Airplane Foundation Piecing

 I made a quilt block for someone here in my small town.

 I say small but apparently my blogger friend in the UK knows two people in my teeny, tiny, town. Benta is one of the most thoughtful sewing people I know and she often shows up in the comments of a blog I follow. - I tend to collect writers and sewists from Oregon. What a small world it is....

This gal I'm making the block for put a call out for blocks from anywhere in the world to make a quilt and I had to join in.

It only took three weeks to happen...ahem.

 I wanted to send her an airplane block.

When I opened my box where I keep certain airplane treasures, I found two blocks from when I last sewed them (Mikey is now nine years old).

This red one is done and just needs the outer sashing. I used a Aunt Grace '30's reproduction fabric. Tickles. An airplane made of airplanes.

 Many years ago, I bought this rubber stamp from ByrdsNestQuiltShop during one of my SewExpo forays.

Because it had an airplane on it.

The stamp is numbered from one to ten.

 It takes nine seams to make this block.

You start with your first fabric right side up over the stamped muslin covering the number one space. Then you place the #2 second piece over that first piece RST and flip it over to sew the seam between #1 & #2. Finger press and sew the third piece down in the same way.

You have to be careful to use a scrap big enough to cover that area and extend out past the seam lines. Lots of scrap wastage.

Foundation piecing differs from paper piecing because you sew through a muslin foundation and sew from the back side. Flipping it over, back to the front, seam on the back.

It's supposedly more accurate than paper piecing, specially at the corners,  but it's all fiddly. I'm happy to make a couple but making enough for an entire quilt? No thank you.

One blue airplane block done.

FYI: This stamp pad is over twenty years old and did wash out from the white (easily).
Stamp makes a 3" square inner image.

Rusty update: He's back in remission on his pancreatitis attack a month ago. He's 14 years old and I think we needed to adjust his pain meds to make him more comfortable. I swear he looked like he was dying a month ago, and now? back to being an old dog.

Fox Face Pattern Release

 I was asked to pattern test this Fox face.

That's cuz I'm impressive. Right?
I thought this was cute and easy and I was happy to help.
The fox face is constructed via piecing techniques. Very easy pattern with row three being the most difficult. After you piece each row, then you sew them together.

The pieced pattern is for the face. As in 16 faces - for a quilt. I just had to make one and then decide myself what to make of it.
Making 16 of the same blocks is not my forte.


I like how mine turned out and I thought a reading pillow would be nice.
Looking though my fabric stash, I found this old thrifted white chenille/hobnail bedspread that wanted to lend some fringe to the project.

 I managed to sneak some subtle airplane fabric in on the ears.

You can either sew eyes out of fabric or enhance them with buttons.

 I used the face fabric - a cotton/bamboo blend to sash out the pillow.
I hand-stitched a border of  embroidery floss in orange and turquoise to coordinate.

 Don't you love these old chenille/hobnail bedspreads? My grandma had them on her twin beds when I was growing up.

You can purchase this pattern in Sandra's LimePhosphate Etsy store.

She writes about her first pattern release over on her blog here.

Pendleton Pillows

I made a barter deal with my cubicle-mate, Darcy. She's getting a new couch and I told her I would sew her a couple of pillows. When I pulled out my home dec boxes and wools, I found this Pendleton Wool that worked with her colors.



I found this Pendleton Wool at a garage sale in Aurora (I remember exactly where!) probably 15 years ago.

A UFO.

A jacket (and lining) that was cut out and ready to sew up but the sew-er lost interest. I loved it because it was Pendleton wool.


This wool 'jacket' UFO languished in my stash until the Darcy project. I was going to mix and match some wools with pleather for the back side. Some strips, some rectangles. Random strips.

I was going to make a cording rolled edge but didn't have cording the right size and, frankly, I just needed to make pillows and not get all fancy on the design.

While the back is sewed with strips of coordinating wools from my stash, I loved the simplicity of it when I finally turned the corner this morning into having a finished project.


Here's the UFO pattern - Simplicity 9522. Vintage 80's length meant I had plenty of material. The second pillow front was pieced in the upper corners (armhole scye) but not that you would ever notice.
Utilizing my black vinyl pleather set up a good contrast with the deep red of the wool.


Various wools littering my sewing room floor. Those two pieces in center front are the left & right hand fronts to the jacket. I still have plenty of wool left!


I love these pillows. Darcy and I might have custody issues over these stunning Pendleton pillows!

Darcy and I had each others backs during my Portland detail job. She made me go walking at lunchtime -down by the river and to check in on the police horses every day - five times a week. She went with me on 'field trips', to the print shop, downstairs to drop our mail and other breaks. She kept me sane while I was commuting and working so many hours.
Her barter is to give a me a bunch of vintage sewing supplies.


Even better, I managed to piece two pillows that basically match - pretty dang well.

Here's my pieced back. I lightened (contrast/brighten) the photo up and the reds went a bit fuscia.

Everything came from my stash, including an 18"  & 22" zippers. They are both blue. I used a flap to cover the zipper and that turned out well.

My tip for making pieced pillows like this is start and try to keep to 19" wide - for an 18" pillowform (knowing I will be using 1/4" serged seams at the end).  However, fabrics shift while sewing and what you are really headed for is 18 1/4" by the time you trim &  serge the edges together with a 1/4" seam. This makes the finished pillow top 17.75" which makes the 18" pillowform sit tighter inside - poufing out those corners.

If anyone wants the multi-sized UFO jacket pattern, holler at me and I will mail it to you.