French Knots + Pillows = Awesome

Quilted pillows have become extremely popular items over on Flickr. Sewists seem to love the more manageable nature of pillow projects versus full-sized quilts -- you can design and make a pillow in a single sitting, trying new techniques and fabric combinations along the way. It's (nearly) instant gratification! This trend is no doubt fueled by the wildly popular Pillow Talk Swap, an online swap that showcases pillows from some supremely talented crafters and is a neverending source of inspiration.

Today I'd like to highlight some amazing pillows made by Rebecca (badecca on Flickr) that feature both amazing fabric combinations and inspired touches of embroidery. I'd love to have a few of these in my home!

French knot bursts is a feature that Rebecca uses liberally in her projects. I love the dark, masculine color scheme of this pillow and the understated yet effective touch of embroidery.

Here's another take on her French knot bursts, introducing orange to add a beautiful and bright color element:

This is a great "in-process" shot, illustrating how Rebecca might think through her color and fabric selections:

LOVE how the small red pindots are pulled into the French knot element here:

Rebecca doesn't only do French knots, though. Here is a pair of pillows featuring a fascinating shark design:

I know this is an embroidery blog, but I couldn't help but share a picture of these two pillows, featuring some of my favorite Joel Dewberry fabric and made from traditional Japanese quilt block patterns:

Some more Japanese quilt block-inspired pillows:

And finally, here's a pillow featuring an embroidered sketch of Rebecca's so masterfully integrated into the pillow design:

Want to tackle a quick and easy sewing project that can showcase one of your embroidered pieces? Consider a pillow!