Pillow + Texas = love

I am so in love with this pillow.

I've been wanting to make something like this ever since I spotted this super cute pillow from The Plaid Scottie on Etsy years ago. It languished on my to do list and taunted me every time I scrolled through my Pinterest sewing board. But, like so many things, it just kept getting backburnered for other projects.

In the project lull after we returned from our trip, I decided I was finally going to tackle it, and it turned out exactly as I'd envisioned (actually better). I created the state patchwork using foundation piecing, then attached it to the gray background with Wonder Under. Next, I quilted it with randomly spaced diagonal lines and zig-zag stitched the applique to further secure it.

 The backside of the pillow front

Finally,  I added the sweet little heart over Dallas, which will always have my heart. (Matt's comment: "You should have put it over College Station, since that's where we met." You just can't win. Houston could also have made a claim, as the city in which we married and started our lives together. But sorry, guys, it's Dallas.)

The back is an envelope closure in a fabric I've been holding on to for years (Dahlia Lama in Seafoam from Patty Young's Sanctuary collection). I love the way it turned out. The applique is a mixture of teal fabrics from my stash, and the front background is Essex linen in black.

This pillow was originally destined for our basement, but it turned out too cute to be relegated down there, so it got the upgrade to the living room. Up next, a California pillow for Matt, and I just might give Missouri a little love, too.