Evergreen Pillows in Modern Patchwork + Giveaway

 *The giveaway is closed, and Lee is the winner! She has been emailed. Thank you!*

I get my best sewing ideas late at night. If I have time to quilt during the day, I save my computer and design work for the late hours (the extra natural light during daytime helps a lot with quilting!). Late one spring night, I sent a sketch of some wintery pillows to Modern Patchwork magazine, and I was thrilled when they accepted!

Picture from Modern Patchwork, Winter 2017 edition

The idea for the pillows came about while I pondered my obsession with blue and log cabins built to the side (just a little touch of modern, if you will). When the pillows sit side by side, they create an abstract tree. They're perfect for all winter long, right? Not just the Christmas season. When I make seasonal gifts or decorations, I tend to prefer those that last beyond holidays.

For quilting, my main goal was to mimic the angle of the tree in each pillow, so that it radiates out. Additionally, I like to quilt most of my pillows less densely, otherwise I don't find them as comfortable. So...

...I decided to quilt with a simple straight line, though I changed the space between the lines and thread colors to add interest (Aurifil 2805 [light blue] and Aurifil 2024 [white]). You can also see the lovely shine from the Cirrus Solids I used (yarn dyed crossweaves by Cloud9 Fabrics - Limestone, Sky, and Lagoon).

These particular pillows have already found a home on my couch, but I think they'd make a great hostess gift. I'd love to see someone make them in other colors! Maybe white/green, white/red, or gold/white, or more blue. One of the pillows on its own would make a statement in a modern home, too.

To celebrate my first inclusion in Modern Patchwork (like, you can actually get it at Target and Barnes and Noble - that's super cool), I'm giving away a copy of the Winter 2017 edition. Thank you to F+W Media for providing a second copy!

I'll also throw in a bunch of larger scraps, so tell me what color or kind of scraps you are looking for in a comment. If you're not looking for scraps, tell me what particular fabric print you are thinking about today (mine is Anna Maria Horner's In The Clearing flannel from a few years ago... sigh).

You can have a second entry if you follow me and leave a comment mentioning one way (Bloglovin, Feedly, Wonky Press, Instagram, Facebook, etc.).

This giveaway is open to US entrants only this time (sorry, international friends) from 12/21 - 12/27. I'll choose a winner with the Random Number Generator and email them, so please make sure your email address is attached to the account you post with, or include it in your comment(s).

I hope you enjoy the magazine! There are a ton of lovely, modern winter projects to make (read: not just for December - as we are, suddenly, close to January). I'll be back next week with my 2016/2017 review/goals post. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday, TGIFF, Crazy Mom Quilts.