It doesn't read. Does it?

Remember how I was so excited to do "more more more" reverse applique? Well, I suppose I still like the technique, but this has taken some of the wind out of my sails. I have this thing about overdoing things - it's kind of what I do. So, true to form, I chose to reverse applique an intricate stencil of a maidenhair fern on my pillow covers (made with an already-busy printed velvet). In addition to being a ridiculous amount of work, I don't think it reads quite right. It comes off as some sort of strange affliction, perhaps? As if my pillow has been infected with leopard-print-itis? Perhaps, up close, it still looks a little leafy? While I hope so, I suppose the slightly-more-abstract pattern is okay - we've already got a lot of foliage going on in this room with the large leaf-print on our curtains.

This is the other project I finally finished in the last week:

This is the view from the living room. Those french doors open into our bedroom. Most people balk at the lack of privacy, but I actually kind of like it. I did actually want a little screen, though, so I whipped up these curtains using some orange poly chiffon (left over from a halloween costume I made in 1997!), edged with some of the same silk/cotton blend that I used on the pillows, and that I plan to cover my Ikea Poang chair with.

My parents come to town on Sunday and will stay with us for four days. I'm desperately trying to finish all the projects by then, but I'm not entirely hopeful that I'll succeed. It's a good kick in the pants for my productivity, though; I would really, really like to show you this place, and maybe this visit is what I needed to finally get it into fighting shape!

Alright, I have one more pillow to make, so I'm off to do a whole lot more of this:

another dose of velvet leopard-print-itis coming your way!