patchwork napkins

Lately, I've been buying a lot of fabric--too much fabric. I blame this on my day job. At a fabric store. So in an effort to keep my scrap bucket from overflowing, I've been looking for quick and easy stash-busting projects. I quickly found that Film in the Fridge's patchwork napkin tutorial fit the bill, and I whipped up four new napkins.

The tops of all four napkins--prints and solids--are pulled entirely from my scrap bucket. The patchwork stripes are a mix of designer, Japanese, vintage, and shirting fabrics. 

The napkin backs are made up of fabrics from my main stash, including fat quarters from Purl Soho and CityCraft that I've been hoarding. 

I loved working with fabrics I had on hand, and definitely felt a sense of accomplishment when I saw that my scrap bucket had emptied out a bit. Know of any other good stash-busting projects? Feel free to share them in the comments!

crocheted pincushion

A pretty little pincushion (a birthday gift!) arrived in the mail last week. It's so pretty in fact, I'm kind of hesitant to stick an actual pin in it...

sewing project: pillowcases

I've been on a pillowcase-making kick lately, so I whipped up a pair for my parents for Christmas to coordinate with their blue-and-white bedroom. Using some P&B fabrics I picked up from work, I made the pillowcases from Heather Ross's pattern in Weekend Sewing.

I love being able to customize my bedding, and I think this project is a great way to feature large pieces of favorite fabrics (my next set will be made from one of Lizzy House's Castle Peeps prints).

quilting project: big stripe pillow

I fell in love with Sparkle Power's quilted stripe pillow the second I saw it, and immediately used the tutorial to make a lilac and maroon pillow as a Christmas gift. It was such a quick and easy project (particularly since I did it after having just finished this one), that I'd love to do it again and make one for myself.