Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

My White Couch

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I have had a white couch, that white couch in the photo above, for almost 15 years, by my calculation.  I picked it out myself and was pleased with the elegant touch it gave my living room.  I paid for it on monthly installments, and felt very grown up indeed.  It has a creamy damask slip cover that has covered it for most of those years, but lately the slip cover was showing major signs of wear on the arms.  I have worn a hole on the right armrest where my arm sits for hours every evening.  I am a right side of the couch girl, always have been.  Oh, we have other comfortable chairs I could claim as my own, but that is my spot.  Just there on the left hand side as you look at it.  You can almost see me there, my legs tucked up to the side.  My little lamp table sits right next to me, holding my wine, my book of the moment and whatever other miscellaneous object I set down there.  That is where I read, do the crossword puzzle, do my hand sewing, watch tv, cuddle with Ozzie in the morning with my coffee, and generally hang out at every possible opportunity.


Since we got Ozzie, things have gotten pretty tough for my white couch.  I was taking the old slipcover off so often for laundering, I decided to just leave the darn thing off and enjoy the pristine whiteness of the underneath upholstery.  This summer my white couch has suffered more wear and tear than it got in the past 15 years.  My treasured Ozzie and my pretty white couch are not a great combo.  So, I have been covering said couch with a quilt.  The most recent quilt to protect it is my Pinwheel Quilt.  That one was made from a Crabapple Tree pattern that included embroidery that I left out.  The fabric was given to me by my amazing son Ahren, and is Vienna Nights by Moda.  He bought the fabric and pattern at JJStitches in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin when he was out visiting my sister one Thanksgiving.


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Susan at Blackberry Creek posted recently that she plans to make a pinwheel quilt, and I offered her my sympathy.  Making all those pinwheels was a real trial to me, especially in the middle of each block where eight pieces of fabric all come together.  I swore off pinwheel quilts after making this one, but now that I have it out on my white couch, I realize that the effort of making it was totally worth it.  How fresh, how whimsical, how graceful the effect.  I love this quilt and all I associate with it–the pretty fabric group, my patience at finishing it, and the generosity of my son for giving me the fabric.  You go Susan!  Make that pinwheel quilt.  You won’t be sorry.


So my friends, back to your favorite place to sit.  Show me where you like to hang out!  I would love to see the spots where you are wearing out your arm rests.  Where do you sit? 

36 responses to “My White Couch”

  1. I love your quilt, Nicole. And all your points seem to meet perfectly. But now you’ve scare the h— out of me. I’ve never made a pinwheel block, but I’ve made Lemoyne stars and I now recall what a pain it is to make all those points meet. Oh well, my quilt will be sort of small, so maybe I can do it. I think I’ll start today. Maybe.

  2. I love your quilt, Nicole. And all your points seem to meet perfectly. But now you’ve scare the h— out of me. I’ve never made a pinwheel block, but I’ve made Lemoyne stars and I now recall what a pain it is to make all those points meet. Oh well, my quilt will be sort of small, so maybe I can do it. I think I’ll start today. Maybe.

  3. Love the pinwheel quilt! :o) I can think of two solutions to the “meet in the middle” dilemma. One is to press the seams open as you stitch, rather than both to one side. The other is to snip about a quarter inch inside your seam allowances near where all seams intersect and smush the centers open and flat. I’m sure there are others, but there’s my 2 cents. :o)

  4. Love the pinwheel quilt! :o) I can think of two solutions to the “meet in the middle” dilemma. One is to press the seams open as you stitch, rather than both to one side. The other is to snip about a quarter inch inside your seam allowances near where all seams intersect and smush the centers open and flat. I’m sure there are others, but there’s my 2 cents. :o)

  7. Nicole that is a wonderful quilt…pinwheel quilts are labor intensive but so worth it in the end! LOVE IT!

  8. Nicole that is a wonderful quilt…pinwheel quilts are labor intensive but so worth it in the end! LOVE IT!

  9. There is that little trick that you can do to make the centers “whirl” around so that the bulk is spread out. Clear as mud?
    My favorite spot to sit is in my bed. Big comfy mattress, puffy comforter, big bolster pillow! I get myself all propped in with my cup of tea and a book or my jumble puzzle (I’m addicted!). I can look out at the beautiful flowers in my yard. My favorite time is reading the Sunday paper while it’s raining outside. Decadently lazy!

  10. There is that little trick that you can do to make the centers “whirl” around so that the bulk is spread out. Clear as mud?
    My favorite spot to sit is in my bed. Big comfy mattress, puffy comforter, big bolster pillow! I get myself all propped in with my cup of tea and a book or my jumble puzzle (I’m addicted!). I can look out at the beautiful flowers in my yard. My favorite time is reading the Sunday paper while it’s raining outside. Decadently lazy!

