Oz Pillows

Technically, my first quilting project wasn't even a quilt. My Mother-in-law is a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan, and my own Mother comes out from California a few times a year and visits me and my local quilt stores. So, while dutifully dragging her to every shop in a 40-mile radius, I came across the panels and thought - a pillow! this would make a nice gift.

Mom wisely waited until after I had bought the fabric to point out that no, I couldn't just sew the two sides together and stuff it with cotton like we used to when we made fabric tree ornaments as kids. Instead, I added black sashing to make the panels fit an 16" pillow form, backed them with warm and natural, and used my walking foot (sewing machines have other feet?) to quilt them.

That year, My (then future) Mother in Law received two pillows: The Wicked Witch of the West, and the Good Witch of the North. 

I couldn't bear to make her choose which side she wanted to display, so I backed them both with fussycut scenes from the Yellow Brick Road Collection.

Later, for her Birthday, I decided to start at the beginning, with the "Under the Rainbow" Panel. It's still quilted with a walking foot, below are a few pictures of that.