polaroids

The other day I received some squishy mail – it was a package from Debbie at A Quilter’s Table filled with 40 polaroid blocks!

Debbie had set up this swap earlier in the summer and she had an overwhelming response as over 60 swapper signed up and she had to organize over 1000 blocks!  In July I had mailed off 40 blocks to swap for 40 different blocks and no I have an assortment of 40 blocks back.  Added to the doubles I made of the ones I sent, I now have 80 different blocks!  

Debbie also sent along a sweet little square of a polaroid to make an additional block.

I love this block!  So unique!

And remember I put this together when I was making my own blocks?

Well, last night I finally made something out of it.  The block had been sitting on my sewing table looking at me from under a stack of fabric for too long and I decided it needed to be used.  Turns out I had an old pillow laying around that needed a cover.  The pillow was almost the perfect size for the block and I only had to add a small strip of black sashing all the way around.

I then took the plunge that always scares me most – I quilted it.  I kept it minimal and only sewed around the polaroid square.

I used this old flannel I had in my stash for the… well, I don’t know what it’s called, but I used it here.  It was originally from my mom’s stash so I have no idea where it’s from, but now that I used it, I think it’s kind of cute.

I made and envelope style back with black and this cream on dark brown text fabric that I picked up on our holiday to BC.  I only got a clearance FQ so there was no selvedge info.

I only had the one FQ of the text fabric and then I ended up cutting it wrong!  So instead of the writing reading left to right when the pillow is right side up, you have to turn the pillow. Oh well, nobody’ll care, right?

Here’s the finished pillow sitting on my couch.

That makes two nice pillows in my living room and they are both completely different.  The other is the pink chevron pillow I made last winter.  But really, I don’t have a theme or anything going on anyway, so in that case everything matches!

And now that got to play with polaroids again and fell in love with them all over again, I, ahem, joined a second polaroid swap, the Say Cheese! Polaroid Block Swap.  I know – what am I doing!  I am busy enough!  

This one is based out of Australia and is mainly for Aussies, but they let me be an honourary Aussie.  So, another 35 blocks are going out and coming back!