A Third Santa Pillow

This one is for me to keep. The other two, which can be seen in my post for 12/12/25 each went on its jolly way to Colorado or Oklahoma. All three were made from the Lella Boutique pillow pattern Sew Jolly #244. I've gotten much swifter and more efficient at the cutting out phase and identifying the pieces by clipping on Alphabitties. This pillow had pieces A thru W. This Santa's pom pom was fussy cut to have lacy pine needles centered in it, like the part of the tree in the fur trim on his hat.

Now for the FMQ... I'd already stitched waves on one Santa and scallops on another, so I decided to try something different on this Santa. I used my Handi-GADGETS Swish template. I am pleased that the stitches sort of look like a mustache.

Here is the finished pillow front and back. My attempt to center the template swishes on his face was successful. Yay! The back is a print I just really love. I inserted a zipper in the bottom rather than having an overlapping back. I am trying really hard to use fabric from my stash that I really like rather that saving it for some theoretically more perfect project. Often specialness fades with time, so I am gonna make a concerted effort to use it at its height of awesomeness. 

This pillow completes my Lella Boutique pattern fixation. I have made four Frank #232, three Merry Reindeer #245, and three Sew Jolly #244. They are so much fun and come together so nicely. Details are in my blog posts dated 10/1/25, 10/18/25, 12/6/25, 12/12/25, and 12/19/25.

A Third Reindeer Pillow

Here is the front of my third reindeer pillow, fresh from under the foot of my sit-down Sweet Sixteen long-arm. I stitched in my trusty wave pattern using my HQ F-wave ruler with a wave height of 1.5 inches and a wavelength of 4". I usually try to center my pattern, but this time I was more successful than usual. My other two reindeer can be seen in my post for 12/6/25; one reindeer has the same wave pattern and the other reindeer has clamshells. That post also has more details about ruler and cutting out aspects, not repeated here.

I really love this Lella Boutique pattern titled Merry Reindeer. The pieces mesh so well, seams meet flawlessly, and points do not get cut off. The only place I needed to watch which way I pressed the seam was at the base of the antlers, where white meets white. Other seam intersections were very forgiving. How clever and crisp is the branching of the antlers, a real satisfying joy to assemble!

I finished the pillow off with a backing that had not only the same blue as in the front background, but also just enough dash of red to signify Christmas. I remembered, but just barely in the nick of time, to add a name/year grosgrain ribbon label in an upper corner. The bottom edge has a red zipper tucked away.

Two reindeer are alike except for the quilting pattern. Number three has a different background and a different fur color from the first two. I did not have enough fabric to make all three reindeer pillows identical, but I like all three. They are each about 18" square with a 20" pillow form inserted for extra  plumpness. Here are two pillows side by side. But, just like my children, I do not have a favorite. The trio is destined for homes in California, Colorado, and Oklahoma. 

Santa Pillows

Continuing my love affair with Lella Boutique pillow patterns, I kept with the seasonal theme and set out to make the Sew Jolly Santa pattern.  

I pretty much kept close to the suggested color scheme for the pattern, but instead of gray for the background I went with a pale blue swirl, like whirling, curling snow. This brings to my mind the lyrics from the Let It Go song from the movie Frozen... "The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside". For the white, pink, rose, and coral of Santa's face I stayed with solids. For the hat trim and hat pop-pom, I picked a bit more adventurous print with a white-ish/beige-ish background. This print will also be the backing of the pillows. I am proud to brag that all fabric came from my stash.

Once I cut out the pieces, my tray looked like controlled chaos, an improvement over past Lella Boutique reindeer pillows. It  may seem obvious, but it made a huge difference to clip the Alphabitties to their respective pieces so they did not slid around and under other piles on the tray. The Fat Quarter Shop sells Alphabitties with an integral clip, but my method worked just fine using Wonder Clips with simple Alphabitties.

