Summer Breeze Pillows!

So I just finished these new "Summer Breeze" pillows, and I have to say that I've outdone myself this time! hehe... No seriously this is my new favourite design -- although usually when I come up with something new it becomes my new favourite design until I think of something else. They are made of a fabulous linen fabric with intertwined gold accents, which is also lightly painted in brown and white flowers and leaves. The satin flower is appliqued on, and I used glitter paint to do the flower detailing. (Who knew I would find a use for that tube of glitter paint in my drawer?) The pillow backing is a soft brown microsuede material.

The Flower Patch

So this latest innovation was dreamed up on the subway ride home while trying to pass the time... I thought it would be cool to applique different layers of fabric together to make flower petals and this was the result :) I had picked up this brown wool fabric at the annual fabric sale at the Textile Museum of Canada quite a while ago, and had always pictured putting one or two large bright flowers in the corners, but I never got around to working on it until this weekend. I like the bold colours and the simplicity of these covers. The idea was to use the brown fabric that has a vintage / retro feel to it, and contrast it with fresh vibrant colours.

Instant Messenger Pillows!

I just finished up more of my Instant Messenger Pillows, with the new addition of "OMG". (And I also discovered that it looks kinda cool if I just photograph the cushion cover without the inserts, so you may be seeing more of my pillows photographed this way.) The text is in Courier font, outlined in black stitching and hand painted with black fabric paint. These would make a perfect accent to your office, or even living room. For the inner geek in you.... :)

Introducing True Tiffany!

Well, I am back from vacation and already hard at work! I lucked out and found this aqua-coloured material at the Fabricland inventory sale, and I just so happened to have thick white ribbon at home from previous crafty endeavours... So, I couldn't help but try to replicate that little blue box that make girls so giddy.


And the bow isn't just for show, it's used to close the opening and secure the cover around the pillow. I'm quite clever that way :P

Etsy Front Page!

My "Bird on a Wire" cushion covers made it to the front page of Etsy.com today! Yay!!

Pink Autumn

After endless experimentation with airbrushes and stencils, I discovered that the best method of applying my designs would be to stitch them into the fabric in black thread, and then to fill them in with paint using a paintbrush. Airbrush paint works fine, but I have found that the Jacquard Neopaque fabric paints are the best, especially for painting light colours on dark fabrics.

The "Pink Autumn" drawing was inspired by the pink fabric I had brought back from my latest trip to Paris. In fact, the Pink Autumn pillow is the first one I ever sold. Thanks Fanny ;) And just recently I was asked to do the same design in lavender and sage green, which worked out also!

Oh Buttons

Since weddings seem to be in the air, I have started to make ring bearer pillows out of white satin, and adorned with lace, ribbon, and a sparkling button. Now it shames me to say, but button shopping is one of my favourite things to do... Really! In Toronto's Queen west area, there is at least two blocks of just fabric, buttons, beads, lace, and things of the sort. So much stuff, so many ideas! I can literallly spend a whole day there. I bought this particular button in a cute store called Queen's Fabric & Buttons that carries any button imaginable. It was in the glass display case, so it's gotta pretty special!

The inaugural post.

Let me introduce myself. I am a mechanical engineer by day, and artisan by night. Specifically these days I make decorative throw pillows and sell them online (http://www.pabrika.etsy.com/). I've done everything from jewellery to furniture, but pillows seem to be my niche. I've been asked how I ever got into the business of selling throw pillows, of all things... And I don't really know how, but one bleek Saturday, after following my job to a city where I knew not a soul in the world, I thought wouldn't it be cool if there were a store that sold throw pillows -- all different colours, fabrics, shapes, anything you could think of. And there it began. I walked to the nearby Walmart, bought some fabric scraps, and started experimenting.

I decided that my lucky friends would be my guinea pigs, and made them each a throw pillow for Christmas. With plenty of kinks still to be ironed out I pulled together 6 lovely pillows by making stencils of the design and painting them onto the fabric in airbrush paint. I matched them with fun fabrics on the back, and voila.

And so I would like to dedicate this blog to my fabulously supportive friends, who have over the years put up with my hits and misses of handmade Christmas gifts, and have praised even my not-so-praiseworthy creations ;) Although I think you guys liked the pillows... didn't you?