Ashley's Pillow is Finished!

I'm all done with Ashley's pillow!

I wanted to add piping around the edge, but it didn't go on too well or look like I thought it would, so I took it off and finished it up without it.  My mom was sweet enough to come over and help me with it, but she didn't have any luck with the piping either.  I think the pillow turned out just fine without it.

Ashley can leave the ribbons on that will hold her rings or not when she gets home! 

AND... for those of you curious enough, here's what the back looks like.

I ended up making a pillow insert rather than using the one I bought, so now, I can make a new pillow for us as well.

Little Love Birds

I am almost done with Ashley's ring bearer's pillow.

I finished up the last of the weaving and decided I felt like it really needed something more. Something somewhat subtle.

So, I took some of the advice from the comments on the previous post and decided to add some light thread painting.

I had a VERY hard time trying to trace the image onto the top since it is now three layers thick. Even with my handy dandy light table it was difficult, so I'm now on a mission to find a way to transfer a design directly onto the fabric. (Any quilters out there that have suggestions, PLEASE make them.)

I ended up using a blue marking pen that washes out with water and it made me so nervous marking on the top of my piece. This is the first time I have ever tried this and even though I did test it to make sure it washed out like it said it did it still didn't come out like I think it was supposed to. It absorbed heavily into the ribbon woven in and I had a heck of time getting it out.  I am pretty certain I will NOT do this EVER again.

I kept washing it with my little washcloth and going back to the ironing board to iron it and more blue would appear out of no where. I am certain there is a better way and I'm making it my mission to figure that out.

Once I finally got all the marking pen off, I then ironed it with some steam to make sure it lay flat. Honestly, this is an ongoing issue I have with the heavy thread work, but I'm finding it to be less and less of an issue and stabilizer really plays a big role in helping the thread work to stay flat.

Then, I layered it and got it quilted. I didn't want the quilting to detract from the weaving and all those ribbons, so I kept it very simple and inconspicuous.

Lastly, I trimmed it up. I bought a preform pillow that is 14" X 14", but looking at it all finished up, I am thinking it needs to be a little smaller than this, so I am going to make my own insert and have it be more like 10"X10".  This will also be better for Ashley since she will have to travel with it.  Smaller is better.

Either way, I should be finished in the next couple of days, then I'm back to working on the blue and red piece and the contemplation of a banjo strap!

The Beginnings of a Ring Bearer's Pillow.

Things have been busy around here. We adopted a PUPPY and I got a new TATTOO!! (Posts coming)  Not to mention it has been BEAUTIFUL outside and it is hard to be inside when we are getting our first tastes of Spring here in Georgia.

In the evenings, after dinner, when night begins to fall I have been working on Ashley's ring bearer's pillow.

I am thoroughly enjoying exploring weaving fabric. I decided  this was the direction I wanted to take with Ashley's pillow. (Honestly, it is about all I am thinking about with fabric these days and how to get more out of it because it just looks so cool - I've got some great ideas in my mind of pieces I want to try making it work in.)

I cut strips of wonder under 2 inches X 8 1/2" wide (this is half the length of wonder under by the yard - it seems to be a great size for me to work with.)

Then, I iron it to my fabric and cut it out.

Since it is going to be a ring bearer's pillow and Ashley's dress is off white, I'm using a few different shades of whites and off whites to make it more interesting rather than just off white.  

I then pull the paper off the back of the 2" strips and trim them down to 1/2" strips.  I like getting the paper off earlier rather than later because it's easier to get off.  You do not have to pull it off until you are ready to iron, but I like having it out of the way before I start weaving.

I starched my muslin -heavily.  And I cut it a little bigger than I want the pillow to end up. Then I lightly made a line 1" from the edge of the fabric to have a starting point and began weaving.

I decided while gathering supplies for the pillow I wanted to make it even fancier looking, so I'm adding strips of ribbon in.  If you look closely, you can see them in this picture.  They stay put when the wonder under sticks to them.  I am using an ironing cloth over everything when I iron to keep them from melting under the heat of the iron since some ribbons do this.

It's coming along nicely.  I should be done with the weaving this weekend and ready to do some stitching on top and get it made into the pillow.

My plan is to add the ribbons that will hold the rings on by hand so they can easily be removed when the love birds get home.

Now, it's opinion time... I can't decide whether to add an image to it or not.  I like it just as it is because it looks more traditional, but since she's going to be using it in her home, it might be nice to have one.  I don't want to tell you what I am thinking of doing IF I do one because I want it to be a SURPRISE, but I would love to hear what you all think - especially YOU, Ashley!

A Gift

What do these pictures all have in common?

They are the beginnings of a ring bearer pillow for my dear friend Ashley.

Ashley is getting married in Costa Rica and she leaves one month from today.  I was supposed to go, but finances and life are standing in my way.  I am deeply saddened to have to miss such an important day in her life.  She is by far one of my dearest friends.  We tried hard to save up the money, but it was to no avail and here it is one month from her trip and the least I can do is provide her with a ring bearer's pillow.

Her day will be awesome and she will be beautiful.

 She deserves all the happiness life has to offer us in our earth walk.

Of all the people I know, Ashley has worked the hardest on herself to love herself and embrace her own awesomeness.  (The awesomeness all her friends already know she has.)  It is pure joy to watch and to get to walk along side of her while she transforms herself and her story about herself.  

My gift to her is a ring bearer's pillow that she will be able to use in her home as a daily reminder of the moment when she and Kris untied their rings and placed them on each other's fingers.  A small memento of the moment they committed to each other to be together in this life for better and for worst.

My sincerest hope is that Kris and Ashley will find the joy of being married like Jason and I have found and that their love will only grow deeper and more powerful.

I hope to start cutting fabric tonight, but I have to finish getting everything ready to turn in my entries for the Quilt Show.  Are you coming?