Plantin'

You'll flip when you see this!  AND......I've been doing this for years..........like maybe 20...or 25?  I remember years ago when I'd tell people what I was doing and they'd look at me like I was a nut case or something!  Not so much anymore!  Now they think I'm brilliant!  And wonder why they didn't think of it themselves.  (Just shows you that I was WAY ahead of my time!!)

See this:

Pretty, huh?  Well, I used to have LOTS more.  In fact I had big huge lawn and leaf bags full of them in all sorts of colors!  This is only what's left.........plus a few new ones that I bought on sale this spring.  Now I store them in a plastic bin.  They do get sort of stinky after being in the ground......

See what I mean?  Now, look at this.........can you even tell that they're fake?  NOT!!  AND.....you NEVER have to water them either!  And you can plant them in early April in Wisconsin and people think that you have the greenest thumb in all the state!

Actually, in all truthfulness, I started doing this in just this area of our home since this spot is plagued with roots from all the big bushes behind it (which is owned by the neighbors behind me) and I could never plant a thing and have it live long.  Besides, I hated dragging the hose back there to water it.  Personally, I think it looks pretty good!

I did plant a few real flowers too.......just so you don't think I'm a complete slacker!  And I planted two tomato bushes which I didn't photograph (yet).  If I get a great crop, you can betcha you'll be seeing it though!!!

And, how do you like my pride and joy?  This is my $50 plant and dummy me can't remember the name of it.  Duh!  A horticulturist, I'm not!!  I just thought it was pretty!



I gave DH the watering job!  After all, what else has he got to do????

The pincushion swap is over.....

And I had such fun!  I received my glorious package from Leah "Smoochee" all the way from Australia this week:

That cross one is BIG.....it surely will hold ALL my pins and needles!!!  Leah must have known that I have lots!  And, surely being that large, I won't misplace it.  (Another plus!!)  Good thing it's not filled with crushed walnut shells (like I fill mine)......I might not be able to lift it.  lol  Really though, I do love it!  The piecing is amazing and the style is right up my alley!  She also was so generous in sending another pincushion, some darling pin toppers, a fat quarter and tons of sewing machine needles.  Wow!  I lucked out!

This is the package I sent my partner, Susan (FlossieBlossoms).  She let me use her photo with permission:

I'm sure you remember the frog and wrist corsage from my past posts.  There's a long story regarding this package.  I discovered that Flossie never went to prom as a girl and I thought a play on that theme might be fun.  I wrote a fairy tale that included close to 40 flickr names of people we both know and had her open certain things in order.  The fairy tale is here.   I think writing that was more fun for me than even gathering the stuff or making the pincushions.  You might enjoy it too.  I wonder if she ever did kiss that goofy frog???

Anyway, that's about the news with me.  I'm working on something and after that, I have another one almost finished in my head.  If they both work out like I envision, I'll be doing a happy dance.  What I'll do with all this stuff is the question though.  I only have so many walls..............lol!!!  Have a happy weekend, my friends............until next time.

Just playin'

It seems like forever ago that I just sewed for fun that I can hardly stand it!  I figured it was about time:

I bought a ton of Malka prints (a stitch n color) in February (I think it was February) and I made only one thing (that I gave away).  Remember this?

I loved that quilt, but it was a bit small for what I needed, so I thought it was time to get out the bunch again and some solids to go with them.  Here are the cools:

And here are some of the warms:

I just love making wonky log cabin blocks, don't you?  So far, I have 18 made and I think they will end up at 6 1/2 inches each.



Next are the cools.....................wish me luck!

