Follow Your Dreams

I made this stunning cushion using some special fabrics.

Check out the way the Emerald City shimmers with the variegation in the fabric.

I painted lots of gold glitter on the road, red glitter onto the shoes, green glitter on the City... there is a rainbow in the sky... 

I think I am going to love making a few of these. This one is a gift, and I am going to need at least one for me!!

Dobby Four Who?

I might have made a few too many Dobby cushions.... hehehaheheeheh

This one might just end up in our home... perhaps on a HP tribute cave or book reading nook....

I have one more half made... I wonder who will end up with this one! 

I love Dobby. I love Harry Potter.

Follow Your Dreams cushion

I have really enjoyed making this applique series. 

I have chosen sparkly fabrics, and some with light and depth, then painted more sparkles, some contrast and added free motion machine embroidery details.

This is such a special concept to me, that I think I will make a small quilt.

I need something to enter into the local agricultural show or the crafts section will close. It was pitifully small last year. I hope that it can keep going until my daughter is able to enter.

You've Had The Power All Along

In the swag of presents brought by Santa last Christmas, came the original movie "The Wizard Of OZ" on DVD. 70 year anniversary edition. 

It has been a long, long time since I saw the movie one rainy Saturday as a child when we didn't have videos, and we watched "old movies" on tv on a Saturday arvo.

 I started to watch it with 2, 6 and 7 yos a few weeks ago (we are only half way through, and need to finish watching it this weekend, for Mummy's sake at least).. And since then some ideas started to percolate... and I spied some fabric here, and some fabric there... and someone mentioned getting ready for the local agricultural show, and before you know it, I have bought fabrics to make a Wizard of OZ applique quilt for myself to put in the show...

And then there was mention of a TV/movie handmade challenge item.... and so it ended that, Thursday night (not much sleep, very restless as we are bang between 2 lunar eclipses), I could not get it out of my head, and I started to make a cushion.

Drawn outline ready to trace onto fusible web.

 All fused down.

 Will need some sparkles...  fabric medium added to the paint...

And here it is with details free motion embroidered, and sparkles painted into the road, the shoes and the city. I love the bit of rainbow in the sky.

And who knows how the border will turn out. It might have writing in the border, but I am not sure.

Rainbow Daze

So many pieces are being finished at the moment. 

They've been on the go for a little while, and I am in a crazy finishing mode. I have no idea how many items I have finished this year, as I am still catching up on blogging posts, and need to add a list of finished items for 2018 to the sidebar.

 I reckon by March I will have time to count how many pieces have been finished this year so far!

This rainbow unicorn cushion features machine applique again (I am looooving it!), and free motion machine embroidery. This one is also for a collaboration in March, and I hope to show photos of the other two items together with my contribution after the others have been made. Come on girls, pull your finger out!

Fairy Nightgarden cushion

Every now and then you finish something you really love... and this is no exception. 

It's a cushion, but I have stitched in LED lights.

 It's obviously going to be decorative as it cannot be washed, just spotcleaned and vacuum cleaned.

Whack in 3 AA batteries, and the ambience can go all night in a bedroom, on the couch or in a sacred space.

I am in love, and will be making more cushions with the LED features.

Dobby The Third

I have so enjoyed making appliques, that here is  Dobby The Third cushion.

I love the way the individual batik fabrics create slightly different looks between each caricature of the Elf. In true home made fashion, no hand created piece looks the same!

The outer border has been made in a glittery fairy frost fabric to match the finger snap indicating magic. The original border fabric I used was a licensed Harry Potter digital print, and it is no longer available in Australia. I found it in the U.S. But by the time the dollar is converted and shipping is added, it would be $40 Australian per yard. (yard!!)

And so, I am saving the tiny skerricks I have left of that gorgeous print for my own future projects. I suspect the shreds I have left will be those tiny pieces that don't get used for a long time as they are saved for something special. Hmm... what to do....

Hedwig

I have so many new finished items to share with you, as I have been very busy behind the scenes.

This is the second Hedwig cushion I have made. I think on the first one, Hedwig was a different size.

And of course other differences between individual artistic pieces come about because I have freemotion embroidered the details in the feathers.

Hedwig is appliqued in a pearly fairy frost fabric, then feather details are embellished.

This cushion will be part of a handmade collaboration with a candle maker and polymer clay artist. I will share pictures of the trio closer to the release date in March.

I adore the licensed fabric in the borders.

Have a great day.
Rainey x

Magickal House Elf

Hello everyone,

This is the second Dobby cushion I have made. I used the same fabrics, but the variations in the hand dyes and my hand guided machine embroidery mean that they are quite different.

I've also added a bit of shading to Dobby's face, which adds more depth.

This second one also looks a bit less angry than the first one.

I absolutely love this cushion, and so does his new owner. It's a custom piece. I have another one to make for an upcoming collaboration in the Harry Potter theme. I hope to share photos of the themed trio closer to the release date in March.

