Recently my 13 year old Emmalie has been stitching up a storm making gifts for friends. I asked her a few questions that I could then share here with you! We started making quilt-as-you-go log cabin pillows a few years back, but for Emmalie it has definitely evolved into something more. Let’s have a look:

Emmalie's Handmade gift

Emmalie’s words:

I make pillows for my friends birthday presents. When their birthday comes around I just ask them their three favorite colors then start looking for pieces of fabric that I think they would like.

Emmalie's Handmade gift

I do improv piecing partially because I like it better than the quilt as you go i’d originally used. Also because I like the look better, and I think it just lets you add more.

Emmalie's Handmade gift

I started making pillows because I didn’t know what to get one of my friends for her birthday. My mother suggested it, and I decided to just go with it. She liked it a lot and so when another birthday came up I made another one, and so forth.

Emmalie's Handmade gift

I like a lot of the pillows I have made recently, in February 2016, (above) I made a pillow for one of my friends that I really liked, the middle of the pillow was all improv piecing, and then it was surrounded with pieces like the quilt as you go. But any of the pillows I made after that I liked.


As you can see she pulls any fabric that she likes, and the scrap bin really comes in handy with these pillow projects. I try to be as hands off in the process for Emmalie, and just let her create – I don’t want her to be bogged down by the way I do things, or any perceived rules. I help when she needs it, of course, but try to just let her creativity shine! For Emmalie the process is very intuitive, and not rushed — I love seeing what she creates!

Happy Quilting –

Amy