My biggest struggle was selecting the fabric for the fur of the hat trim and the pom-pom. I wanted white but it needed to be distinguished from Santa's beard and eyebrows. Then of course I thought and rethought and overthought how to fussy cut it for the fur parts. I wanted the pom-pom to coordinate them with the brow trim. This approach worked for two of the three Santas but not for the one on the far left. It had a dark green portion of a Christmas tree in it that weighed too prominently. For that Santa I took out  half Christmas tree pom-pom and substituted in a fussy cut round starburst reminiscent of those peppermint candies. Not it looks like a pom-pom and not half a pom-pom. The time invested carefully picking out those four seams was well worth it.

I especially love the backing fabric. I think my 2026 New Year's resolution is to use fabric that I love now and not save it for some mythical "something special" in the future. There will always be more fabrics that I love that I then will have room to buy. Plus, what I love changes with time and I would hate to pass up a "window of love" only to have a future "window of indifference".

I have pieced three Santa blocks, each about 18" square. I have FMQ'd those I am sending off as gifts but the FMQ of my own I have put on a back burner. One has a clamshell pattern oriented to look like garlands and the other has waves intended to look like rolling hills of snow. I used a very pale blue thread, instead of white, to hint at snow drifts. One has a pom-pom like a red starburst snowball and the other has a pom-pom like pine tree needles. 

I just mailed them off this morning, so now I can spare some time to finish off my own Santa pillow. Since I am undecided on the FMQ pattern, I may try something unique and different. I am considering swirls; I am not very good at those, so this just might be the right-sized project to practice on.

Two Reindeer Pillows

The Lella Boutique seasonal pattern of a reindeer put me in a merry mood. I had such fun with a Frank pattern by the same designer that I'd made four Franks. The process and photos for the Franks are in my posts for 9/24/25, 10/1/25, and 10/18/25. Now I am switching from a Halloween theme to Christmas one with this Merry Reindeer pattern.

I pretty much kept with the suggested color scheme for the pattern but chose a slighter stronger variation. For the brown of the reindeer's coat I picked an orange-toned rust. I picked a darker gray background that had colored dots that look like confetti snow. Some of the orange dots are like the reindeer and the overall darker tone will make the white antlers pop. Once I cut out the pieces, my tray looked like chaos, but it was a controlled cacophony. I am proud to brag that all fabric choices came from my stash.

For a second reindeer I learned that if I cut the background fabric first, (the later letters M thru W of the alphabet), the rust fabric pieces I needed to access initially to sew up the face would not be buried. The main rust fabric for the reindeer was letters A thru G. Here are two reindeer assembled. The leftover triangles from their chins made up into a cute pinwheel. Pinwheel destination is TBD; I just like to collect random pinwheels from cut-off corners.

When I looked in my supply for some pieces of batting I found I did not have any the correct size. On small items I do not mind piecing the batting so I did. For short seams keeping square is not an issue and the zig-zag joint does lie flat.

Then I needed to decide an FMQ pattern and decided on waves using my HQ F-wave ruler with a wave height of 1.5 inches and a wavelength of 4". Waves are like the undulating hills of snow over the river and through the woods on the sleigh ride to grandma's house. To set the spacing between the waves I drew a wave with a viewgraph marker on each of three plastic sheet protectors. I then stacked them and shifted them until I found a spacing that looked pleasing to me. It turned out to be 1.5", which makes sense considering the wave height is 1.5".  Then I put tape on the ruler to help me keep a uniform spacing relative to the previous wave.

For the second reindeer I used a HQ Clamshell template. On my Frank pillow I had used a 2" size but, for the reindeer, I went a bit larger to a 3" size, on the bottom, and oriented them so as to be reminiscent of garlands. I worked the clamshell rows on the second reindeer from the top down.

I then made these 17½" squares into pillow coverings by adding a back. Rather than the overlap method, I install a zipper in the bottom. Inserting the zipper is not hard since I do that bottom edge first while the covering is flat. Later I sew the remaining three sides. This method also takes less fabric than the overlap technique and I am able to use a fat quarter. I select fat quarters with a cute print that would get lost if cut up into pieces for patchwork. I used the clothesline print on the left for a pillow for my daughter. I liked how the white tree silhouettes seem to imitate the white antlers. The snow globe print on the right is for the pillow I am keeping. The orange, red, and blue of their bases echo the multi-colored paint splatters in the reindeer background fabric.

