Anchors Away Nautical Pillow

 

Counted cross stitch on burlap creates these two nautical pillows. The red anchor and white stars are stitched on a natural burlap, while the yellow anchor and stars are stitched on a bright blue burlap. Both are surrounded by strips of coordinated color cotton to form a 'frame' around the burlap. These were very fun to make. The design is a quick stitch project.

 

This fun pattern and many others with a nautical theme are available through Annette Eriksson's Etsy shop here.

Anchors Away Nautical Pillow

 

Counted cross stitch on burlap creates these two nautical pillows. The red anchor and white stars are stitched on a natural burlap, while the yellow anchor and stars are stitched on a bright blue burlap. Both are surrounded by strips of coordinated color cotton to form a 'frame' around the burlap. These were very fun to make. The design is a quick stitch project.

 

This fun pattern and many others with a nautical theme are available through Annette Eriksson's Etsy shop here.

Color of the Year - Marsala

Pantone has named Marsala the color of the year for 2015. Now, I've seen many interpretations of :marsala -- everything from mauve to red. But this above Pantone color example is my favorite. I have created a collection of pillows to demonstrate how you can incorporate

Marsala into your nautical décor.

 

 

This deep red works beautifully with blue, white and natural burlap colors. Here's a sampling of the finished pillows.

 

 

Handstitched pillow designs

I used to love to stitch -- cross stitch and embroidery -- I found it to be very relaxing. When I travelled frequently for work I used to take projects on the plane. Long flights and sitting in airports produced a lot of finished projects! But, since 911, you can't bring sewing needles or scissors on the plane and I just stopped working on things.

Recently I found a couple fun patterns and thought I'd take it up again. I just finished this seagull on black denim. I stitched it on waste cloth; when finished I pulled out the cloth, and there you have it. Watch for this to become a pillow in the future.

What's more fun than felt fish?

Not much!
I had so much fun making these little critters. I started out by cutting small felt circles to create the fish scales. Cutting the circles wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but I do like the look:

 

 

I then decided to try using small felt squares to create the fish scale pattern. I sewed the tiny squares in an alternating pattern to a piece of muslin. I found this great coordinating chevron-style cotton which I think works really great with the diamond pattern. I overlayed the felt square pattern onto the chevron fish and cut the squares the shape of the fish.

 

Here's the final product!

 

I'm trying some other combinations in citrus colors and I found another great cotton fabric for the fish. Watch for this project coming soon!

 



Outdoor Canvas - Something you should know

Hello! Outdoor canvas is a wonderful fabric for pillows, cushions, you name it! There is a huge variety of colors and patterns to choose from. But, something you should know if you are purchasing handmade products made of this fabric -- it unravels! So what's the big deal about that you ask? Well after continued use you may find that your seams are fraying, which is absolutely not good.

 

In order to prevent this from happening, the edges must be sewn with a serger to lock the edges and prevent fraying. I serge all of the edges on everything I make with outdoor canvas to prevent this and to create a clean, finished seam.

 

When you are shopping online for pillow covers, pillows, cushions, etc. always ask the crafter if the raw edges are serged to make sure you are getting the quality you deserve!

 

 

Fabric Changes Everything!

Here's just an example of how you can change the décor of a room inexpensively. I tend to use my room for photo shoots a lot because of the neutral bedding, but if you start with a neutral quilt and drapery panels, you can change your décor as the seasons, or, as your mood changes. The possibilities are endless!

New Nautical Lighthouse Collection

Hello! And a very happy Memorial Day to all! Here in Michigan, it is a great day to -- be inside sewing. I had purchased some wonderful lighthouse embroidered jacquard upholstery fabric a while back and have finally created some pillows. There is an 18", 16", 12x16", and I also made a matching garland. I just couldn't resist using up the remaining lighthouses on this garland.

How I made the garland --
I cut out the lighthouse in a square and fused heat and bond to the backside to stabilize the fabric and keep it from unraveling. I then cut out the lighthouse and fused it to the burlap flag. Then sewed it on because even the super strength heat and bond doesn't really adhere well to burlap. The burlap flags are cut 5-1/2" wide by 8" long. Then I serge around all edges, fold down a top pocket and zigzag it shut. I measured out 8' plus a few inches of dock line and strung the flags on placing knots in between to hold them in place.

I can just image these pillows tossed on a bed with the garland looping above the headboard. Or the pillows tossed on a couch with the garland strung over a window covering to add a great nautical feel to the décor.

