WIP: Pillowcases and Books

I have been very busy this week getting ready for a visit from my 20 month old granddaughter and her parents and from my 2 month old granddaughter and her parents. What with cleaning and decluttering and prepping bedrooms for their visit, I knew intense quilting was not to be this week. But I did do some sewing projects. Several months ago I'd made the older granddaughter a cloth book titled Thor and the Days of Yore. The picture on the instructions was too cute to toss, so I made it into a pillowcase for a small 12 x 16 pillow. (See my post for February 11, 2014.) She sleeps with it at night so my daughter requested a replacement pillowcase to trade off so she can wash the Thor one. 

I made this one to coordinate with her Little Witch Girl quilt. (See post for October 24, 2012.) I folded over 1/2" on each edge of the Count Dracula block and sewed it on the squiggle yarn fabric instead of piecing it. That way the pillowcase did not have raw seams on the inside. The small ridges on the outsides of the Dracula square are far enough out from the center of the pillow that I do not think they will  rub on my little granddaughter's face. I expect no Princess and the Pea predicament. 

The Count Dracula block on each side of the pillowcase are two blocks I did not use since I only used the pumpkins, kitties, and witch blocks. The squiggle yarn fabric is the same as the borders on the quilt. 

I also made three other pillowcases. This one coordinates with the Owl and the Pussycat Quilt last week's post for June 4, 2014.

The contrasting band is the same as the backing fabric, the body is like the quilt border, and the pink accent band is the same fabric as the binding.

This next pillowcase coordinates with the Paisley Pearl Quilt. See post for February 8, 2014.

The body of the pillowcase is the same as the backing of the quilt with giraffes, rhinos, elephants, and butterflies. The pink accent band and the woodgrain contrast band are fabrics from my stash. That accent band is from my jelly roll of Riley Blake chevrons. I just liked the quirky woodgrain.

This cow fabric was too cute to pass up and it has been sitting in my stash for perhaps a little girl's dress. I had one yard and most dresses require 1.25 yards. Yes, I could have added a contrast bodice or hem but in the meantime I used some of it for a fun pillowcase. Milk is supposed to be good at bedtime so why not a whole herd of cows? A pillowcase will probably get used more than a dress that is worn only occasionally. Plus I used only what was in my stash.

After being side-tracked by these four pillowcases, I managed to make two books of Calendar Babies. The art work is by Joy Allen and I think the illustrations are precious.

Joy Allen did another cloth book that I also made two of, one for each granddaughter. It was called My Baby's Day and you can see it in my post for December 27, 2012.

My statistics for this week are all new projects – two books and four pillowcases. I keep repeating the ongoing projects lest I forget them. I do not see how I can. Except for the mask hexagon quilt, everything is hanging up in clear view in my sewing room. But you know how that is. Sometimes you just stop seeing what is right in front of your face.

Completed projects (6):

1. Count Dracula pillowcase
2. Sea stripes pillowcase
3. Pale pink animals pillowcase
4. Cow pillowcase
5. Calendar Babies cloth book (times 2)

Ongoing projects:

1. Chicken quilt - spray basted, awaiting embellishment (April 24, 2014 post)
2. Classic Cars strip quilt (August 3, 2013 post) - need to back, quilt, and bind
3. Grinch quilt (May 22, 2013 post) - scheduled to longarm quilt this one June 27th. 
4. Overlapping square wall hanging - awaiting FMQ
5. Mask quilt (October 19, 2011 post) - hidden away awaiting inspiration for arranging hexagons

New projects (6):

1. Count Dracula pillowcase
2. Sea stripes pillowcase
3. Pale pink animals pillowcase
4. Cow pillowcase
5. Calendar Babies cloth book (times 2)

It's time to link up to this week's Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday.