A little Spring pillow ( please click title to view this post in your web browser)

 Hello again, friends!

This past week has been such a wonderful Spring-y week! The temperatures are warming up, and the birdies, squirrels, bunnies, and chipmunks have come out of hiding and are very busy...much to the delight of our 2 dogs who love to chase anything that dares come into our yard! But no worries, the little critters are much too fast and crafty to get caught by our dogs, and I swear sometimes that I hear them teasing our dogs with their chittering, just out of reach!

All this nice weather and sunshine is really popping out the bulbs, and I have been enjoying cleaning up the winter debris and making our gardens look presentable again. 

It also made me want to add a fun spring pillow to our living room chair, which, up to this week, still had a snowman pillow and Christmas quilt draped over it ( tsk, tsk, tsk!).

So I pulled out some fun scraps, put together a little scrappy tulip, and started my design....with the help of some new "toys" that just arrived in the mail ;). 

Are you familiar with the Accuquilt cutting systems? It is a die cutting system that allows you to roll your fabric through a machine, along with your chosen die and a mat, and when it comes out the other end you have perfectly cut shapes. Super convenient and very easy for people that have a hard time exerting enough pressure on rulers while rotary cutting. There are 4 different machines available, all the way from the small, really portable one, to the professional one that quilt shops use to cut their fabric. 

I treated myself to the GO! about 5 or 6 years ago, along with some dies, and have used it once in a while, to make this specific project, or that, but that was about the extent of it. 

But last week I attended one of their online workshops and they had some specials that I couldn't pass up, so that explains the new toys~Ha! 

As you know, I started a new quilt based on an old quilt that I own and it requires a LOT of 2.5 inch squares. So when I saw the die that cuts 9 of these squares at the same time I was SOLD! 2 1/2 inch squares just always come in handy so I think I will get my money's worth from that purchase ( just imagine how many mini charm packs I can make myself now!). 

( click here for link)

The other die that I thought would be so fun to own is the scallop die. I love adding scallops to just about anything, but normally I make them with rulers and by tracing  bowls, and lots of trial and error. The scallop die allows you to fold your fabric to make up to an 84 inch long scalloped piece of fabric! 

( click here for link)

Here is my scallop edge on my little pillow: 

Doesn't that just make you want to squeal?? ( I may have, just a little....). I might just go a little overboard making scalloped everything in the next few months.... an intervention may be required...

But anyway, back to my little pillow:

I found a teeny little tulip icon in a magazine and I redrew the shapes out in the size I wanted  and then dove into my scraps and pulled out some fun colors to make the tulip. I also rolled some scraps through my die-cutter and sewed the resulting squares together...super fast and easy ( as a matter of fact I was having so much fun rolling that die through my machine that I made a few too many squares...OOPS!). Then I fused some Heat 'n Bond Lite to the back of my dotty fabric and ran it through my machine along with the scallop die, and voila! Super easy and super fun! 

 

After some machine applique and some quick quilting, I was ready to add an envelope back to my front.

And there you have the final result! 

Turned out super sweet, even if I do say so myself, and it took no time at all! I'm thinking I should put together a little kit for anyone who is interested!

Here are a few more pics: 

I am providing links to products mentioned in this post for your convenience. If you happen to buy something through one of my links I will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting me in this small way!

Accuquilt cutter and dies ( click)

2.5 inch die ( click)

Scallop die ( click)

Mats to go with dies ( click)

Until next time~happy creating!

Monique