Three More Frank Pillows

I'd made a pillow from this Lella Boutique Frank pattern and blogged about it in my posts for 9/24/25 and  10/1/25. It worked up quickly so I decided to make others. I pretty much used the same fabrics but experimented with the FMQ. I improved my time with the cutting out by noticing I could cut strips and sub cut those. Here are three more Franks waiting to be FMQ'd. The coloration is subtle but the center Frank is a slightly more yellow hue of green. I could get two Frank faces out of one fat quarter.

I have never read the story of Frankenstein but I did know that Frankenstein is the name of the scientist/creator and the green guy himself was called either creature or monster. What I did not know, until I read a plot summary, was that the creature started out somewhat kind, initially rescuing a young girl from drowning. Humans, horrified by his appearance, treated him poorly and only then did he turned vindictive. I like to think that my three Franks represent "creature" in his early friendly stage. I also learned that his green color arose from his portrayal in a movie because the green makeup used in the 1931 film was applied to made him look pale and cadaverous on black and white film. Unlike Kermit the Frog, Frankenstein was not born that way. Even so, the result is still "♫ It's not Easy Being Green ♫".

For my second Frank, I used a HQ Clamshell template. Initially I though it would be too formal but I like the way it turned out. I chose the 2" size twosome on the right and stitched them in from the bottom up.

Then, even after my exhaustive review of rulers for the first Frank in my post for 10/1/25, I caved and bought a Wave E ruler. The Handi-Quilter website no long carries this ruler so I bought it from another online store that happened to stock it. Maybe HQ has just not gotten around to renaming it but wanted to have it in my collection in case it became unavailable. Yes, it is long (12" instead of 8"), but I plastered the back with quite a few sandpaper tabs and it stayed in place for me fine while quilting.  I used the side with the more squiggly of the waves and sewed the waves across Frank's face from the bottom up. The yellow pieces of tape reminded me how far up to space the next wave above the one beneath it. The FMQ went quickly... far faster than those clamshells. The result is a different look, but I liked it as well.

 

For my third Frank I considered vertical scallops since the other previous patterns had been horizontal. I also considered a curved edge squares block design and compared the two by sketching on clear sheets to audition. I opted for the scallops.

I did need to struggle and scratch my head a bit to get the scallops spaced as I wanted them and facing each other in pairs, but it was worth it. I used the HQ Mini Scallop Ruler and I am pleased with the results.

I forgot to put a label on the pillow I made for myself to keep but since these three are giveaways I did not want to skip that step. Should I name them all Frank? Do pillows need a name like quilts? Titles like Frank 1, Frank 2, and Frank 3 presumed a hierarchy and I did not want that. I considered Frankenstein, Frankly, Frankincense, Franklin, Let's Be Frank, and Frankfurter. After some thought (more thought than the topic merited) I decided on FRANK for each of them. After all, they will be in different households and there would no confusion or cases of mistaken identity. I also wanted small corner labels to be short: FRANK and DIC 2025. The labels are diagonal across the two upper corners on the back. All pillows have the same green spider web backing fabric and a zipper in the bottom.

Here is the trio of Franks all perched side by side before being sent off to their new homes. Each has his custom unique quilting pattern: waves, clamshells, or scallops. I had fun experimenting and practicing on every one. Can't you just hear those three Franks singing to the tune of We Three Kings?

We three Franks / of Halloween,

Not ghosts or pumpkins / instead we are green.

We're monsters forever / ceasing never,

To create / a BOO-ti-ful scene.

Frank Pillow Completed

In my earlier post about Frank (dated 9/24/25) I was very pleased with how quick and fun it was to make up the Lella Boutique pattern. All that remained to complete this item was the FMQ and its assembly into a pillow. Deciding the pattern to quilt over Frank's face was a quandary for me, more so than it should have been. I worried about my motif choice for far too long, dithering back and forth among my many rulers. I glossed over my many circle and heart choices. I considered a Clamshell motif, or perhaps a mustache type Swish ruler. Eventually I settled on something wavy. I then "wavered" on the basic decisions.

• Should the wave be deep or shallow?
• Should the repeat of the length be short or long?
• Should the distance between waves be close or more spaced out?
• Should the waves be parallel in one direction or they should cross each other at right angles?

