my sharing shows you a little more about me! How about you....

Have a great Tuesday!!
XO, Heather

String Pillow...

I've always wanted one of these little babies!!!



Here's the deal... I have been making a bunch of pillows lately and there's a very good explanation as to why...

Firstly, I just bought a new home a couple months ago and have decorating fever...

Secondly, I have been dying to try out many of my friend's tutorials and this gives me a great excuse to do so without ended up with 300 quilts...

And lastly... I like pillows! Yeah.. I know... who doesn't???

So... this morning I spent a little time on Ashley's (filminthefridge)string block tutorial. I really thought it was fun and easy directions to follow. Now please don't think that means... I think I'm some kind of professional... because I'm hardly that! This was my true first attempt at it :)

I thought I may not be as scared to do it if I used some of my scraps...


After following Ashley's directions... I struggled with my little puzzle...



Then I admit... I struggled with how to get that paper off, so I decided to cut mine... hehehehe



In the end... I think I really like it ( the Kona Ash was a great choice! )...

The CORPSE Bride - Hoop!

The new stitchin swap group that I'm in { Hoop Up! } has shown it self to be highly creative! Crystal at Fiberartsy... has chosen the theme of Tim Burton. I sure hope she likes my interpretation of The Corpse Bride ;)





Hope your stitchin is as exciting as mine! ;)

Finished! Cathedral Pillow!!

All I can say is I'm in LOVE...



This pillow made me get my booty movin and finish my son's Echino Wonky Log Cabin Pillow today too!! ;)

Cathedral Windows...

I am very excited about our Pillow Talk Swap - ROUND 2 starting up and I have decided that Cathedral Windows... is the design I'll be using! They have always scared the bajesus out of me... but no longer! They were super fun... a mix between origami and sewing ( who knew )??? Now to make my practice block into a modern pillow for my new home!

new SEWing tunes...

By now most of you know that I am a city girl who grew up in the middle of the 1990's... and with that being said, I am a product of the { Grudge area & Classic Rock removement }!!! Yes, Yes... I definitly had maroon hair and Dr. Martins at one time ;)I will always have a deep appreciation toward alternative music since the Pacific Northwest ( especially Seattle and Portland ) played such a pivotal role in the birthing of this genre... however... everyone once in a while... when I really want to feel free and young again... these new tunes bring me back to myself... generation X.

Off to a lynard skynard concert... it was really cool! :)