Experimenting with Pillows

Pillows seem to be the perfect way to change out the look of a room instantly without spending too much money or too much effort.

You can use the same filler but change out the covers by season (or not - mine are year-round!).

Its also a great way to live with a new look for awhile before plunging headlong into a decor flip.

For instance, I am experimenting adding some pale pink to my all pale blue and white interiors, to add color and warmth.
So far its working really well and I achieved the look just by using pink floral pillows from my own line of fabrics,available on Spoonflower:  LilyOake on Spoonflower

With the studio tour a few weeks away, I have had to make some realistically-based decisions on which projects I can get done and which will have to be in the fall tour.
I'm not going to kill myself to get most of the painted furniture done - if I was at home everyday, that wouldn't be a problem.  But I work outside my home for someone else, 40 hours a week, which leaves creative time limited, on top of housework, kitty care, a large yard, significant other care, laundry, cooking....and freelance design work too, besides sewing.

One thing I will try to get done is the dollhouse donated to me by a neighborhood family who were cleaning out their garage and decided it needed to go!  It sat for years, unloved and ignored and I seemed the best person who could bring it to life again.
Its getting a new paint job on the outside, with blue and pink WP inside, in every room!
(I'll blog about that later)

Meantime, pillows have dominated my world these past 2 weeks.  I completed the six heart-shaped pillows and do they look CUTE!
With Mother's Day the weekend after my art studio tour, I do hope they sell out (what a spectacular gift for Mom!!).
But I also did some larger throw pillows for sofas and chairs.
I added two more 20" square pillows and three 16" x 26" rectangle pillows.
All in cotton linen canvas, which is my favorite Spoonflower fabric!

So here they are, in all their glory!
I have more yardage on order so I can take commissioned orders and also to stock my ETSY shop.

Rosewitha Stripe on aqua linen cotton canvas

May Day Summer Roses on basil stripe linen cotton canvas

Rosewitha on peony stripe linen cotton canvas

16" x 26" linen cotton canvas pillows

Picnic at St Hubert Priory Gardens in sorbet pink

Cathleen's Heart in blueberry blue, on linen cotton canvas 20" pillow

Picnic at St Hubert Priory Gardens and Cathleen's Heart

May Day Weekend Studio Tour is Looming!

On May Day weekend (April 30th and May 1st/Saturday and Sunday), I will be participating in the "Arts North! Studio Tour".
Here's the link:

Arts North Studio Tour in North Seattle

I was going to be hosting a couple different artists but there is always a drop out rate so I'm down to one now, but she does beautiful and unusual pet portraits!

I will feature my fabric designs on soft home furnishings.
Some of the items I'll have for sale include large square pillows, rectangle pillows and sweet, heart-shaped pillows (perfect for Mother's Day).
Each pillow has a linen or cotton removable cover that is washable.

Fabric swatch covered, A2 sized greeting cards with appliqués and buttons.

Hand sewn scarves in both square neckerchief size or long and thin for wrapping around your neck several times.  They come in cottons, silk crepe de chines, poly crepe and poly satins.

Tea Towels in a range of colors and styles, from pastels to bright retro colors!  They are 55% linen and 45% cotton, are super absorbent and so pretty, you might just use them for display.

Lampshades in a couple of shapes and sizes.  From small barrel shaped to medium barrels, small cone shaped to mediums.  Covered in cottons and linen, to match my tea towels, tabletops and pillows!

Heart-shaped sachets in linen, filled with organic lavender from France and Oregon.

Cotton aprons in a couple of different styles, made from retro patterns!

Tabletoppers in linen cotton canvas.  A yard of the linen cotton is hemmed and finished, for use as a simple topper for any table.  Just enough to add color and pattern over an existing plain tablecloth or over a table that needs some softening up and color.

Framed prints on linen cotton canvas.  My watercolor tea pots, cups and accessories printed on linen cotton canvas, in a mat and a white frame.  Or my acrylic painted plates on linen cotton canvas, also matted and in a cottage white frame - ready to hang and enjoy!

If you're local, I'd love to see you there!!
It should be a warm weekend and I guarantee most of my lilacs will be in bloom by then!

Capetian Toile in sorbet, heart shaped pillow in production

Lake Maria Summer Roses heart pillow in cotton poplin

Capetian Toile in sorbet pink, for a heart shaped pillow cover

Edwina in blueberry, linen cotton tea towel

Elsa linen cotton tea towel

Emily in sorbet pink, linen cotton tea towel

LilyOake Studio fabric covered greeting cards

Wonderfully romantic heart shaped accent pillows, with piping and ruffles!

LilyOake Studio fabric covered greeting cards

LilyOake Studio fabric covered greeting cards

Tea towels on linen cotton canvas, in an assortment of colors and patterns

LilyOake Studio's display hutch is filling up with delicious soft home furnishings

An assortment of delicious scarves, tablecloths and framed linen prints in LilyOake Studio

Sewing linen cotton tea towels. All my soft home furnishings are sewn by hand, by me.

Elvis tea towel in blueberry blue linen cotton canvas

Isolde and Edwina linen cotton canvas tea towels

Isolde or Edwina linen cotton canvas tea towels

An assortment of line cotton canvas tea towels  

Linen cotton canvas covered cards

Rosewitha in peony pink

Rosewitha in peony pink

Rosewitha in peony pink

Saint Colette jJune Roses heart pillow in production.