The top size is 17½" square. I decided on an 8" long wave shape with a 1.5" depth, spacing the waves slightly over 1.5" apart. I sewed a horizontal set and a vertical set using my HQ Wave C template. I rejected using my HQ Wave F template as having too much movement; its wavelength is 4" with the same depth options as HQ Wave C template.

Selecting a thread color was another delay. I truly do not know why I could not make up my mind. Part of the problem was that I had no dull greens, which is what I thought I needed. I only had bright chartreuse, Kelly green, or blue-green tones, not drab olive type monster colors. After choosing a bright green, I was pleased it gave movement to Frank's face without screaming discord; nor did the bright green detract from the pink spider web background.

I plan to make two or three more of these pillows as gifts, so I could vary the FMQ pattern and color on those. While at a recent craft show (9/25/25 post), I even sought out alternative green fabrics for Frank's face, ones that were not too perky, too bluish, too dark, or too busy a print. This project helped me resurrect my zipper insertion skills. Instead of the overlap method for the pillow back, I put a zipper in the bottom seam. A 14" zipper with an 18" pillow form provided a good combination of insertion ease and final plumpness. The pillow back is simple and not quilted but in keeping with theme — the perfect green with spider webs.

I noticed now that I had not put a label on this pillow. I think I will just write the title Frank, my initials, and the year in the lower corners with a pigma micron marker.

Extra Information
In researching waves for this blog post (and my own benefit), I came across a Handi-Quilter video on How to use the Wave Rulers. I learned that some rulers have been released under new names and some are no longer available from Handi-Quilter directly. Here is my summary to share for wave type rulers. There are also scallop rulers but I did not address those.

Original issue wave rulers:
I own C and F. B is too large for my hand to hold. I may seek D out E.

• Wave B: 10" x 2" or 10" x 1" (hard to hold, now Smooth Wave)
• Wave C: 8"x1.5" deep or 8"x 0.75" deep
• Wave D: 6"x ¾" or 3" x ¾" (now Ripple Wave)
• Wave E : 6"x 1.75" or 3" x 1.75"
• Wave F: 4"x1.5" or 4"x 0.75" (now Tidal Wave)

New names:
Smooth is too large for my hand to hold. I may seek out Wiggle and Ripple (formerly D).

• Wiggle Wave: 3"x½" or 1½"x½" ( ~10" long, may be hard to hold)
• Smooth wave :10" x 2" or 10" x 1" (hard to hold  on sit down, formerly wave B)
• Ripple Wave 6"x ¾" or 3" x ¾" ( ~12" long, may be hard to hold, formerly wave D)
• Tidal Wave  4 x ¾"  or 4" x 1½" (formerly Wave F)

The original Lella Boutique pattern picture shows tight vertical waves down Frank's face. My guess is that this is a canned wavy line stitch on a Bernina. My Pfaff does not have that. I wanted something less dense anyway. I use Winline 100% Bamboo batting and it allows for stitching as wide as 8" apart.

Frank

Since the name of this Lella Boutique pattern, FRANK, is the same as my husband, I just had to get it. I love the green of the face, the boo print in the rosy cheeks and the detailed little scar on his forehead. The pattern is so darn cute, like my husband. Note there are some similarities with my Frank: green background, general head shape, gray hair, forehead features, similarly spaced dots for eyes, rosy cheeks, distinctive nose, straight smile. He tripped on our concrete sidewalk at one point recently, but the scar on his forehead from that fall has faded. Gee, my Frank could have been a model for this pillow design.

I like making blocks that are non-traditional yet involve calculated piecing. As I cut out the pieces for this Frank block, I was struck by how tiny some of them were. My entire set of Alphabitties®, from A to Z, was needed to label all the pieces. I would need to be meticulous about keeping track. The smallest two pieces — black under the Z, to the lower left of the bright pink boo P — are only 1" square and will finish to two ½" square eyes. Isn't it serendipitous that my overhead light, (which I could not avoid), points right at that Z, spotlighting it? I did fussy cut Frank-the-pattern's ears from a fabric that reminded me of ear lobes (piece O, to the left of piece P). And that adorable background out of  pink cobwebs...? This will be the first time cobwebs have ever appealed to me. Wisely though, I cover the tray with a large square ruler so the neat piles do not blow away or get mixed up. Building this block is going to be fun. My idea of fun may not agree with many of you regarding so many itty-bitty pieces, but I am excited.

