Rainy Day Sewing Book Tour | Spotlight Cushion

You know those creative people that you so admire their
style.

It can be completely different from your own, but there’s
something about it that just sparks joy? 

That’s what Amy’s work always does for
me. The fabrics she combines. The little details she sneaks in that add just
the perfect touch. And the way she styles and photographs it just makes me
smile.

I’ve been lucky to collaborate with Amy Sinibaldi, from Nana Company, a few times
now – for her Playground fabric collection (see the Playtime Quilt I made) and again with her
Sonata line (see the cute table runner)
for Art Gallery Fabrics. I just adored those
projects.

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So, naturally, when I heard Amy had written a new book –
Rainy Day Sewing – I was all in to help support her latest venture. 

The book, co-written with with Kristyne Czepuryk from Pretty by Hand,
is filled with 18 adorable projects that I had the toughest time choosing from.
I was even tempted by Chloe the Cat and I’m not one to sew dolls! Proof just
how enticing Amy and Kristyne have made the projects in this book. In the end,
I opted for the Spotlight Cushion. Mainly because I’ve been holding onto a
small stack of charm squares Amy kindly included in the very first package she
sent me for the Playground Showcase. That’s Amy, always including the cutest
unexpected little treats in every package. I love that about her!

Paperie is tough to find in stores these days, but I did manage
to find this FQ bundle! 

And so, I thought it was fitting to finally dip into those
treasured prints and bring them to life in this fun (and quick) quilted
cushion.

Since I wanted the focus to be on those Paperie prints, I decided
to keep the background neutral with a gorgeous gray linen. You know my love
for texture and linen is one of the best ways I know to add texture without
overwhelming a project.

This gray linen is leftover from my apron and bag making
days, but a great substitute would be this one. 

When it came time to quilting, I really wanted to keep the
focus on those cute pluses, so I opted for tone on tone by going with this gray Aurifil Thread in 40wt. I matched it so well that you can barely see the stich work in the
photos! But trust me they’re there 😉

Since my pillow form was a little larger than the one
included in the book, I ended up having to bump the size of my pillow. Which
meant I was a little short on the gray linen. But you know when you’re so
committed and in love with an idea that you just want to make it work? Yup,
that’s what happened here. I tried rummaging through my stash for an alternative
to the linen, but my heart was just set on using it. To make it work, I pulled
out some scraps from my Playground project and featured this gorgeous Chopsticks print
that was one of my allll time faves from that collection. 

I’ve been holding onto
it to feature it in a project and thought the print and colours matched
perfectly with the charm squares I was featuring on the front. I kept it really
simple and went with a rectangular band in the center and then surrounded it
with the gray linen. I love how it pops! Plus, it means I now have a reversible
pillow! Love when a dilemma turns into an even better outcome!

The pattern includes instructions for an envelop closure,
but I tend to prefer zipper closures. So, I busted out my old Singer sewing machine
to sew on the invisible zipper. Love that seamless finish!

Here’s a full list of materials and notions I used to bring
this pillow to life:

Library Gardens – from Amy’s Paperie fabric collection for
AGF 

Gathering Blooms 

Paper Circles – from Amy’s Paperie fabric collection for AGF 

Quoted – from Amy’s Paperie fabric collection for AGF 

Happily Ever After – from Amy’s Paperie fabric collection
for AGF 

Chopsticks in Rainbow – from Amy’s Playground fabric
collection for Art Gallery Fabrics 

Linen – was from my stash, but this gray linen would work perfectly

Muslim for the lining

White 50wt thread for piecing 

Gray 40wt thread for quilting 

Gray invisible zipper 

100% cotton batting 

Hera marker for plotting my quilting lines 

Curved basting pins 

Kwik Klip 

Spotlight Cushion pattern from the Rainy Day Sewing book 

There are some seriously fabulous designers and creatives participating
in Amy and Kristyne’s book tour. Here’s the full list of makers:

Faith from @faithessenburg 

Ange from @ALittlePatchwork 

Kristina from @centerstreetquilts 

Shelley from @coral_and_co 

Ro from @eloise_et_moi 

Andy from @abrightcorner 

Jenni from @sewlavenderstitches 

Mariana from @sewmariana 

Shannon from @shannonfraserdesigns (Hi! That’s me!) 

Fran from @cottonandjoy 

@what_saysie_makes 

@bobbypinbandit 

Cheri from @tinkerellen 

Olivia from @thishandmadelife 

Priscilla from @cottonstitchcollective 

Kim from @retro_mama 

Elise from @eliseandemelie 

Anne from @said_with_love 

Sarai from @sarai_hobbies 

Nina from @ninacotonet 

Minki from @zeriano 

Sedef from @downgrapevinelane 

Be sure to check out #rainydaysewingbooktour for
a full overview of all the fun projects!

I hope this project inspires you to get creative and spruce
up your home interiors 😊

Happy quilting!

xo

Shannon

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