Trying Out Pin Cushions

Don’t you just love cute pin cushions? During my recent browse around Pinterest several caught my eye, and of course these 10 minute crafts turned into a several day project, but they are so cute! The fruit pie cushion is a free tutorial from one of my favorite quilter/designers, Lori Holt at Bee In My Bonnet. The fabric I used was a charm pack called Farmer’s Market from RJR Fabrics. The little cobalt blue flower pots are ones that I’ve had for many years and decided to make them earn their keep and hold my pins. 🙂

I used the crushed walnut shells, called lizard litter at the pet stores, to stuff the cushions and to give them a little weight. A little advise: fill the cushions over a container up high in case your dog (Sami) decides to ‘help’. This stuff goes everywhere if you spill it and your dog tries to play in it while you are trying to clean it up.

These little cushions were made from orphan blocks left over from other projects. They are very handy to have at different locations around my sweat shop. Now I have one at each machine, cutting table, and the ironing board, but I will never be organized.

I am guessing you all have several pin cushions you have made, in addition to our old standby ‘the tomato pin cushion’, and probably some that have been handed down from relatives and loved ones. I remember my aunt kept a hanky pinned to the front of her blouse had pins pinned to the hanky when she was sewing.

 

 

 

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My Take on Bonnie Hunter’s Diamond Tile Block

HELLO MY FRIENDS! Yes, I know that I am shouting. I am just so glad to be here I feel like shouting. 🙂

Sami and I have been away from y’all so long we feel like we are new but we are the same old girls, or at least I am. A Special Thank You to all our cyber friends that have checked on us. I don’t want to use any names because I did not get permission, but y’all know who you are. We really appreciate knowing you were thinking about us.

The block above is a  Bonnie Hunter ‘Addicted to Scraps’ block published in the May/June 2018 issue of Quilt Maker magazine.  This block is intended to be put together for a quilt and it would be lovely but I don’t think I am up to it yet so I decided to enlarge the block and add borders (see the second picture) and make it into a table topper. As always with Bonnie’s blocks, the instructions are well written and very easy to follow. She gives several different examples of how the block would look with different colors.

Many different quilts are running through my head using this block and I cannot wait to try more: Christmas colors for a throw for the couch, baby quilts, QOV, a new one for my bed……so many ideas…so little time or energy.

Also, did I mention that my long arm is in the shop! I think it is just trying to get attention, but did it have to wait until the warranty was out to decide to break down?

Thank you for visiting with us again. We are so glad to have you.

 

 

#bonniehunter

 

 

Scrappy In-Between Project In Process

In between other projects I have been working on these scrappy blocks. I am using old, very thin bed sheets cut into 12″ squares as the foundation to sew assorted widths of  scrappy strips. I didn’t want to use paper as the foundation because I am too lazy to tear the paper off after sewing the strips. 🙂 To have a little continuity each block has a white strip in the center. At this point none of the blocks are attached together so they can be moved. As you can see I only have 21 blocks now but I would like to have enough for a queen size bed. With all my scraps that should not be a problem.

I am hoping a design inspiration will come to me as it progresses because it sure looks pitiful now. If you have any suggestions, feel free to offer them.

Moda Blockheads BOW #41 of 48

Blockheads #41 is from Lisa Bongean and it is named Pinwheel Star. As anyone that has read my blog on a regular basis knows, I love star blocks in quilts. This was an easy block and I am so glad I am doing 12 1/2″ blocks. I think the 6 1/2″ blocks would have driven me over the edge. 🙂  With only seven blocks left I am looking forward to putting this quilt together.

Thanks for visiting with us, and as my aunt would say, “Come back when you can stay longer.”

 

 

Grandma’s Kitchen (almost) Finished

Grandma’s Kitchen quilt is all pieced and ready for quilting. It was difficult to get a picture as it is 80″x100″. The picture looks like two different quilts but it isn’t, it is just the angle. I added white sashing between the rows and both white and blue floral borders all around.

Grandma’s Kitchen at I Love To Make Quilts

Thanks for visiting with us.

 

Grandma’s Kitchen Quilt Along – Block 25 of 25

Grandma’s Kitchen QAL block #25 is the final block and it is called Famous Cookies. This has been a fun project and I was so excited about getting the block instructions early that I finished it, attached it to the previous block, and added the borders before I remembered to take a picture. If all goes well I should be able to finish putting the quilt top together and posting it tonight.