I proceeded methodically with Frank's assembly starting with the mid section of his face consisting of the eyes, cheeks and nose. Although there are a lot of pieces, there are relatively few places where seams need to be aligned. Seam pressing in opposite directions in order to nest upon joining becomes important only where the lower chin and mid section of the face meet, at the bottom of the nose. I do, however, need to be careful with an accurate ¼" seam. An accumulation of deviations can add up in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

I show the bottom half (left) and the top half (right) sections of Frank's face as sewn before being joined in a vertical column.
          

Here is Frank all put together and nestled among pink cobwebs. Now I get to ponder how to quilt him. His ultimate disposition will be a pillow. I bought a zipper to place in the bottom seam rather than make an overlapping back like the pattern called for. Luckily, Michael's carries some zippers with the closure of JoAnn's, so I am prepared. FMQ inspiration, come my way...

OKC Quilt Show

On July 16th, Frank and I went to Oklahoma to visit my daughter Robin, our son-in-law, and their two kids. We timed our visit to coincide with the Central Oklahoma Quilters Guild show. The show had 329 quilt entries and 22 vendors.

QUILTS
My daughter is a member of this guild. She had entered five quilts in the show: four she's made over the years and one I'd made for her and her husband as a belated wedding present. First off I will show those five quilts. My daughter's most recent creation was named Every Heart Beats True, completed in 2021.

The second and third quilt entries were ones my daughter had made for the nursery, one each for her daughter and for her son. The Winnie the Pooh themed one titled Rumbly in my Tumbly was for her daughter, shown at nearly 13 in front of her infant quilt. Robin put the final stitches on the binding of Rumbly in my Tumbly while in labor. A dinosaur themed one titled Isaiah Saurus was for her son. He came to the show, too, on the second day, but, alas, we have no photo of him in front of his infant quilt.

Robin's fourth entry was titled Slices of Sunset. I loved her combination of pinks, oranges, and purples.

My daughter surprised me with a special ribbon in honor of me to be placed on a quilt of my choosing.

I chose to put it on a quilt with no other ribbons so the maker would be surprised. My choice was Posh Penelope by Joyce Curtis. I loved all the colors and it inspired me to try out my own curved rulers by Sew Kind of Wonderful, a challenge that has be on my "to do" list for a while.

My daughter's fifth entry was a quilt I made for her for her wedding. Masquerade was made from mask fabric cut and assembled with the stack and whack method and the construction is detailed in my blog post for 10/16/2020. Robin was married in in May of 2011. Taking 9 ½ years to complete a quilt is not so bad, is it? It did sit squirreled away untouched for part of that time. My husband Frank and I are posed in front of Masquerader and he reminded me how during its construction I often referred to it as "The Quilt from Hell".

With 329 quilts in the show I could not show pictures of them all. I chose to limit myself to 5% or 16 quilts and state a reason why I selected each. Here are the remaining 10, in no particular order.

1) Blue Heron by Allison Vaccarro used the same stack and whack technique I used on Masquerade, with the added design feature of incorporating the hexagons around a central scenic panel. The way she blended the hexes with the panel in appropriate places around made for great transitions. Next time I have a panel that inspires me, I would like to try the same technique.

2) Hextravaganza by Frieda Grischkowski  used Tula pink fabrics, which I positively love. I could also appreciate the planning involved in the particular fabric placement. The name is way cool, too.

3) The unique color combination in Taste of Morocco by Donna Lemmons caught my eye and I could appreciate all the non-45° angles. (As a random note, this quilt and its maker seem to be fond of double consonants.) Taste of Morocco was a first time entry.

4) Crimson Christmas by Marsha Kirby, quilted by Jeremy Dickerson, had such crisp poinsettias I just had to capture it. The quilt is very striking, even more so by the strong color choices and 60° designs of Krista Moser.

5) This cosmic kitty by Frieda Gischkowski, aka Multiverse Cat 1,  made me smile. He seemed out of this world and the colorway and fabric choices supported the illusion.

6) The shapes and color choices selected by Karen Mott for Alhambra Rosette make for a strikingly stunning quilt. I am beginning to recognize in myself how I am drawn to quilts in solid colors yet I tend to sew predominantly in prints for myself. Self knowledge can grow from quilt shows.

