Felicia's World :: The Migration Pillow!

Do you remember the feeling as a child of getting a brand new set of crayons, or markers?

All the tips were sharp, none of the crayons were broken, none of the markers dried out. At least for me, these packages of new markers were full of promise. When I drew with them, I was extra careful. I put more detail into my picture and tried new techniques.

Well, here is the fabric equivalent:  I recently got a color chart and a few yards of fabrics from Michael Miller’s Modern Basics collection. I have to say, this is not just like getting the cheap pack of 12 markers from the discount store. This is reminding me of when my dad came back from a business trip and brought me a huge tray of high-end watercolor pencils!

Available in 35 colors and 5 different patterns, my first thought when I saw the color chart was that I thought I needed a yard of every single color and pattern to use as baseline fabric in my designs. Many of the colors have a decidedly feminine or childlike hue, just as is the case with a lot of Michael Miller’s other fabrics.  I am a huge fan of polka-dots in general – and in the Modern Basics collection, I can have them in three different sizes. Awesome.

Accompanying the modern Basics was a silky pile Cotton Couture which is Michael Miller’s 130+ line of solids. I am a huge fan! The Cotton Couture has a soft touch and drapes beautifully. These fabrics have a surface that makes you want to roll around on them, but they also have a higher thread-count than standard quilting fabrics. I have tried them both for piecing and applique and they stitch up great.

My best friend had been looking for some large pillows to throw on the floor for her toddler to sit on and I thought I could use my new “crayons” to make her one.  It gave me a cool project to use my new fabrics on, and to try out the big 15-degreetriangle ruler from Creative Grids that I hadn’t had a chance to try yet.

To contribute to the industrial-bohemian whimsy of her house, I used a coarse natural linen for the pillow itself. Then I made a large Dresden plate using the 15-degree ruler.  Applique birds give the pillow whimsical movement.

All the fabrics, except the linen, are currently available from Michael Miller. See how nicely the Modern Basics and solids play with the happy-looking bird prints? And how gladly all these beautiful fabrics play with their new owner.

The complete instructions to make the Migration Pillow can be found on my website, Felicia's World.

Happy sewing!

Felicia