Applique Basket Pillow

I am in pillow mode these day. With holiday sewing and packing and shipping done, I’m puttering in the sewing room, looking around for WIPs to finish up before the end of the year. There are plenty to choose from, but with 12-31-11 creeping ever closer, small projects are catching my eye. (Sorry Kaleidoscope top and “Hot Mess” whatever you’ll be… you might end up with 2012 completion dates on your tags).

What you see above was made by adding borders to this 12″ block (one of my many remnants from Blockapalooza madness in early 2011):

Had to photograph this one flat, as it is for a 20″ pillow form, of which I discovered I have none. A situation to be remedied soon, but for now you’ll have to imagine it filled out.

The back is made from some home-dec weight fabric in a fabulous diagonal basket weave pattern. Here’s a look at that, and the lapped zipper:

I’ve had the basketweave fabric in the stash for eons. It was meant to become one of two new cushion covers for our ratty old papasan chairs, but years have gone by there is still no sign I’ll get to that particular project any time soon. Figured I might as well put the fabric to use. The nice thing about home dec weight fabric for a pillow back is it doesn’t require quilting. Which means more time to take the extra steps of adding a zipper and binding the edge.

In spite of my complete infatuation with how the checkerboard border worked out, this is a little country-cottagey for me. I’m going to set it aside for eventual listing in the Etsy shop I’m still months away from opening. In the meantime, I have other pillow covers to finish up, and a UFO finish to show off as soon as I get a few more pictures edited and commentary drafted.

What’s on your list to finish up before the end of the year?

Tagged as: basket block, Blockapalooza, machine applique, pillow cover