Every year I get an idea for handmade Christmas presents and every year I think "Oh, I'll just do those in December" and every year I end up nabbing stuff from the store or cobbling something completely different together on New Year's Eve. Not so this year! Here it is Thanksgiving Eve and I'm all finished except for the wrapping, and that’s even done for 1 of these 4 pillows! Here they are:
This pillow, unfortunately, reminded me why don’t often quilt.
This paper-pieced pattern of old-fashioned pincushions jumped out at me and I wanted to give it a shot. I got on a bit of a roll after the one below but am now back in my place. Quilters, please don’t look closely! I think my friend will like it, though. It closes with a center back invisible zipper because I didn’t want to risk all those little paper-pieced seams getting mauled by a seam-ripper or making the zipper hard to zip. Problems avoided.
The one that started it all:
A lantern pillow based on
this quilt pattern for one who loves all things Japanese. My friend can be quite sophisticated so the back is solid black. It closes on the side with an invisible zipper (my favorite kind).
For the one who loves Disney’s Beauty and the Beast a Belle pillow! It is not quilted. She really loves the movie so I hope she’s able to recognize what this is. There are many, many variations of this dress, even on Disney products! I used the dress in the movie as my inspiration and added the roses because it needed “this is Belle’s dress” advertising. The neckline in lighter yellow is curved to give more shape and tacked down so it doesn’t flip up. It ties in the back and closes with a center invisible zipper. See?
The above giftees and I all hang out together, more or less, but this next pillow is for someone I’ve been friends with since preschool. We get together for TV/movie nights and are currently watching Warehouse 13. Warning: Mild spoilers ahead.
The Studio 54 disco ball with wooden crate background. The zipper has a Studio 54 logo pull. She found this artifact really funny so I had to run with it.
This tutorial on appliquéing circles was very helpful. I modified it by slipping a circle of poster board between the interfacing and fabric to keep the “ball” round while fusing to the “crate”.
The back fabric is meant to allude to why the disco ball is in the warehouse and Lewis Carroll’s mirror. Of course, what kind of friend would I be if I just handed her an artifact?
As you can see in the bottom right square, a mylar emergency blanket turned neutralizing gift bag will do the trick! Let me tell you: Mylar really is tough! The stuff does not tear unless you cut it. I put it though its paces. Whether or not it can be ironed, I don’t know, but my iron doesn’t want to find out the hard way. The pic above it is the zipper pull.
And here they all are together:
Eclectic, huh? I know they aren’t perfect, but I think they’re going to be well-liked. Present-exchange anxiety is worse than swap anxiety! Do any of you have that problem?
