Slightly Obsessed With Needle Turn

So I'm loving needle-turn applique. No surprise, right? It's really fun! I love the repetitive motion and the preciseness of the stitches. It's a perfect "feel productive while watching trashy television" thing to do.

I decided to start with something small and settled on a pillow cover. I chose heart shapes as Valentine's Day is coming up and I figured it would be a relatively easy shape to start with.

I found this great little tutorial on needle-turn. If you've never done it before, I highly encourage you to give it a go. It just takes a little practice.

The handwork takes me back to my youth. I tried everything from candlewicking to cross-stitch and I loved it! Do you remember those fads? You gotta love the 80's.

I have my heart set (pun intended!) on adding some pink piping to this pillow and I really like using the store-bought stuff. I don't have any at the moment, so this project is on hold until I can get myself to Joann. I try to avoid that store like the plague because going in for one item means I'll come out with 30 things I don't really need and a list of new projects to try (not to mention a hefty Visa bill).

I have a special recipient in mind for this pillow. One of our little friends is turning four just before Valentine's Day and this pillow is for her.

I'll be back soon with pics of the finished product.

I'm already plotting my next needle-turn project. I really want to try a quilt and have been scouring flickr for inspiration. There are so many great ideas out there!

Have a wonderful weekend!