Today I planned on showing you the third and final pillow in my series of cool and funky pillows. But……

I wasn’t happy with how it was turning out.

It was okay.  But it wasn’t cool and funky enough.  

So I ordered something to help make it cool and funky.  And hope to get it by next week and I can then finish the pillow.  I think I will LOVE it. (That’s a quote from my granddaughter Piper when she opened a Christmas present from my niece Michelle–clothes with kitties!)

But I got a lot of other projects finished.

I made a 12″ x 16″ pillow case for Colton.  

I don’t know him but I met his Grandmother recently and thought he might like it.  I had the fabric left over from a quilt I made for my grand-nephew Tyson.   

I made a pillow case for Jack because I had a wee bit of that pirate fabric left.  

I said “do you like it?” and Jack said “Yes, (big hesitation) but can you make me one with Mickey Mouse?”  Oh yes.  I would love to make you one with Mickey Mouse!  And maybe a sleeping bag with Mickey Mouse.  And pjs with Mickey Mouse. That’s how sweet this kid is. 

Got some new fabric that I’ve been obsessing over.  I saw it introduced on the quilting blog nanaCompany back on February 6th and I’ve been trolling all the fabric websites waiting for it to be available.  

I like looking at it and thinking about the wonderful quilt I will make with it.

And my biggest project!

Riley’s quilt.

The top is done.  

Now all I have to do is,

baste it,

quilt it,

and bind it.

(Many Many Many Hours)

The goal is to have it finished by April 15th. (It doesn’t have anything to do with income tax!)

That’s when I leave to spend THREE WHOLE WEEKS with my THREE BEAUTIFUL GRANDKIDS in the frozen tundra.  Which is also known as Mandan, North Dakota.   

I fell in love with this zebra fabric many months ago. Maybe more like borderline obsession.

I could find no reason to buy it because I usually have a project in my head before I order fabric.  I don’t like to keep a huge stash of fabric.  So I usually have to justify–to myself–exactly why I NEED to buy more!

But it went on sale and I had a birthday coupon from Fabric.com for 20% off and that was all the justification I needed!  So I bought it.  Along with several other pieces.  Some already have homes.  Others (like those pink pigs) are still looking for one.  Curses, now I have to get more storage!  Or open up a shop and sell stuff.

After I made the very cool leopard pillow with small pom poms, I realized it needed a companion.  A zebra companion.  With huge pom poms on the corners. 

But then I ran across some surplus piping that I made for my piano bench cushion last year. 

Perfect!  Almost better than pom poms!  Stripes!

So here’s the pillow!

And it looks extra funky with the leopard pillow!

Like last week’s sewing project, I’m not going into great detail on how I made the pillow.  This is an envelope style pillow and I have this tutorial to make the pillow cover. 

Just a couple things that are different than last week’s version.  This is quilting fabric so it doesn’t have a lot of “body”.  I lined all three pieces–front and both backs with fleece.  Use a zipper foot to attach the piping.

Here’s the back:

And look!  It’s Maggie!

When I showed it to Terry, he said it was very nice.  And wondered if giraffes would be next. 

No, silly. 

Giraffes are not near as cool as zebras. 

Or leopards.

Next should be panthers!