Completed Project #2

It's amazing how one little project can teach you so much about yourself.

The cross stitched center panel has been finished for I'm not sure how long (I made it for my younger brother's girlfriend their freshman year of college and they've since graduated if that's any indication). I'd always wanted to make it into a pillow, but the girl it was intended for became no longer a part of my brother's life so it sat.

Two days ago I thought it was a good time to finish it. I'd already bought the fat quarters for the sides and back, and even pre-trimmed the center panel. All I had to do was cut the calico and sew. Which brings me to the lessons I learned:

1. Math and I aren't friends. I thought I'd left plenty of room for seam allowances and overlap for the back (I used a technique from Sewing with Nancy where you have two pieces of fabric for the back so you can remove the cover without ripping out your stitching). However, the pillow bulges through that opening at the moment. I only hope that the fiberfill in the pillow will get squished eventually and the cover will fit better.

2. Old sewing machines can be tempermental, especially when you want to finish a project. I have my great-grandmother's sewing machine, and for the most part it works when I need it to, but it likes to screw up the tension from time to time. When I made the Rudolph book last week, everything was fine. This week I couldn't get the tension corrected.

3. Thank goodness I live close to my parents. Luckily I had access to my mother's sewing machine, so I was able to complete the project without much trouble.

Like most of my projects, this one has flaws, but all in all successful. I no longer have the center panel rolled up in a plastic tub or a 12" x 16" pillow floating around without a cover. Looks like this project completion challenge is paying off.

Happy crafting!