I need to get hold of some more licensed print fabric as I have SOO many ideas for this series of cushions, and maybe a quilt or two.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Rainey x

Zen Den cushion

Zen Den is the name I have given to this cushion. A soft green batik background with relaxing green stone borer, and the Buddha's face is appliqued from a pearly coloured fairy frost fabric.

I have then hand guided free motion machine embroidery to create the Buddha's face.

 This is going to be part of a collaboration to form a set.

An essential oils box, the relaxing cushion, and some handmade soaps in the shape of Buddha and crystals.

I hope to post photos of the sets when they are completed in March.

The rainbow butterfly

Hello everyone,

This next cushion - the rainbow butterfly is for an upcoming collaboration in March. The theme for the three items is rainbow butterfly.

I will post pictures of the finished trio probably in about a month or so. Why have I made it so early? Because silly me, I am trying to make about 17 items for that week, and need to start now or they will not be made in time.

I am very grateful for the collaboration groups, because the inspiration coming to me is superb. When the stimulus just works, the results are fantastic.

 I know that I will be making at least another 2 of these after the collaboration event, just because they are so gorgeous. Perfect for a little girls' room. I love the contrast of the black with the bright batiks.

Thanks for stopping by. xo

Pegasus

Hello everyone, Today I am sharing a stunning uni-cushion completed for a custom order. 

 I adore the cloud fabric with rainbows, and only have enough of it for one more cushion.

 I bought the fabric at one of my local quilt shops, but it's very pricey there, and they sell that particular fabric for $32 per metre. Needless to say, I don't buy much there, if I can get it elsewhere.

 The body is made from fairy frost fabrics, the wings are made from Shimmer.

I put it onto my facebook page Sew Rainey Sew , and immediately had requests for 2 more the same. Who would've thought? I made one very similar last year and it didn't sell for ages. You just can't tell what will go and when... and I think the colours really make it special.

Beary Nice and a little bit Corny

Hello everyone,

I totally enjoyed making this teddybear cushion using patterns from Lil Blokes in Bendigo,Victoria. I ordered the pattern and some fabrics and some pencils from Lynn, and she sent me instructions on how to make the faces.

I adored making them, and I love the way the faces came up looking 3 dimensional.

Looking at the cushion overall afterwards, I would say these "country" themed colours are not as popular as purple, pink and teal at the moment.

And this cushion probably seems quite dull in comparison to others I have been working on.

Saying that, I just mean that it doesn't appeal to everyone, but then what does? Although it hasn't found a home yet, I am sure that it will in the near future.

I also bought a golly pattern from Lil Blokes as my sister is expecting her second bub in March, and I have some stitching to do! Looking forward to showing and telling when I get that started (but first to finish the Toy Story quilt for my other nephew!)

Oh! And here is an update on a custom uni-quilt. Chosen in fairy frost glitter pink background, this is what I have done so far.

Next, free motion embroidery details on the unicorn, and then it's off for quilting.

Puff Baby

Hello everyone

This is Puff Baby, the dragon that even in infancy brings themes of strength, self growth, rising above circumstance and seeing a situation clearly.

Made using metallic gold feature fabric for the body, shimmery and glittery fabrics with a dragon eye border. Plain back backing.

I've used a Tula Pink cat fabric for the border, because to me it looks like dragon eyes as well.

The body is a metallic gold feathery print, that suits dragon scales wonderfully.

He is a little sweetheart. Dragon came into play for me big time at the end of last year.

 I think I will make some other baby dragon cushions.

Love Has Wings

Hello everyone,

this uni-cushion is a commission piece from my cousin for her mother's best friend. 

The best friend loves unicorns, and is receiving cancer treatments.

 My cousin loves her mother, and this cushion was not only made to comfort her mother, but the best friend too.

Cushions can do that. They are a cuddly in bed or on the couch.

I named it "Love Has Wings", perfectly conveying the sentiments from my cousin, and her mother (my aunt).

Skulls and Roses cushion 2

I love this combination of the quilted skulls and appliqued roses SO MUCH that I had to make another one.... 

Ooh...... it's almost too much excitement!

I must buy some more of this roses fabric.

Feeling content

Woohoo! It's a very exciting place to be in with two finished items posted today. *sigh*

All I needed was an hour or so on the sewing machine (which is now home again, with a newly inserted "bobbin stopper", whatever that is) to finish two projects!

 Front of the embroidered cushion

 Back of the embroidered cushion - a special yoga festival gift of gratitude

It's traditional to send flowers, but I think this kind will last longer.

The Swedish Baby Quilt which I named "Swedish Baby Garden". It is an absolute joy to complete a project that has made your heart sing!

 I know my sister is going to love it. It is her colours all over. I am sure she will send photos of the quilt in the nursery and with her Bub which is now 37 weeks cooked - this means Bub could be born at any time.

 The back is just as fun. Little mushroom fabrics surrounded by a red spot binding reminds me of Amanita mushrooms (toadstools). I love the contrast and the garden feel.

Congratulations Feupie, I am so excited for you.

And that's two parcels by registered post today. Oh! Feeling so content with these finishes.