Put Your Feet Up - Brimfield Stool

I recently had a visit from a quilty friend for the weekend, and it seemed as if I was all over the place with my projects... somehow, I wasn't really motivated to work on the things that I was "supposed" to work on... and I actually pulled out a project that had been a long time in the works... for a long time.

When I first started this Brimfield block, I didn't have a specific plan, but had thought to possibly make a little pillow for my living room. Since I already have several quilted pillows, I quickly concluded that it was perhaps a little predictable... and even overdone. By the time I had decided to turn this single block into a stool, the next step was to actually find a stool.  

Anyone who is keen on vintage shopping or furniture refurbishing knows that you might have a general idea of what you are looking for, but may not find it on the first couple excursions. Sometimes you find the most when you are not looking for something specific.

Last year on the way home from Nadelwelt, I made a spontaneous stop at a little antique place that was on the side of the road. I was excited to find some comic books for my boys, a few vintage cigar items for my husband, and yes, you guessed... a stool for me!

But as you can imagine, my block had been basted, half quilted, and put on the back burner by then. It's not always easy to pick up a project that has been packed away for so long, dust it off, and jump back in.

Because I had to custom fit the block to the stool, you can probably imagine how nerve wracking it was to cut this block into a circle... if the measurements slightly off, then I would have to scrap the whole thing - only one-chance-cutting here. Sewing the inset circle was nothing new to me, because I did it often from my purse-making days... and give me a staple gun, and I am a happy girl.

... and just like that, to my surprise, I was stapling away for a weekend finish!?! I was super please how well the upholstery fit. So the only thing left for me to do now, is kick back and really put my feet up.

Pattern: Brimfield Block, from Brimfield Awaking
Fabrics: Anna Maria Horner, Alison Glass, Heather Baily
Background: Essex Linen