Sailboat Nautical Bedroom Decor

I found this really beautiful jacquard fabric online and couldn't resist. Because of the size of the repeat and the amount of the fabric I have, I decided to make pillow shams and a pillow. I found a perfect chocolate brown chenille for the piping and also a coordinating chenille in a soft butter color that compliments it perfectly. The runner at the end of the bed is actually fabric that I have left over, so it can either be a runner or more pillows, but I really like the runner idea!

Lighthouse Pillow Collection

I have had some great luck lately finding some very unique fabric. This particular project uses an embroidered jacquard with striped and diamond patterned lighthouses. 

This is a nice chunky upholstery fabric that I'm mixing with twill, black denim and wide wale corduroy, to give this pillow collection a lot of dimension and texture.
I've included a nautical rope piping accent on some for an added pop. These are all now on Etsy as my first new collection for 2013! Cheers!

www.floatinteriors.com

Nautical Tapestry Pillows

I found this beautiful nautical tapestry upholstery fabric made in Italy. The pieces weren't very large but I was able to match it up with a burnished golden brown chenille for the pillow backs. The tapestry fabric was available in two colorways -- Stone and Driftwood. The classic pattern and neutral tones makes them a perfect fit in almost any nautical room.

They are listed in my Etsy shop here

https://www.etsy.com/listing/118304660/nautical-ships-bell-tapestry-pillow-in

Seashell Pillows

I found this great fabric that has all sorts of seashells on it in pretty neutral tones of sand, mocha and aqua. I took these pictures on a mocha and a cream chair so you can see how nice they look on a light or darker background. The fabric is an outdoor lightweight canvas. I've used the same fabric to create the piping and they are filled with a medium 'cush' poly pillow insert.

 

Nautical Christmas table toppers

These are just great little Nautical Christmas table toppers to add a touch of holiday to your kitchen island, table or buffet. They are 20" and 22" square depending on design.The sailboat follows the bright star while the little boat hauls a Christmas. All are topped off with a jingle bell. The design appears in opposite corners of the square. I then wove ribbon through the burlap to create a decorative border. More details available here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Floatinteriors

This was a custom order. The person I made these pillow covers for needed the fabric to be washable and did not want the appliques ironed on due to the chemical. Highly allergic was the reason for the special request. These are classically nautical with boxed corners, blue and white ticking embellished with a nautical applique. I'm really pleased how they turned out and enjoyed making them.

Nautical Pillow with Grommets and Dock Line

This is by far my favorite nautical pillow to date! However -- I really need to find a supplier for the grommeted webbing. It's way too expensive to buy retail. I'll never make a dime on this pillow unfortunately. But, it was fun to make so that counts for something :-) A true nautical classic in navy. Dock line is laced through grommets to create this very unique center. The pillow back is solid blue with a covered zipper. The pillow is 18" square. http://www.etsy.com/listing/100884840/nautical-knot-navy-pillow

Blue Felt Collection

While Mom was visiting, we got quite crafty on a couple afternoons. It all started with "I've got this piece of blue felt...."

Nautical Man Cave

The man cave is taking shape! The window coverings are up. The nautical end tables are in place. The fish is on the wall (is it ever!). Yes, the 8'2" marlin and the big cushy furniture now has a home. Still a lot of finishing touches but you start to get the idea of what it'll eventually look like. Ken's dreaming of his giant TV on the opposite wall.

Anchors Aweigh Collection

It's been super hot here in Michigan. We had visitors over the weekend and spent a lot of time on the boat/beach. But on Sunday, I elected to hide inside and enjoy the AC and finish up this project. I found this cotton ticking and matched it up with a bright red 'suede' material. I then hand-stitched these vintage anchor appliques on to the pillows. Yes, hand-stitched. No iron-on when using vintage appliques. I found the appliques online at a vintage Etsy shop.

I love the pop of red on this simple stripe.

Couch Potato Table Cover

This table cover was made to create an end table in our family room. It is made from Tommy Bahama fabric; one nautical, one striped, along with a slightly stretchy denim. I'm calling this the Couch Potato Table Cover because in the patterned fabric there is a statement Tropic of Couch Potato. This is a variation of the Simplicity pattern I had mentioned in a previous post. I'm also pleased to report that my serger and I are getting along today, which allowed me to finish off my seams just as I had hoped. I love how it turned out. It has just enough 'nautical touch' to it. Now all I have to do is make another one EXACTLY the same!

Float Interiors is now on Etsy!

I had lunch with a dear friend a while back and she introduced me to Etsy.com. She makes knitting patterns for American Girl doll sweaters (too cute) and sells them on Etsy. If you are not familiar with this site, it features all handmade items. There are some really creative people out there! So I created a store for Float Interiors to sell some of my custom pillows. I actually sold my first thing today!! Check it out.