We love sewing by machine! It's fast, it's easy, and when you have great machines like the Janome models in our S4H studios, it's almost effortless. But it doesn't mean you can't whip out the hand needle and thread now and then. A few well-placed hand-stitched accents adds a unique decorative touch. Today's lovely lumbar pillow features rows of simple running stitches in three coordinating colors of embroidery floss. By adding a bit of batting behind the fabric, the finished look has a sweet hand-quilted feel. Against the rich cottons of Amy Butler's Alchemy collection, it's the perfect understated embellishment. Not so much that it distracts from the beautiful fabric, just a small, special element that takes only a few minutes to include.

Some pillows are elegant, some are functional, and some are just pure entertainment. Our chubby little peppermint candy of a pillow, in fabrics from Verna Mosquera's new Pirouette collection for FreeSpirit Fabrics, is just that: jolly good fun! We spun alternating wedges of fabric into a darling pinwheel pattern ringed with poms... because you simply can't look at bouncy pom poms without smiling. This is a pillow that will brighten any surface it lands on. Today's our last day working with the vintage loveliness of Verna's new Pirouette - her ninth collection for FreeSpirit, which will begin appearing next month, December 2012, at participating online and in-store retailers. 

Words are wonderful, aren't they? I especially love it when one word has lots of different uses. Take "weave" for example. In general, it simply means to go in and out. But it can be a verb or a noun or even an adjective. You weave a tale of mystery and intrigue; you can weave dangerously through speeding traffic; you can weave fibers intro fabric. Today, we've put the word to work to describe the intricate woven braid pattern on our patchwork pillow - done in the romantic fabric of Verna Mosquera's new Pirouette for FreeSpirit Fabrics. This lovely collection is her ninth for FreeSpirit; the warm creams, rich mochas and candy pinks remind us of a cut crystal dish spilling over with Christmas confections. Or perhaps those swirling cupcake dancers in the Nutcracker ballet. Whatever it brings to your mind, we know you'll enjoy sewing with Pirouette as part of our Happy Holidays series with FreeSpirit & Rowan. We encourage you to experiment with non-traditional fabrics and see you how beautiful they can be when incorporated into holiday projects.

Working with Moda pre-cuts often makes me hungry... the names are so tantalizing: Jelly Rolls, Honey Buns, Layer Cakes. Thankfully, pre-cuts have zero calories and it's fun to come up with creative ways to turn them into what we like to call "new fabric." For today's project, we used Jelly Roll strips from one collection and Honey Bun strips from another collection, proving once again, you can combine beautiful prints from different designers to create a your own unique look. Our pillow uses Jelly Roll strips from Christmas Spirit by Holly Taylor for Moda and Honey Bun strips from Sentiments by 3 Sisters for Moda. We created a fast, strip-pieced pillow with lovely seasonal colors and decorative stitch accents.