Wanta Fanta, A Quilted Pillow

My sister is celebrating her birthday today!

Can you tell that she is amazing? 

Yep, she is tough, and strong, and brave. Cute, and super-smart too!

She's always been practical with money, and began saving energy at a very young age too...

Because if you really want a horse, you better keep your home cool and save those pennies lol

Growing up, I envied Julie her summertime birthdate, myself usually having to go to school.
Today though, she is demonstrating her dedication at work.
Nothing like a Hump Day Birthday.
Such a trooper.

Since I have not shipped the pillow sham I made for her, I told Julie she can preview her gift here!
I love how it turned out and sure hope she does too!

This make is a save, actually. A failed block saved from the Orphanage. Called Wanta Fanta Block, it was chosen as the June lotto block for Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild. A free tutorial and PDF for the paper-piecing can be found HERE, at Blossom Heart Quilts. I failed to read the instructions though, and my block turned out completely off. I think I sewed on the center line instead of 1/4" away when I added the corners to the snowball blocks. Or vice-versa?

Once I realized the error, I knew I did not want to paper-piece another. I spent a fair amount of time selecting the fabrics from my scrap bin, and my flame was left with only a flicker. Instead, I sewed the blocks together, matching seams as well as I could, and ended up with a block much too small, and wompous, to contribute to lotto. Yes, that center seam is 1/2" off!

I whipped up a border,

Added the leftover triangles and a zipper for the backing,

Had some fun with the quilting, and finally,
machine-bound the edges for a scrappy finish!

Happy Birthday Dear Sister! I miss miss u.
Once I have shared this with Guild, I will pop this in the mail for you!  I hope it brings you cheer and comfort, and reminds you how very much you are admired and loved:)
umm, sorry bout this, but you will need a 16" pillow form!