Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

As the end of summertime has come for the majority of the population, my fellow Northwestern University students and I have pretty much been sitting at home, twiddling our thumbs. All of our friends have started at their respective universities, and as we scroll through Facebook as a break from our all-day Netflix marathons, we become instantly jealous of all those who post pics of their dorms, new friends, and awesome college lives.

Now, don't get me wrong: I'm definitely enjoying being home with my family awhile longer, especially with my brother's wedding coming up this Saturday in my backyard. I feel, however, as if it's time for me to start the next chapter of my life with my fellow Wildcats. I am ready to make new friends and new memories.

Last week, when my best friend Ruth W. left for St. Olaf College, I was really sad to say goodbye, and nervous that I would lose her. She then reminded me of a little Girl Scout tune that helped to make me feel a little less sad that she was leaving. You may recognize the tune:

Ruth and I: the bestest of buds.

"Make new friends, but keep the old

One is silver and the other's gold."

(*Note*: Ruth sang this in a completely sarcastic tone.)

In preparation for Ruth's departure, I wanted to sew her something that she could use in her dorm room, that would also remind her of me and all the awesome memories and inside jokes we have formed over the years. I decided to make Ruth a pillow. But anyone who knows me, knows that I can't just make a plain pillow. I had to add some spice.  

So, in order to do this, I decided to make the front of the pillow covered with appliqués that represented our different inside jokes and memories. Ruth came into Sew to Speak to pick out the fabric she wanted the body of her pillow to be and chose these two fabulous prints.

This one is called "Forget Me Not" by Amy Butler. How fitting!

All she knew was that I was making her a pillow. The rest was a secret.

So, I went home, dug through my enormous scrap pile, and began cutting out different appliqués for different memories. And here they are in the process:

The grey circles above are rocks. It's best I don't explain that joke, or else my already apparent nerdiness will show even more.

Appliqués everywhere! Also, see my NU Snuggie in the background?

I used Wonder Under to first bond the appliqués to the pillow fabric, then I topstitched to add extra security and a little bit of decoration.

After hours of cutting, piecing, designing, thinking, ironing, and sewing, I finished sewing all the appliqués onto the front of the pillow. Then, I used Perle Cotton thread to add little details to some of the appliqués:

A little television, complete with hand sewn antenna and dials. 

The Bossum: a possum/badger hybrid. I don't know how to explain this.

A telephone, representing our ridiculous phone calls either procrastinating homework, talking about nothing, or talking about everything.

A coffee mug, representing our frequent trips to Stauf's: an amazing coffee shop in Grandview.

And here is the whole front of the pillow before it was sewn to the back:

Before applying the appliqués, I used a Log Cabin quilting method that I learned from my dear friend, quilter, and co-worker Mary Dugan. This way, I could incorporate both fabrics and really frame the appliqués.

After this, I sewed the piping onto the back piece of the pillow:

With some concentration and a lot of stuffing, here was the final result:

Front

Back

I think Ruth liked it. :)

Ruth loves very simple styles, so I made the back of the pillow with just the yellow fabric, and no added flair. This way, if she gets tired of all of the action on the front, she can simply flip it over and have a nice, clean pillow. This project was SO much fun to make and reminisce on all of our memories!

Now, on to the project I made for my other best friend, Hannah S. 

Hannah and I in the photo booth at prom this past year.

Unfortunately, Hannah had to leave extra early to audition for the Ohio University Marching Band (and not only did she make it, but she is the first trumpet on the field!). I didn't have enough time to sew something for her prior to her leaving, but a couple weeks before she left, she came to Sew to Speak and picked out these two lovely fabrics:

Hannah had no clue what I was going to make. I knew just the perfect thing for her: a zipper pouch that could be used as a pencil case, makeup case--really anything! I recently took a class on how to make this little zipper pouch at Sew to Speak, and I love it! It's super easy, and really satisfying. Here's the pouch in the making:

Sandwiching the zipper with the lining and the outer fabric.

The top stitching.

Unfortunately, I was so concentrated on the sewing, that I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the process, but here is the finished product:

A peak inside the pouch to see the lining.

Voilá!

Ruth and Hannah are both absolutely incredible people. They have always been there for me through the rough and happy times to provide a listening ear, good advice, and constant humor. I know that they're going to succeed throughout college and beyond in whatever they choose to do. I love them both like sisters, and I hope our close friendships last forever. They mean the world to me, so I wanted to sew them both something to show them that. So, Northwestern kids: if you feel sad that your friends are away at college making new friends, just remember that you'll always keep your best friends from high school. And pretty soon, new college friends will be coming: and I can't wait!

Thanks for reading!

-Sydney