Category Archives: Pillows

Black White Red and Grey Improv Pillow

Another improv pillow! This pillow and needle book were gifts for a talented quilter and artist for the birthday swap we participate in on Instagram. She appreciates improv work and loves polka dots, red, black and grey. Linen, too. Metallic, even!

I pulled inspiration by exploring various art pieces such as abstract paintings, collages, and typography posters. I also used graphic design principles to embrace negative space and to incorporate line-work and balance, while maintaining spontaneity and fun.

I gladly dove into my linen stash: grey, white, cream, metallic (all Robert Kaufman except the metallic). I also used some Cloud9 Fabrics Cirrus Solids in Lava and Midnight.

The pillow is matchstick quilted, because sometimes, is there any other way?

I love how the palette made the overall design of the piece feel even more graphic.

– Daniela

The Tooth Fairy Makes a Visit

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Oh. My. Goodness. This Girl.

For the past year, my little love has been asking when her “teeth will start to get
wiggly, mamma?”

At the start of the school year, her first bottom tooth became very, very wiggly. Soon after, a second bottom tooth became very, very wiggly.

During the second week of school, one tooth was so loose it came out right before she went to bed. Ms. Tooth Fairy came and left my little gal some shiny half dollars and a nice note.

The next day, when I picked her up from school, the first thing she said was, “Mamma! Look!” She gave me one huge smile. Well, would ya look at that. The other tooth came out at school.

I posted this photo to my Facebook page.

I received a comment on that post that made me chuckle. My friend Jen suggested that my little Miss needed a Tooth Fairy Pillow, and fast. Oh, yes. She was right!

My gal picked her fabric. She chose Heather Ross’ Far Far Away (the reprint). I made the unicorn the center of attention as the pocket, quilted the front and the back of the pillow, over-stuffed and stitched.

My gal woke up to another note from the Tooth Fairy and more shiny half dollars. She keeps them in her pillow at all times. 😉

My gal’s growing up!

– Daniela

The On-Nee Pillow

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We made a pillow for my honey. The kids and I. You see, my honey does not have a quilt just yet. The kids have quilts. I have a quilt (a very small one!). But my honey, no…he has no quilt. We wanted to make him a gift, but it had to be something we could all manage to make for him. A pillow! Perfect!

I chose colors and fabrics that he prefers that are from my favorite designers (Anna Maria Horner, Carolyn Friedlander, Denyse Schmidt). Oh, and linen…linen, how I love you so. Let us not forget the pops of orange to go with our family room. Have I mentioned yet that I love lots of color?

I went full force with the improvisational piecing. I used scissors. Gasp! Scissors, you ask? Yes! It’s so freeing to work in this way, I love it. When I work improv, it’s like working on a painting for me. I may have an idea of where I am going, but not a solid one. It changes as I create. It gets better, sometimes not, but because I make up the rules, it always works out in the end. ; )

My son did a great job doing some of the piecing.

My daughter and I quilted the organic lines. She’s so proud. Look at that smile!

Why the On-Nee pillow, you ask? My honey and I, refer to each other as “On-Nee” as a term of endearment. We picked that up from my parents. They call each other “Honey” but because they do not pronounce their H’s in English because they are native Italian speakers, they pronounce it “On-Nee.” Cute, right?

-Daniela