Friday, April 26, 2019

A Roll of the Dice Cushion

Last year I was part of a blog hop for Amanda Murphy's beautiful line, Free Motion Fantasy for Benartex. Teaser: I'm part of one coming up the first full week of May and I get to use her latest line, a Fall one, squeal! Once I designed the blocks and the runner for last August's hop, I had the idea to make the blocks smaller and create a cushion, and I finally have it done. Sadly I do not finally have the pattern finished, but the plan is to have it and my suitcases quilt, Oh! The Places You'll Go! both done by the end of my Beothuk Star QAL, which is June 15. This is the second finish for the Q2FAL. You can see my list here. I actually had this done over a week ago, just hadn't written it up.

Here is the runner, my original design.


I just played with squares and rectangles, and went from one to four. (Oh yes, I have ideas to further this design.) It was so much fun to follow Amanda's beautiful quilting swirlies.

I had the flimsy done not long after.

And there it sat while other more pressing projects took front and centre. But now it is done!

Notice that I did not follow every single motif, and that I connected the two pieces, the runner and the cushion, by using straight lines, 1/4" apart, in the coloured patches. The runner has every second block straight-line quilted.

Here is the back:
It matches the back of the runner. I could have an entire quilt of this on both sides, please and thank you.

I quilted it with Aurifil threads in a couple of weights.
I like how they colour-coordinate their spools so you know immediately what weight it is. The grey is 28 wt, and the orange 50 wt. The cone is a 50 wt one that was supplied by Aurifil as part of the Island Batik Ambassador programme. I am about half way through the cone; 90% of it has been used for Island Batik projects! The other spools, outside of the pink, which is also through IB ambassador programme, I bought. I bound it with the magenta fabric which is the same motif as the white.

Sidenote: I applied for the Aurifil Artisan programme for the coming year. Sadly, I found out yesterday I was rejected. 😢 Another example that it's not all perfectly swirly twirly FMQ flowing even in my real life... Ah well, I love sewing for Island Batik; I have grown so much as a designer, and I love the challenge of making it work with what we've been sent (which is AHH-MAZING) and I also love sewing for Benartex and Contempo, gorgeous lovely fabrics they have as well, those in this post one fine example!

It looks pretty good on our bed, if I do say so myself...
Note that those gorgeous fabrics in the suitcase quilt are Fall/Winter 2018 Island Batik collection, Crystal Ball, available in a LQS near you! Just heard from our IB 'boss', Kim, that at Paducah this week there's a shuttle back and forth from the show to Hancock's of Paducah...waaah, one of these years I will check off this bucket list item of attending the show and visiting Hancock's of Paducah, whose 50th anniversary is this year. First purchase from them was my gridded flannel yardage I use for my design wall, oh about 15 years ago, maybe more!

There's the suitcase quilt, which I love love love. I highly recommend giving Hobbs 100% wool batting a try; it is fabulous to quilt, and incredible to sleep beneath. Ha: looking at that photo, I realize three of the four cushion covers were designed and made by moi, the fourth hand embroidered and sewn as well by yours truly, and even the pillow cases were designed, sewn, with an FMQ embroidered starfish by moi. And the quilts too, but of course. This is what was the guest room, a pretty tiny bedroom (that's a queen bed; a king would fill the room lol) in this little house, but so cosy, and nice and bright in the morning as that window faces east. Makes me happy that the sun wakes me up. MacGyver not so much!

Quilt Stats:
Pattern: An original design, 'A Roll of the Dice'.
Size: 18 1/4" after quilting
Fabric: Free Motion Fantasy by Amanda Murphy for Benartex
Backing: as above
Batting: can't recall for sure, but think it was a scrap of Hobbs Cotton
Quilted: on my Bernina
Threads: Aurifil 100% cotton 28 and 50 wt top and bobbin.

Linking up
Sew Fresh Quilts
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Busy Hands Quilts
The Madd Quilter
TGIFF at Quilty Girl
Quilt & Learning - What a Combo! (Free Motion Mavericks is this linky party you must check out)

Dizzy Quilts for the Q2 FAL

16 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear that your application to be an Aurifil Artisan was not accepted, Sandra. You would surely have been a wonderful advocate for them and I don't envy the people who have to make the tough choices. That being said, what a fun pillow! It looks wonderful on the day bed which is full of such beautifully handmade quilty goodness by you. :)

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  2. Pretty and the back matches perfectly!

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  3. Love your pillow, Sandra! How fun to make those same blocks as your runner, but in miniature. The backing fabric is beautiful - I agree, it needs to be on the front of a quilt!

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  4. Love that pillow and the back is just to die for. Aurifil is missing out by not selecting you!!

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  5. Aurifil selection criteria must be like applying to have cataract surgery.!!! They are the losers, and I am so sure you will travel along with something else. Love those pillows , and morning sun, we get it in our bedroom in the summer, in winter it rises too far to the north to peep in, but in the afternoon, I can sunbathe on our bed!!! Lovely to have thread weights with different spool tops.

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  6. It looks great. And that back is awesome. Sorry you weren't selected...you would have been an awesome ambassador for Aurifil. Maybe next year.

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  7. Hi Sandra, what a great pillow and runner. They look great on the guest bed. It must be so wonderful sleeping in that covered with quilted love!
    Thanks so much for linking up to Free Motion Mavericks :-)

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  8. I love your pillow and the quilting! Sorry to hear you didn't get selected by Aurifil, their loss.

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  9. I thought about trying out for Aurifil but then I thought I better not get too many hands in the fire and get too much pressure. Love your pillow and yes it looks great on the bed.

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  10. Good morning, Sandra,
    Love it when your emails arrive just as I turn on my computer, 3 time zones away.
    Do love your pillow and the quilting on same.
    Who knows what criterion companies use for Ambassadors? Not sure if there are any Canadian aurifil ambassadors as have not explored the group with that filter. Could this be a "if at first you don't succeed?" Have a lovely weekend. Thanks for dropping in to my mailbox.

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  11. Those fabrics are so fun and colorful - I like both projects!! But the pillow..... I think I might need to make one!! too fun!

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  12. Another great finish. I love the colors, the design and the quilting. The backing fabric is gorgeous. You really know how to stretch those fabrics to cover many projects. The pillow looks great with the others and the bed runner and the quilt. I can only imagine how disappointed you were to hear the Aurifil had not picked you up as an ambassador. You would be a wonderful advocate for their projects. I hope it does not stop you from trying again next year. Hang in there.

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  13. I am surprised Aurifil didn’t choose you ..... in fact I’m almost speechless!
    Your quilting is amazing, Sandra!
    Great pillows, runner and bedspread.
    Hugs,
    Barbara xx

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  14. Sorry about the Aurifil rejection - but as you said you have so much to keep you busy. I feel like adding one more would mean almost no sewing for myself. I love this pillow and that guest bed looks so inviting with all your work on it.

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  15. Not sure how I missed this post, but what a pretty pillow and runner. IB fabric is just beautiful; the feel of the fabric is so different than other batiks. I've enjoyed working with the scraps I have. Love the look of the guest bed with the quilt and pillows and runner. Sorry about the Aurifil rejection. Just for fun, I applied too (and got rejected, which I anticipated).

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  16. I love how you reduced the blocks to create a cushion! It looks wonderful. I received a "thanks, but no thanks" from Aurifil as well :(

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