"Summerville"

I don't usually promote lines of fabric.  Not to say that I don't have my favorites, but with the cost of goods today, and no sponsor, it gets a bit pricey.  More often than not, I have a plan or purpose when I go to my LQS.  Either I need a bit of this or that to start/finish a project, or maybe I'm just thinking about a color and want to see what they have.  Last time I was there, I was blessed with a charm pack of Moda's new release, "Summerville".  The owner of the shop, Julie, asked that I make something with it just for fun.    I was perplexed to say the least........what should I make?  I knew she'd want me to bring it in to show her Moda group so it had to be good.  Well, you already know that I used some of it for a few wrist pincushions:



Since I was in the pincushion mood, I thought she might use them as door prizes.  That might be fun!  But, the majority of the charm pack, some Moda solids to match, and 4 fat quarters for backing was used to make these:



I fell in love with that pattern out of the new book, "Quilting Modern" by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen, and just had to try it!!  (And NO, I did not get a free book just to promote it!!)  I had to buy it just like all of you, but I LOVE it!!  There are tons of things I want to try, and that rarely happens when I buy a quilting book.  (Usually I can come up with enough of my own crazy conceptions without using someone else's ideas!!  lol)  I must say though that the quilting of the projects in the book are simply amazing and stunning and really enhance the overall design of each project........but enough.  Let me show you each placemat:









Did you note the quilting?  It took me forever, I'll have you know, and 4 bobbins worth of thread, but really all worth it in the end, I think!  I love them.......although I wonder if I'll ever use them with the Kona Snow background?????   Maybe I'll just put them away and use them as a Christmas gift.   I could buy some more "Summerville" and make matching napkins?  Now, wouldn't that be really cool?  I think that's a plan!!!  

How to make a Pincushion Wrist Corsage

Do you remember this:

Well, that one I stuffed with polyfill, but I have found a better way and for sure, you won't poke yourself with this one!  Use a 1 1/2 inch styrofoam ball for the inside.  Cut off 1/3 of it though so it lays flat against your wrist.  I made a few for my local quilt shop and wrote the pattern which I will show you:

Cute, huh?  Needless to say, they are promoting the new Moda "Summerville" line!  I urge you all to shop your local quilt shops.  So many shops are going "under" now because of the on-line shopping and it's sad! Personally, I'd much rather feel and see the fabrics I want to buy in person, wouldn't you??  I probably could write a whole post on this subject, but today our focus is on pincushions so here we go. 

 I wrote the pattern with sizes for the pieces (which will be given away at my LQS soon)............but you will have to click on the picture and then go to "actions" on the top left and then click on "view all sizes" to read it easier.  I wish I knew how to do a PDF file for you all, but alas, I am an OLD sewer and not a NEW computer whiz like so many of the young people of today!!  I'm sorry!  IF you can, follow the next few pics which should explain the process:

First, cut 1/3 off your 1 1/2 inch (38mm) styrofoam ball.  Put that inside a cut piece of batting, and put that over the cut (wrongside) outside fabric (which will be the pincushion part of the corsage).  Keep the flat side of the ball up.  See below:

Sew around the edges gathering it together to cover the ball.  Sew back and forth for strength.  (I used #12 embroidery floss for sewing as it was stronger.)

Cut out all your petals, (12 to make 6 turned inside out petals), leafy things (6 to make 3 turned inside out leafy things) and the straighter pieces (again 6 to make 3) and sew and turn inside out so that they all look like this:

Gather your petals as shown:

Sew them to the sides of the finished ball (now with the flat side of the ball towards the sewing).

At this point, it should look like this.  It's a different inside ball, but you get the idea, I'm sure.

Now, take the 3 leafy things, and equally space them to fit in between the spaces of your petals and sew them to the petals.  Next, do the same with your straighter pieces:

So far, so good!  Idiot me forgot to take any more pics, so here we wing it.....  Take a piece of fabric 9 1/2 inches by 4 inches wide and fold in both short ends 1/2 inch and press.  Next, fold the long ends in towards the center so that they meet.  Press well!  Fold in half again lengthwise and sew around entire piece.  This is your wrist piece!  Attach 1 1/2" to 2" of velcro to each appropriate side and sew your finished flower in the middle.  Wa-la!  Now you SHOULD have a beautiful wrist pincushion!  Here is how my original looked from the side:



Good luck and have fun!  I was thinking after I was done that not are they darling wrist corsage pincushions, but they also could be used for napkin holders too for perhaps a garden luncheon.  Now, wouldn't that be fun???