7) Aha. In striking contrast to the previous quilt is solids, Dandelion Fine by Mary Miller is a celebration of prints. She was besotted with the Dandelion fabric as was I. I bought some of it in March of 2019 at the Sacramento Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival because it reminded me of a phrase in one of my son's  childhood books, I am a Bunny by Richard Scarry. "I blow the dandelion seeds into the air."

8) Zigzagging in October by Amy Stanley inspired me to another way to use the square in a square blocks I am fond of producing. It will showcase another use for my jelly roll creations when paired with a common background fabric. I have a jelly roll of polka dots and another of stripes. Both would work the way Amy Stanley designed her quilt. Zigzagging is fun to look at whether in a quilt or a slalom!

These two quilts are in my blog posts for 4/23/25 and 1/20/25 respectively.

These final two selections are quilts I would never attempt for myself. They are so labor intensive, especially when I refer to appliqué as "the A word".  Both quilts truly merit mentions.

9) Holiday House by Kathy Patty has no associated story. The quilter just loves holiday themes.

10)  Donna Lemmons used many different techniques to complete her quilt titled Christmas in Oklahoma. I am in awe of the joyful cacophony of everything Christmas.

I did not show all 329 quilts but I thought this 26 second video I took at the end when the quilts were being taken down might be fun to watch and show a few other quilts.

PURCHASES
In addition to the 329 quilts, the COQG show Symphony of Color also had 22 vendors. My daughter was in charge of securing vendors, signing contracts with them, and attending to the logistics of their set up and breakdown. It was a big job and I am so proud of her. Of course I had to buy stuff from these vendors.

Recently I had purchased a Lella Boutique pattern for a Frankenstein pillow. The vendor, Good with Sugar, had kits put together with fabric only in just the right combination of colors, especially those spot-on greens, so I picked up one kit. 

On the left of the next photo I bought the Quilted Projects for All Seasons book from Prairie Quilts. The funny story about that book is that I looked at it and put it back without buying it. I shopped at other vendors and came back to Prairie Quilts idly browsing some more. When I did not spot that book I got a clutchy feeling of, "Oh, no! I really wanted that book." The books had been merely rearranged and once I found it again, I bought it right then and there. Remember the song Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows? An excerpt from the lyrics is

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone?
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

On the right in the same photo is a Coriander Quilts Wooly Stars sheep pattern I have been eyeing for some time since when I first saw it at the The Quilts by the Bay show in Pacific Grove this past May 2025. It came from the Good with Sugar booth.

 

My good intention for this show was to not buy much fabric. My stash is overflowing and my suitcase from travel could not tolerate a lot of extra weight. Ever noticed how heavy fabric is?  But being on a fabric diet is like being on a real diet. You eat around everything except what you really want. That is how I accumulated theses notions and tidbits.

Coasters came from Grana’s Front Porch Fabrics and ​Christmas zipper pulls from Good with Sugar. Parrot scissors came from Sherry Worley and silicone tools from Prairie Quilts.

Well, just like a food diet, you can eat around a bunch of stuff before caving and indulging in what you really want. Here are the fabrics I bought. From 2 Busy Beez in Edgewood, NM I bought three one yard pieces that coordinated. I could not pass up that lovely peacock focal print. And I really do not have a lot of floral prints. This was the largest of my fabric lapses.

From Grana’s Front Porch Fabrics I bought this 1¾ yd remnant for the remarkable price of $5. How could I pass that up? Remember, I really do not have a lot of floral prints plus this is a Robert Kaufman. 

From Among Friends (Topeka, Kansas), this fireworks fabric was too outstanding to pass up. I only have a yard but is it too pretty to cut apart so it will most likely become a backing for something patriotic ... or perhaps a tote bag ... or maybe pillows...

I have a horse lovin' granddaughter so this panel will be something for her.

Although I'd gone to the show Friday, I also went in the afternoon on Saturday, the second day of the show. My grandson went in the morning on Saturday. He and his other grandma had fun digging through three long troughs of fat quarters on a hunt of horse themed ones for his cousin. They found six.

The whole family enjoyed the show a great deal and it was special, all the more so, due to my daughter's heavy engagement in its success.