You know those creative people that you so admire their style. 

It can be completely different from your own, but there’s something about it that just sparks joy?  

That’s what Amy’s work always does for me. The fabrics she combines. The little details she sneaks in that add just the perfect touch. And the way she styles and photographs it just makes me smile. 

I’ve been lucky to collaborate with Amy Sinibaldi, from Nana Company, a few times now – for her Playground fabric collection (see the Playtime Quilt I made) and again with her Sonata line (see the cute table runner I made) for Art Gallery Fabrics. I just adored those projects. 

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. 

So, naturally, when I heard Amy had written a new book – *Rainy Day Sewing – I was all in to help support her latest venture.  

The book, co-written with with Kristyne Czepuryk from Pretty by Hand, is filled with 18 adorable projects that I had the toughest time choosing from. I was even tempted by Chloe the Cat and I’m not one to sew dolls! Proof just how enticing Amy and Kristyne have made the projects in this book. In the end, I opted for the Spotlight Cushion. Mainly because I’ve been holding onto a small stack of charm squares Amy kindly included in the very first package she sent me for the Playground Showcase. That’s Amy, always including the cutest unexpected little treats in every package. I love that about her! 

Paperie is tough to find in stores these days, but I did manage to find this *FQ bundle!  

And so, I thought it was fitting to finally dip into those treasured prints and bring them to life in this fun (and quick) quilted cushion. 

Since I wanted the focus to be on those Paperie prints, I decided to keep the background neutral with a gorgeous gray linen. You know my love for texture and linen is one of the best ways I know to add texture without overwhelming a project. 

This gray linen is leftover from my apron and bag making days, but a great substitute would be *this one.  

When it came time to quilting, I really wanted to keep the focus on those cute pluses, so I opted for tone on tone by going with this *gray Aurifil Thread in 40wt. I matched it so well that you can barely see the stich work in the photos! But trust me they’re there 😉 

Since my pillow form was a little larger than the one included in the book, I ended up having to bump the size of my pillow. Which meant I was a little short on the gray linen. But you know when you’re so committed and in love with an idea that you just want to make it work? Yup, that’s what happened here. I tried rummaging through my stash for an alternative to the linen, but my heart was just set on using it. To make it work, I pulled out some scraps from my Playground project and featured this gorgeous Chopsticks print that was one of my allll time faves from that collection.  

I’ve been holding onto it to feature it in a project and thought the print and colours matched perfectly with the charm squares I was featuring on the front. I kept it really simple and went with a rectangular band in the center and then surrounded it with the gray linen. I love how it pops! Plus, it means I now have a reversible pillow! Love when a dilemma turns into an even better outcome! 

The pattern includes instructions for an envelop closure, but I tend to prefer zipper closures. So, I busted out my old Singer sewing machine to sew on the *invisible zipper. Love that seamless finish! 

MATERIALS & NOTIONS 

Here’s a full list of materials and notions I used to bring this pillow to life: 

 

RAINY DAY SEWING BOOK TOUR

There are some seriously fabulous designers and creatives participating in Amy and Kristyne’s book tour. Here’s the full list of makers: 

 

Be sure to check out #rainydaysewingbooktour for a full overview of all the fun projects! 

I hope this project inspires you to get creative and spruce up your home interiors 😊 

Happy quilting! 

xo

Shannon

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