April Blog Hop Day 4

Welcome to the final day of our April Blog Hop! We hope you've enjoyed meeting these bloggers and seeing what they've created with our fabrics as much as we have!

Today we have a sweet pillow ornament tutorial from Wendy at Ivory Spring. We've featured Wendy here on the blog before, so you may be familiar with her work, but be sure to check out her blog. She does a beautiful job machine quilting her own work, and she's had quite a few quilts featured in magazines. To add to the eye candy, she takes incredibly appealing photos of her quilts and the quilting she does on them. She's an inspiring quilter to follow! 

After you're done looking through her tutorial, make sure to enter the giveaway for a fat quarter bundle of Antoinette at the bottom of this post.  And be sure to head over to Ivory Spring to say hello to Wendy and check out the free quilt pattern she designed using the Antoinette fabric line.! 

Hello, my name is Wendy Sheppard and I blog over at Ivory Spring.  It is an honor to be part of Benartex's April blog hop!

I am in love with pillow ornaments because they are super quick to make as gifts or decorative accents.  Today I am going to share with you a SPRING pillow ornament. 

You will need:

• Antoinette FQ's
• A piece of ribbon (or two)
• Craft stuffing
• Paper-backed fusible web
• Pressing cloth
• Basic sewing notions

The fabrics I used are from the Antoinette collection.

I selected the fabrics below for the constructing the pillow and cut them as follows.  You can definitely pick your own favorites:

a.  three 2" x 4-1/2" rectangles

b.  one 1" x 5" rectangle

c.  one 2" x 5" rectangle

d.  one 5" x 6-1/2" rectangle for pillow back

Tip:  When cutting narrow pieces, I like to press starch my fabrics before cutting.  I find that the pieces tend not to distort as much when being handled.

I sewed the 2" x 4-1/2" rectangles together.

Then, I added the 1" x 5" rectangle.

And lastly, I added the 2" x 5" rectangle to complete the pillow top.

Tip:  When sewing narrow pieces together, make sure you are getting a 1/4" seam allowance.

Next up is what I think is the fun part and further makes the project an open-ended one.  Pick and trace the silhouette of a woodland animal you like that would fit the pillow top.  I picked a bunny.

Then, I traced the silhouette in reverse on the paper side of a piece of paper-backed fusible web.

I trimmed the fusbile web inside the applique shape outline , and then peeled off the paper on the untraced side of the fusible web, and carefully placed the bunny on the WRONG side of my applique fabric.  Press with a hot iron to fuse, using a pressing cloth.

I used a pair of sharp scissors to cut out the bunny applique shape.

I then gingerly remove the remnant of the paper backing from the applique piece, and place the applique piece on the pillow top.  Once I am happy with the placement, I fuse the applique piece with a hot iron, using a pressing cloth.

The next part is totally optional. 

#1.  At this point, you may choose to finish by doing blanket stitching around the applique shape.  I didn't for the bunny because I thought the stitches would be a little distracting on the overall look.  So I made sure I fused the bunny onto the pillow top REALLY good.  Click here to read about my tips on the blanket stitches.

#2.  I added a bit of embellishment at this point using a button and bow tied with embroidery floss.

Mark 1-1/4" from the short edges of the pillow back rectangle, and anchor the ribbon ends at the markings.

Place pillow back rectangle, right sides together, on pillow top.  Pin and sew, leaving a 2" opening for stuffing.  Clip corners, and carefully turn the pillow case right side out.  Press.  Stuff with stuffing.

Hand stitch the opening shut to complete pillow ornament.

 And the finished pillow:

p.s. Here's how to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Antoinette! 

1. Sign up to follow the blog via Google Friend Connect or via email (right hand sidebar) and then leave a comment here, telling us that you have done so. If you're already signed up, great! Just let us know.
2. Like us on Facebook and then leave a comment here, telling us that you have done so. If you already have, great! Just let us know.

The giveaway is open through Tuesday, April 23rd at 11:59 pm EST. We'll 

announce the winner Wednesday morning. 

**If you are a no-reply blogger, either leave us a way to contact you in your comment, or be sure to check back on Friday. If you win and we don't hear from you, we can't send you your fabric!**

See the schedule for the entire April blog hop here.

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Spotlight on our Elite Eight

We've hope you've been enjoying our version of March Madness as much as we have! The decisions have been tough, and the voting has been close, but you've narrowed the field from our original 16 fabric lines down to eight. 

Let's take a closer look at the remaining eight contenders, in alphabetical order.

Antoinette

Classic Jacobean designs by Michele D'Amore in a gorgeous chocolate and pink color combination. Don't miss the pencil stripes, tattersall plaid, and the double and triple print fabrics, perfect for borders and more.

Botanical Garden Balis

Rich, saturated colors in leaf and flower designs. Each fabric features a virtual rainbow of colors for a layered look, from coppers and golds to purples and greens. 

Ellie Ann

Romance is back with Eleanor Burns' collection, inspired by turn of the century English cottages. Delicate roses, wallpaper stripe, Victorian medallions and a patchwork print all come in three colors ways: mango, periwinkle, and classic pink.

 Keepsake Balis

Flowing vines and florals in a soft palette--you don't often see batiks done so well in pastels, perfect for the low-volume quilt craze going on right now! A few brighter colors complete the collection for added contrast.

Lili-fied

These bold and modern prints bring the beach to mind! Choose from an orange and fuchsia colorway, or cool blue and green. You'll love the big florals, stylized medallions, modern paisleys, and coordinating mini prints. 

Savannah

Nature at its finest in sketchbook form. These prints are reminiscent of pen-and-ink sketches and watercolor drawings, with some classic paisleys, florals and damasks mixed in, and don't forget the panel of ready-to-use floral blocks!

Somerset

This eclectic collection has everything from jumbo florals to cool stripes and geometric prints. It's a mixture of contemporary and classic prints that works, plain and simple. 

Sun-Kissed

Cool, colorful and contemporary. Leaves, sprays, florals, and oh-so-fun dotted circles set this collection apart. It's available in brights and black/white, as well as an oceanside spa-inspired palette of aquas, mocha, and green.

Remember, voting begins again on 3/26 on our Facebook page! Tell all your friends and be sure to cast your vote! 

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Day 12 Winner

Today we're announcing the name of the last winner of our 12 Days of Christmas contest. Thanks so much to everyone who joined in the fun! 

Day 12, the question was:

Which of Michele D'Amore's collections was named after the wife of French King Louis XIV?

The answer:

Antoinette

The winner:

Click here for a peek at the Antoinette line by Michele D'Amore!

Congratulations! We are sending you an email to get your mailing address. 

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