Holiday Wishes: Merry Gifts Pillow

There's something really gratifying about sewing for Christmas in the middle of summer. Not only is it a fun change of pace, but it makes me feel miles ahead of the game to get a few holiday projects finished months before I need them. When Fat Quarter Shop asked me to be a part of their Holiday Wishes blog hop, I jumped at the chance to add another handmade Christmas project to my stash.

Sherri Falls has written a sweet little book full of holiday projects that will work for both experienced and beginning quilters. The piecing is all very straightforward, though some of her quilts are more advanced due to the large number of pieces involved in each block. When I saw her Merry Gifts Quilt pattern, I immediately thought of turning one of those gift blocks into a pillow cover. A couch dotted with present pillows would be so sweet for Christmas!

I paired a few prints from Cotton + Steel's Garland collection with Alexia Abegg's black and white Starry fabric from her new Print Shop line. I love the red, pink, white & black color scheme, and those little deer just melt my heart every time I look at them. I also adjusted the block pattern slightly, trimming it so that the cover would fit a 12 x 20" pillow.

The pillow is backed in Ornamentals in Cotton Candy from Garland. I love this print in every colorway, but the pink might be my favorite.

This pillow is cute and retro and such a fun addition to my collection of hand sewn Christmas decor. Summer vacation has been pretty fabulous, but after making this project, I'm feeling just a bit more eager to see the temperatures drop again...