I use a 14 " zipper and a pre-made 20" pillow form so it is extra plump. I add a label diagonally in an upper corner, placing the label higher rather than low down so as not to add extra bulk to the zipper area. Here is the front of my pillow followed by and the front a back of the unstuffed reindeer to go to my daughter. My daughter will add the pillow form at her end. It is much easier to ship that way.

Yes, I really do enjoy this pattern; but no, I do not intend to make six more reindeer to bring the total to eight. However, there very well may be some other Lella Boutique patterns in my quilting future. A jolly Santa perhaps...?

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.

Steampunk Halloween

I bought this funky panel at the Pleasanton Craft Fair (post for 9/25/25) and decided to sew it up for this Halloween season before I forgot about it or lost it in my stash. The panel is titled Steampunk Halloween 3, which then begs the question, "Are there Steampunk panels 2 & 3?". Yes, there are, but they are more grid type panels and not items to cut out and stuff. 

There are six monster-ish images to sew and stuff on the panel I bought. They are called Pillow Pals and Pincushions. I've shown the front of the four larger ones and the back of the two smaller ones.

• Mr. Moon (~ 16" tall)
• Pumpkin  (~ 14" tall)
• Monster with Clock (~ 11 " tall)
• Monster with Clock Pincushion (~ 7" tall)
• Monster with Pumpkin (~ 11" tall)
• Monster with Pumpkin Pincushion (~ 7" tall)

The images are scattered on the panel, not lined up neatly in rows. The straight of grain varies in its direction and, consequently, so does the direction of the bias. The moon is pretty consistent in terms of grain orientation, but the others are a toss-up. This random grain direction is actually advantageous when trying to tug the front and back to align with each other. I found a fair amount of pinning was a must. To match along all edges, the front and back will not lie flat with each other. Once they are stuffed though, this "bump" really does not matter. The pumpkin illustrates the largest mismatch.

I also liked that the quarter inch seam was not marked. It is frustrating with other ornaments that a slight deviation for that quarter inch reveals a narrow slip of white peeking out at the seam. These steampunk images do not have that demarcation line. Also the exterior curves on these were very gentle. I did not need to clip the concave curves or interior corners as is usually recommended. I often forget and have to re-inside-out the ornament to do so ... bummer. The moon had only a couple spots in the seam allowance near his nose that needed clipping and the design did not present any pointy corners. The large pumpkin had a couple spots to clip as indicated.

I always use this same Silky Poly-fil for stuffing. It is so soft, not at all scratchy or itchy as some can be. I have a tool I bought from a doll making booth several years ago that is fantastic for inserting stuffing. I think its original intent was to allow stuffing to go down into long narrow places, like a dolls arms or legs, but I find it distributes the stuffing much more evenly, even in wide open cavities. The tip of the tool grips the stuffing, so in reality I am pulling the stuffing into place rather than pushing it. I don't keep compressing it in the same area. For these six pillow/pincushions I used about 1⅓ bags.

Another tip I try to remember to do is to turn in the seam allowance at the opening and crease it with my thumbnail to make it easier when whip stitching the opening closed after stuffing. Those Clover Wonder Clips® are great for helping keep the opening even without wrinkles and aligned while hand stitching.

 

Enough details! Here is the front and back of those six funky critters.

One last afterthought... These are some images from the panel that can possibly be used for appliqué. At opposite corners are a mama and baby pumpkin. The plant in the tuna can reminds me of Audrey II  from Little Shop of Horrors.  Rising from a tombstone is a vulture. In the very center, emerging from a typewriter, is a "ghost writer". Yes, appliqué is the "A" word for me but how hard could it be to adhere these to iron-on fusible and decorate something? There was no way I could throw these out!