  11. Your pinwheel quilt looks fabulous draped over the couch. White upholstery and a pet?? Recipe for disaster!
    My favourite place to sit is wherever one of the cats has vacated. I’m also a right side of the couch person — and have my little Ott light on the side table there but sometimes there’s a big kitty there and I don’t have the heart to move him!

  12. Your pinwheel quilt looks fabulous draped over the couch. White upholstery and a pet?? Recipe for disaster!
    My favourite place to sit is wherever one of the cats has vacated. I’m also a right side of the couch person — and have my little Ott light on the side table there but sometimes there’s a big kitty there and I don’t have the heart to move him!

  13. so beautiful!
    i take over our love seat and lay across the entire thing with my feet either sticking off the one end or tucked up under me

  14. so beautiful!
    i take over our love seat and lay across the entire thing with my feet either sticking off the one end or tucked up under me

  15. Love this but not enough to share my nest. Its a nest. I think that about covers it. But I appreciate the close up to peek at the fabric and the quilting, too!
    Messy Nesty Love, *karendianne.

  16. Love this but not enough to share my nest. Its a nest. I think that about covers it. But I appreciate the close up to peek at the fabric and the quilting, too!
    Messy Nesty Love, *karendianne.

  19. Nicole another Gorgeous quilt looks good on your lounge.untill ozzie gets too it he he he.i would love to post you a photo of mine but dont know how to do that bit yet just learning with this computer age will get my daughter in law to show me she is my teacher.
    Hugs Mary.

  20. Nicole another Gorgeous quilt looks good on your lounge.untill ozzie gets too it he he he.i would love to post you a photo of mine but dont know how to do that bit yet just learning with this computer age will get my daughter in law to show me she is my teacher.
    Hugs Mary.

  25. I have one pinwheel quilt and I really enjoyed making it. I love that shop in Sun Prairie! If you ever get that way, there are a lot of really great shops within a days drive of each other. Well worth the trip!

  26. I have one pinwheel quilt and I really enjoyed making it. I love that shop in Sun Prairie! If you ever get that way, there are a lot of really great shops within a days drive of each other. Well worth the trip!

  27. Love to sit and stitch on my green chair that I bought at a garage sale over 30 years ago! Now my daughters (24 & 22) are fervently discussing who is going to inherit this chair. I think they are starting to reach the age where they are sentimental and remember that Mom has always sat in this chair to work on her quilts. Love your pinwheel quilt.

  28. Love to sit and stitch on my green chair that I bought at a garage sale over 30 years ago! Now my daughters (24 & 22) are fervently discussing who is going to inherit this chair. I think they are starting to reach the age where they are sentimental and remember that Mom has always sat in this chair to work on her quilts. Love your pinwheel quilt.

  29. Hi Nicole! My favorite place to sit is in our bedroom. Can’t hear the tv (although I have a tiny one right there if I want to watch something quietly 🙂 and my dear pooch Teddy usually follows me. He’s not a big TV fan either! I like to sit and dream of quilts I will make. The original watercolor above the chair was painted by Cinde Nelson, a local artist. I will someday make that quilt in cloth. Happy 4th! I’ll post it on my new blog…which I am slowly getting braver about!

  30. Hi Nicole! My favorite place to sit is in our bedroom. Can’t hear the tv (although I have a tiny one right there if I want to watch something quietly 🙂 and my dear pooch Teddy usually follows me. He’s not a big TV fan either! I like to sit and dream of quilts I will make. The original watercolor above the chair was painted by Cinde Nelson, a local artist. I will someday make that quilt in cloth. Happy 4th! I’ll post it on my new blog…which I am slowly getting braver about!

  31. I lovep pinwheel quilts but agree about the bulk in the center…ironing gets interesting! Once upon a time, before kids, we had a white couch. Also had the white couch until the kids were 10 and 12. Finally replaced them. They were not so white any more! I have a green chair and ottoman that I mine all mine! In the winter I love so sit there with my feet propped up covered in whatever quilt I’m binding!

  32. I lovep pinwheel quilts but agree about the bulk in the center…ironing gets interesting! Once upon a time, before kids, we had a white couch. Also had the white couch until the kids were 10 and 12. Finally replaced them. They were not so white any more! I have a green chair and ottoman that I mine all mine! In the winter I love so sit there with my feet propped up covered in whatever quilt I’m binding!

  33. The quilt looks so pretty with the sun shining on it. My fav spot to sit is a glide rocker where I have spent many an hours rocking a cranky grandchild or reading or handsewing. It has alittle squeak to it that just relaxes me.

  34. The quilt looks so pretty with the sun shining on it. My fav spot to sit is a glide rocker where I have spent many an hours rocking a cranky grandchild or reading or handsewing. It has alittle squeak to it that just relaxes me.