I have no memories of either of my mammaws nor my aunts making cookies. They did make wonderful fruit cobblers, pies, and cakes. I remember a special German Chocolate cake one of my aunts made that took an extremely long time and would melt in your mouth. Aunt Mary did everything by hand to include grating the coconut and gathering, hulling, and chopping the walnuts. If you are not familiar with hulling walnuts it is not a fun experience and if you got the walnut stain on your hands it would last months. We were lucky to have a couple of huge walnut trees in the yard that produced lots of walnuts.

Back to my sewing room to finish this quilt top.

Grandma’s Kitchen link

Joyful Tree Mini Cushions

Finished cushions

Front and back of cushions

Stuffing the cushions

Making the pillow inserts

Attaching binding to front

Adding binding

Quilting the little blocks

Warning: Lots of pictures.

Based on a pattern called Piece A Tree, Spread Some Joy from My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe  I completed four cute little Christmas tree cushions. It is really hard to tell from the pictures (I really do need to either get a good camera or learn how to take pictures) but the background fabric around the tree is a red and tan checked and the border is black with white mini dots. This was a quick and easy project and as you can tell the cushion covers were made like a mini quilt and the backing, which opens to allow for the pillow insert to be added, is attached as the binding is sewn. If you roll over the pictures the captions pop up.

As always I took a few liberties with the pattern and changed a couple of things: I used three 2 1/2″ strips for the trees instead of four 2″ strips as I had the three strips already sewn together left over from a previous project. I also made the cushions a little bigger: 10″x12″ as opposed to the 5 1/2″x8 1/2″ the pattern stated.

If someone was not lazy like me it would be cute to have different holiday covers to change out as they came along…..Another time, another life.

Now if I can just get Sami to leave them alone and not claim them as hers, they just might survive the holidays.

Thanks for visiting with us and we love hearing from you.

 

 

Grandma’s Kitchen Block of the Week #24 of 25

One more block to go for Pat Sloan’s Grandma’s Kitchen Quilt Along. After finishing this block I realize I should have put ‘something’ inside of the basket but I can quilt some flowers and leaves while I am quilting. The name of this block is Grandma’s Purse and I am a little lost with this one. Neither of my mammaws carried a purse as they very seldom left the home place. They grew their own food, the doctor came to the house and the rolling store came by for things not grown. We also had the Jewel T man, a traveling salesman, that came about once a month with his car loaded down with items for sale.

Mammaw’s apron pockets took the place of purses. She had everything she needed in those deep pockets; hankies, safety pins (called latch pins then), pieces of twine, small scissors, spare buttons, a threaded needle, and even a biscuit sandwich wrapped in a muslin cloth to eat while working in the garden at times. Oh, that thought made me remember how good a biscuit and jelly sandwich would taste between breakfast and dinner.

These memories have been pleasant for me during the past weeks but it is amazing how much time I have devoted to the blocks of the week. Of course, at one time I was working on three at one time and I will have three pretty projects at the end.

I am looking forward to working on the Regatta quilt after New Years with my friend Roseanne at Home Sewn By Us as we will work at our own pace following the pattern. We plan on posting pictures of our progress (or lack of progress in my case). Everyone is welcome to join us. Check out Roseanne’s blog for more information. I also plan to sew more charity items.

Yesterday was my one year anniversary for blogging. This year has flown by and I have made so many new friends, discovered new patterns, and learned so much from the tutorials that my fellow bloggers have posted. I cannot believe I have so many followers and, in turn, follow so many talented people. I have quilted and even taught quilting classes but still learn new tips and techniques from blogging. I am looking forward to another year of learning and sharing.

 

 

Grandma’s Kitchen BOW #23/25

Pat Sloan at I Love To Make Quilts has posted us another great block. Block #23 is called That One Item  and our memory story is that one item that makes you think of your grandma.

Cooper Family Memories

The one thing that makes me think of Mammaw Cooper is seeing an older lady with her long hair twisted into a round bun. The only time I ever saw Mammaw with her hair down was at bedtime or when it was washed. She was a very private woman and was embarrassed to be seen with her hair down.

My daddy was the seventh child and the baby of the family. This was the second family for Pappaw Henry Cooper and he married Mammaw Cooper after his first wife died. He was a lot older than Mammaw and he died when my daddy was in the third grade. By this time most of my dad’s siblings were older and on their own. My dad quit school to help support Mammaw. Even though he did not have much formal education he was a very proud and smart man who owned his own businesses all his adult life.

 

 

 

Blockheads Block of the Week #39 of 48

This week’s block is designed by Jo Morton Quilts and it is called Framed Star. This one was a little tricky with all the flying geese but it is a striking block and well worth it. As always with Blockhead instructions, they were easy to follow.

I think I am finally caught up so I can finish a few unfinished objects (UFO) that are haunting me.

Thanks for visiting with me.