Showing posts with label pincushion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pincushion. Show all posts

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

so what was in that parcel....


the one that the clerk told me would get there in 5 days... and has actually taken almost 3 weeks? I was almost besides myself with worry, thinking it might be lost... gasp! The parcel was a Quilter's Day Swap for Bobbi at Crafty Vegas Mom and at last it has arrived at Bobbi's house! This is what I made for her...


A needle case with a pocket inside. a zippered pouch and a Cathedral Window pincushion.



I used some of the pretty fabrics I bought recently at the NEC.



and I added a few goodies... there is a box of English Breakfast Tea inside that London fat quarter :) I had the most wonderful email from Bobbi this morning, it really made my day.. I'm sitting here grinning as I type this :)))

Hope everyone is having a great week
Chris :)


Thursday, 19 April 2012

a parcel and a pincushion...



I've just been to the Post Office to send this swap parcel on it's way.... the clerk said it would take about 5 days to arrive.



If you signed up for Heidi's Quilters Day Swap.. then this might be for you! I had such fun sewing and putting this parcel together, I really hope my swap partner likes what I sent. I did remember to take photos before I wrapped everything up so I will post those once it has been received... I don't want to spoil the surprise!


I'm almost finished with the stitchery of the last block on my Garden Journal Quilt.. then I have two more blocks to piece before I can put the top together. Trouble is, I keep seeing other projects I'd like to try and it's so hard to keep focused when I am so near to finishing this quilt top! I must be strong.... I must not start anything else just now... sound familiar?


But I confess I had a little break to make this sweet Cathedral Window pincushion.



I've seen some lovely Cathedral Window cushions in my wanderings around blogland and wondered just how difficult they are to construct. I came across this tutorial on the My Go-Go Life blog and thought it would be a great project to try! The tutorial is excellent, with very clear instructions and lots of close up photos.  The pincushion really is lovely and because of all the layers of fabrics, it really holds on tight to those pins and needles :)


I might just have a go at a Cathedral Window cushion one day...
but not today..
I have a quilt top to finish :)



Monday, 20 February 2012

I've been quiet this week... but


But I have been busy stitching!!!

I just finished this pretty embroidered tote and pincushion. Well... it's called a tote on the pattern, but to me it's more like a basket? Anyway, here it is....




And here it is opened, showing the internal embroidered pockets for storing threads, scissors etc. As I was taking the photo I noticed that I haven't stitched on the central button yet... oops!


The pattern is 'Embroidered Tote Bag' by Lenna Green and includes the pattern for the matching pincushion.  I bought it as a PDF download from Stitching Cow. There are some really lovely designs on the website, it was hard to choose which one to buy!

Lenna also offers some BOM quilts available as monthly PDF downloads... I am loving the Christmas In Italy quilt a combination of patchwork, stitchery and appliqué. I might probably will go back and have another look at that one as it reminds me so much of the lovely holiday we had at Lake Garda in Northern Italy.


I still had a few little fabric scraps left from my Spring Tote, so I used the lower band of the stitchery pattern and make this sweet little pincushion.




I've also been adding to my growing pile of stitcheries for my Gardener's Journal quilt. I've just finished the Vegetable Patch, so that makes 12 completed out of ... umm... I think it's 25? 



Pulling the Weeds will be going on the hoop this evening, so I'm about half way :) As a lot of the fabrics I'll be using for this quilt are scraps and smallish pieces, I want to wait until I've completed all the stitcheries before making up the blocks. Hopefully that way I can spread the scraps evenly over the quilt. Well, that's the theory anyway!!


Happy stitching :)


Sunday, 12 February 2012

Zippered pouch, pincushion and thread catcher


As I've been wandering round the internet, I've found some lovely sewing tutorials on several blogs I've visited. I've had them bookmarked in a special folder... intending to try some of them one day. The folder is getting rather large, so I thought it was about time I actually tried a few out.

I made these to sit on the coffee table in the lounge, at the side of me where I stitch in the evenings. I don't know why I held off making them for so long, they are so easy and very practical too!



The triangular thread catcher is from a tutorial here. It's small and neat and as it has no wadding in it, it folds up if I want to pop it inside the pouch.

The pincushion is made from the scraps I had left over from the pouch and thread catcher. I filled it with crushed walnut shells and it has a nice weight to it. The shells are supposed to keep your pins and needles sharp so I was keen to try them. I bought a big bag very cheaply from a large pet store.. they were in the reptile and bird section.

The zippered pouch... this was the thing I most wanted to try. I've put zips in clothing before but never in anything like this... I think that's why I held of making a pouch for so long.  I used two different tutorials to make my pouch... the tutorial for the pouch itself is here. I combined it with this tutorial for the zipper part, a simple way of making those zipper ends look neat.

And simple it was, the result was a nice neat zip insertion... I will definitely be using this method again!



In case you are wondering, the fabrics I used are 'Little Gatherings' by Primitive Gatherings for Moda. 

Gorgeous :)