My sewing is packed, but my suitcase is another story...

I am leaving for spring break vacation with my family later today... desperately seeking sunshine on a Gulf of Mexico beach in Florida. After much deliberation and auditioning of hand-sewing projects, I have narrowed it down to two.


Aren't these colors so spring-y?!? This needle-turn applique project will eventually become a pillow for my family room. All Kaffe/Kaffe collective fabrics on a pale blue and yellow batik. As the pieces are needle-turned, the background will appear between each piece resembling grout between tiles. I know - what's with the tile fascination lately? I dunno know, but it's working for me! Check out the cute donut full of colored bobbins that I picked up at QIJ yesterday - 36 colors of 50wt Masterpiece thread PERFECT for traveling with your hand-applique projects! Got myself some new needles, new cheater/readers at Borders (with flowers = super-cute because we that need readers also need to look cute while wearing them), a needle threader, and some kindergarten scissors for the plane.

The pattern for this project came from the new Tile Quilt Revival book by Carol Gilham Jones and Bobbi Finley. This is only one of many tile quilt patterns to be found in the book, and if this project goes well, I see more of these pillows or even a quilt in my future! I enlarged the 10" pattern 160% to make it suitable for a 16" pillow form. So the pieces are relatively large, but there are some sharp points that will make it challenging. This is the finished project photo from the book:

I also have about 100 2.5" fabric squares cut and ready to English paper-piece into hexagons for another pillow... because I'll have so much time, you know :) But this is the project that I will start with. I hope to have all the applique finished when I return, as well as a healthy-glow so I no longer look like a vampire extra from the Twilight Saga!

Happy Spring Break everyone! Now, where is my suitcase??