Instant Gratification (Birthday) Crafts

Yesterday was my birthday, and in celebration, I had lunch the other day with a friend. We have been making a ritual of birthday lunches for several years. I couldn't decide what I wanted to do after lunch, except that I felt like doing something craft-y and fabric-y and colorful.

My first idea was to make a fabric bunting or garland. I've been taking a look at Offbeat Bride (I think of it as Martha Stewart for a new, sometimes tattoed, always stylish generation) occasionally and love the happiness and crafted-ness and color that brides are using these days for weddings that look fun. I also like to get a fix of color and beautiful craft at Purl Bee (the sister shop to Purl Soho, the knitting store in New York City. Aren't these happy? And then, I lurked around and found these amazing vintage book garlands.

We bought some Kaffee Fassett fabric at the quilt store after lunch. But then we came home, and in less than fifteen minutes, my friend, who didn't feel like sitting at the machine while we sewed many small pieces of fabric end-to-end, had cut the fabric for pillows that I've been meaning to work on for the last three months. She sewed them up on the machine, then I stuffed the down-feather pillows in, whipstitched the end close, and eh voila, instant, happy birthday craft.